Royal Death: Princess Descendant Dies of 'Silent Killer' Days Before Birthday
A royal princess passed away at the age of 31. It is quite shocking at its suddenness as well as for its reason. The descendant of the last emperor of Austria died so suddenly, leaving her husband and 2-year-old son behind.
A few more days before she turns 32, Princess Maria Petrovna Galitzine passed away due to aneurysm in her heart. She officially died on May 4, but it is only on Tuesday when the tragedy was confirmed.
The spokeswoman for Emperor Karl League, an organization committed to the legacy of Emperor Karl I of Austria confirmed the sad news. She leaves behind her young family - her husband of three years, Rishi Singh, the executive chef at Hotel Derek located in Houston and their son, Maxim, just 2.
The couple was living in their home in Houston Texas, when this sad event took place. Princess Maria and Rishi got married in a civil ceremony back in September 2017, just at her parents' Texan residence.
Maria's parents are Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria and her husband Prince Piotr Galitzine. They were in total 6 children, Maria being the fourth.
Through her mom's lineage, Princess Maria was one of Karl I and his wife Zita of Bourbon-Parma's last descendants.
History buffs would know that Karl I became the heir presumptive of Emperor Franz Joseph I way back 1914. On that fated year, Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, and triggered the first world war.
Karl I ascended to the throne in 1916 and reigned until WWI was over in 1918. At the end of the conflict, the whole empire got dismantled.
This is the second tragedy to have struck the Bourbon-Parma family within this year. Princess Maria Teresa recently died of coronavirus. She was 86. Before she died, she lived in Madrid where she conducted deep research and write about Carlism mostly.
Princess Maria Teresa is actually the first royal to die from this dreaded virus. She's the cousin of King Felipe VI of Spain.
Two other royals have tested positive for the virus, Prince Charles the Duke of Wales and Prince Albert II of Monaco. Prince Charles has long since recovered, although practicing social distancing measures.
According to People Magazine, she is a celebrated professor as well because of her works and views in sociology and women's rights.
The House of Bourbon-Parma is a known cadet branch of the Spanish royal family.
Aortic aneurysms have long been labeled as the silent killer. Renowned figures such as Albert Einstein, George C. Scott and John Ritter all passed away due to an aortic disease. Apart from them, actors, musicians, and athletes among others have had their lives cut short because of this condition. In 2016, Alan Thicke died due to an acute aortic dissection. The Hollywood figure complained of pain in his chest while playing hockey on December 13. Three hours later, his aorta ruptured and he died.
What makes this condition so fatal is that people can live with the widening or ballooning out of their aorta, which means aneurysm, as long as dissection does not happen. Aneurysm can be detected and treated before dissection happens but people hardly subject themselves to checkups and treatments even i f they have symptoms. Once dissection happens, the person can die within hours.
READ MORE: Better Apart than Together? Prince William and Harry, Duchess Wives Enter 'Forced' Truce?
