EUROPE - CZECH REPUBLIC : MEETING PRINCE CHARMING AT NELAHOZEVES CASTLE
by Barbara Kingstone



It was difficult not to have giggled when one of the tourists at Nelahozeves Castle, just outside of Prague, naively asked the handsome American-born William Lobkowicz, son and heir of the last Prince and Duke of Roudnice, if he was really a prince.

Actually, in retrospect, with his broad Boston accent, the question really wasn’t as silly as it seemed. The "new" prince’s ancestors were indeed from the Czech Republic, the then Czechoslovakia. The family dates back to the 14th century and is considered one of the oldest noble Bohemian families. Prince William is Johnny-come-lately into this world of royalty.

Although titles were abolished in 1918 it hasn’t stopped this Prince from using his. And with this reasonably new persona, came along his American smarts, a great combination I was soon to discover. His business acumen was present from the get-go as we stood around talking in the centre of the Renaissance castle’s boutique. If a castle needs a money-making shop, then they should take this one as an example. Here were some of the best Czech products from hand-blown glass to jewellery re-created from the family’s original oil portraits and works of art, as were the greeting cards and stationery.

Our small bus stopped just before entering the extensive castle grounds. Sitting up on a hill, this massive grey stone building, located high above the Vltava River, certainly was seriously impressive with its majesty of style and mid-16th century architecture, and it is easily reached from Prague, just a mere 25 kilometers away.

As for the prince, the thirty-something movie star handsome man was born in Boston. Lobkowicz had visited his ancestral home three times before the "velvet revolution". Now that capitalism and private enterprise has taken hold in this former Communist enclave, he wisely moved his family to Prague and has lived here for 11 years since the estate was returned to the family. In those years, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been invested in this grand edifice restoring it to its obvious grandeur. It was in desperate decline and needed buckets of money.

The Prince was keen to tell all about the kudos which the Roudnice Lobkowicz family deserves. The Roudnice branch of the Lobkowicz family were patrons of the arts and "uber" musicians like Beethoven, (who dedicated many works to Franz Josef Maximilian Lobkowicz), Haydn and Gluck were recipients of their generosity. Since the composer Antonin Dvorak was born in the village of Nelahozeves, each year there are Dvorak Festivals. Other concerts are held in the Knight’s Hall where there are also opera and piano recitals, string quartet events and performances of original Renaissance or Baroque music.

With its close involvement to the arts, the family, over centuries, created a massive collection of books, musical manuscripts and instruments. Starting in l997, the doors were opened to the public and from May to September there are concerts and scheduled performers. Before we started our tour, we’re told that the library contains 65,000 books, about 1.5 kilometres of archival material, and there are 1,700 paintings in the collection. "Six Centuries of European Art Patronage" is on permanent exhibition and one of the largest "and most significant private collections in Europe".

There was more show and tell when we were invited to a lunch, served with the grandeur of times past. Indeed, we’re even given the wine of the area, his of course, and it is truly acceptable, as was the food in the airy and modern restaurant. The décor works even though it’s in complete contrast to the rest of the rooms we were about to visit.

After climbing the graciously curved staircase, I walked along the hallway filled with paintings, all departed relatives but all with some relevance to the family. It was cold. There was a nip of winter in the air and the cost of heating this massive place was too overwhelming to even contemplate. Within the U-shaped castle are rooms of tapestries, animal portraits, landscape paintings

Along with the castle, Prince William Lobkowicz was also able to re-claim the Roudnice winery, (founded in 1603) with the most popular wines in the Czech Republic, producing over 200,000 bottles a year. The wine cellars are located in the Romanesque Roudnice Castle, the 250-room ducal residence of the Roudnice Lobkowicz family. For oenophiles, Nelahozeves Castle will set up a wine tasting for a maximum of 30 people and this includes a history and description of all the wines. A Lobkowicz brewery established in 1466 and now part of the enormous estate, Lobkowicz told us, only uses the highest quality of local ingredients. Reputedly it has an exceptional taste since it is brewed in the famous Czech tradition.

I continued along and learned more about the entrepreneurial Prince Charming. It seems he’s always available to talk to tourists and guests about the family’s history. This day, he emphasized the events which take place at Nelahozeves Castle. As for the commercial end of things, he opens his door to wedding ceremonies and receptions. The artistic diversity is great with courtyard dances even horse-drawn carriage rides through the neighboring Veltrusy castle gardens to Nelahozeves Castle. I didn’t have the chance or the invitation, but since Prince William Lobkowicz is a young man with great style in the old European tradition, I’m sure it would have been up there with great memories.

Photo: courtesy Nelahozeves Castle


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