Exclusive interview with
His Seréne Highness Prince Charles-Henri de Lobkowicz

You were born and raised in Paris even though your mother, Her Royal Highness Princess Francoise of Bourbon-Parma’s family reigned in the Italian peninsula and your father’s side is the most well-known Czech aristocratic family from the former Habsburg Empire. Actually, the sister of your maternal grandfather was no other than Her Majesty the Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, Zita of Bourbon-Parma. I know you have been to Budapest multiple times. What about the other territories you have family ties with?

Even though my mother’s family ruled over the Duchy of Parma they are French so she never lived in Italy. She grew up in France lived in various castles of her family, such as Château de Lignières. Yes, my father is a descendant of a Czech family with a Hungarian grandmother and an Austrian grandfather, so he was totally Central-European. By the way one of my great-grandfathers was a Pálffy count. And Aunt Zita considered herself French as well. We saw her a lot because after her husband, Emperor and King Charles died she handed over the responsibility for her family to my grandfather. But we have tight bond with her son Uncle Otto as well. His engagement photo was taken in one of my houses. I’m regularly trying to visit these countries. I have been to the region of Parma several times. I also travel every year to Prague where my cousins got returned the family palace, castles and estates. It costs a fortune and huge work to maintain them but they are doing a fabulous job. The Lobkowicz Palace in Prague’s castle district is now a museum with all the artwork and books collected by the family. If I remember correctly it is the second most visited sight in the Czech Republic.

Your father was an investment banker as well as the ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to Lebanon. You were also involved in finance, working as a money manager at the New York Stock Exchange.

Yes, my father worked in the banking system beside diplomacy. I have to tell you that first he was the ambassador to Ivory Coast, and then later to Lebanon. One of his greatest achievements was to organize a medical support in the time of the civil war for 130,000 Lebanese. Although we attended boarding schools we spent all of our holidays in Lebanon during the war. It was a fascinating period. As a young adult I was lieutenant in the French army which I was absolutely adored. Then I became an investment banker. Later I had contemporary art galleries and now I’m involved in development in various South American countries. New York was a great experience, the city is the centre of the finance, so you can learn a lot there. I worked for several interesting companies and had the chance to learn money management in niche areas that not many people understand and know. I loved living in New York but working in the US takes total commitment. You often start at 7:00 AM and finish only at 7:00 PM (sometimes 9:00 PM) but it definitely teaches you hard work.

Beside political science you studied art history at Duke University, North Carolina. Has this degree proved useful in your major project in life: renovating castles? If I know correctly you own four castles in the French countryside.

Yes, I inherited Château de Fourchaud, Château du Vieux-Bostz, Château du Nouveau-Bostz, and Château de Rochefort, basically that’s why I relocated to France from the States. It was funny that I moved into my house in the middle of Winter: it was freezing, there wasn’t any heating. I was interested in restoring these places, meeting the locals –who are also integral to these projects. And yes, art history is the base of everything but what is even more important is the general culture. You have to have references in the past if you would like project to the future. Countries have been fighting for the same reasons from generations to generations: population, access to waters; the history is repeating itself in different environments. My properties are in the center of France, in the territory called Bourbonnais. This area is where the Bourbon family originated from in the late 9th century. (The founder of the dynasty died in 915.) They became more and more powerful, got closer and closer to the throne. King Henry IV of France was the first Bourbon king. And all of this history started on my estate where the whole family met in 2015 when we celebrated the 1100th anniversary of our family. It was an uplifting moment to see here Bourbon family members even from Brazil.

These are all really charming buildings but it’s impossible to live in all them simultaneously. What’s your vision or plan with them?

Restoring these houses is actually crazy. You spend so much time and money, and it needs a lot of dedications. Château du Nouveau-Bostz is my residence, which was visited by Empress Zita in the past and is becoming a favourite destination these days as well. There are many souvenirs and artifacts, and it is open to the general public. I have just launched in the castle a bed & breakfast offering five of the ten bedrooms to paying customers who are interested in history and in the area. One of my other castles, Château de Fourchaud is an incredible fortress from the 15th century situated just a few miles away. It was close to ruin, so every week about 20 people from the village come to restore it so we can open it to the public. Château du Vieux-Bostz is going to be a museum. So there are a lot of exciting projects in the air. My main aim is to promote the Bourbonnais region, so I am regularly involved in various television shows, magazine features (like this one), etc.

Your family’s home was nearby the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. However, you have been spending a lot of time in the countryside recently. Have you become a countryman?

I love the countryside, its history, culture and literature. Because of my work I have to travel a lot, but my real place is on my county estate. There are my dogs and horses, so that’s my home. I need to be surrounded by nature.

You take part in other interesting projects as well. You were working for luxury companies as well. What does it mean actually? 

Yes, I loved to work with Chopard’s co-owner Caroline Scheufele. She is a brilliant lady, she is the queen of the Cannes Film Festival. I learned a lot from her about how you should promote a brand. But I also worked for LVMH, Monsieur Arnault hired me for the alcohol division of the group, Moët Hennessy. Then I created my own company, so nowadays I’m a consultant working for ethical companies. For example, I spend a lot of time in South America. You know it is really important nowadays.

There is even more: you were one of the executive producers of the movie The Aspern Papers staring well-known actors and models like (Dame) Vanessa Redgrave, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Joely Richardson, Jon Kortajarena or Poppy Delevingne. How did you get involved and why? 

It is simple: I have always been interested in taking part in the movie industry. Chopard invited me every year to the Cannes Film Festival so I realized it is a fascinating world. Movies are really close to history and literature, so I was looking for a movie I could support. I met the director who showed me the book written by Henry James. I loved the scenario, so I became the producer. It was difficult to make a movie but a good experience. The beginning was not easy because I did not have the experience and this was the first movie of the director as well. But we got a lot of help from professionals, for example the great producer James Ivory. The movie takes place in Venice that’s why its premier was on the Venice Film Festival.

Your mother is the founder of the humanitarian Malte Liban Association where you are also quite active. What’s your main goal with this charity work?

My mother’s aim was to raise money helping the hospitals we built in Lebanon for the people who suffered during the Lebanese civil war. They organized fundraising events in Versailles year by year, former French first lady Madame Chirac was also very supportive. From the substantial donation that they collected the association was able to build twelve medical center in the country. Eventhough it is a Catholic organisation we support all of the communities under the motto: ‘I do not ask what is your race, what is your religion but what is your suffering’. Our work is highly respected among the Muslims as well.

You are really active with the European royal houses. Last time you attended His Imperial Highness Grand Duke George of Russia’s wedding in St. Petersburg. What does family and friends mean to you?

I’m very lucky I have a large family all over the world, from America to Europe. There are many family events where we can meet each other. Fortunately there are many weddings but sadly funerals also. Even though these are sad events they are joyful as well because we have the chance to see each other. The wedding was absolutely amazing and very touching in the wonderful city. Grand Duke George and Princess Victoria Romanovna are my beloved friends and there were a lot of dear cousins too. It was very moving we had the first imperial wedding in the city since the Bolshevik revolution.

What do you do when you are not renovating your castles? Do you have any hobbies or leisure activity for example? 

I like riding, reading and listening to music, kite surfing, skiing a lot. My secret thing is that I love YouTube because you find here everything you interested in. It is a source of information and inspiration. I don’ t watch TV anymore just YouTube (laughing).

Photos: The courtesy of His Seréne Highness, all rights reserved
12th of February, 2022