Royal Profile: Count Bertram Friedrich zu Castell-Rüdenhausen

Count Bertram Friedrich zu Castell-Rüdenhausen was born on 12 July 1932 as the son of Count Freidrich Wolfgang zu Castell-Rüdenhausen and Princess Caroline Matilda of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha {Source}. His parents divorced when he was nine years old, and his father died in action during WWII {Source}. He has two younger full siblings, and three younger maternal half siblings , and a younger paternal half sibling and their families who are{Source):

1. Count Conradin Friedrich of Castell-Rüdenhausen (1933-2011
1. Marta Catharina Lonegren
1. Countess Anne-Charlotte Catharina Victoria zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1962)
1. Tommy Alen (if married/dates unknown)
1. Henrik Michael Frederik zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1982)
2. Martti Rappu (1963. m. 1986)
1. Patrick Martin Conradin Rappu (1987)
2. Richard Valdemar Rappu (1989)
3. Fredrik Carl Anton Rappu (1990)
2. Count Carl-Eduard Friedrich Hubertus zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1964)
1. Lisbeth Marie Raunig (m. 1999)
1. Countess Sarah zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1999)
2. Count Markus zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (2004)
2. Countess Viktoria Adelheid of Castell-Rüdenhausen (1935)
1. Lt.-Cdr. Sir John Miles Huntington-Whiteley, 4th Bt. (1929-2019, m. 1960-2019, his death)
1. Alice Louise Esther Margot Huntington-Whiteley (1961)
1. Charles Percy Sewell (m. 1985)
1. Henry Alexander Sewell (1988)
2. Benjamin Leopold Sewell (1990)
2. Beatrice Helena Victoria Irene Huntington-Whiteley (1962)
1. Andrew William Grant (m. 1995)
1. Frederick Francis Thomas Augustus Grant (1999)
2. Ludovic William Hubertus Miles Grant (2002)
3. Sir Leopold Maurice Huntington-Whiteley, 5th Bt. (1965)
3. Count Hesso Fridrich  zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1940)
1. Adelheid von Nell (1938, m. 1975)
4. Calma Barbara Schnirring (1938)
1. Richard Darrell Berger (m. 1961)
1. Sascha Nikolaus Herbertus Berger (1960)
1.  Gina Goodwin (m. 1979, div prior to 1982)
2. Bonita Isabelle Oden (m. 1982, div prior to 1996)
1. Tristan Lee Berger (1984)
2. Nicole Calma Berger (1984)
3.  Belinda Ellen Oden (m. 1996)
2. Richard Darrell Berger (1962)
1. Gypsy Diana Wheeler (m. 1982, div prior to 1990)
1. Richard Jonathan Ross Wheeler Berger (1985)
2. Ronda Rae Ross (m. 1990)
1. Rachel Kathryn Faye Berger (2000)
2. Riley Emily Erin Berger (2001)
3. Victor Dean Berger (1963)
1.  Sylvia Diane McKinney (m. 1986)
1. Mary Katherine Berger Jacobs (1985)
1. Don Jacobs (m. 2010)
2. Brenda Diane Russell (m. 2001)
4. Samuel Clinton Berger (1965)
5. Wesley Berger (1967)
1. Kristine Alicia Okamoto (m. 1994)
1. Maximilian Elias Berger (2001)
6. David Charles Berger (1968)
5. Dagmar Schnirring (1940)
1. Heinrich Walz (m. 1964, div)
1. Maria-Valeska Walz (1965)
2. Larissa Walz (1967)
1.  Takis Panajotakulos (m. 1991, divorced prior to 1997)
2. George Evangellatos (m. 1997)
1. Alexandria Evangellatos (1999-1999)
2. Amilia Sofia Evangellatos (2002)
2.  Eberhard Schäl
6. Peter Michael Schnirring (1943-1966)

On 10 October 1954, he married Felizitas von Auersperg {Source}. Together, they have two sons, {Source}:

• Count Dominik zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1965)
• Count Michael zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (1967)

Count Bertram is currently distantly in succession for the British throne. He is one of the oldest present living relatives of Queen Victoria, along with:

1. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh (1921, recently just became the Eldest living descendant of Queen Victoria-ever)
2. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926)
3. The Lady Pamela Carmen Louise Hicks (1929)
4. Princess Astrid Maud Ingeborg of Norway, Mrs. Ferner(12 February 1932)
5. Count Bertram Friedrich zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (12 July 1932)
6. Mrs. Anne Mary Sibylla Liddell-Grainger (28 July 1932)

He is related to Queen Victoria through her son, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, on his mother's side.

After sporadically attending school, he was educated as a wood-carver, building fitter, and grain merchant{Source}. For four years, Castell served as a Federal Border Guard (Bundesgrenzschutzbeamter), followed by work as a salesman for beauty care and hygiene products, as an ice cream vendor and a bookseller {Source}.

In 1963, Castell moved to Vienna, Austria, where he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts (Akademie der bildenden Künste) to study painting in Herbert Boeckl’s master class{Source}. Since 1965 he has been working as a freelance artist, graphic designer, art director, creative director, and occasionally as a bartender and decorator {Source}. He is a member of several artist groups, including Künstlergruppe Parz, Salzburger Kunstverein, Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein, and Kunstverein Coburg{Source}.

As his major artistic influences he cites the first exhibitions of expressionist and abstract art he saw after the end of World War II{Source}. He then knew, “I want to become a painter!”{Source}.