Eight years older than William, she had already married, had a daughter, and divorced. Sean Connery was in Japan making a movie, we had dinner a couple of times," Zsuzsi told. Her natural humility and cool great looks would have earned her an army of fans and a situation in the hearts of the country. She deserves recognition and a rightful place in history after stepping forward to reveal their painful story before it was too late and the details, lost forever. Once, while in Japan, he took some friends on a flight in one of his planes. Though Margaret didnt directly encourage William to pursue his relationship with Starkloff, she did leave him with one small glimmer of hope. William was called the playboy Prince, who wanted to rebel against royal protocol. Pictured sailing in Lagos, Nigeria, with Graham Hunter, 13th February 1966. The Royal Familys attitudes were changingif glacially. He even asked Starkloff what she would say if he proposed. His co-pilot Vyrell Mitchell also was killed. Well, the good news is that Zsuzsi has certainly changed. His Royal Highnesss body was identified the following day through dental records. William's death was a terrible personal loss for the Royal Family. She could have joined the royal family. Not a day," Zsuzsi said. William was the elder brother of Prince Richard (who is now the Duke of Gloucester) he would have inherited the Dukedom of Gloucester had it not been for his untimely passing. Brendan Da Costa is a writer at Factinate. For the first time on camera Zsuzsi Starkloff tells the story of her forbidden relationship with Prince William of Gloucester, in a film rebuilding the lost legacy of the royal family's forg Read allFor the first time on camera Zsuzsi Starkloff tells the story of her forbidden relationship with Prince William of Gloucester, in a film rebuilding the lost legacy of the royal family's forgotten star.For the first time on camera Zsuzsi Starkloff tells the story of her forbidden relationship with Prince William of Gloucester, in a film rebuilding the lost legacy of the royal family's forgotten star. She found them kind and accommodating, but from the moment she arrived, she felt the distance between them. She had wanted to marry him, but he had been 17 years older and divorced with two children. Even to the very end, William was still thinking of Zsuzsi Starkloff. In 1972, Prince William of Gloucester who was a qualified pilot and who owned several aircrafts himself was competing in the Goodyear International Air Trophy, near Wolverhampton, UK. She soon got her pilots license and became a top-notch educator and business pilot. It's a beautiful story," Zsuzsi told, "A Japanese girl and myself were the new face of Revlon in Japan. (Our own Prince William, it claimed, was named after him.) The Prince was baptised in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on February 22, 1942, by the Archbishop of Canterbury. William came rushing up, and in seconds they were lovers. (Nor, oddly, did anybody mention that William had been diagnosed with porphyria, as made famous by George III.) A group of small boys who happened to be near the crash site rushed to the raging inferno to render aid. Auto news:Shock new reason behind car delays - drive.com.au, Prince William of Gloucester (1941 - 1972) relaxes on his 21st birthday at his home at York House, 18th December 1962. Zsuzsi met and married a pilot, Ed Starky Starkloff, during this period and not long after she obtained her pilots license, which allowed her to serve as a flight instructor. No surprise, William didnt struggle to find female company. "But it was Zsuzsi Starkloff that stole his heart. "I was nervous, of course, although everyone was very kind. The program claims Prince William intended to marry Starkloff, but a centuries-old British law stated anyone in succession to the throne needed the queen's approval to marry. Zsuzsi Maria Starkloff was in a long-term relationship with Prince William of Gloucester till dying made them apart. And that's when the relationship began. That's a beautiful compliment.". According to those telepathic royal commentators, the prince was still determined to marry her, but just as he was about to pop the undocumented question, his father the Duke suffered a stroke and William had to return to Britain. 18-30 31-40 41-50 51-59 60+ Reset Age Filter. They were opposed in the face of her being more settled, segregated, and of an unexpected confidence compared to William (Jewish). For the royal familys James Bond, he likely expected a clean bill of health. "I remember wearing very big sunglasses to cover the fact that I was sad, but I also had faith in William's feelings for me. Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. Were always looking for your input! Wiki, Biography, Age, Spouse, Net Worth, Fast Facts, Who Is Violet Knox? The two met in Tokyo in 1968, where William impressed the ladies by arriving for his British-embassy posting in a plane hed piloted himself. "A dashing young man, it's no wonder the women of his time were awed by his charming looks. Royals He'd invited Zsuzsi to join him but she had other commitments that day. In 1936 she was born in Budapest, Hungary. But possibly the biggest act of self-sabotage came when the programme tried to add yet another layer of tragedy by concluding that, had he lived, William and Zsuzsi would have been able to marry because not long afterwards the palace became far more relaxed about such matters. Starkloff was 83 years old when she died in 2020. We were just two people happy to be together.". ", Starkloff recalled him telling her a few months into their relationship: "I never thought ever that love can be this beautiful. They ended the call promising to meet soon. Though their days were numbered, at least William and Starkloff got to enjoy a few more months of bliss. He still loved fast cars and faster planesbut his reckless ways meant he often flirted with disaster. The program called William the "playboy prince" who wanted to "rebel against royal protocol," acknowledging he was the "idol" of a young prince Charles. There was speculation that Princess Margaret's visit, the queen's sister and Prince William's cousin, to Tokyo in 1969, was to check up on the pair. . On 18 December 1941, Prince William Henry Andrew Frederick was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Alice, the Duchess of Gloucester. In 1968, one of Starkloffs upper-class friends threw a costume ball. Record ID: 707003635. Today Zsuzsi, who has made her home in Colorado, still retains the elegant looks that captured the heart of an English prince. "I was devastated," she says quietly. In 2011, the Daily Mail carried a long story about how the Queens cousin Prince William of Gloucester, who died in a plane crash aged 30, had been Prince Charless boyhood idol. It took two hours to get the blaze under control. On it I wrote, 'Dear Prince Charming. He did invite Zsuzsi to join him for a while, but with the dark forces of protocol closing in, he decided to put the affair on hold by the undeniably effective means of taking her to the airport and waving her off on a one-way trip to New York. While still married, her first husband suffered a brutal crash at Le Mans and he barely survived. In fact, he had actually invited her to join him at the race that day, but she had been previously indisposed. After all, it clinchingly reminded us, the later Prince William was free to marry Kate for reasons of the heart. He performed his regular checks before taking off that day, but he missed something. for a documentary, opening up about their love story and of the grief she still feels for the man she fell in love with nearly half a century ago. William was far from the first royal to fall for someone beneath their station. He appeared on the balcony and also at the National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral, sitting directly in front of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. We heard a party is not a party without you and besides that I'm missing a slipper.' Not to mention his title "But it was Zsuzsi Starkloff that stole his heart. He is wise through his years. The association was out of the limelight. That was all the encouragement William needed. Despite the fact that their story began in the 1960s, some of it will resonate with Imperial fans today, as Zsuzsi was an attractive, scientifically divorced American person, like Meghan Markle. #fyp #fypage #foryoupage #foryou #viral #trending #history #historytime #historical #historybuff #historylesson #oldphoto #historical_stories #fyp #royalfamily #prince #william #cinderella #lovestory #affair #tragic, Referring to the party she invited him to as Prince Charming, Starkloff said: "It was really fun. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at [email protected]. Be that as it may, it was marred by catastrophe and shame, and the Queen finally rejected it. Prince William of Gloucester (1941 - 1972) competes in the King's Cup Race, a cross-country air race in the UK, 14th August 1971. She started out as a model in New York before becoming a flight attendant on the now-old Overseas National Airways, flying from one side of the planet to the other. Zsuzsi was five years more established than the ruler and much smarter on the planet. Zsuzsi died last month, aged 83, still loving her prince and wearing his ring, just as he was still wearing hers when he died 48 years before. Prince William of Gloucester 1941 - 1972. Hed always idolized his older cousin, who had always seemed invincible. The couple rented a home near the ocean, a secret love nest, where William loved cooking for Zsuzsi, making her breakfast every morning. "We were never formal together from the start. Please submit feedback to [email protected]. Still, William was determined to bring his partner to England to meet his family. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Dear Prince Charming, I feel the loss of a shoe, it read. However, this was also the first time shed ever seen her William back home with his family. All things being equal, the imperceptible powers of the establishment and a dangerous plane crash put an end to a adoration that, though largely obscured, left the Imperial court in awe. Williams parents told him the Starkloff was quite beautiful, but he could read between the lines. William would die in a plane crash in 1972. William could have simply hidden Starkloff from his cousin and carried on their affair in secret. Zsuzsi still wears a chain around her neck with a "W" on a cygnet ring, given to her by the man she refers to as the love of her life, Prince William of Gloucester. He succeeded his father in June 1974. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. We had too much together.". (Getty), Harry Styles achieves 'boyhood dream' on final night of Aussie tour, Nicole Scherzinger debuts new song at Bondi Beach Party, Cate Blanchett features funky dance moves in music video. Either way, the law stated that anyone with succession to the throne must get the Queen's permission to marry, and it didn't look likely that the Queen would approve of William's love match. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Prince William of Gloucester (1941 - 1972) boards his Piper Twin Comanche at Cambridge Airport, before embarking on a three-week trip to Japan in August 1968. Zsuzsi told Channel 4 she came up with a plan to meet the royal with the movie star looks. As energetic as it was, his relationship with Starkloff was marred by misfortune and shame. Photographed here on 17th December 1962. According to royal biographer Christopher Wilson, "William was the grandson of the King, George V and the nephew of two more kings, George VI and Edward VIII. At the time of his birth, he was fourth in line to become King of England. recalled Zsuzsi Starkloff in an exclusive interview. Prince William of Gloucester 1941 - 1972. Commenting on the clip, user MyHauntedLife wrote: "I'm English and I cannot believe I'd never heard of him ! Elizabeth Sudmeier 1 . "My relationship with William had nothing to do with his title or me wanting to be a princess, that wasn't what it was about and William knew that," Zsuzsi said. Fri, Mar 03, 2023 . Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. William was just 30 years old. William adored cooking for Zsuzsi and made her breakfast every morning. But, as the template demands, it was now time for those stuffed shirts at the palace to stand in the way of romance merely because Zsuzsi was a twice-divorced Hungarian single mother, seven years Williams senior. He died in a plane crash in 1970. The world order is changing in his favour, The sinister rise of drag shows for children, Theresa May is the true villain in this latest Tory Brexit war. Zsuzsi Maria Starkloff, 83, of Steamboat Springs, died at home on May 1, 2020, after a valiant fight with cancer. Williams mother, Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, was so distraught at her sons passing that she didnt have the heart to tell her husband what had happened. A difficult year for Albert and Charlene finally winds to an end, The Duchess of Cambridge wows TV audiences with a musical piano performance on Christmas Eve, The princess whose royal wedding had to wait until the heir to the throne had married, The life, scandals and loves of Princess Margaret, Princess Margaret's fashion favourite: Christian Dior, How Princess Margaret made a poignant nod to her late father, King George VI, on her wedding day. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. This was the first time she met Prince William of Gloucester. "There isn't a day that I don't think about William. Find 1 person named Zsuzsi Starkloff along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. She told him, Ask me and find out. . All he volunteered after the long conversation he had with her was that 'You are very nice and very interesting and she doesn't blame me for falling in love with you.". The story of William and Zsuzsi began as a fairy tale but sadly, this fairy tale has a tragic ending. Prince William of Gloucester 1941 - 1972. The royal family rejoiced at the birth of a new sonbut it wasnt yet safe to reveal him to the world. Thanks for your time! "I was perhaps two different people. Sovereign William of Gloucester was the most famous monarch of the 20th 100 years. He still wore the ring he made for Starkloff, but his fathers health only reaffirmed his choice of duty over love. According to Zsuzsi: "The first time I saw Princess Margaret she came into a theatre where she was guest of honour and we all stood up, and somebody pointed me out to her and she looked very surprised. She was a good dresser and carried herself gracefully. A Hungarian divorcee would have become 'the new Mrs Simpson' were it not for a tragic accident, she tells Isobel James. Its time the playboy prince started living up to his name. Maybe she had a thing for 007s, because as soon as she met Prince William, the two fell madly in love. Prince William's title by birthright instead went to his younger brother, Prince Richard, the current Duke of Gloucester. By then, it was too late. But Prince Philip was pretty much up in arms against us marrying," Zsuzsi recalls now. And we danced, and that's when our relationship truly began. Zsuzsi Maria Starkloff, 83, of Steamboat Springs, died at home on May 1, 2020, after a daring battle with illness. Shortly after takeoff, he tragically lost control of the plane at a low altitude causing the wing to hit a tree and burst into flames. Just a few years younger, Charles was the perfect age to see William as a superhero. But then again, Prince Williams was only 30 when he died in a plane crash in 1972 while fighting as a pilot. Username. The prince then performed an emergency stall in midair. In 2013, Zsuzsi told me, He really was a man.. Instead, he became just the second royal ever to work in civil service. "I had no doubt that he intended us to marry if we could," she says now. Zsuzsi Starkloff met Prince William in Tokyo in 1968, and they fell madly in love. When he raised the courage, he sent a photograph of her to his family back home in order to gauge their reaction. Prince Henry and Princess Alice welcomed Starkloff into their home. He was the royal family's forgotten star. They tragically never got the happy ending they both deserved. He wanted to be with me, but he felt a great sense of duty. Naturally, Starkloff dressed as a princess that night (but, since this was the 60s, she regrettably chose to be an Indian Princess). "There isn't a day that I don't think about William, not a day," Starkloff said. They have also lived in Heath, OH. But when she arrived, William decided to take a chance. Years later, Starkloff reminisced, My relationship with William had nothing to do with his title or me wanting to be a princess, that wasnt what it was about and William knew that. Born in Hungary, model Zsuzsi Starkloff moved to Japan to be the face of Revlon's Japanese advertising campaign. In one call, in late summer 1972, William rang Zsuzsi and asked if she wanted to fly to England and join him in the cockpit when he took part in an air race. The Prince was laid to rest five days later, with the Queen, Prince Philip and a young Prince Charles among the mourners. "My friend was giving a masquerade ball and we sent an invite to Prince William. One of the boys later told BBC News, We tried to break into the planes doors and then tried to break it in half by pulling at the tail. She never married again, and never truly got over the death of the man she still calls the love of her life. In 1936, she was born in Budapest, Hungary. He is the eldest child of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. Click here to subscribe to the Royal Central newsletter,
Omarosa Manigault 2. "At the party, he came over to my table and asked if he could borrow Cinderella for a dance. Though Prince William had a good heart, he was still a prince. In 1972, he signed up to compete for the Goodyear International Air Trophy. James Walton is The Spectators TV critic. Starkloff moved to Steamboat in 1985 and sent off her own land rental business. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), What Happened to Jimmy Barnes Sister Linda Barnes? You might have expected Williams next lady to be of noble birthsomeone of whom his family would approve. (Channel 4), "A British prince and a Hungarian girl met in Tokyo Japan 47 years ago. That is not what ended up happening. "It was hard, as I didn't like to see William struggle. Zsuzsanna Maria Starkloff of Steamboat Springs, Colorado died in 2020 at the age 83 after a courageous battle with cancer. Wiki, Biography, Age, Spouse, Net Worth, Fast Facts. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Prince William and Vyrell Mitchell died in the crash. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images) (PA Images via Getty Images), Zsuzsi Starkloff spoke about her romance with William in a 2015 documentary. In a rare television interview, William spoke about his reasons for choosing to work in the foreign office, rather than take the traditional royal route of a career in the military. Subscribe to leave a comment. "A British prince and a Hungarian girl met in Tokyo Japan 47 years ago. Zsuzsi remained faithful to William and didn't have a relationship again. "She was very beautiful, with large brown eyes and long auburn hair. I was very busy, my daughter was with me, she was a teenager, I had a lot of new friends, and very interesting people. She met the ruler over a mixed drink when she was there in 1968, not long after the unknown office sent him to town as a 26-year-old negotiator. Prince William of Gloucester 1941 - 1972. In fact, one of the programmes coups was to show us film of the incident even if the decision to screen it for Zsuzsi in her Colorado house was maybe more questionable. Tragedy was around the corner. Before parting, William had a signet ring made for her, embossed with a W, as a promise. Naturally, William flew himself to Tokyo, in one of his many personal aircraftthe man was still a prince, after all. But he suspects Margaret's personal experience might have had something to do with it; the Princess hadn't been allowed to marry the man she first loved, her father's equerry Peter Townsend, given that he was 17 years older than her and divorced with two children. Prince William didnt just look the parthe could claim adventures that even James Bond never could. At the time of his birth, he was fourth in line to the throne. One false move would have meant the end of William and his friendsbut William knew just what to do. Having been educated at Wellesley Prep School and Eton College, the Prince was remembered by his classmates and teachers for being smart, as well as incredibly athletic. When Starkloff asked William what the princess thought of her, he simply replied, She said you are very nice and very interesting and she doesnt blame me for falling in love with you. Despite the alleged reluctance of senior members of the royal family to take William's . Just as his plane reached the air, one of the doors suddenly burst open. Nowadays, he is referred to as The Other Prince William, but who was Prince William of Gloucester and why was his life cut so tragically short? The tall, handsome, and daring prince seemed more like a movie star than a royal. Eight years older than William, she had already married, had a daughter, and divorced. William shirked the traditional path of senior royals and instead took a job at the British embassy in Tokyo in 1968. And if the winds ever changed, he would come back for her. But when news that William was dating a single mother got back to England, it wasn't long before the royal family came to visit. "I get misty eyed just thinking about that. It brought back so any memories," she says now. Zsuzsi Maria Starkloff, 83, of Steamboat Springs, died at home on May 1, 2020, after a valiant battle with most cancers. Erika Urban and Edith King were ONA crew and My mom never told me how her best friend died. Zsuzsi is a resident at 25850 Zsuzsiyama La, Clark, CO 80428. But no one is perfectnot even Prince Charming. Her birth date was listed as June 1, 1936. It echoed claims made in the TikTok video. But his life was cut short when he was killed in a plane crash in 1972 at the age of 30 years old. William quickly realized that he wanted to spend his life with her, but he knew it wasnt that simple. 85 year old . On his finger was the replica of the ring he'd given Zsuzsi which had been made at her request. "He was the love of my life.".