Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Princess Stephanie vanishes




December 21,  1940

Princess Stephanie of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst, "a friend of Adolf Hitler and reputed Nazi propaganda agent," has disappeared, according to press reports.  She vanished a few hours before "the midnight deadline for her ordered departure" from the United States under a "threat of deportation.

On Tuesday, immigration officials in San Francisco informed the princess that she would not be granted an extension of her six months' visa.  She was ordered to leave the United States by midnight tonight.
Due to her close association with Nazis,  Princess Stephanie's presence in the United States was considered "inimical."  Britain's House of Commons described her as a "notorious member of Hitler's spy organization," and she is alleged to have been "involved in European intrigue for the last 15 years."

As the deadline for her departure grew closer, "no one seemed to know where she was."   Had she left the country already, or was she planning to leave?   The last time immigration authorities saw her was on Tuesday in San Francisco. She was with Capt. Fritz Wiedemann, an aid to Hitler, and Germany's consul at San Francisco.

In a statement to United Press. Captain Fritz Wiedemann said tonight that his "good friend,"  Princess Stephanie of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst has left the United States secretly. 
"I believe you can say she has left.  I am not in a position to say how she left the country, or where she is going."
She was not on board a Japanese liner bound for Yokama, as her name was not on the passenger list.  The sailing of the ship was delayed for twenty minutes as FBI agents boarded to the ship to search for the Princess. 
 
The princess may have gone to Mexico.

The princess arrived in the United States from England on December 22, 1939.  Her visitor's visa was extended once, but a request for another extension was denied in November.

In New York, Stephanie had left a mink coat and ermine cape at a fur refurbishing shop for repair.  The furs remain in the possession of the shop owner, who contends that the princess left  New York last May without paying a $100 hat bill.    The milliner tried to collect the funds through the Princess' account at the Swiss Bank Corporation in San Francisco, but "found her balance to be only $50."

According to the Los Angeles Times, "immigration authorities said the matter is out of their hands" unless Stephanie "overstays her visa and a warrant is issued against her. "  The Justice Department states that "deportation proceedings will be started immediately" if the Princess "fails to leave within the allotted time."

If you want to learn more about Princess Stephanie:

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