Daisy, Princess of Pless

Daisy, Princess of Pless (born Mary Theresa Olivia Cornwallis-West; 28 June 1873 – 29 June 1943) was a noted society beauty in the Edwardian period.

Daisy and her husband Prince Hans Heinrich XV von Hochberg were the owners of large estates and coal mines in Silesia (now in Poland) which brought an enormous fortune to the Hochbergs. During her marriage, she was a member of one of the wealthiest European noble families. She sought to prevent World War I by bringing together world leaders for peaceful discussions.

Early life Born Mary Theresa Olivia Cornwallis-West at Ruthin Castle in Denbighshire, Wales, she was the daughter of Col. William Cornwallis-West (1835–1917) and his wife, Mary "Patsy" FitzPatrick (1856–1920). Her father was a patrilineal great-grandson of John West, 2nd Earl De La Warr. Her mother was a daughter of Reverend Frederick FitzPatrick, a descendant of Barnaby Fitzpatrick, 1st Baron Upper Ossory (and thus the Kings of Osraige) and Lady Olivia Taylour, daughter of the 2nd Marquess of Headfort.

Her sister Constance (Shelagh) was also a famous beauty and wife of one of the richest men in the world, Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster; and the sisters' brother George Cornwallis-West was the second husband of Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Sir Winston Churchill.

Personal life and family On 8 December 1891, in London, she married Hans Heinrich XV, 3rd Prince of Pless, Count of Hochberg, Baron of Fürstenstein (1861–1938), one of the wealthiest heirs in the German Empire. As the Cornwallis-West family was impoverished, the Hochbergs paid for and organised the wedding at St Margaret's Church in Westminster. Notable witnesses were Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and his wife Princess Alexandra of Denmark.thumb Undated sketch of Daisy by John Singer SargentDuring their honeymoon, the Princess was given the longest pearl necklace in the world by her husband.

The Princess was the châtelaine of Fürstenstein Castle and Pless Castle in Silesia,

Daughter (25 February 1893 – 11 March 1893). Hans Heinrich XVII William Albert Edward (2 February 1900 – 26 January 1984), 4th Prince of Pless, Count von Hochberg and Baron of Fürstenstein. Married twice but had no issue. Alexander Frederick William George Conrad Ernest Maximilian (1 February 1905 – 22 February 1984), 5th Prince of Pless, Count von Hochberg and Baron of Fürstenstein. Polish military officer. Unmarried and childless. Bolko Conrad Frederick (23 September 1910 – 22 June 1936), who later caused a scandal by marrying his stepmother Clotilde de Silva y Gonzáles de Candamo (19 July 1898 – 12 December 1978), daughter of the 10th Marquis de Arcicóllar (and Hans Heinrich XV's second wife). Father of Bolko, 6th Prince.

Peace campaigning and war work During her marriage Daisy, known in German as the , became a social reformer and militated for peace with her friends German Emperor Wilhelm II and King Edward VII of the United Kingdom.

Inter-war life After her divorce at Berlin on 12 December 1922, Daisy was dependent upon alimony.

The Princess was commemorated by a statue near the castle Schloss Pless where she had lived for a time.

Ancestry