Gretchen Cornwall

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy New Year! I sincerely hope that you have many Moments of Grace in 2023 for you and yours.

Traditionally, it would be right for me to be sending a 2022 round-up of events. Instead, I have chosen to share the New Year message of S.A.S. Princess Nina of Seborga.

She is the elected Princess and Administrator of the tiny Principality of Seborga that was never legally absorbed into the modern country of Italy. She follows in the footsteps of other elected royals and serves Seborga’s hopes of becoming a recognized Principality, such as Monaco. One can see the glittering lights of Monaco from the mountains of Seborga.

Electing a Royal is not a new idea. Though simplistic in this comment, Alfred the Great of England was elected to be king out of a group of eligible men. He in turn as an early form of democracy would send riders to his outlying towns and villages to ask for opinions on new legislation.

The term is called ‘Elective Monarchy’ versus ‘Hereditary Monarchy’ – This is a topic in itself and though rare has happened in Europe and around the world.

I don’t normally settle on Wikipedia as the end all be all of research, but it is a good primer for any subject. Cross-referencing is vital, however. In this case, I’ve chosen to use this Wiki link for your own study of Elective Monarchy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elective_monarchy

The involvement of Templars with the aristocracy has to be included in this discussion. The Templars themselves had to be of noble birth and a knight before being admitted to the order. The bar was set high. They themselves may have been related to royal families. Royals were patrons of the Templar Order.

In this setting of Seborga, it is fascinating to see this play out in a modern context today! There were women in Templar Orders though rare, it happened. I am not saying that Princess Nina is a Templar, but she is a wonderful representative for Seborga and fully capable of guiding it into the future through her administrative talents in business. She is certainly respected and loved by Seborga and they protect her fiercely.

Granted, this video is in Italian, however, it gives a glimpse of topics covered via photos and video during Her Highness’s New Year message. Please do watch it for views of the medieval Principality.

I am sharing this with you, as she is one to watch and was interviewed in Episode 3 of the series Templars!

I was honored to share the same ‘film space’ with her during the hour of the film, directed

by Luca Centoni – https://www.templars-tv.com/

Episodes 1 – 2 and 3 are available on Amazon US and the UK –

See the above link for purchase and download information

Seborga is often overlooked in the retelling of the history of the Templars. The focus until recently was always France and Scotland. Portugal has now become a popular focus and rightfully so – However the story of the Templars is not that simple –

Templars Episode 3 shares the story of Seborga for the first time in film! The Principality of Seborga opened its doors to Director Luca Centoni for filming. He felt truly welcomed by the community with its particular stamp of Templarism.

Templars today go on pilgrimage to Seborga whose major holiday is August 20th, the Feast Day of St. Bernard de Clairvaux, a mastermind behind the Knights Templar. Various orders based on the Templars gather yearly in Seborga to pay their respects to the flash point of the order that is Seborga and Altopascio.

The drone footage in all three of the episodes is remarkable with exclusive access in episodes 1 and 2 of Rennes le Chateau and other mysterious locations.

I wrote the narration text for Episode 3 and I am privileged to have been asked to contribute to Episode 4 and 5 which is yet to be filmed this May/June in France.

Princess Nina speaks wonderful English. She is a very talented businesswoman from Germany and enjoys riding her horse in the warm sun of the Mediterranean. Her honor guard keeps both she and her young daughter safe from unwanted attention.

I am looking forward to 2023 and though we may be facing another difficult year, we made it through 2022! May gifts of the spirit flow your way regardless of what life may throw at you – Even in the darkest hours, the Light loves us unconditionally.

Please Respect Yourself, Respect Others…

Warm Regards,

Gretchen