Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi

Marina Torlonia
Spouse(s)	Frank Shields (m. 1940; div. 1950) Edward W. Slater (m. 1950)
Issue Francis Alexander Shields Marina Shields Edward Torlonia Slater
Father	Marino Torlonia, 4th Prince of Civitella-Cesi
Mother	Mary Elsie Moore
Born	22 October 1916 Palazzo Núñez-Torlonia, Rome, Italy
Died	15 September 1960 (aged 43) Piacenza, Italy

Donna Marina Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Cesi (22 October 1916 – 15 September 1960) was an Italian-American aristocrat best known as the paternal grandmother of the actress and model Brooke Shields.

Family

Coat of arms of the Princes Torlonia

Torlonia was born in Rome, at Palazzo Núñez-Torlonia, the youngest daughter of Marino Torlonia, 4th prince of Civitella-Cesi^[1] and his American wife, Mary Elsie Moore, a daughter of Charles Arthur Moore, a shipping broker and hardware manufacturer from Connecticut.^[2][3] The Torlonia family gained its fortune in the administration of Vatican finances.

She had three siblings:

• Donna Olimpia Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Chesi (1909-1924)
• Don Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Prince di Civitella-Cesi, the husband of Infanta Beatriz of Spain (an aunt of King Juan Carlos I of Spain).^[4]
• Donna Cristina Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Cesi (1913-1974)

Marriages

Donna Marina Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Cesi was married twice, her husbands being:

• Francis Xavier Shields (1909–1975), the American amateur tennis player.^[5] They married on 13 June 1940, in North Conway, New Hampshire, and divorced in 1950.^[6] The Shieldses had two children: a son, Francis Alexander Shields (father of the actress and model Brooke Shields) and a daughter, Marina Shields.
• Edward W. Slater, an architect and partner in Slater Chiat, whom she married on 29 December 1950.^[7] They had one son, Edward Torlonia Slater (born 1955).

Death

Marina Slater died on 15 September 1960, in an automobile accident in Piacenza, Italy, shortly after leaving the wedding of her nephew Marco Torlonia, 6th Prince of Civitella-Cesi, with princess Orsetta Caracciolo, niece of film director Luchino Visconti. Along with Marina, Duke Raffaele Canevaro of Gallluzo, and the Countess Eleanor Terry died in the accident.^[8]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi

16. Giovanni-Raimundo Torlonia, Duke di Bracciano               8. Marino Torlonia, Duke di Bracciano e Poli e Guadagnolo                       17. Anna-Maria Schultheiss               4. Giulio Torlonia, 2nd Duke di Poli e Guadagnolo                             18. Francesco Sforza-Cesarini, Duke di Segni               9. Donna Anna Sforza-Cesarini                       19. Donna Gertrude Conti, Duchess di Poli e Guadagnolo               2. Marino Torlonia, 4th Prince of Civitella-Cesi                                   20. Agostino Chigi della Rovere Albani, Prince di Farnese               10. Sigismondo Chigi della Rovere Albani, Prince di Farnese                       21. Donna Carlotta Amalia Barberini-Colonna               5. Donna Teresa Chigi della Rovere Albani                             22. Luigi Doria-Pamphilj-Landi, Prince di Melfi               11. Donna Leopoldina Doria-Pamphilj-Landi                       23. Donna Teresa Orsini dei Duchi di Gravina               1. Donna Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi                                         24. Francis Moore               12. William Ropes Moore                       25. Sarah Cheever               6. Charles Arthur Moore                             26. Tunis Van Ness               13. Caroline Van Ness                       27. Polly Goodrich               3. Mary Elsie Moore                                   28. Benjamin Smith Campbell               14. John Keyes Campbell                       29. Sally Keys               7. Mary Campbell                             30. George Sheffield               15. Betsey Sheffield                       31. Thirza Baker

References

1. "Marino Torlonia Dead at 77", The New York Times, 7 March 1933
2. "Miss Moore Weds the Duke Torlonia: New York Girl Becomes Duchess of Poli at Quiet Wedding in Greenwich", The New York Times, 16 August 1907
3. "Princess Torlonia Dead Here at 53; Former Wife of Late Italian Nobleman Succumbs to Long Illness", The New York Times, 22 December 1941
4. "Princess Torlonia Dead Here at 53; Former Wife of Late Italian Nobleman Succumbs to Long Illness", The New York Times, 22 December 1941
5. "Frank X. Shields Is Dead at 66", The New York Times, 20 August 1975
6. "Donna Torlonia Wed to Frank X. Shields", The New York Times, 14 July 1940
7. "Mrs. M. T. Shields Is Wed; Former Marina Torlonia Bride Here of Edward W. Slater", The New York Times, 30 December 1950
8. "Princess Dies in Crash; Marina Torlonia Slater Killed in Accident in Italy", The New York Times, 16 September 1960