Baroness Veronika von Goldschmidt-Rothschild, also known as Bina Rothschild and Veronika Rothschild (née Countess Katharina Eleonore Veronika Irma Luise Henckel von Donnersmarck; 8 February 1902 – 6 October 1965), was a German aristocrat and actress known for playing the Queen of Transylvania in the 1964 musical film ''
My Fair Lady''.
Early life and ancestry
Rothschild was born Countess Katharina Eleonore Veronika Irma Luise Henckel von Donnersmarck on 8 February 1902 in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
to Count Lazarus Herbert Patrik Valentin
Henckel von Donnersmarck (1869-1940) and Countess Vera Maria Elisabeth Marequita Maximiliane Charlotte Luise von
Kanitz (1875-1962). She was a member of the
House Henckel of Donnersmarck, a rich Austro-German noble family that originated in modern-day
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
. Her maternal grandfather,
Count Georg von Kanitz, was a prominent statesman in the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
.
Marriage and issue
In 1925, she married Erich Max Benedikt,
Baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
von Goldschmidt-Rothschild (1899-1987), the son of
Baron Maximilian von Goldschmidt-Rothschild and his wife, Baroness Minna Karoline von
Rothschild
Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "with the red sign", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by signs ...
(1857-1903).
Her husband was a member of the
Goldschmidt Goldschmidt is a German surname meaning "Goldsmith". It may refer to:
* Adalbert von Goldschmidt (1848-1906), composer
* Adolph Goldschmidt (1863–1944), art historian
* Adolphe Goldschmidt (1838–1918), German-British banker
* Berthold Goldschm ...
and
Rothschild banking dynasties.
[ She gave birth to a son:
* Baron Patrick Maximilien von Goldschmidt-Rothschild, (b. 1928); married on 1 July 1967 in ]Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
to Annika Roman (b. 1928). They have:
** Baron Eric von Goldschmidt-Rothschild (b. 1 Mar 1970)
** Baroness Kristina von Goldschmidt-Rothschild (b.29 Jul 1973)
Biography
Rothschild played the role of the Queen of Transylvania in the 1964 Lerner and Loewe musical film '' My Fair Lady'', based on George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
's 1913 play ''Pygmalion
Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to:
Mythology
* Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue
Stage
* ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau
* ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...
''. She was not trained as an actress, and was considered by Cecil Beaton, an artistic director for the film, to be the only non-actress suitable to play the role, stating that she had "impeccable deportment and breeding."
George Cukor
George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head of ...
, who directed the film, helped her prepare for the role. Beaton had originally wanted Cukor to cast Fritzi Massary
Fritzi Massary (31 March 1882 – 30 January 1969) was an Austrian-American soprano singer and actress.
Early life and career
Fritzi Massary was born Friederike Massaryk in Vienna in the Austro-Hungarian Empire on 31 March 1882. She was one o ...
for the role, but she demanded too much pay. The part then went to Rothschild, who was costumed with a triple-pronged tiara and three-tiered diamond necklace designed by Beaton.[
She died on 6 October 1965, aged 63.
]
External links
Baroness Rothschild IMDB
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rothschild, Bina
1902 births
1965 deaths
Actresses from Berlin
Austrian countesses
German film actresses
German countesses
German baronesses
Goldsmith family
Henckel von Donnersmack
Rothschild family