Cecily Fyffe Kathrine Abbotts Castenskiold died on 26 February 2019 in Thousand Oaks, California. 91 years old. She was a daughter-in-law of Princess Dagmar of Denmark.

Cecily was born on 10 August 1927 to Richard Wiliam Abbotts (1894-1965) and Kirstine Schjøth (1897-1976). She saw the light of day in Lyon, France, but her parents were English and Danish respectively. She grew up in Paris, Berlin and Copenhagen, where she attended the French School.

In 1949 she met (at a gathering hosted by Prince Erik of Denmark) her future husband Christian Castenskiold (b. 1926), whom she married in 1952 in New York, in The Little Church Around the Corner. He is a son of Jørgen Castenskiold (1893-1978) and Princess Dagmar of Denmark (1890-1961). Their only child, Alexandra, was born in 1965.

‘Chris’ Castenskiold is today the last surviving grandchild of Frederik VIII of Denmark. No other descendant of Frederik VIII and no other descendant of the Swedish Bernadotte kings has had a longer marriage than him.

He and Cecily have through the years been central figures in the Danish community in Southern California and have both received royal decorations for their strong commitment. In 1986, Cecily thus received the Order of the Dannebrog. Her interests included drawing and painting, and she was at one time employed by Walt Disney.

The Castenskiolds have maintained a friendly relationship with the Danish royal family despite having lived in California for many decades. They have often entertained royal guests in their home, and they have also attended royal events in Denmark throughout the years.

Cecily Castenskiold is survived by her husband and daughter, her son-in-law Christopher Cuilty and granddaughters Ava and Amelia.

The funeral service takes place on 17 March at the Danish Church in Southern California.

Death announcement in Berlingske 5 March 2019: https://www.dodsannoncer.dk/storage/obituary/cecily-fyffe-kathrine-abbotts-castenskiold-berlingske-9018-1551620923.png