Nicholas Augustus von Delanoringen

## Nicholas Augustus Leopold von Delanoringen

### Residence(s)

Various, including:* Delanoringen Palais, Vienna, Austria-Hungary (Primary and Ancestral Residence)
* Schloss Delanoringen, Graz, Austria-Hungary
* Delanor Estate, Surrey, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
* Château de Delanoringen, Paris, French Third Republic
* Delanor Manor, Savannah, Georgia, United States of America

### Title(s)

* Herzog von Delanoringen (Primary Title)
* Prinz von Thiano

## Family information

### Immediate

* Marie Josephine von Delanoringen (wife)
* Roger William von Delanoringen (eldest son)
* Hamilton Lee von Delanoringen (son)
* Justin Henry von Delanoringen (son)
* Ava Elisabeth von Delanoringen (daughter)
* Boris von Delanoringen (father) †
* Marcella van der Bijlandt (mother)
* Walter Francis von Delanoringen (brother)

### Extended

* Karl von Delanoringen (uncle)
* Edward von Delanoringen (grandfather)
* Caroline von Delanoringen (grandmother) †
* Frank von Delanoringen (nephew)
* Rosaline Clara von Delanoringen (paternal cousin)
* Henri Lucien Dubois (father-in-law)
* Juliette Elise Dubois (mother-in-law)

## Affiliation

### Loyalty

* House of Delanoringen

**Nicholas Augustus Leopold von Delanoringen** (Anglicised: **Delanor**) (b. 7 December 1872) is an Austrian businessman, banker, financer, and the incumbent Patriarch of the Delanoringen family, a prominent noble, political, and banking dynasty with roots in Tyrol, Austria. He is the eldest son of the late Boris von Delanoringen and his wife Marcella van der Bijlandt and the older brother of Walter Francis von Delanoringen. He is also the spouse of Marie Josephine von Delanoringen a French socialite and former professional dancer and actress. Born into an aristocratic lineage that can be traced back since the prelude of the Thirty Years' War, and beyond, Nicholas enjoyed a comfortable (but strict and demanding) lifestyle and received an excellent education at the Theresianum. Nicholas seemingly inherited an enormous legacy of wealth, industry, political influence, and a dynastic responsibility as the heir apparent to his family since birth.

Born in the Delanoringen Palais on the outskirts of Vienna in the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary as the eldest son of Boris von Delanoringen, a wealthy member and heir of the Delanoringen family and his wife Marcella van der Bijlandt a wealthy Anglo-Dutch heiress, Nicholas exhibited intelligence, prudence, and dedication to his family seemingly from birth. He was tailored by his father, and his grandfather Edward von Delanoringen for his future role as the leader of his family, often through harsh or sometimes brutal methods. Despite being raised in luxury, he had a cold and rather complicated relationship with his parents. His father, Boris von Delanoringen expected him to continue the family lineage and wanted him to lead with the same firmness, authority, and decisiveness that previous Patriarchs of the family lead with. This ultimately resulted in tension and an underlying sense of pressure for the young Nicholas. Contrastingly, his mother Marcella van der Bijlandt treated Nicholas with empathy and affection and attempted to convince his conservative father to be kinder on the young boy. However, Nicholas also felt distant from her too as his younger brother Walter Francis von Delanoringen often got all of the attention from his parents, being labelled even as the "favourite" leaving Nicholas internally isolated. Nevertheless, Nicholas continued to perform in his role as the heir to the Delanoringen family and received an excellent education compromised of geography, history, science, mathematics, literature, languages (notably French, English, alongside his native German) and the arts. He also learned how to play the piano, often playing the various nocturnes of his favourite composer Frédéric Chopin. Nicholas was tutored in banking, finance, and business extensively by his qualified father Boris von Delanoringen who had excelled at business and advanced the family's fortune to its greatest extent. Young and despite his inexperience, Nicholas's adherence to etiquette, manners, and formality earned him the respect of many.

In early 1890, Nicholas undertook a trip to the city of Paris, France to advance the family's businesses and banks in France by instruction from his father. He was accompanied by his tutor/personal attendant or valet during the trip. He also enjoyed the glamour and luxuriousness of the city, advancing his knowledge in French culture and art. Later, while attending a luxury show at L’Étoile de Paris a young dancer named Marie Josephine von Delanoringen a renowned French dancer and actress caught his eye and caused him to immediately become infatuated with her. He formally met her while attending a lavish ball in the heart of Paris where he attempted to court her. He was captivated by her beauty, talent, and charm but he also respected Marie's independence, and boundaries. While she initially invested little interest in him due to his younger age, and his inexperience compared to other suitors she eventually came to view Nicholas in a much brighter light. She was impressed by his kindness, generosity, intelligence, and his formal mannerisms and also how he did not flaunt his wealth or status compared to other suitors. Eventually, she accepted his loving courtship, and Nicholas gifted her jewellery, expensive gifts, and took her out to renowned restaurants and romantic strolls along the Seine while respecting Marie's independence and boundaries. The pair became increasingly fond of each other, and Marie was heartbroken when Nicholas had to return to Austria to perform his family duties at the Delanoringen Palais in Vienna. He promised to return in January 1891, and returned on that date being allowed by his strict father Boris von Delanoringen with Boris instructing his son to marry her as soon as possible. Nicholas bought a beautiful expensive diamond ring for Marie before departing back to Paris. He privately asked permission from Marie's father Henri Lucien Dubois to marry her, which he joyfully accepted. Nicholas finally proposed to Marie on July 6th, 1891, her birthday stating that he wanted her to be "his gift". Marie was overjoyed by his proposal and accepted lovingly. The two made plans to get married at Schloss Delanoringen one of Nicholas's many ancestral estates in Austria, with the Delanoringen family servants helping them prepare the lavish wedding. They finally got married at Schloss Delanoringen in Graz, Austria-Hungary in late July with Marie retiring from her dance and acting career shortly after, while still retaining immense popularity as a socialite. Two months after the marriage, Marie revealed to Nicholas that she was two months pregnant with their child. Nicholas and his entire family were overjoyed by the news, and the newly married couple finally became parents in April 1893, where their son and the heir to the Delanoringen family, Roger William von Delanoringen was born, a month early. Despite him being born a month early, Roger was a strong and healthy child. The birth of a son overjoyed the entire family, particularly Nicholas's stern father Boris von Delanoringen who personally congratulated him on the birth of an heir. Over the next few years, Nicholas and Marie joyfully welcomed two more sons and finally one daughter to the family, Hamilton born in 1895, Justin born in 1896, and finally Ava born in 1898. Later in the same year of the birth of his only daughter, the assassination of his father Boris von Delanoringen devastated Nicholas, and his family went into a deep mourning period for the entire remainder of the year. Marie and Nicholas were a devoted couple and raised their children without a governess with Nicholas and Marie spending nearly all of their available time with their four children, forging a close relationship with them. Nicholas later became the *de facto* Patriarch of the family in 1908, where Edward von Delanoringen the incumbent Patriarch and Head of the Family gave a majority of his duties to his grandson; effectively resigning from familial duties after serving gallantly for more than sixty years. Nicholas's own personal tenure of the Patriarch of the family has been characterised by is unwavering devotion, dedication, tough decisiveness and prudence in order to preserve's his family's formidable reputation and ensure financial stability and risk security for his family and his various assets/liabilities and businesses under his control. He personally manages the various estates, properties, factories, facilities, banks, industries, and other major assets under his family's controls often through the help of a team of skilled financers and individuals who assist him with managing his family's vast funds and assets. Overall, Nicholas's prudence and remarkable abilities in finance has earned him the praise of many and he is often cited as continuing the skilled Delanoringen lineage of skilled and hard-working individuals by contemporaries alike.