Marcella van der Bijlandt

### Residence(s)

Various, including:* Delanoringen Palais, Vienna, Austria-Hungary (Primary Residence)

## Family information

### Family

* House of Delanoringen (by marriage)
* House van der Bijlandt (by birth)

### Immediate

* Boris von Delanoringen (husband) †
* Nicholas Augustus von Delanoringen (son)
* Walter Francis von Delanoringen (son)
* Willem Hendrik van der Bijlandt (father) †
* Adrienne Elena van der Duijn (mother)
* Edward von Delanoringen (father-in-law)
* Caroline von Delanoringen (mother-in-law) †

### Extended

* Marie Josephine von Delanoringen (daughter-in-law)
* Roger William von Delanoringen (grandson)
* Hamilton Lee von Delanoringen (grandson)
* Justin Henry von Delanoringen (grandson)
* Ava Elisabeth von Delanoringen (granddaughter)
* Frank von Delanoringen (grandson)
* Karl von Delanoringen (brother-in-law)
* Rosaline Clara von Delanoringen (niece)

## Affiliation

### Loyalty

* House of Delanoringen
* House van der Bijlandt

**Marcella Adrienne von Delanoringen** (née **van der Bijlandt**) (b. 30 May 1850) is a Dutch heiress and socialite. Born as the first daughter of Willem Hendrik van der Bijlandt, the wealthy Patriarch of the van der Bijlandt family a Dutch family with roots in the Netherlands and England and his wife Adrienne Elena van der Duijn, she enjoyed a comfortable childhood and a lifestyle characterised by luxury. Her father passed away in the late 1860s, giving Marcella a great monetary inheritance in his will and making Marcella an extremely wealthy heiress. Born with a natural beauty, a sharp mind, and described by many as a temptress, Marcella had many suitors seemingly from the day that she was born. She became a member of the Delanoringen family by marriage to Boris von Delanoringen in 1870. The two were married until his assassination in 1898.

Born in the Hague, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the year 1850 as the eldest daughter of Willem Hendrik van der Bijlandt and his wife Adrienne Elena van der Duijn, Marcella enjoyed a happy childhood with her younger sister Louise who was born in 1853. Despite Marcella's parents being extremely affection towards their children, her father was particularly disappointed that he did not have a son. Nevertheless, Willem and his wife adored and cherished their children. Her family: the van der Bijlandt family had made a fortune through industrialisation and profiting off the strategic port of Rotterdam in the 1840s. Marcella enjoyed a happy childhood, and an excellent education where she learned history, mathematics and literature alongside becoming fluent in Dutch and German through the sheer talent of her governess. As a result of her privileged lifestyle, she also enjoyed many trips to France, England, and Bohemia. She was praised for her noted beauty, and attracted countless admirers and suitors from the countries that she travelled through on occasion. Despite her charm, Marcella was known to be quite rude and sometimes contrasting or even cold to those around her, and often spoke her mind without regard for the feelings of others. Marcella also developed an affinity for nature, and her native Dutch culture and was an exquisite hunter, especially in fox hunting which she enjoyed while in England.

In Autumn 1869 while strolling the city of Rotterdam alone, she met Boris von Delanoringen the wealthy heir to the Delanoringen family who approached her with a warm smile and attracted her with his handsome appearance. After meeting with him, they began to see each other much more frequently, they would spend hours discussing their various interests such as art, music, literature, science, and their shared love for hunting. Boris took Marcella to various balls, and bought her expensive gifts, jewellery, and wine which they both enjoyed. Marcella while initially not developing romantic feelings for Boris, began too and Boris continued to court her. Despite her sometimes rude and cold behaviour, Boris saw the good in Marcella and continued to court her throughout 1869 into 1870 staying the entire year in the Netherlands where he became fluent in Dutch. He even invited her to join him on one of his various yacht trips through the Mediterranean. Finally in late 1870, Boris asked permission from Marcella's uncle and legal guardian to marry her which he kind-heartedly accepted. Boris proposed to Marcella in December 1870 with a beautiful expensive ring and a heartfelt word of love. Marcella was overjoyed with emotion and lovingly accepted his proposal. The two got married the following year at Delanoringen Palais, Vienna, Austria-Hungary, with many members of Austrian High Society attending the marriage including Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Empress Elisabeth being in attendance. They went on a romantic honeymoon to the newly formed Kingdom of Italy, visiting Venice, Milan, Genoa, Florence, Rome, and Naples. Marcella and Boris had a close and loving marriage which produced two sons Nicholas Augustus von Delanoringen born in 1872, and his brother Walter Francis von Delanoringen born in 1874. Despite Boris initially adoring his wife, he quickly became unfaithful and had numerous mistresses and affairs which he kept private using his vast connections to High Society. Marcella and Boris's relationship deteriorated throughout the years due to his various affairs, however, experienced a renaissance when their son Nicholas Augustus von Delanoringen married Marie Josephine von Delanoringen united them, and the birth of their first grandson Roger William von Delanoringen overjoyed the family. Boris asked Marcella for forgiveness, and vowed to never be unfaithful again, which she forgave. The pair continued to have a happy marriage that was reminiscent of when they first met in the Netherlands. However, things sadly turned sour when Boris von Delanoringen was assassinated in Prague by an Italian anarchist which shocked the entire Delanoringen family and Austrian High Society. Marcella deeply mourned the death of her husband who bought her so much joy and happiness in life despite his infidelity and replaced her entire wardrobe with black apparel. Marcella recovered over the years with the help of her sons Nicholas Augustus von Delanoringen, and Walter Francis von Delanoringen, and her grandchildren which bought her great joy especially Ava Elisabeth von Delanoringen the first granddaughter in a mostly male-dominated lineage.