Armgard von Cramm was born on 18 December 1883 as the daughter of Baron Aschwin von Sierstorpff-Cramm and Baroness Hedwig von Sierstorpff-Driburg.
Her first marriage was on 24 October 1905 to Count Bodo von Oeynhausen, but they remained childless and divorced in 1908. On 4 March 1909, she remarried to Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, which was considered to be a morganatic marriage. She was created Countess of Biesterfeld on 8 February 1909. The couple went on to have two sons, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, who married Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and Prince Aschwin of Lippe-Biesterfeld, who married Simone Arnoux. Their sons were born Counts of Lippe-Biesterfeld and it wasn’t until 1916, Armgard was made a Princess of Lippe-Biesterfield with the style Serene Highness, and the title was also extended to her two sons. She was widowed in 1934.
From April 1952 until her death from lung cancer in 1971, Armgard lived at Castle Warmelo in Diepenheim. The castle is still being lived in and so is not open to the public (although we kind of assumed it would be considering the entrance fee and the way it was worded on the website!). The beautiful gardens are open to the public and there is a small exhibition on Armgard above the restaurant. And by small I mean, small. On display were a few photos and some furniture, and although it was nicely done, it had no information whatsoever. Could have been better!
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