Since the creation of the Kalamitsi Foundation in 1979/80 (possibly under another name), its management has been in the hands of Industrie und Finanzkontor Etablissement (Vaduz), without any independent oversight.
Despite her decades of loyal service, Philippa’s housekeeper in Monte Carlo, Eden Nylen, was not properly cared for after Philippa’s death. Her sworn declaration speaks for itself:
*“Seven to ten days after Miss Philippa’s death, Peter Seilern Jr. telephoned me to say that he and his wife were coming to see the apartment. On that Tuesday, I showed them around, as it was their first visit. After the funeral in Lagos, they came again, this time with Mr. Seilern Sr. (Boy).
PS Jr. asked me how many keys I had of the apartment, and I explained that the apartment had 2 keys as it was constructed from 2 apartments which were turned into one.
He tried to take the keys from me and when I refused, PS Jr. said "She is dead we are now taking over." His response was without compassion, considering my loyalty to the family and the consequences for my being made redundant."
PS Jr. asked how many keys I had. I explained that the apartment had two, as it was originally two apartments combined into one. He tried to take them from me. When I refused, he said, ‘She is dead—we are now taking over.’ His response was without compassion, given my long loyalty to the family and the personal consequences for me.
Later, when I told him that I had called Mr. Seilern Sr. the day after Philippa died, PS Jr. became annoyed and said: ‘You have nothing to do with this.’ When I refused to hand over the keys, I told him: ‘You are not my employer.’
On Wednesday, 7 February 2018, he called again: ‘I am coming anyway to take the keys, as tomorrow my wife and I are inspecting the apartment alone without you.’ To avoid confrontation, I did not return the next day.
Shortly thereafter, I was summoned to the notary’s office (Me. Henry Rey) in Monte Carlo, where I was asked to return the keys, accept a one-time payment of €50,000 under Philippa’s Will, and denied further access. After 35 years of service (1983–2018), I was dismissed at age 67—without thanks, assistance, or even a token of remembrance.”*
Eden’s income collapsed, forcing her to live on less than €10 a day. When I learned of this in March 2022, I arranged for €2,000 to be transferred monthly to her account. She told me in tears: “They were my family. I worked 35 years for them, and now I am told to go away.”
This treatment grossly misrepresented Philippa’s relationship with her staff. Eden was not merely an employee; she was Philippa’s companion and support during difficult years.
Meanwhile, questions arose regarding the management of Philippa’s estate. For example, when Constantin Hohenlohe telephoned his cousin Francis Seilern for clarification, he was told: “I don’t know anything. I haven’t followed the matter for years.” This statement was demonstrably untrue: Francis resigned from Gasenza Trust reg. on 23 March 2018, shortly after Philippa’s death (see p. 75).
Although both Boy (FC Seilern) and PS Jr. lived in Monte Carlo, neither maintained contact with Philippa during her final years. Yet immediately after her passing, they visited her apartment—PS Jr. on three occasions—and took possession of the keys. Their motives and authority remain unclear.
Probable Course of Events
The facts suggest the following sequence:
- Philippa’s estate was transferred into a foundation many years ago, possibly without her full understanding of the consequences.
- The Monte Carlo and Lagos properties, though legally part of the foundation, were used exclusively by Philippa as if they were her own.
- Her personal possessions—jewelry, furniture, and similar items—remained outside the foundation and were disposed of through her Will.
- In poor health, isolated, and lacking independent counsel, Philippa may have signed documents she did not fully understand.
- It is likely that she intended to provide for her staff and the charities she supported through the foundation. Yet her Will curiously left €100,000 to Eden’s niece, while Eden herself received half that amount. This inconsistency raises serious questions.
- Mr. Blöchlinger’s visit to Monte Carlo in early 2017 may have been connected to modifications of the foundation’s statutes or by-statutes. Eden recalls witnessing Philippa signing several documents without being aware of their contents.
Conclusion
Having become increasingly reclusive after the deaths of her parents, Philippa was vulnerable. Her estate—estimated between €10 and €20 million—should have been distributed in accordance with her wishes, not reshaped by foundation statutes redefined in her final years.
This matter may not stem from conflict with Liechtenstein foundation law itself, but rather from decisions taken within Industrie und Finanzkontor Etablissement shortly before Philippa’s death.
More than four years have now passed, and no clarity has been provided. As Philippa’s first cousin, I would ordinarily have been informed about the outcome of her estate. Yet to my knowledge, no member of the family or intended beneficiary has received anything.
The central question remains: What became of Philippa’s estate?
I have endeavored to keep this matter private. My letters to Boy (23 February 2018 and 9 April 2018), his response (21 April 2018), and my letter to Franz Tassilo (8 November 2018) all stressed discretion and my wish for the matter to be resolved within the family. In one letter, I wrote: “I am, however, willing to concede that you and your brother made a terrible mistake of judgment and forget the matter once it is properly taken care of.”
Discretion, however, cannot excuse the violation of Philippa’s wishes, nor the treatment of Eden, who was dismissed without compassion after 35 years of service and left destitute.
An appropriate long-term solution must be found.
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