Early life and birthplace
I find myself returning to one clear image when I think of Marina Torlonia Di Civitella-cesi: a child born into palaces and paper fortune, stepping into a life where marble halls met American drawing rooms. She was born on 22 October 1916 in Rome at Palazzo Núñez-Torlonia. The date sits at the intersection of two centuries, and it shaped her: she was part of an Italian princely house and the daughter of an American mother. Her father was Marino Torlonia, 4th Prince of Civitella-Cesi. Her mother was Mary Elsie Moore, an American who brought a different continent into the family ledger. Those two names anchor the map of her life.
Family and siblings
The Torlonia family repeats names like a refrain, and Marina’s immediate family included several prominent figures. Her brother Alessandro Torlonia became the 5th Prince of Civitella-Cesi and carried forward the title. Other siblings appear in genealogical records with varying detail. Family trees list Donna Cristina and Donna Olimpia among her siblings. I see a web of a lineage that spans Vatican banking rooms and American social registers. These are not just names on a page; they are roles and expectations handed down across generations.
Marriages and partnerships
Marina had two marriages. On July 14, 1940, she wed Francis Xavier Alexander Shields, often known as Frank Shields. At least one well-known offspring of the union was Francis Alexander Shields, who was born on May 16, 1941, and went on to become the father of actress Brooke Shields. By the late 1940s, the Shields marriage had fallen apart. Marina wed architect Edward W. Slater on December 29, 1950. Edward Torlonia Slater, a son from the second marriage, was born circa 1955, according to records and family lists. From Italian princess to American husband, to architect’s partner, to mother, to social figure, her married life’s trajectory follows a transatlantic trajectory.
Children and notable descendants
Children matter in this story because they carried the name and memory forward. Francis Alexander Shields, born 16 May 1941, is the most public of Marina’s children. He lived from 1941 to 2003 and became a bridge between the Torlonia bloodline and modern American celebrity through his daughter Brooke. Edward Torlonia Slater appears as a later child from her second marriage and keeps the Torlonia name attached to a new branch. There are also references to a daughter named Marina Shields in family records. Altogether the children and grandchildren create a family tree that reaches into film, fashion, and contemporary life.
Social life, role, and finances
I saw Marina as a social figure who flitted between American society pages and opulent European salons. Banking and tight ties to Vatican funds are the sources of Torlonia’s wealth. More than a public career, she inherited luxury and responsibility as a princess. Accounts of charity and social engagements, wedding announcements, and society photos from the 1930s all document her life. Although her precise financial information is not available to the public, her lifestyle and the family riches demonstrate that she was surrounded by wealth measured in social capital, palaces, and estates.
The accident and final days
On 15 September 1960 Marina died in an automobile accident near Piacenza, Italy. The crash occurred shortly after the wedding of her nephew Marco Torlonia. It was a sudden and public end to a life that had crisscrossed continents and expectations. The date 15 September 1960 marks a final and sharp punctuation in the family record. I think of it as a last sudden turn in a long carriage ride.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1916 | Born 22 October in Rome, Palazzo Núñez-Torlonia |
| 1930s | Appears in society photographs and public social circles |
| 1940 | Married Frank Shields on 14 July |
| 1941 | Son Francis Alexander Shields born 16 May |
| 1950 | Married Edward W. Slater on 29 December |
| 1955 | Approximate birth year of son Edward Torlonia Slater |
| 1960 | Died in automobile accident on 15 September |
Numbers anchor the story. These dates trace a life of 43 years that touched many others.
Portrait of relationships
Family is a braided rope in this life. Her father, Marino Torlonia, represents the hereditary line and title. Her mother, Mary Elsie Moore, represents the American thread that entered the family in the early 20th century. Her marriages to Frank Shields and to Edward W. Slater stitched the Torlonia name into American society in different ways. Her son Francis connected her to the entertainment world through his daughter. I read these connections like a ledger, each entry revealing obligations, loyalties, and the occasional rupture.
How I interpret legacy
I will not weigh her against modern metrics of achievement because Marina lived in a world whose honors were ceremony and lineage. Instead I read her legacy through the people she raised and the family stories she helped create. Her life is a lens into the mid-20th century aristocratic experience that crossed borders. She is both anchor and echo in the narratives of her descendants.
FAQ
When was Marina Torlonia Di Civitella-cesi born and when did she die?
She was born on 22 October 1916 and died on 15 September 1960. Those two dates frame a life of 43 years that moved between Rome and the United States.
Who were her parents?
Her father was Marino Torlonia, 4th Prince of Civitella-Cesi. Her mother was Mary Elsie Moore, an American from a mercantile family. Together they combined Italian title and American origins.
Who were her spouses and when did she marry them?
She married Francis Xavier Alexander Shields on 14 July 1940. After that marriage ended she married Edward W. Slater on 29 December 1950.
Who were her children?
Her known children include Francis Alexander Shields, born 16 May 1941, and Edward Torlonia Slater, born around 1955. There are references to a daughter named Marina Shields in family records.
What is the connection to Brooke Shields?
Brooke Shields is her granddaughter. Brooke is the daughter of Francis Alexander Shields, Marina’s son from her first marriage to Frank Shields.
What family title did she belong to?
She belonged to the Torlonia family, which carries the title Prince or Princess of Civitella-Cesi. Her brother Alessandro succeeded as the 5th Prince.
How did she die?
She died in an automobile accident near Piacenza, Italy, on 15 September 1960, shortly after attending a family wedding.
Are there photographs or public images of her?
Yes, she appears in society photographs from the 1930s and other public image archives from the mid-20th century.
What was her role in society?
She was mainly a socialite and a figure within aristocratic and charitable circles. Her life reflected privilege more than a professional career.
Did she have a professional career or public office?
No widely recorded professional career or public office is associated with her. Her public role was primarily social and familial.
