Antonia Pilars de Pilar

Born into an old family belonging to the German nobility, Antonia was the only daughter of Friedrich Edmund Anton Freiherr von Oer-Egelborg (1842–1896), chamberlain of Prince Karl II of Isenburg, and his wife, Countess Gabriele Khuen von Belasi (1841–1923), member of an Austrian nobility originating in the County of Tyrol.

Antonia was born in Birstein, where she grew up at the court of the Prince of Isenburg where her father was chamberlain.

In 1894 she became lady in waiting to Duchess Marie von Mecklenburg-Schwerin, née princess of Windisch-Graetz and wife of the Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg.

So Antonia flew with a nanny and her three children hidden in a hay waggon to her relatives close to Münster.

During World War I Antonia and Antoinette were both serving at the Red Cross where she was given the Red Cross Medal of Prussia and several other medals of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.