Bright Young Royals, page 5
EDUCATION: She studied political science and international relations at the University of Amsterdam and at Harvard University.
WORK: During her work for the United Nations, Princess Carolina has been based in New York, Geneva, Gaza, and Indonesia.
PRINCESS ALIX OF LIGNE
WHO IS SHE? A gorgeous Belgian debutante
BORN: July 3, 1984, in Brussels
FULL NAME: Alix Marie Isabelle
FULL TITLE: Her Highness Princess Alix of Ligne
ROYAL HERITAGE: Her parents are Michel, 14th Prince of Ligne, and Princess Eleonora de Orléans e Bragança; she has one younger brother, Henri.
FAMILY: Dating back to the eleventh century, the House of Ligne is one of oldest noble families in Belgium. Her royal background allowed Princess Alix to debut at the prestigious Crillon Ball in Paris in 2009.
PRECEDING PAGE:
Princess Augusta Von Preussen (center) with older sisters Princess Beatrice (left) and Princess Florence (right)
PRINCESS AUGUSTA VON PREUSSEN
WHO IS SHE? The youngest Von Preussen princess
BORN: December 15, 1986, in London
FULL NAME: Augusta Lily
ROYAL HERITAGE: Her parents are Prince Nicholas of Prussia and the Honorable Victoria Mancroft. She is the youngest sister of the aforementioned Princesses Beatrice and Florence. Her father is a direct descendant of Queen Victoria, making her Queen Victoria’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter.
MOST LIKELY TO BE FOUND: At elite fashion parties in London.
PRECEDING PAGE:
Princess Felipa (left) with her parents
PRINCESS FELIPA OF BAVARIA
WHO IS SHE? A German princess devoted to disabled children
BORN: February 1, 1981, in Germany
FULL NAME: Maria Felipa Karin Marion Gabriele
FULL TITLE: Her Royal Highness Princess of Bavaria
ROYAL HERITAGE: Her parents are Prince Leopold of Bavaria (the former race car driver and godfather to Prince Carl Philip of Sweden) and Princess Ursula; Felipa has three siblings.
CHARITY: ◆ The Special Olympics The world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with disabilities. http://www.specialolympics.org
PRECEDING PAGE:
(Left to Right): Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein; Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg; Prince Josef-Emanuel of Liechtenstein; Princess Maria Anunciata of Liechtenstein; Princess Marie Astrid of Liechtenstein
PRINCESS MARIA ANUNCIATA AND PRINCESS MARIE ASTRID OF LIECHTENSTEIN
WHO ARE THEY? Stunning sisters descended from the royal houses of both Luxembourg and Liechtenstein
ROYAL HERITAGE: Their parents are Nikolaus, Prince of Liechtenstein, and Margaretha, Princess of Luxembourg. They have two brothers, Leopold and Josef.
ADDRESS THEM AS: Your Serene Highness
FULL NAME: Princess Maria Anunciata Astrid Joséphine Veronica of Liechtenstein
BORN: May 12, 1985, in Brussels
STUDIED: History of art in London
FULL NAME: Princess Marie Astrid Nora Margarita Veronica of Liechtenstein
BORN: June 26, 1987, in Brussels
STUDIED: Literature and languages in London. She also spent time in Argentina to practice her Spanish.
PRINCESS XENIA OF SAXONY
WHO IS SHE? “The Frog Princess”
BORN: August 20, 1986, in Düsseldorf, Germany
FULL NAME: Xenia “Xeni” Florence Gabriela Sophie Iris
ROYAL HERITAGE: Her mother is Princess Iris von Sachsen; her grandfather is Prince Georg Timo von Sachsen.
MOST LIKELY TO BE FOUND: In the BBC dating documentary Undercover Princesses and working as an official ambassador for the “Year of the Frog” campaign to promote a cleaner environment for amphibians.
CHARITY: ◆ Amphibian Ark Aims to ensure the global survival of amphibians, focusing on those that cannot currently be safeguarded by nature. http://www.amphibianark.com
PRINCE LUDWIG ZU HOHENLOHE-LANGENBURG
WHO IS HE? A prince with a gift for languages and love of the outdoors
BORN: April 12, 1976, in Germany
FULL NAME: Ludwig Ferdinand Ruprecht
FULL TITLE: His Serene Highness Prince zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg
ROYAL HERITAGE: His parents are Albrecht Prince zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Maria Fischer.
LANGUAGES: German, English, Latin, and Greek
ACTIVITIES: Computers, sailing, mountain biking
PRINCE CHRISTIAN OF HANOVER
WHO IS HE? A prince with schoolboy charm and family links to the Monegasque throne
BORN: June 1, 1985, in Germany
FULL NAME: Christian Heinrich Clemens Paul Frank Peter Welf Ernst-Wilhelm Friedrich Franz
FULL TITLE: His Royal Highness Prince of Hanover
ROYAL HERITAGE: His father is Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover, his stepmother is Princess Caroline of Monaco, and his stepsiblings are the aforementioned Charlotte, Andrea, and Pierre of Monaco. Christian is also in the line of succession to the British throne.
PRECEDING PAGE:
Count Gian Luca Passi and friend
COUNT GIAN LUCA PASSI DE PREPOSULO
WHO IS HE? A well-dressed nobleman with a heart of gold
BORN: November 10, 1982, in Italy
ROYAL HERITAGE: His aristocratic family hails from Bergamo and dates back to the end of the first millennium (A.D. 973).
PASSIONS: Armani suits and Bono’s Red Campaign
QUOTE: “It’s not the title that’s important—you have to be a count inside yourself.”8
HRH PRINCE ERNST AUGUST OF HANOVER
WHO IS HE? A prince with dark tousled hair and plenty of regal siblings
BORN: July 19, 1983, in Germany
FULL TITLE: HRH Ernst August, Prince of Hanover, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswisk and Luneburg
ROYAL HERITAGE: His father is Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover (yes—it can get confusing!); his younger brother is the aforementioned Prince Christian; his stepmother is Princess Caroline of Monaco; Andrea, Charlotte, and Pierre are stepsiblings. He is also in the line of succession to the British throne.
PRECEDING PAGE:
Wedding of Prince Christian zu Füerstenberg and Jeanette Griesel
HSH HEREDITARY PRINCE CHRISTIAN ZU FÜRSTENBERG
WHO IS HE? An exceedingly handsome prince who loves fast horses
BORN: November 22, 1977, in Germany
ROYAL HERITAGE: His parents are Prince Heinrich zu Fürstenberg and Princess zu Windisch. Prince Christian is the sole heir to the house of Fürstenberg, one of Germany’s oldest and most significant noble families, which dates back to 1070.
LANGUAGES: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian
ACTIVITIES: President of the German Racing Association of Arabian Horses
LOVE LIFE: Married to Bavarian businesswoman Jeanette Griesel
CHARITY: ◆ Order of Malta Aims to help the sick, the needy, and the most disadvantaged in more than 120 countries. http://www.orderofmalta.org/english
PRECEDING PAGE:
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna (left) with son Grand Duke Georg of Russia
HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE GEORGE OF RUSSIA
WHO IS HE? A brainy royal hugely dedicated to the Russian Dynasty
BORN: March 13, 1981, in Madrid
ROYAL HERITAGE: He is the son of Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia and Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia; his godfather is King Constantine II of Greece. George is also in the line of succession to the British throne.
EDUCATION: Oxford University
LANGUAGES: English, French, Spanish
CINDERELLA STORIES
Have you always dreamed of marrying a handsome prince in a faraway kingdom? These women have done just that! Proving to the world that fairy tales really can come true, Kate Middleton has joined the tiara-wearing ranks of Princess Letizia of Spain, Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Princess Mary of Denmark, and Princess Masako of Japan—all of whom are causing a frenzy of princess mania to sweep across the globe.
Think you have to come from aristocratic stock to be a princess? Think again. None of these glamorous consorts have a smidgen of blue blood running through their veins. Traditionalists are probably outraged, but at some point princesshood officially became an equal opportunity industry.
Just like the new Princess Catherine, the gorgeous Mary, Letizia, Masako, and Mette-Marit all hail from ordinary, hardworking backgrounds. And though none were born into royalty, each more than looks the part of a modern-day princess—moving with graceful ease from jeans to jewels. But not only are these women impeccably stylish, they also have brains and rather intimidating résumés that boast far more than the usual string of curtseys and dinner parties. Most importantly, now that they are firmly ensconced in their royal roles, all four princesses have immersed themselves in charity work in a way that would make the late Princess of Wales very, very proud.
Read on to see how each young woman won the heart of her prince, how their royal romance blossomed, and how each regal couple continue to electrify the adoring public. And don’t forget, if it can happen to them, it can happen to you. . . .
CROWN PRINCE FELIPE OF SPAIN AND LETIZIA, PRINCESS OF ASTURIAS
HIM: Born January 30, 1968, Felipe is the third child and only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain. After stints in all three branches of the armed forces, the prince graduated from the Autonomous University of Madrid before earning his master’s degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University (where he shared a student room with his cousin, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece).
Gregarious and outgoing, Felipe speaks Spanish, Catalan, French, English, and some Greek. Tall (a towering six feet, three inches!), dark, and handsome, the prince is an avid skier and keen sailor (he sailed for Spain during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics). In addition to his royal charm and heartthrob looks, Prince Felipe is also said to have inherited his father’s strong diplomacy and his mother’s humanitarian spirit.
HER: Born September 15, 1972, Letizia comes from a very normal family—her father worked as a journalist and her mother as a hospital nurse. She graduated from Complutense University of Madrid, before earning her master’s degree from the Institute for Studies in Audiovisual Journalism and eventually became an award-winning television reporter—working for CNN, ABC, and Bloomberg, among others. Prior to meeting her prince, Letizia reported from some of the world’s most hostile environments. She covered the 2000 U.S. presidential election, broadcast live from Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001, attacks, and reported from the front lines of the Iraq War. Letizia fell in love with the handsome Prince Felipe in 2002, when she was sent to northern Spain to cover the ecological disaster caused by a sinking oil tanker.
THEIR REGAL ROMANCE: Prince Felipe always insisted that when he ultimately chose his princess, it would be “a relationship based on love, respect and kindness.” He seems to have met his match in the beautiful, thoroughly modern Letizia, who is independent, cultured, and exceedingly accomplished. Although the couple had met once before at a dinner party, during their second meeting they couldn’t keep their eyes off each other and began secretly dating almost immediately. The public was none the wiser until their official engagement was announced. Although Letizia was a divorcée (something that would not have been tolerated for a royal bride in the past), the public were delighted that their country would have a Spanish queen for the first time since 1879. Letizia quickly overcame any controversy and was openly embraced by the Spanish people, who happily view her as the figurehead of a new era and a “queen for the twenty-first century.” Felipe and Letizia married in Madrid on the morning of May 22, 2004.
HEIRS AND SPARES: Princess Leonor (born October 31, 2005) and Princess Sofia (born April 29, 2007)
PHILANTHROPY OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS: ◆ The Codespa Foundation Helps poor communities with health, educational, and vocational training programs in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Founded in 1985 and based in Spain, Crown Prince Felipe is the honorary president. http://www.codespa.org/
◆ The Príncipe de Asturias Foundation Promotes scientific, cultural, and humanistic values. Each year the foundation bestows the prestigious Prince of Asturias Awards, rewarding technical and social achievements. Crown Prince Felipe is the honorary president. http://www.fpa.es/en/
CROWN PRINCE HAAKON AND CROWN PRINCESS METTE-MARIT OF NORWAY
HIM: Born July 20, 1973, Prince Haakon’s parents are King Harald V and Queen Sonja. He was educated at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Oslo, and the London School of Economics, where he studied International Politics, Law, and Social Science. Handsome and athletically built, Haakon loves to sail, ski, surf, and cycle. He is also an avid patron of the arts with a deep passion for theater, music, and literature. Haakon became Crown Prince of Norway on the death of his grandfather in 1991. When he married Mette-Marit in 2001, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark served as his best man.
HER: Born August 19, 1973, Mette-Marit has no royal heritage—her father was a journalist and her mother worked in a bank. Like Haakon, she adores anything to do with sailing. In her wild youth, this Gwyneth Paltrow look-alike frequented raves and enjoyed dancing to house music. (“I certainly didn’t have any ball gowns before I met Haakon!” she says.9) This party girl already had a three-year-old son (out of wedlock) when she met the crown prince through mutual friends, but despite the initial scrutiny, Norwegians were soon bowled over by her Nordic beauty, graceful intelligence, and unassuming demeanor.
THEIR REGAL ROMANCE: A single-mother princess with a child fathered by a man who has been linked to drug dealing? How could it possibly be? Well, when Crown Prince Haakon set eyes on this elegant Hitchcock blonde at a rock concert, he didn’t think twice about her lessthan-perfect past. Totally smitten, the prince shocked the world by welcoming Mette-Marit and her son Marius into his home, and within months he proposed to her.
At first there was public backlash to such an unconventional royal match (and the fact that the couple were “living in sin”), but Norway’s king and queen remained supportive, and Mette-Marit won praise for her courage when she made a public statement expressing regret for her past. Haakon married Mette-Marit on August 25, 2001, at Oslo Cathedral, and the title of crown princess was bestowed upon her. She is now fervently adored by her subjects.
HEIRS AND SPARES: Princess Ingrid (born January 21, 2004) and Prince Sverre (born December 3, 2005). Marius Borg Høiby (born January 13, 1997) is not in the line of succession, but is very much part of the Norwegian royal family.
PHILANTHROPY OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS: ◆ The Crown Prince and Crown Princess’ Humanitarian Fund enables Haakon and Mette-Marit to focus efforts on humanitarian causes of special interest to them. In Norway, grants are allocated to projects aimed at improving conditions for children and young people. In countries abroad, the fund targets projects related to health and education. http://www.kongehuset.no/c28624/liste/vis.html?strukt_tid=28624
HRH CROWN PRINCE HAAKON IS ALSO THE PATRON OF: ◆ 4H Norge—Norwegian 4H Organisation
◆ The Christian Radich Sail Training Foundation
◆ The Ibsen Stage Festival
◆ Nordland Music Festival
◆ The Northern Light Festival
◆ The Norwegian Association Against Substance Abuse
◆ The Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association
◆ The Norwegian Band Federation
◆ The Norwegian Festival of International Literature
