Bright Young Royals, page 7
THE ROYAL WEDDING: The last time Monaco celebrated the wedding of its ruling prince was in 1956, when Prince Albert’s father married Grace Kelly—quite an act to follow! But Monaco, with its usual splendor, did not let us down. On the eve of the wedding, a celebratory concert by the Eagles was offered to all Monegasque citizens. On July 1, 2011, the couple’s civil ceremony was held in the opulent Throne Room of the Grimaldi Palace. Their religious ceremony was held the following day in the palace’s main courtyard. Charlene looked radiant in a white Armani dress and a diamond hair ornament on loan from Princess Caroline. Afterward, in line with an ancient tradition, Charlene lay down her bridal bouquet in the Church of St. Dévote to honor the patron saint of Monaco. The official dinner was prepared by threestar French chef Alain Ducasse and followed by a magnificent fireworks display for the whole country to enjoy.
QUOTE: “I’m in a unique position where I can make a big difference. My hope is to harness the tremendous resources Monaco possesses to address a multitude of global problems.”11
CHARLENE’S CHARITIES: ◆ Nelson Mandela Day Close to the man himself, Charlene was deeply involved in the annual event dedicated to Mandela’s life’s work and charitable organizations. http://en.mandeladay.com/Home.aspx
◆ The World Wildlife Fund Strives to protect endangered wildlife, tackle climate change, and promote sustainable use of resources. Charlene once wore a fabulous evening gown with a large WWF panda logo emblazoned on its skirts. http://www.wwf.org/
◆ The Princess Grace Foundation Created by Prince Albert’s mother, this charity supports pediatric medicine and humanitarian aid for handicapped children. Charlene also champions the Special Olympics of Monaco. http://www.fondation-psse-grace.mc/frameseteng.html/
◆ The Monaco Red Cross Aims to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. Prince Albert is president. http://www.icrc.org/
◆ The Born Free Foundation An international wildlife charity working to prevent cruelty and alleviate suffering. http://www.bornfree.org.uk/
◆ The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Created by Albert in 2006, the foundation seeks to protect the environment and encourage sustainable development. http://www.fpa2.mc/default.asp?lang=en
◆ Fight Aids Monaco Founded by Albert’s sister, HSH Princess Stephanie, this charity promotes awareness of the danger still posed by HIV/AIDS. http://www.fightaidsmonaco.com/accueil-eng.html/
CROWN PRINCESS VICTORIA OF SWEDEN
THE BRIDE: Born July 14, 1977, Victoria is the eldest of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia’s three children. Because Sweden is the first monarchy to allow the eldest child to inherit the throne regardless of gender, Victoria is destined to become Sweden’s future queen. As things stand, she is the only female heir-apparent in the world. Victoria speaks four languages and is known for her fervent interest in diplomacy and international relations.
THE GROOM: Daniel Westling (now known as Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland) was born in Sweden on September 15, 1973. Before his marriage to Princess Victoria, Daniel worked as her personal trainer. Daniel’s working relationship with the sweet-natured princess quickly blossomed into an eight-year romance. Daniel eventually opened a fitness company called Balance Training, with three gyms in central Stockholm. But upon receiving the title of prince, he stepped down as CEO of the company.
THE ROYAL WEDDING : Their wedding was held at Stockholm Cathedral on June 19, 2010—the thirty-fourth wedding anniversary of the King and Queen of Sweden. Victoria wore an ivory-colored gown of duchess satin, with a five-meter train, designed by Swedish dressmaker Par Engshed. Her antique lace veil was held in place by the same cameo tiara that was worn by Victoria’s mother, Queen Silvia, at her marriage in 1975. The wedding was attended by twelve hundred guests from around the world, including six kings and nine queens. After the ceremony, the happy couple boarded the royal barge to the reception at Drottningholm Palace. Following a wedding feast of lobster, caviar, and champagne, Princess Victoria and her new prince took to the dance floor, where they executed a perfect waltz. So romantic!
PRINCESS TATIANA OF GREECE AND DENMARK
THE GROOM: Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark (born October 1,1969) is the second son of King Constantine of Greece and the elder brother of the aforementioned eligible royals Prince Philippos and Princess Theodora. The nephew of two Queens—Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is his mother’s sister; Queen Sofia of Spain is his father’s sister—Nikolaos has dozens of royal cousins throughout Europe. Prince Nikolaos graduated from Brown University with an BA in International Relations and works for his father’s London office.
THE BRIDE: Venezuelan born Tatiana Blatnik is the granddaughter of Countess Ellinka von Ensiedel of Dresden. The Grace Kelly look-alike attended school in Switzerland and later studied Sociology at Georgetown University in the U.S. before working as a PR and events manager for fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. She had been quietly dating Prince Nikolaos for six years before their engagement was officially announced.
THE ROYAL WEDDING: On August 25, 2010, Tatiana and Nikolaos wed in a lavish sunset wedding on the beautiful Greek island of Spetses. Throngs of royals from across Europe gathered for the ceremony at the Church of Saint Nicholas. As a ravishing blonde with regal heritage, Tatiana looked every bit like a fairy tale princess on her wedding day. She arrived in a traditional horse-drawn carriage wearing a full-length strapless ivory gown with lace overlay by Venezuelan designer Angel Sanchez. It was worn with a full-length veil, matching lace bolero jacket, and a dazzling diamond tiara borrowed from her new mother-in-law, Queen Anne Marie. (The tiara was also worn at the wedding of Tatiana’s sister-in-law, Princess Marie-Chantal.) Tatiana is now known as HRH Princess Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark. The newlyweds reside in London.
FAVORITE CHARITY: ◆ The Anna-Maria Foundation Provides aid to people who have suffered due to natural disasters. Nikolaos is a board member. http://www.greekroyalfamily.gr/index.cfm?get=foundation
LADY FREDERICK WINDSOR
THE GROOM: Born April 6, 1979, Lord Frederick Windsor is the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and is thirty-seventh in line to the British throne. His father is a first cousin of HM Queen Elizabeth II; his sister is the aforementioned Lady Gabriella Windsor. Educated at Eton College, “Freddie” later graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Classics. He now works for investment bank J.P. Morgan and recently transferred to their California offices so he could be with his wife as she pursues her acting career. The romantic aristocrat proposed to his bride-to-be on Valentine’s Day.
THE BRIDE: Sophie Lara Winkleman was born in London on August 5, 1980. Her father is a prominent publisher and her mother is a copywriter and author. Her half sister is TV anchor Claudia Winkleman. Sophie studied English Literature at Cambridge University, where she joined the famed dramatic society Cambridge Footlights, which launched her successful acting career. After several roles for UK television, Sophie filmed an American comedy series entitled 100 Questions for Charlotte Payne and is now working on a new historical series about the Titanic where she will play the American silent-movie star Dorothy Gibson.
THE ROYAL WEDDING: Sophie and Freddie married on September 12, 2009, in a society wedding at Hampton Court Palace, which was attended by several young royals, including Princess Eugenie of York. The beautiful bride arrived in a silver Rolls-Royce, wearing a white silk beaded gown, with a three-meter train, designed by Anna Bystrova from Roza Couture. The service was held in the sumptuous Chapel Royal and was followed by a reception of champagne, canapés, and cake in the magnificent Great Hall. Celebrations continued with a dinner and dance at the London home of the groom’s godmother, Lady Annabel Goldsmith. The newlyweds currently reside in Los Angeles, California.
AUTUMN PHILLIPS
THE GROOM: Born November 15, 1977, Peter Phillips is the son of the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips and the oldest grandchild of HM Queen Elizabeth II. His godfather is the Prince of Wales and his younger sister is the aforementioned Zara Phillips. Peter is eleventh in line to succeed to the British throne. He graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in sports science.
THE BRIDE: Autumn Patricia Kelly was born May 3, 1978, in Quebec. The pretty Canadian graduated from McGill University with a degree in East Asian studies. She met her handsome husband-to-be during the 2003 Montreal Grand Prix, where she was working in the BMW hospitality tent. Their engagement was announced in July 2007.
THE ROYAL WEDDING: The marriage took place in Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Chapel on May 17, 2008. The entire wedding was covered extensively in a special edition of Hello! magazine. Autumn wore an ivory duchess satin wedding gown by Sassi Holford with a cathedral train, a lace bolero, and a diamond tiara on loan from her mother-in-law, Princess Anne. Attended by most senior members of the British royal family, the lavish reception was held at Frogmore House. The couple resides in Hong Kong, and on December 29, 2010, Autumn gave birth to the queen’s first great-grandchild—a baby girl named Savannah.
POWER COUPLES
After all the pomp and pageantry of a regal wedding is behind them, young royal romances eventually blossom into hardworking royal families. Royal couples must into hardworking royal families. Royal couples must learn to juggle sovereign duties, parenthood, and the media spotlight and to do so with grace, dignity, and a constant smile.
Here we look at the crown princes and princesses of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Greece, as well as their gorgeous royal children. In their official portraits, all appear picture-perfect, with happy smiles and sunny complexions, but raising a royal family can be hard work. Not only must they successfully maintain their own royal duties, but they must raise the next generation of royals and see to it that the right values are instilled within them.
A life of extreme privilege can often breed disaster in adulthood, so these royal parents work hard to demonstrate the importance of charity and an entrepreneurial spirit. Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, who started a successful children’s clothing company all on her own, is a great role model for her five children. Prince Willem-Alexander, Crown Princess Maxima, Crown Prince Philippe, and Crown Princess Mathilde all strive to relax the ceremonial pomp and circumstance of their positions so their children can have a down-to-earth upbringing and remain as normal as possible.
Without exception, the young royal families of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Greece are using their royal titles for the greater good, with a huge array of philanthropic commitments. Yet through it all Maxima, Mathilde, and Marie-Chantal still make the time to take their children to school each day just like any regular loving parent would. Surrounded by such fantastic role models and raised in such a loving environment, we can be sure that the next generation of princes and princesses will make us proud.
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Dutch Royals Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and wife Crown Princess Maxima with their daughters Princess Alexia, Princess Ariane, and Princess Catharina-Amalia
ABOVE:
Crown Prince Willem-Alexander with Princess Ariane and Princess Catharina-Amalia, and Crown Princess Maxima with Princess Alexia
HRH WILLEM-ALEXANDER, PRINCE OF ORANGE, AND HRH CROWN PRINCESS MAXIMA OF THE NETHERLANDS
THE PRINCE: Born April 27,1967, Prince Willem-Alexander is the oldest child of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. The tall, blond prince is first in line to inherit the Dutch throne and is a direct descendant of the British King George II.
Queen Beatrix insisted that her children have a normal upbringing and told others to call her son by his first name rather than his title until he was sixteen. She also made sure that Willem-Alexander was educated in local grammar schools, where he could mix with children from all social backgrounds. As a result, the prince is extremely down-to-earth.
The prince enjoys running, tennis, skiing, sailing, golf, rock climbing, horseback riding, and diving, but his greatest love is flying. Since gaining his military pilot’s licence, the prince has flown humanitarian relief missions in Kenya and has worked as a pilot for Dutch government officials.
In 1999, Willem-Alexander met a striking Argentinean blonde named Maxima at party in Seville. He was instantly taken by Maxima’s winning smile and unassuming nature and crossed the Atlantic one month later in order to visit her. They announced their engagement in 2001.
THE PRINCESS: Princess Maxima was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 17, 1971, as Maxima Zorreguieta. She was working for Deutsche Bank in New York City when she started dating Willem-Alexander. The couple married in royal style on February 2, 2002, making Prince Willem-Alexander the first male heir to the Dutch throne to marry in the Netherlands. (Willem I, II, and III married in the native countries of their brides.)
Maxima now represents the Dutch Royal House at official occasions of all kinds and accompanies the queen on state visits.
THEIR ROYAL OFFSPRING: The proud prince and princess have three beautiful daughters: HRH Princess Catharina-Amalia (born December 7, 2003), HRH Princess Alexia (born June 26, 2005), and HRH Princess Ariane (born April 10, 2007).
USING THEIR TITLES FOR THE GREATER GOOD: The Prince of Orange has a strong passion for ethical water management and believes that solving problems related to water access and sanitation will play a central role in eradicating poverty. The prince is an honorary member of the World Commission on Water for the 21st Century and chair of the Water Advisory Committee in the Netherlands. He also chairs the UN’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, which contributes to solving water-related problems all over the world.
Prince Willem-Alexander is also a patron of the Global Water Partnership, which supports the sustainable development and management of water resources at all levels. http://www.gwp.org/
Meanwhile, Princess Maxima feels passionately about the integration of immigrants into Dutch culture and stresses the importance of learning the Dutch language—as she did upon her engagement—in order to fully participate in Dutch society. Her Royal Highness also works as patroness to Scouting Nederland, the Royal Orchestra Foundation, the Royal Tropical Institute, and the Royal Institute for Culture and Language.
Most recently, the princess has been busy promoting the importance of “inclusive finance” to reduce poverty and due to her expertise in the field, she has been named the UN special advocate for inclusive finance for development.
Finally, both Princess Maxima and Prince Willem-Alexander are patrons of the Orange Fund, which promotes social welfare and cohesion in the Netherlands. The royal couple regularly visit projects supported by the Orange Fund, and every year, Princess Maxima presents Appeltje van Oranje awards to institutions that set an example in the field of welfare. http://www.oranjefonds.nl/
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Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium and his wife Crown Princess Mathilde with their children Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, and Princess Eléonore
ABOVE:
Crown Prince Philippe, Crown Princess Mathilde, and children
CROWN PRINCE PHILIPPE AND CROWN PRINCESS MATHILDE OF BELGIUM
THE PRINCE: Born in Brussels on April 15, 1960, Crown Prince Philippe is the son of King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium. He studied Constitutional History at Oxford before completing a master’s degree in Political Science at Stanford University in California. Some thought he might remain a bachelor forever, but just before he turned forty, the prince gave the Belgian people their longed-for princess. He married Mathilde on December 4, 1999 (the marriage ceremony was repeated in three languages), in what became the last royal wedding of the twentieth century.
THE PRINCESS: The glamorous Mathilde was born on January 20, 1973, the daughter of the Count and Countess Patrick d’Udekem d’Acoz. The intelligent, down-to-earth aristocrat studied Psychology and was working as a speech therapist in her own practice when she met Prince Philippe during a game of tennis. Because she was raised in the French part of the country yet hails from a noble Flemish family, Princess Mathilde was welcomed by both sides of Belgium. She’s fluent in Dutch, French, English, and Italian, and when Philippe becomes king, Mathilde will be the country’s first ever Belgian-born queen consort.
THEIR ROYAL OFFSPRING: The crown prince and crown princess have been blessed with two sons and two daughters: Princess Elisabeth (Belgium’s future queen, born October 25, 2001); Prince Gabriel (born August 20, 2003); Prince Emmanuel (born October 4, 2005), and Princess Eléonore (born April 16, 2008).
USING THEIR TITLES FOR THE GREATER GOOD: Prince Philippe created the Prince Philippe Fund in 1998 with the aim of fostering dialogue between the different cultural communities of Belgium through educational and professional exchange programs. Prince Philippe also acts as honorary chairman of the Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development, which supports research into energy, climate, and biodiversity.
