Category Archives: Current Monarchies

King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia

by Scott Mehl   © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – Wikipedia

King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia

King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 14, 1953. He is the eldest son of King Norodom Sihanouk and his sixth wife, Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, born Monique Izzi.

Norodom Sihamoni had one brother:

Norodom Sihamoni had thirteen half-siblings from his father’s first five marriages:

Mother: Phat Kanhol (? – 1969)

Mother: Sisowath Pongsanmoni

  • Prince Norodom Yuvaneath (1943 – 2021), had two wives and six children
  • Norodom Ravivong (1944 – 1973), died from malaria
  • Prince Norodom Chakrapong (born 1945), had seven wives and thirteen children
  • Norodom Sorya Roeungsi (1947 – 1976), disappeared under Khmer Rouge
  • Norodom Kantha Bopha (1948 – 1952), died from leukemia
  • Norodom Khemanourak (1949 – 1975), disappeared under Khmer Rouge
  • Norodom Botum Bopha (1951 – 1975), disappeared under Khmer Rouge

Mother: Sisowath Monikessan, died in childbirth

Mother: Mam Manivan (1934 – 1975)

  • Norodom Sujata (1953 – 1975), disappeared under Khmer Rouge
  • Princess Norodom Arunrasmy (born 1955), had two husbands and five children

In 1962, at just nine years old, he was sent to Czechoslovakia where he received his elementary and secondary education. He studied music and classical dance at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, graduating in 1975. He then moved to North Korea where he studied filmmaking and returned to Cambodia in 1977. Upon his return, Sihamoni, along with his family, was placed under house arrest by the Khmer Rouge until the Vietnamese invasion in 1979. Sihamoni moved to France in 1981 where he taught ballet and remained there for nearly 20 years before returning once again to Cambodia. During this time, he also served as a delegate to UNESCO.

photo: BBC/AP

photo: BBC/AP

Citing his poor health, Sihamoni’s father, King Sihanouk, announced his abdication in October 2004. Unlike most monarchies, the succession to the Cambodian throne is not hereditary. The monarch is elected for life by the Royal Council of the Throne, made up of members of the royal family, government officials, and religious figures. Upon his father’s abdication, Sihamoni was unanimously elected as the next King of Cambodia on October 14, 2004. His formal enthronement took place on October 29, 2004. Following an anointing ceremony at a sacred temple, the new King processed to the Royal Hall, within the Royal Palace complex, where he received his crown.

King Norodom Sihamoni remains a major patron of the arts, particularly dance. He regularly returns to Prague, which he considers his “second home” and maintains close contact with the family he lived with during his early years there. He is unmarried and has no children.

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Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Wikipedia

photo: Wikipedia

Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei (full name: Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien) was born on July 15, 1946, in Brunei Town, now called Bandar Seri Begawan. He is the eldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III of Brunei and Rani Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit.

Following his early education in Brunei, he attended the Victorian Institution in Kuala Lumpur and then the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. On October 4, 1967, his father abdicated and Hassanal Bolkiah became the 29th Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan (Head of State) of Brunei.  He is also Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Finance.  At the time, Brunei was a protectorate of the United Kingdom.  However, the Sultan oversaw negotiations with Britain which led to Brunei’s independence in 1984.

The Sultan and Sultanah at the marriage ceremony of their daughter, 2012. Photo: Daily Mail

The Sultan and Sultanah at the marriage ceremony of their daughter, 2012.
Photo: Daily Mail

The Sultan has had three wives and twelve children. On July 28, 1965, Hassanal Bolkiah married his paternal first cousin Saleha Mohamed Alam who was styled Her Majesty The Sultanah of Brunei after her husband became Sultan. Saleha and Hassanal Bolkiah had two sons and four daughters:

In 1982, Hassanal Bolkiah married a second wife Mariam Abdul Aziz, a former flight attendant for Royal Brunei Airlines. The Sultan divorced her for nusyuz, disobeying or opposing the will of the husband in 2003, and stripped her of all her titles. Four children were born from the marriage:

In 2005, Hassanal Bolkiah married Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, a former Malaysian TV3 presenter. The Sultan divorced her for nusyuz, disobeying or opposing the will of the husband in 2010 and stripped her of all her titles. Two children were born from the marriage:

  • Prince Abdul Wakeel (born 2006)
  • Princess Ameerah Wardatul (born 2008)

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Sultanah Saleha reside at Nurul Iman Palace, a massive place with nearly 1,800 rooms. According to Guinness World Records, it is the largest residential palace in the world, and the largest single-family residence ever built.  As well as being the Sultan’s home and office, the palace also holds his immense car collection.

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Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Dragon King of Bhutan

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Dragon King of Bhutan; Credit – Wikipedia

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Dragon King of Bhutan was born on February 21, 1980, at the Dechencholing Palace in Thimphu, Bhutan. He is the eldest son of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck with his third wife, Queen Ashi Tshering Yangdon.

King Jigme has two full siblings:

He has seven half-siblings via his father’s other three wives:

With his first wife – Queen Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck

With his second wife – Queen Tshering Pem Wangchuck

With his fourth wife – Queen Sangay Choden Wangchuck

  • Prince Khasum Singye Wangchuck (1985)
  • Princess Euphelma Choden Wangchuck (1993)

After beginning his education in Bhutan, he attended boarding school in Massachusetts, first at the Phillips Academy and then graduating from the Cushing Academy in 1999. He attended Wheaton College, also in Massachusetts, before enrolling in the Foreign Services Program and earning his Master’s Degree in Politics at Magdalen College, Oxford. He later attended a year-long course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, in leadership development.

In 2005, his father announced his intention to abdicate in favor of Jigme Khesar in 2008, timed to coincide with the first democratic elections in the small nation. He began transferring many of his responsibilities to his son. However, on December 9, 2006, he formally abdicated and Jigme Khesar became the 5th Dragon King (Druk Gyalpo) of the Kingdom of Bhutan. At the time, he was the world’s youngest monarch, at just 24 years old.

photo: Zimbio

photo: Zimbio

On October 13, 2011, King Jigme Khesar married Jetsun Pema in a traditional Buddhist ceremony at the Punakha Dzong. As part of the ceremony, he also crowned her as Queen of Bhutan. Several days later, the couple also celebrated a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony.

Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, on the left, with his family; Credit – Facebook page of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan

The couple has two sons and one daughter:

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Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: The Telegraph

photo: The Telegraph

Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain

King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain was born January 28, 1950, in Riffa, Bahrain, the eldest son of Emir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain and his wife, Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa.

He began his primary education in Bahrain at the age of 6, along with studying the principles of Islam and the Arabic Language. Upon completing his primary education in 1964, he was proclaimed Crown Prince. He completed his secondary education at Applegarth College, and The Leys School, both in England. He then undertook military training with the British Army at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, Hampshire and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He later attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College, graduating with a degree in leadership in 1973.

Hamad was a driving force in the establishment of the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) and was appointed Commander-in-Chief. He later served as Minister of Defense, and as Deputy Head of the Al Khalifa Family Council. An avid helicopter pilot, Hamad was instrumental in establishing the Bahrain Air Force.

Upon his father’s death on March 6, 1999, he became the Emir of Bahrain. Three years later, in 2002, he elevated the Emirate to a Kingdom and proclaimed himself the first King of Bahrain.

King Hamad and Queen Sabika with the Duke of York and Princess Beatrice of York, 2012. photo: Zimbio

King Hamad and Queen Sabika with the Duke of York and Princess Beatrice of York, 2012. photo: Zimbio

King Hamad has four wives, and a total of twelve children.

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Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom; Credit – By Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament from Wales – Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128562390

Her Majesty Queen Camilla is the second wife of King Charles III of the United Kingdom. Camilla Rosemary Shand was born at King’s College Hospital in London, England on July 17, 1947. She is the oldest of three children of Major Bruce Shand, a former British Army officer and later a wine merchant (1917-2006) and The Honorable Rosalind Cubitt (1921-1994).

Camilla_parents

Camilla’s parents on their wedding day; Photo Credit – www.telegraph.co.uk

Camilla was christened on November 1, 1947, at Firle Church in Lewes, Sussex, England. Her godparents were:

  • The Honourable Harry Cubitt (her maternal uncle, later the 4th Baron Ashcombe)
  • Major Neil Speke
  • Mrs. Lombard Hobson
  • Mrs. Heathcoat Amory
  • Miss Vivien Mosley
Camilla_Alice Keppel

Alice Keppel; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Camilla’s maternal grandparents were Roland Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe and Sonia Keppel. Sonia Keppel was the daughter of The Honorable George Keppel (son of William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle) and Alice Keppel (née Edmonstone, daughter of Sir William Edmonstone, 4th Baronet). Alice Keppel, Camilla’s great-grandmother, was the mistress of King Edward VII, Prince Charles’ great-great-grandfather, from 1898 until King Edward’s death in 1910.

Camilla, along with Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York, is a descendant of King Charles II of England through one of his illegitimate children, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, son of Charles II and his mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth. In addition, Camilla is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Sir Allan MacNab, who was Premier of the Province of Canada before Confederation in 1867.

Camilla has two younger siblings:

CAMILLA PARKER BOWLES - 1952

Camilla on left with her siblings, Mark in the middle and Annabel on the right; Credit – www.dailymail.co.uk

The Shand family had two homes, The Laines, a former rectory, their country home in East Sussex and a three-story Victorian house in South Kensington, London. Camilla grew up as an avid reader, loved pets, learned to ride at an early age, and also learned to hunt. When she was five years old, Camilla started to attend Dumbrells School in Ditchling, a village in East Sussex. At the age of 10, Camilla went to Queen’s Gate School, an independent day school for girls in South Kensington, London, England, and stayed there until 1964. She then attended Mon Fertile finishing school in Tolochenaz, Switzerland. Camilla then decided to study French and French literature at the University of London Institute in Paris. In 1965, Camilla was a debutante at a party with 150 guests hosted by her parents to mark her coming out in society.

Camilla_mother

Camilla and her mother at her coming-out party; Credit – http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Camilla moved to her own flat in Belgravia, London, and worked as a secretary in the West End and then at Colefax & Fowler, a decorating in Mayfair, London

Camilla and Prince Charles were introduced by Lucia Santa Cruz, their mutual friend who is considered to be Charles’ first serious girlfriend, in 1971. The two became friends and began dating, and eventually, Charles met Camilla’s family and Charles introduced her to some of his family. Their relationship was put on hold when Charles was serving aboard Royal Navy ships, and then it ended abruptly in 1973. Various reasons have been suggested for the breakup, but the exact reason has never been revealed.

Camilla_Charles

Charles and Camilla in the 1970s; Photo Credit – http://www.hellomagazine.com

Camilla had met Andrew Parker Bowles, a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals in the late 1960s. The two had an on-again, off-again relationship for a few years. When it broke up in 1970, Parker Bowles dated Princess Anne for a while and played on Prince Charles’ polo team. After the break-up with Prince Charles, Camilla and Andrew started dating again and their engagement was announced in 1973. They married on July 4, 1973, at the Guards Chapel at the Wellington Barracks in London. The wedding was considered to be the society wedding of the year and Princess Anne, The Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret attended. In 1995, Camilla and her husband decided to divorce, stating their divorce was amicable, and claimed it was due to different interests, which eventually led to separate lives.

Camilla and Andrew had two children:

Camilla_family

Andrew and Camilla Parker Bowles with their children; Photo Credit – http://www.dailymail.co.uk

In 1981, Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer and their marriage was not the fairy tale marriage it was expected to be. Within five years, the couple’s incompatibility and age difference of almost 13 years, as well as Diana’s concern about Charles’s previous girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, became visible and was damaging to their marriage. Diana exposed Charles’s affair with Camilla in a book by Andrew Morton, Diana, Her True Story. Audiotapes showing evidence of her own extramarital affairs also surfaced. In December 1992, British Prime Minister John Major announced the formal separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales in Parliament. Charles and Diana divorced on August 28, 1996. Tragically, Diana died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.

In 1994, two years after the Prince and Princess of Wales had separated, Charles finally spoke about his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles in a televised interview with Jonathan Dimbleby. He told Dimbleby, “Mrs. Parker Bowles is a great friend of mine…a friend for a very long time. She will continue to be a friend for a long time.” The same year Charles admitted in The Prince of Wales: A Biography written by Dimbleby that his relationship with Camilla rekindled after his marriage had irretrievably broken down in 1986.

Following both Charles and Camilla’s divorces, Charles let it be known that his relationship with Camilla was “non-negotiable.” Charles knew that the relationship was causing much negative publicity and he had Mark Bolland, his Deputy Private Secretary, work on the rehabilitation of Camilla’s image which occurred from 1999 until 2005. Camilla was occasionally seen with Charles at unofficial events, then at some public events, and then Camilla accompanied Charles on some public engagements. Camilla met the Queen at the 60th birthday party for former King Constantine II of Greece in 2000 and this meeting was seen as the Queen’s approval of the relationship. Camilla attended events related to the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. In 2003, she moved into Clarence House which had become Charles’ official residence that same year. By 2004, Camilla was accompanying Charles on almost all of his official engagements.

On February 10, 2005, the couple’s engagement was announced and polls conducted in the United Kingdom showed support for the marriage. Charles and Camilla married on April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony held at the Guildhall in Windsor. Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla’s son, served as the witnesses to the civil wedding ceremony. Later that afternoon, a Service of Prayer and Dedication was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, presided over by The Archbishop of Canterbury.

charles-camilla-wedding

Photo Credit – Hugo Burnand, Pool/Getty Images

After her second marriage, Camilla automatically received the female counterparts of her husband’s titles, including Princess of Wales. However, because the title Princess of Wales is so strongly associated with the previous holder of that title, Diana, Princess of Wales, Camilla adopted the feminine form of her husband’s highest-ranking subsidiary title, Duke of Cornwall, so she was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. When in Scotland, she is known as The Duchess of Rothesay.  Queen Elizabeth II granted the Duchess of Cornwall a Royal Coat of Arms soon after her marriage. In 2012, The Queen appointed the Duchess of Cornwall to the Royal Victorian Order, an honor made by the Sovereign in recognition of personal service.  And in 2022, The Duchess was made a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter – the most senior Order within the British Honours, given solely at the gift of the Sovereign.

Picture 007

Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer, outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,  January 27, 2007

As The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla traveled widely with The Prince of Wales and on her own solo engagements, meeting people from all over the world and all walks of life. Unofficial Royalty’s Susan Flantzer met the future Queen while on her first official visit to the United States with the Prince of Wales in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States in January 2007.

On February 5, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II released a Platinum Jubilee message to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The highlight of the message was her statement that when her son Charles becomes king, “Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her loyal service.” Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, Charles succeeded to the throne as King Charles III and Camilla automatically became Queen Consort in accordance with English common law. However, after the coronation of Charles and Camilla, she was known as Queen Camilla.

On October 11, 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla would be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation lasted nearly three hours and had 8,000 guests. King Charles III’s coronation was shorter, more diverse, and had fewer guests.

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury crowns Queen Camilla

Camilla works with a number of her own charities in her role as Patron or President. The links shown below are the official websites of each organization.

House of Windsor Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Daniel of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince_Daniel

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Olof Daniel Westling was born at Örebro University Hospital in Örebro, Sweden on September 15, 1973, the same day his future father-in-law King Carl XVI Gustaf became King of Sweden. He is the youngest of two children of Olle Gunnar Westling, a social services manager, and Anna Ewa Kristina Westring, a post office employee. Daniel has one older sister, Anna Westling Söderström.

Prince Daniel_christenting

Daniel at his christening; Photo: Swedish Royal Court

Daniel grew up in Ockelbo, Sweden, and attended Rabo Primary School and Pers Lunda School there. He then attended Hammar Upper Secondary School in Sandviken, Sweden, and graduated in 1991. Daniel then served in the Swedish Army as part of the national conscription in the Hälsingland Regiment in Gävle, Sweden.

In 1994, Daniel moved to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, to study at the Lillsved Sports Folk High School.  He studied in the youth recreation leader program from 1994-1996. While studying and for a period of time after graduating, Daniel worked as a personal fitness trainer at a nearby gym.

Daniel started his own company in 1997 and worked as a consultant in the fitness industry. He then went on to run his own gym, Master Training, together with his business partner Benny Johansson. Master Training’s keyword was “discretion” because Daniel and his business partner created a place where wealthy, well-known people could work out in privacy.  Many of Stockholm’s more prominent businessmen, politicians, and artists started coming, as did many close to Crown Princess Victoria, including her sister Princess Madeleine and her friend Caroline Kreuger. When the Crown Princess herself began working out there, Daniel became her personal trainer. The couple certainly had many opportunities to chat, while working out a training program for Victoria. So when their professional relationship developed into something more personal, first friendship and then love, their closest friends were probably not too surprised.

Daniel_Victoria working out

Daniel and Victoria working out; Photo source: Expressen

It was at a friend’s birthday party in 2002 that photographers caught a kiss between the two, fueling the interest in Victoria and Daniel’s personal life. Despite some public opinion against Daniel as a potential spouse for the princess due to his “common” background, Victoria made it clear that one’s background was not the deciding factor in marriage, but rather the happiness shared by the couple. Speculation increased in July 2008 when Daniel moved to a rental apartment in a wing of Drottningholm Palace. Many believed this was to allow him to be groomed for the role of consort to the Crown Princess. The engagement of Crown Princess Victoria to Mr. Daniel Westling was announced by the Royal Palace on February 24, 2009. The announcement indicated that after the wedding Daniel Westling would be known as Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, duke being the male counterpart of Victoria’s title Duchess of Västergötland. Another announcement in May 2010 said that Westling would be granted the style His Royal Highness upon marriage.

 

The wedding was held at Stockholm Cathedral also known as Storkyrkan on June 19, 2010. One Canadian reporter said it was “Europe’s biggest royal wedding since the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.” There were 1,200 invited guests and 500,000 people lined Stockholm’s streets. It was the biggest event that has ever been covered on television in Stockholm, according to Sveriges Television, the Swedish national public TV broadcaster.

Victoria_wedding

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel greeting people in the streets of Stockholm; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Victoria and Daniel have a daughter and a son. Their daughter Estelle is second in line to the Swedish throne after her mother and remained in that position after the birth of her brother.

Crown Princess Victoria and her family, 2021; Photo: Linda Broström King. Hovstaterna / Linda Broström, The Royal Court of Sweden

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Princess Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

Countess Stéphanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy was born February 18, 1984, in Ronse, East Flanders, Belgium. She is the youngest of eight children of Count Philippe de Lannoy (1922 – 2019) and Alix della Faille de Leverghem (1941–2012). Both of Stéphanie’s parents come from noble Belgian families. Stéphanie grew up on the family estate, Anvaing Castle (Château d’Anvaing), in Anvaing, Hainaut, Belgium.

Stephanie_Lux_home

Anvaing Castle; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Stéphanie has seven siblings, who, along with Stéphanie, all have the rank of Count and Countess in Belgium, as sons and daughters of a Count:

  • Count Jehan de Lannoy (born 1966), married Béatrice Spates, had four children
  • Count Christian de Lannoy (born 1968), married Luisa Moreno de Porras-Isla-Fernández, had three children
  • Countess Nathalie de Lannoy (born 1969), married John Hamilton, had five children
  • Countess Gaëlle de Lannoy (born 1970), a Roman Catholic nun
  • Count Amaury de Lannoy (born 1971), married Countess Astrid d’ Harcourt, had one child
  • Count Olivier de Lannoy (born 1974), married Alice van Havre. had three children
  • Countess Isabelle de Lannoy (born 1976), married Baron Jean-Charles de le Court, had six children

Stéphanie received her primary education at Sancta Maria, a Dutch-speaking school in Ronse, Belgium. She started her secondary education at the Collège Sainte-Odile in northern France and completed her schooling at the Institut de la Vierge Fidèle in Brussels, Belgium where she obtained her school-leaving certificate in 2002. Stéphanie then spent a year in Moscow, Russia where she studied Russian language and literature and further developed her violin-playing skills. She received a degree in German philology at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Stéphanie continued her education in Berlin, Germany where she completed her Masters Degree by writing her thesis on the influence of German Romanticism on Russian Romanticism. She extended her stay in Berlin with an internship with the Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency under the sponsorship of the Belgian Embassy. When she returned to Belgium, she worked for an investment fund company. Stéphanie is fluent in French, German, and English and has a knowledge of Russian, Dutch, and Luxembourgish.

Guillaume_civil wedding

The couple exiting Town Hall after the civil marriage; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Guillaume_religious wedding

Photo Credit – Zimbio

Stéphanie first met Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg when they were introduced by friends in Germany eight years before they married. They did not see each other until they met again about five years later and that was when they fell in love. Guillaume proposed to Stéphanie three weeks before their engagement was announced. Unfortunately, Stéphanie’s mother died from a stroke two months before the wedding.

On April 26, 2012, the Luxembourg Court announced the engagement of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke to Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy. The couple was married in a civil ceremony at the City Hall in Luxembourg City, on October 19, 2012. Their religious wedding took place on October 20, 2012, at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City.

Photo Credit: Grand Ducal Court/ Marion Dessard

Stéphanie and Guillaume have two sons:

Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Theresa holding Prince François, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, Prince Charles, and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume; Credit – House of the Grand Duke / Sophie Margue

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Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

Duchess Sophie Elizabeth Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria was born on October 28, 1967, in Munich, Germany. She is the eldest of five daughters of Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria and Countess Elizabeth Douglas.

Sophie has four younger sisters:

  • Duchess Marie-Caroline in Bavaria (born 1969), married Duke Philipp of Württemberg, had three daughters and one son
  • Duchess Helena Eugenie in Bavaria (born 1972), unmarried
  • Duchess Elisabeth Marie in Bavaria (born 1973), married Daniel Terberger, had one son and one daughter
  • Duchess Maria Anna in Bavaria (born 1975), married (1) Klaus Runow, no children, divorced  (2) Baron Andreas von Maltzahn, had two sons

Sophie was raised on the family’s estate, Wildbad Kreuth, about 65 kilometers south of Munich,  Germany, where she began her primary schooling. She then attended the Girls’ Home Primary School of the English Lady in Heiligenstadt, followed by the Girls’ Secondary Boarding School Hohenburg in Lenggries. In 1984, she enrolled in the Adolf Weber High School in Munich, graduating in 1988.

Following several months in London where she attended the Inchbald School of Interior Design, Sophie began studying history and English language and literature at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in 1989.

photo: Corbis

photo: Corbis

On July 3, 1993, Sophie married Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein at the Vaduz Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. He is the eldest son of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. They had met some seven years earlier at a party hosted by a mutual friend.  The couple has four children:

  • Prince Joseph Wenzel (born 1995)
  • Princess Marie-Caroline (born 1996)
  • Prince Georg (born 1999)
  • Prince Nikolaus (born 2000)

The family initially lived in London but returned to Liechtenstein in 1996, where her husband began working for The Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, which oversees and manages the various assets of the Princely Family.

The Hereditary Princess often accompanies her husband on foreign visits, as well as many events within Liechtenstein itself. She serves as a patron for many organizations and events, often relating to children, education, and the arts. She has been the President of the Liechtenstein Red Cross since 2015.

In 2006, she founded the Sophie of Liechtenstein Foundation for Woman and Child. “The goal of the foundation is to give women, who unintentionally become pregnant, a more positive life perspective for themselves and their child.” (Source: The Princely Family of Liechtenstein). The Foundation is funded by the Princely Family and by private donations, and the Hereditary Princess serves as President.

Sophie is a member of the House of Wittelsbach, formerly the reigning house of the Kingdom of Bavaria. She is second in line to the Jacobite succession to the British throne. The Jacobites sought to restore the British crown to King James II of England after he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and subsequently, to his heirs. The current Jacobite heir is Sophie’s childless uncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria, who has never pursued the claim. Franz’s heir is Sophie’s father, Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria who only has five daughters. As the eldest of her father’s daughters, Sophie will be his heir to the Jacobite claim and her eldest son is her heir.

  • Embed from Getty Images

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Empress Masako of Japan

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – Wikipedia

Masako Owada was born at Toranomon Hospital in Tokyo, Japan on December 9, 1963, the eldest daughter of Hisashi Owada and Yumiko Egashira. Her father, Hisashi Owada, is a former Japanese diplomat and served as Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations and as a member of the International Court of Justice, located in the Netherlands.

Due to her father’s diplomatic posts, Masako began her schooling first in Moscow, and then in New York City, before the family returned to Japan in 1971. She attended Futaba Gakuen, a private Roman Catholic girls’ school in Tokyo. In 1979, the family returned to the US, settling in Belmont, Massachusetts while her father was a visiting professor at Harvard University. She graduated from Belmont High School in 1981 and enrolled at Radcliffe College, part of Harvard University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in economics in 1985, after which she returned to Japan and attended the University of Tokyo, studying law for several months while preparing to sit for the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs‘ entrance exam. After two years working for the Foreign Ministry, she enrolled at Balliol College, Oxford University, pursuing a Master’s Degree in International Relations.

photo: Imperial Household Agency

photo: Imperial Household Agency

In 1986, Masako met her future husband, Emperor Naruhito of Japan, at a tea held in honor of Infanta Elena of Spain. Despite disapproval from the Imperial Household Agency (as Masako was a commoner), and Masako leaving Japan for several years to study abroad, the two continued their relationship. Naruhito proposed several times, however, Masako turned him down each time. Agreeing to marry the future Japanese Emperor would mean giving up her career in diplomacy and her independence, as well as having to conform to the strict guidelines of the Imperial Household. Finally, he convinced her that her diplomatic skills could be used in a different way – as his wife, and future Empress – and she accepted his third proposal in December 1992. Their engagement was announced in January 1993, and the formal engagement ceremony was held that April. Finally, On June 9, 1993, Naruhito and Masako were married in a traditional ceremony at the Imperial Shinto Hall in Tokyo. Following the ceremony, and a change into more contemporary attire, the newly married couple processed through the streets of Tokyo.

Naruhito, Masako, and Aiko; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple has one daughter:

In the early years of their marriage, Masako often accompanied her husband on foreign visits, as well as participating in most official functions at the Imperial Palace. However, by 2003, she was rarely seen in public at all. The following year, it was announced that she was suffering from Adjustment Disorder, although many speculate that she is dealing with clinical depression, brought on by the pressures and constraints placed upon her by the strict Imperial Household Agency. It would be many years before she would return, albeit just occasionally, to the public eye.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess at the Dutch investiture, 2013. Photo: Zimbio

Masako and Naruhito at the Dutch investiture, 2013. Photo: Zimbio

In a statement released for her 49th birthday in 2012, Masako thanked the Japanese people for their “warm continued support”, and that she continues to make progress with the help of her doctors and those around her. She also began to appear more often at official events at the Imperial Palace and around Japan, always at the side of her husband. Perhaps because of the kindness previously extended by former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and the fact that her parents were then based in The Hague, Masako accompanied her husband to the investiture of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in 2013. In July 2015, Masako traveled to Tonga with her husband to attend the coronation of King Tupou VI.

Empress Masako at the enthronement ceremony on October 22, 2019; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 1, 2017,  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Emperor Akihito would abdicate on April 30, 2019, and that his elder son Crown Prince Naruhito, Masako’s husband would become Emperor and Masako would become Empress. On May 1, 2019, Naruhito ascended the throne as Emperor of Japan and the Presentation of the Three Sacred Treasures ceremony occurred. Several more ceremonies occurred – October 22, 2019: Enthronement Ceremony (Sokui-Rei) and November 14-15, 2019: Great Thanksgiving Festival (Daijo-sai). See the link below for more information about the accession and enthronement ceremonies.

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State of Japan Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Queen Mary of Denmark

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Wikipedia

photo: Wikipedia

Queen Mary of Denmark, the wife of King Frederik X of Denmark, was born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was born on February 5, 1972, in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. She is the youngest of four children of Professor John Donaldson and Henrietta Horne. Mary’s mother passed away in 1997 and her father was remarried to British novelist Susan Horwood (aka Susan Moody).

Mary began her education in Houston, Texas, where the family was living at the time. The family returned to Tasmania and Mary continued her schooling there. Following the completion of her secondary education, she enrolled in the University of Tasmania and received a degree in Commerce and Law. She also received graduate certifications in Advertising and Marketing and worked in those fields in Australia and Scotland.

 

In September 2000, during the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Mary met the future King Frederik X of Denmark, then the Crown Prince of Denmark, on an evening out with some mutual friends. The two quickly began a relationship and Frederik made several private trips to Australia. As her relationship with Frederik became more serious, Mary left Australia, first working in Paris, France as an English tutor before moving to Denmark and working for Microsoft. Their engagement was announced in October 2003, after Frederik’s mother Queen Margrethe II of Denmark had given her formal consent to the marriage. Mary and Frederik were married on May 14, 2004, at the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Danish Royal Family on balcony of Christansborg Palace on the day of King Frederik X’ accession to the throne. Left to right: Princess Isabella, Crown Prince Christian, King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Princess Josephine, and Prince Vincent

Mary and Frederik reside at Amalienborg (Frederik VIII’s Palace) and the Chancellery House at Fredensborg Palace with their four children:

Embed from Getty Images 

Along with what must surely have been a busy family life, as Crown Princess of Denmark, Mary served as Patron to a large number of Danish organizations. While these cover a large number of areas, many have to do with health and social care issues. Internationally, she worked with the World Health Organization and was patron of the United Nations Population Fund.

King Frederik X and Queen Mary on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace after Frederik’s accession to the thone of Denmark

In her New Year’s Speech on December 31, 2023, Mary’s mother-in-law Queen Margrethe II announced that she will step down as Queen of Denmark on January 14, 2024, the 52nd anniversary of her accession. On that day, Frederik and Mary became King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark. Mary is the first Australian-born person to be queen of a monarchy.

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