Category Archives: Current Monarchies

Princess Charlene of Monaco

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Charlene Lynette Wittstock was born on January 25, 1978, in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, the former name of the country of Zimbabwe. She is the daughter of Michael Wittstock (born 1946), a computer-business operator, and Lynette Humberstone Wittstock (born 1959), a former competitive diver and swimming coach. Charlene has two brothers, Gareth (born 1979) and Sean (born 1983). The family moved to South Africa when Charlene was ten years old and she attended the Tom Newby School in Benoni, South Africa.

Charlene competed for the South African national swimming team. In the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she competed in the 4 X 100-meter medley and the team came in fifth place. She planned to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but could not due to a shoulder injury.

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Charlene Wittstock swims for South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics; Photo source: Sydney Morning Herald

In June 2000 at the Marenostrum International Swimming Meet in Monaco, Charlene first met Prince Albert II of Monaco who presided over the meet. For the next five years, the couple periodically dated privately. At the Opening Ceremonies for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, their relationship went public. Since then the couple was seen together at a number of events including the Monaco Grand Prix, the Rose Ball held annually in Monaco, the Princess Grace Foundation Awards Gala, and most notably at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling in Stockholm on June 19, 2010. On June 23, 2010, four days after the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock became engaged. The civil ceremony was held on July 1, 2011, in the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace. The religious ceremony took place on July 2, 2011, in the courtyard of the Palace.

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Photo source: BBC/AP

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have two children, boy and girl twins. Even though their daughter was born first, their son is the heir apparent because Monaco’s succession is male-preference cognatic primogeniture.

Embed from Getty Images

Princess Charlene is involved in the following organizations:

  • Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has the goal to transmit the sporting values that former Olympians Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco both have to the next generation of young athletes.
  • Ladies Lunch Monte-Carlo raises funds for Monegasque charity associations benefiting children and adolescents; Princess Charlene is the Honorary President
  • Nelson Mandela Foundation originally provided a base for Mandela’s charitable work and now continues his legacy.
  • asfAR is a foundation for AIDS research.
  • Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities; Princess Charlene is a Global Ambassador of Special Olympics.
  • The Giving Organisation is a group of South African charities that deals with issues ranging from AIDS among underprivileged children to the protection of the environment; Princess Charlene is Co-Patron with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
  • Monaco Against Autism; Princess Charlene is the Honorary President

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Principality of Monaco Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Queen Letizia of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – Wikipedia

Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano was born on September 15, 1972, in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. She is the eldest of three daughters of Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez, a journalist, and his first wife, María de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodríguez, a registered nurse and hospital union representative.

Letizia was christened on September 29, 1972, at the San Francisco de Asís Church in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. Her godparents were Francisco Rocasolano Rodríguez, her maternal uncle, and Cristina Ortiz Álvarez, her paternal aunt.

Regarding Spanish naming customs, using Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, the first surname or paternal family name is Ortiz and the second surname or maternal family name is Rocasolano. Letizia’s parents divorced in 1998 and her father has since married again to a fellow journalist, Ana Togores. Letizia has two younger sisters, Telma (born 1973) and Érika (1975-2007). It was widely reported that Letizia’s sister Érika died from an intentional prescription drug overdose.

In her hometown of Oviedo, Letizia completed her primary education at the Colegio Público La Gesta de Oviedo and started her secondary education at the Instituto Alfonso II.  Due to her father’s job as a journalist, the whole family moved to Madrid in 1987 where Letizia continued her secondary education at the Instituto Ramiro de Maeztu.  Letizia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Complutense University of Madrid and a Master’s Degree in Audiovisual Journalism from the Institute for Audiovisual Journalism Studies.

In 1998, Letizia civilly married Alonso Guerrero Pérez, a high-school literature teacher, and the couple divorced in 1999. Since this marriage was only a civil ceremony, the Roman Catholic Church did not need to issue an annulment in order for Letizia to have a religious wedding in the future.

While Letizia was pursuing her university degrees, she worked for La Nueva España, a daily newspaper published in her hometown of Oviedo, ABC,  a Spanish national daily newspaper, and Agencia EFE, a Spanish international news agency. After Letizia completed her university, she took a position at Siglo XXI, a newspaper in Guadalajara, Mexico.

When she returned to Spain, Letizia worked for the Spanish version of the financial channel Bloomberg before moving to the CNN+, a Spanish 24-hour television news channel, where she spent two years broadcasting the news in the morning shift. In 2000, she received the Mariano José de Larra Award from the Press Association of Madrid as the most accomplished journalist under the age of 30.

Letizia presenting the news

Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano presenting the news; Photo Credit – http://www.casareal.es / TVE/EFE

In 2000, Letizia began working at Televisión Española, the national state-owned public television broadcaster in Spain where she worked for the news channel 24 Horas.  By 2002, Letizia was anchoring the weekly news report program Informe Semanal and then the daily morning news program Telediario Matinal. In August 2003, Letizia started anchoring the daily evening news program Telediario 2, the most-watched newscast in Spain. During most of this time period, Letizia was maintaining a secret relationship with Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the heir to the Spanish throne.

It was in November 2002 while covering the Prestige oil tanker disaster, Spain’s largest environmental disaster, that Letizia’s life would change forever. Felipe, Prince of Asturias had flown to the area to offer his support to the communities worst affected by the oil spill. Although the couple had met the year before at a mutual friend’s dinner party, it was during this terrible disaster that they fell in love. Their relationship was kept a closely guarded secret until the engagement was announced on November 1, 2003.

11/06/2003. Photo Call : Prince Felipe of Borbon and Letizia Ortiz at Pardo Palace after the official announcement of their engagement.

Engagement announcement; Photo Credit – http://time.com

The couple was married on May 22, 2004, at the Santa María la Real de La Almudena Cathedral in Madrid, Spain.  It was the first royal wedding held in Madrid since the wedding of Felipe’s great-grandparents King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg in 1906.

Felipe_wedding

Photo Credit – http://www.casareal.es

The couple has two daughters:

  • The Princess of Asturias (Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón Ortiz), born October 31, 2005, at the Ruber International Clinic in Madrid, Spain
  • Infanta Sofía (Sofía de Todos los Santos de Borbón Ortiz), born on April 29, 2007, at the Ruber International Clinic in Madrid, Spain

Queen Letizia with her family in 2019; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 2, 2014, King Juan Carlos, Felipe’s father, announced his intention to abdicate the throne in favor of his son. On June 18, 2014, King Juan Carlos signed the formal instrument of abdication and Felipe ascended the throne at midnight. At the same time, Letizia automatically became Queen of Spain. King Felipe VI was sworn in and proclaimed king on June 19, 2014, in a ceremony in the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish legislature.

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King Felipe and Queen Letizia at the proclamation ceremony; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Kingdom of Spain Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla was born March 22, 1956, in Havana, Cuba, to José Antonio Mestre y Álvarez and María Teresa Batista y Falla de Mestre. Three years later, the family left Cuba and settled in New York, where Maria Teresa began her education. She attended the Marymount School in New York City, and then the Lycée Français de New York. In 1965, the family moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where Maria Teresa became a Swiss citizen. She continued her education at the Marie-José Institute in Gstaad, and then the Marie-Thérèse boarding school in Geneva, graduating in 1975. She then enrolled at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, graduating with her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. While at the Graduate Institute, she met her future husband, Hereditary Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, the eldest son of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium.

Maria Teresa and Henri were married in a civil ceremony on February 4, 1981, at the Grand Ducal Palace, and a religious ceremony on February 14, 1981, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

The couple had five children:

Maria Teresa has always been an advocate for social and humanitarian issues. Since her marriage, she has undertaken numerous actions in favor of vulnerable people in Luxembourg and around the world, in particular through the Foundation of the Grand Duke and of the Grand Duchess, which she chairs.

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Marie of Liechtenstein

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Countess Marie Aglaë Bonaventura Theresia Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau was born April 14, 1940, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. She was the fourth of seven children of Count Ferdinand Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau and Countess Henriette Caroline of Ledebur-Wicheln.

In 1945, the family fled to Germany where Marie began her education. Following elementary school, she attended boarding school at the Wald Monastery in Württemberg. In 1957, she spent an extended period of time in England to improve her English and graduated from boarding school in 1958. She then attended the Academy for Applied Arts at the University of Munich, graduating in 1961. Following some time in Paris to perfect her French, she began working as an industrial designer for a printing house in Dachau, Germany.

Marie became engaged to her second cousin, once removed, Hereditary Prince Hans-Adam of Liechtenstein in 1965. He was the eldest son of Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein and Countess Georgina von Wilczek. On July 30, 1967, the couple was married at Vaduz Cathedral  (also known as St. Florian Cathedral) in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. They had four children:

Embed from Getty Images 

In November 1989, Hans-Adam succeeded his father as the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. Princess Marie was involved in many organizations within Liechtenstein, with her focus being on education, culture, and the arts. In 1985, Marie became President of the Liechtenstein Red Cross, a position previously held (and originated) by her mother-in-law. The Princess handed the position over to her daughter-in-law, Hereditary Princess Sophie, in 2014.

After suffering a stroke three days earlier, Princess Marie of Liechtenstein died at a hospital in Grabs, Switzerland on August 21, 2021, at the age of 81. The Princely House of Liechtenstein released the following statement:

Her Serene Highness Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein died on 21 August 2021 at 4:43 pm in the hospital in Grabs. After her health steadily deteriorated following a stroke on 18 August 2021, she passed away today in the presence of her family and after receiving the Last Rites, peacefully and with great trust in God.

Princess Marie’s funeral was held at Vaduz Cathedral (also known as St. Florian Cathedral) in Vaduz, Liechtenstein on August 28, 2021. Three hundred guests attended including Queen Sofia of Spain, Princess Caroline of Hanover (Monaco), Hereditary Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, and members of the Royal Family of Bavaria and the Austrian Imperial Family. Princess Marie was buried in the Princely Crypt at Vaduz Cathedral.

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Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Queen Rania of Jordan

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Wikipedia

photo: Wikipedia

Queen Rania of Jordan

Rania al-Yassin was born on August 31, 1970, in Kuwait, to Faisal Sedki Al-Yassin and his wife Ilham. Following her primary and secondary education at the New English School in Jabriya, Kuwait, Rania attended The American University in Cairo, Egypt, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She then attended The School of Business Studies, in Geneva Switzerland, earning a post-graduate diploma in Sales Management. She worked for a while at Citibank, before taking a job with Apple, Inc. in Jordan.

In January 1993, Rania met Prince Abdullah of Jordan, the eldest son of King Hussein I of Jordan and his second wife Princess Muna, at a dinner party hosted by mutual friends. Quickly smitten, he proposed just two months later and the couple was married on June 10, 1993. At the time, neither likely suspected that they would one day become King and Queen of Jordan.

They had four children:

Just days before King Hussein’s death in February 1999, Prince Abdullah was named his heir and Crown Prince. The following month, King Abdullah II issued a proclamation elevating Rania to the title of Queen. Since then, Queen Rania has used her position to bring attention to important issues both domestically and around the world. In both areas, she is very involved with the promotion of education and community empowerment, through various initiatives that she has started such as the Queen Rania Academy for teachers, several scholarship funds, and a program called ‘My School’, aimed at refurbishing 500 public schools over several years. This program continues to be very dear to Queen Rania’s heart.

Internationally, the Queen has been very involved with UNICEF, The Global Campaign for Education, and is one of the founders of 1GOAL. Through the World Economic Forum, she has also launched the Jordan Education Initiative. Read more about Queen Rania’s programs and initiatives at her official site linked below.

Queen Rania has also written several children’s books, with the proceeds all going to charity. These include The Sandwich Swap, which was a New York Times bestseller.

Queen Rania with her family; Photo Credit – Royal Hashemite Court Archives

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Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Empress Michiko of Japan

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Zimbio

photo: Zimbio

Michiko Shōda was born on October 30, 1934, in Tokyo. She is the eldest daughter of Hidesaburō Shōda, president and later honorary chairman of Nisshin Flour Milling Company, and Fumiko Soejima. She had two brothers Iwao and Usamu, and a younger sister Emiko. Michiko was raised in Tokyo where she began her education, studying both a traditional and Western curriculum, learning to speak English and play the piano. During World War II, Michiko’s family left Tokyo because of the American bombings.  The family returned in 1946 and Michiko completed her primary and secondary education. She graduated from high school in 1953. She then attended the University of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature. She also attended Harvard University in the United States and Oxford University in England.

Michiko in 1940; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Michiko first met her future husband, then Crown Prince Akihito, son of Emperor Hirohito and Princess Nagako of Kuni, on a tennis court in August 1957. The Imperial Household Council formally approved the engagement of Crown Prince Akihito to Michiko Shōda on November 27, 1958, and the engagement ceremony took place on January 14, 1959. It would be the first time a commoner married into the Imperial Family. The engagement announcement drew criticism from traditionalist groups because Michiko came from a Roman Catholic family. She had never been baptized, but had been educated in Catholic schools and seemed to share the faith of her parents. Akihito and Michiko were married in a traditional Shinto ceremony on April 10, 1959. Read all about the wedding here:  Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Emperor Akihito and Michiko Shōda.

There was much speculation that Akihito’s mother strongly opposed the marriage and that after the marriage she treated her commoner daughter-in-law harshly.  Michiko suffered from several nervous breakdowns because of the pressure of the media and the attitude of her mother-in-law, which resulted in making her lose her voice for seven months in the 1960s and again in the fall of 1993.

Akihito and Michiko on their wedding day with Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun; Credit – Wikipedia

Akihito and Michiko had two sons and one daughter:

 

  • Michiko with her family in 1969; Photo Credit – By Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan – http://www.mofa.go.jp/s_sa/sea2/ph/page3e_000444.html, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48716069

    During her husband’s reign, Empress Michiko was ever-present at the Emperor’s side, whether it be visiting the various regions of the country, or hosting visitors at the Imperial Palace. The couple became very popular, in part because of their attempts to be more in touch with the Japanese people. The Empress served as honorary president of the Japanese Red Cross, and with the Emperor, supported many organizations throughout the country. In addition, she is a classically trained pianist and enjoys poetry. She has had several books of her poems published and also wrote a children’s book “My First Mountain” in 1991.

    In December 2017, it was announced that Emperor Akihito would abdicate on April 30, 2019, and would be succeeded by his elder son Naruhito.  When her husband abdicated Michiko’s title became Jōkōgō, Empress Emerita. After the abdication, Akihito and Michiko lived temporarily at the Takanawa Imperial Residence, formerly the home of Prince and Princess Takamatsu, Akihito’s aunt and uncle. It has been empty since the death of Princess Takamatsu in 2004. They then moved to the Togu Palace at the Akasaka Estate, the former home of Emperor Naruhito and his family. Togu Palace was renamed Sento Imperial Palace, which translates as “the place where the retired imperial couple live.”

    photo: Wikipedia

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  • State of Japan Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; Photo: Per Morten Abrahamsen ©

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was born as Princess Margrethe Alexandrine Þorhildur Ingrid of Denmark and Iceland on April 16, 1940, at Frederik VIII’s Palace at the Amalienborg palace complex in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was the eldest daughter of the future King Frederik IX of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden. Margrethe was also a Princess of Iceland until 1944 when Iceland became a Republic.

The infant princess was christened on May 14, 1940, in Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen. She was named Margrethe after her late maternal grandmother Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, Alexandrine after her paternal grandmother Queen Alexandrine and Ingrid after her mother Crown Princess Ingrid. Since her paternal grandfather was also the King of Iceland, she was given an Icelandic name, Þórhildur (Thorhildur).

Her godparents were:

Queen Margrethe (middle) with her sisters Anne-Marie (left) and Benedikte (right); Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Margrethe has two sisters:

Embed from Getty Images 

In 1947, Margrethe’s grandfather died and her father became King Frederik IX. At the time, women were excluded from the line of succession. Having just three daughters, and unlikely that there would be more children, King Frederik’s heir presumptive was his younger brother, Prince Knud. Frederik soon began to work toward changing the succession laws in Denmark. Finally, in 1953, a new Act of Succession was passed, changing to male-preference cognatic primogeniture (meaning that sons would come before daughters, but in the absence of a son, Frederik’s daughters could succeed to the throne). Margrethe became the heiress-presumptive. Her uncle, Prince Knud who had held the title of Hereditary Prince of Denmark, was not very happy with the new laws, as he and his two sons were now pushed further down the line. In somewhat of a consolation, Knud was given the title Hereditary Prince Knud even though he was no longer the direct heir to the throne. However, Margrethe, as heiress-presumptive, was never given the title of Crown Princess.

Princess Margrethe began her education at the Zahle’s Skole in 1946 (privately tutored at Amalienborg Palace for the first three years). She spent a year at the North Foreland Lodge, in Hampshire, England, and then graduated from Zahle’s Skole in 1959. She then studied philosophy at the University of Copenhagen and received her degree in Prehistoric Archeology from Girton College of the University of Cambridge in 1961. She continued her studies at Aarhus University (1961-1962), The Sorbonne (1963) and the London School of Economics (1965).

On June 10, 1967, Princess Margrethe married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat at Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen, followed by a banquet at Fredensborg Palace. After the wedding, Henri became a Prince of Denmark and was known by the Danish version of his name, Henrik. Following a honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico, the couple took up residence at Amalienborg Palace, in Christian IX’s Palace (formerly Schack’s Palace).

Margrethe and Henrik had two sons:

photo: Radical Royalist

Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag proclaims Margrethe Queen of Denmark; photo: Radical Royalist

On January 14, 1972, King Frederik IX died after a brief illness. Margrethe ascended the Danish throne as Queen Margrethe II. The following day, in keeping with tradition, Margrethe was formally proclaimed Queen, by Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag, from the balcony at Christiansborg Palace. To the crowds gathered below, she gave a brief speech, expressing the nation’s grief at the loss of their King and the warm feelings held by all for her mother, Queen Ingrid in this time of loss. She asked for God’s help in assuming the duties that had been her father’s for nearly 25 years, as well as the confidence and support of the Danish people. After being joined briefly on the balcony by her husband, the couple traveled back to Amalienborg Palace where they again appeared on the balcony, this time with their two young sons.

In addition to her duties as Sovereign, Queen Margrethe always found time to express her passion for the arts. An avid painter and designer, she had her work displayed in exhibitions around the world, and some are part of permanent collections in several museums in Denmark. In addition to her painting, The Queen designed many sets and costumes for theater productions and provided illustrations for several books. She published translations of several foreign works.

The Danish Royal House announced on August 3, 2017, that Prince Henrik would not be buried with his wife Queen Margrethe II of Denmark at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, the traditional burial place of Danish royalty. On September 6, 2017, it was announced that Prince Henrik was suffering from dementia.  Prince Henrik died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at 11:18 pm, at Fredensborg Palace at the age of 83. His wife Queen Margrethe II and their two sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim were at his side.

Queen Margrethe and her family in 2017; Photo Credit – The Danish Monarchy

On January 14, 2022, Queen Margrethe II marked fifty years on the Danish throne. She is the second longest-reigning Danish monarch after King Christian IV who reigned for 59 years, 330 days, from April 4, 1588 until February 28, 1648. As of January 14, 2022, the only current monarchs who reigned longer than Queen Margrethe II were Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (reigned since February 6, 1952) and Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (reigned since October 5, 1967).

Queen Margrethe stated several times that she had no intention of abdicating and that she viewed her position as a job for life. She recognized Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as a source of inspiration for her devotion to duty. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in September 2022, Queen Margrethe had been the longest-reigning current European monarch.

Queen Margrethe II announces that she will abdicate during her New Year’s Speech

However, in her New Year’s Speech on December 31, 2023, Queen Margrethe announced that she will step down as Queen of Denmark on January 14, 2024 – the 52nd anniversary of her accession. In her New Year’s Speech, Queen Margrethe stated:

In two weeks time I have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such an amount will leave its mark on anybody – also on me! The time takes its toll, and the number of “ailments” increases. One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past.

In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me. Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future – whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation.

I have decided that now is the right time. On 14th January 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I will hand over the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik.

Upon Queen Margrethe II’s abdication of January 14, 2024, her elder son and his wife became King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark. Frederik and Mary’s elder son became Crown Prince Christian of Denmark, the heir to the Danish throne. After her abdication, Margrethe held the style and title Her Majesty Queen Margrethe.

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Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Harald V of Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

King Harald V of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

King Harald V of Norway was born on February 21, 1937, at Skaugum, the residence of the Crown Prince, in Asker, Norway. His parents were Crown Prince Olav of Norway (later King Olav V) and Princess Märtha of Sweden.  At the time of Harald’s birth, his grandfather, King Haakon VII (born Prince Carl of Denmark, son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark) was the monarch and his grandmother, Queen Maud (born Princess Maud of Wales, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom) was his consort. King Harald is closely related to several European monarchs: King Philippe of Belgium and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are his first cousins once removed, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is his second cousin, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and King Charles III of the United Kingdom are his second cousin once removed.

Harald was christened in the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace in Oslo on March 31, 1937, by Bishop Johan Lunde. His godparents were:

King Harald has two older sisters:

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Harald in his mother’s arms with his family; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1940, when Harald was just three years old, Germany invaded Norway.  To avoid being taken into custody by the Germans, the Norwegian Royal Family along with many members of the Government and the Storting (legislature) left Norway. Crown Princess Märtha and her three children, Princess Ragnhild, Princess Astrid, and Prince Harald, fled to Sweden, Märtha’s native country. King Haakon VII (Queen Maud had died in 1938) and Crown Prince Olav fled to London where they stayed with the Norwegian government in exile for the duration of World War II.

The family gathered outside Pook’s Hill: Prince Harald, Crown Princess Märtha, Princess Astrid, Princess Ragnhild, and Crown Prince Olav; Credit – Wikipedia

After staying in Sweden for several months, Crown Princess Märtha and her three children traveled to the United States by ship. President Franklin Roosevelt offered refuge to Crown Princess Märtha and her children. They stayed briefly at Roosevelt’s Hyde Park estate in New York State and then at the White House. Eventually, they settled into Pook’s Hill, a Tudor-style mansion in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. Crown Princess Märtha worked quietly behind the scenes to support the war effort.

The family members were special favorites of President Roosevelt and when he took his fourth and final oath of office at the White House, an 8-year-old Prince Harald was standing behind him. The work Crown Princess Märtha did in the United States had a lasting impact on U.S.-Norwegian relations. Her advocacy on her country’s behalf during World War II influenced President Roosevelt’s famous “Look to Norway” speech. In September 2005, the United States erected a statue of Crown Princess Märtha on the grounds of the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two nations. The statue was unveiled by her three children.

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Statue of Crown Princess Märtha outside the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC; Credit – Wikipedia

Harald returned to Norway in June 1945 with his mother and his sisters. That autumn, he began to attend Smestad School in Oslo. In 1955, Harald graduated from the Oslo Cathedral School.  He then entered the Norwegian Cavalry Officers’ Training School and went on to finish his military education at the Norwegian Military Academy in 1959. After Harald finished his compulsory military service, he studied social science, history, and economics at Balliol College, Oxford University in Oxford, England from 1960 – 1962.

Harald’s mother Crown Princess Märtha died of cancer in 1954 at the age of 53. On September 21, 1957, when Harald’s grandfather King Haakon VII died, Harald’s father became King Olav V, and Harald became Crown Prince. Thereafter, Harald attended the Council of State and acted as Regent in the King’s absence. He worked closely alongside his father and carried out an increasing number of official tasks, such as traveling with trade delegations to promote the Norwegian industry abroad.

When he was Crown Prince of Norway, Harald’s father King Olav V had won an Olympic Gold Medal for Sailing Mixed 6 Meters in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Although he did not win a medal, Harald followed in his father’s footsteps and represented Norway in Sailing events in three Summer Olympics: 1964/Tokyo, 1968/Mexico City, 1972/Munich.

Harald V_Olympics

Crown Prince Harald carries the Norwegian flag at the opening ceremony in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics; Photo: Royal House of Norway

In June of 1959, Crown Prince Harald attended a party hosted by a friend, Johan Stenersen. It was at this party that he met another friend of Johan Stenersen, Sonja Haraldsen. In August of 1959, when the Crown Prince graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy, he invited Sonja to attend the graduation ball, and the couple was photographed together.

Sonja_Crown Prince

Crown Prince Harald of Norway and Sonja Haraldsen at the Norwegian Military Academy Graduation Ball in August of 1959; Photo source: ATF

The relationship between the Crown Prince and Sonja was controversial as many people including politicians and journalists, felt the Crown Prince should marry a princess and not a Norwegian commoner. The controversy continued for years as did the relationship despite the media’s attempts to promote a royal marriage with either of the Greek princesses Sophia and Irene. Apparently, Crown Prince Harald made it clear to his father, King Olav V, that he would remain unmarried if he could not marry Sonja. This would have resulted in a succession crisis as Harald was the sole heir to the throne. At that time, Norway did not allow female succession, so his two sisters Ragnhild and Astrid were not in the line of succession.

Finally, in 1968, when King Olav felt the position of the Norwegian people had changed to favor Sonja, he consulted with parliamentary leaders and other government leaders and gave his consent for the Crown Prince to marry a commoner. The engagement of the couple was announced on March 19, 1968, with this announcement from King Olav V: “It is with pleasure that I inform you, Mr. President and Members of the Storting, that I, after seeking advice from the Prime Minister, members of the Government, you, Mr. President, and the parliamentary leaders of the political parties, have today given my consent to my dear son, Crown Prince Harald, to take as his wife Miss Sonja Haraldsen, daughter of the late Mr. Karl August Haraldsen and Mrs. Dagny Haraldsen née Ulrichsen.”

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Engagement Photo; Photo source: ATF

The wedding was held on August 29, 1968, at the Oslo Cathedral in the presence of 850 guests. Because the bride’s father was deceased and to show his support for his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, King Olav escorted the bride down the aisle.

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King Olav V escorting the bride down the aisle; Photo: Royal House of Norway

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The future King Harald V and Queen Sonja at their wedding; Photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

The couple had two children:

 

On January 17, 1991, King Olav V died and the Crown Prince became King Harald V. Crown Princess Sonja became the first Queen Consort of Norway in 53 years, since the death of Queen Maud, wife of King Haakon VII, in 1938. Along with King Harald, Queen Sonja was consecrated in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway on June 23, 1991.

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Consecration of the King and Queen; Photo: Royal House of Norway

In recent years, King Harald has been unable to perform his duties as sovereign due to ill health on several occasions: from December 2003 to mid-April 2004 due to urinary bladder cancer, from April to early June 2005 due to aortic stenosis, and in 2020 due to cardiac surgery to replace of a heart valve. In January 2021, King Harald underwent surgery for torn knee tendons and remained on sick leave through mid-April 2021. Crown Prince Haakon served as the country’s regent on these occasions, including giving the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament in 2020.

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Queen Sonja and King Harald; Photo: Royal House of Norway

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Kingdom of Norway Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands was born on April 27, 1967, at the University Medical Center in Utrecht, The Netherlands. He was the first of three sons of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Claus von Amsberg.

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Willem-Alexander being held by his mother as his father looks on

The infant prince was christened Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand as a member of the Dutch Reformed Church on September 2, 1967, in Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk in The Hague.

  • Willem: traditionally the first name of the heir to the throne.
  • Alexander: a name his parents liked
  • Claus: after his father
  • George: after his paternal great-grandfather Baron George von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen
  • Ferdinand: after Ferdinand von Bismarck, his father’s best friend

His godparents were

King Willem-Alexander has two brothers:

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Willem-Alexander, second from the right, with his family; Photo: Hello

Willem-Alexander lived with his family at Drakensteyn in Baarn, The Netherlands until 1981 when the family moved to Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, The Netherlands. Along with his brothers, he attended Nieuwe Baarnse School and Het Baarnsch Lyceum in Baarn. After moving to Huis Ten Bosch in 1981, Willem-Alexander attended the Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague. He completed his secondary education at Atlantic College in Llantwit Major, Wales, where he received an International Baccalaureate in 1985.

From 1985 – 1987, Willem-Alexander received military training at the Royal Netherlands Naval College in Den Helder, The Netherlands and then he served on board the frigates HNLMS Tromp and HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen. He served as a reservist in the Royal Netherlands Navy until his accession to the throne in 2013 when he was honorably discharged.

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Willem-Alexander in the navy uniform of Sub-Lieutenant in 1986; Photo: Wikipedia

In 1987, Willem-Alexander enrolled as a history student at Leiden University in Leiden, The Netherlands and received his Master of Arts degree in 1993. While he was at Leiden University, Willem-Alexander was a member of the Minerva Student Society. The topic for his Masters dissertation was the Dutch response to France’s decision under President de Gaulle to leave NATO’s integrated command structure.

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Willem-Alexander with his mother at his graduation in 1993; source: http://www.anp-archief.nl/

Willem-Alexander has long been interested in water management and sports issues. He was an honorary member of the World Commission on Water for the 21st century and patron of the Global Water Partnership. He was appointed as the Chairperson of the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation in 2006.

From 1995 – 1998, Willem-Alexander was a patron of the Dutch Olympic Games Committee. In 1998, he became a member of the International Olympic Committee. He resigned from the IOC upon becoming King in 2013.

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King Willem-Alexander cheering on the Dutch speed skating team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi; Photo: Zimbio

In April of 1999, Willem-Alexander met his future wife Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti (born 1971 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) in Seville, Spain, during the Seville Spring Fair.  He did not introduce himself as a Prince and at a later time when he told Máxima who he was, she thought he was joking. Willem-Alexander and Máxima announced their engagement on March 30, 2001. The couple’s relationship caused significant controversy due to the role Máxima’s father, Jorge Zorreguieta, had in the Argentinian military dictatorship. Máxima’s father was forbidden to attend his daughter’s wedding. Willem-Alexander and Máxima were married on February 2, 2002, in a civil ceremony in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam and then in a religious ceremony at Amsterdam’s Nieuwe Kerk.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima have three daughters:

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On January 28, 2013, Willem-Alexander’s mother Queen Beatrix announced her intention to abdicate in favor of him. Queen Beatrix signed the Instrument of Abdication at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on April 30, 2013. Afterward, Willem-Alexander was inaugurated as King at the Nieuwe Kerk, adjacent to the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

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King Willem-Alexander at his inauguration with Queen Máxima; Photo: Zimbio

When he became King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander resigned from most of his official executive functions. The reason given was that he wanted to be a “king of all”, which did not include executive functions of a limited number of organizations. Willem-Alexander remained actively involved with the Orange Fund because he considered it the most important of his organizations. He is the honorary patron of several organizations.

Willem-Alexander is an avid pilot and has said that if he had not been born a royal, he would have liked to be an airline pilot. During the reign of his mother, he regularly flew the Dutch royal aircraft on trips. In May 2017, Willem-Alexander revealed that he had served as a first officer on KLM flights for 21 years, flying twice a month, even after his accession to the throne. Willem-Alexander was rarely recognized while in the KLM uniform.  A few passengers recognized his voice although he never gave his name and only welcomed passengers on behalf of the captain and crew.

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Prince Albert II of Monaco

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – Wikipedia

Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre) was born on March 14, 1958, at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco.  He is the only son and the second of three children of Rainier III, Sovereign Prince of Monaco and American actress and Academy Award winner Grace Kelly.

Albert was christened on April 20, 1958, at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco. His godparents were:

  • Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, born Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria
  • Prince Louis de Polignac, first cousin of his paternal grandfather

Prince Albert has two sisters:

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Prince Albert on left with his family; Photo source: The Telegraph

Prince Albert received his primary and secondary education in Monaco and graduated from the Lycée Albert Premier of Monaco in 1976. He spent time in his mother’s native country at Camp Tecumseh on Lake Winnipesaukee in Moultonborough, New Hampshire where he attended summer camp and was a camp counselor for six summers in the 1970s. Prince Albert spent additional time in the United States when he attended Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts as Albert Grimaldi. At Amherst College, he joined the Chi Psi fraternity, and the Amherst Glee Club, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

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Prince Albert with his mother in 1972; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

After his graduation from college, Prince Albert had a number of educational opportunities that broadened his experience. From September 1981 – April 1982, Prince Albert trained onboard the French Navy’s helicopter carrier “Jeanne d’Arc.” He trained with various international companies in the United States and Europe in the fields of communication, financial management, and marketing from January 1983 to late 1985. Since May 1993, Prince Albert has led the Monaco delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations and has regularly taken the floor on behalf of the Principality of Monaco.

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Prince Albert addressing the General Assembly of the United Nations; Photo source: http://www.un.org/

Prince Albert has enjoyed participating in a variety of sports. He represented Monaco in Two-Man Bobsled and Four-Man Bobsled in five Winter Olympics (1988/Calgary, 1992/Albertville, 1994/Lillehammer, 1998/Nagano, 2002/Salt Lake City). Prince Albert has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985 and is President of the Monegasque Olympic Committee.

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Photo Credit – royalcorrespondent.com

Prince Rainier III died on April 6, 2005, and Albert became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. On July 12, 2005, at the end of the period of official mourning, Prince Albert’s accession to the throne was celebrated by a Mass at St. Nicholas’ Cathedral followed by a garden party for 7,000 Monégasques born in the principality. A second ceremony was held at St. Nicholas Cathedral on November 12, 2005, attended by many guests and royalty from around the world. The evening ended with a gala and opera performance in Monte Carlo.

In 2006, Prince Albert founded The Prince Albert II Foundation, a charity that has donated millions to various environmental projects. The foundation concentrates on environmental protection, sustainable development, climate change, the promotion of renewable energies, and biodiversity.

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Prince Albert prays at his enthronement ceremony; Photo: Zimbio

Prior to Prince Albert’s marriage in 2011, there was much discussion about what seemed to be his perpetual bachelor state and his dating experiences. On July 6, 2005, a few days before his enthronement ceremony, Prince Albert officially confirmed through his lawyer that he had an illegitimate son. Alexandre Coste (born August 24, 2003, in Paris, France) is the son of Prince Albert and Nicole Coste, a former Air France flight attendant, originally from Togo in Africa. Then in 2006, Prince Albert confirmed that he had an illegitimate daughter. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (born March 4, 1992, in Palm Beach, California) is the daughter of Prince Albert and Tamara Rotolo, a California woman who reportedly worked as a waitress. The paternity of both children was confirmed by DNA tests and neither child has a claim on the throne of Monaco.

In June 2001 at the Marenostrum International Swimming Meet in Monaco which Prince Albert presided over, he met Charlene Wittstock (born 1978), a South African swimmer, who had represented her country in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. They were first seen together at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Charlene moved in with Prince Albert in 2006. She began accompanying him to events including the weddings of the Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010 and of the Duke of Cambridge in 2011. On June 23, 2010, the Prince’s Palace announced the engagement of the couple. The civil ceremony was held on July 1, 2011, in the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace.  The religious ceremony took place on July 2, 2011, in the courtyard of the Palace.

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Photo source: BBC/AP

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have two children, boy and girl twins.  Even though their daughter was born first, their son is the heir apparent because Monaco’s succession is male-preference cognatic primogeniture.

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Principality of Monaco Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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