Posts

Showing posts from January, 2014

Royal Profile: Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands

Princess Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of The Netherlands was born at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn on 31 January 1938 as the  first child of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard{ Source }. At her birth, she held the titles of Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau and Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld{ Source }. She has three younger sisters: Princess Irene (1939) Princess Margriet (1943) Princess Christina (1947) In May 1940, she and her family fled to the United Kingdom during the outbreak of WWII { Source }.  Her father  and grandmother remained in England, while she, her mother and younger sister continued on to Canada where they would be safer{ Source }. Her second younger sister, Princess Margriet, was born in Canada in 1943{ Source }.  In August 1945, the entire family returned to The Netherlands{ Source }. Her youest sister,  Princess Christina was born in The Netherlands in 1947{ Source }.  The future Queen of The Netherlands attended schools in Canada, Th

Royal Profile: Prince Felipe of Asturias

Prince Felipe  Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos of Asturias  was born as the third child and only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia on 30 January 1968{ Source }. He has two sisters{ Source }: Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca He was named for{ Source }: Felipe : in memory of the first Bourbon to reign in Spain Juan : His paternal grandfather, the Count of Barcelona Pablo : His maternal grandfather, King Paul ( Pablo in Spanish) of Greece Alfonso : His paternal great-grandfather, King Alfonso XIII of Spain His godparents were{ Source }: Juan de Borbon, Count of Bareclona (paternal grandfather) Queen Victoria Eugenia (paternal great-grandmother)  He attended the Santa Maria de los Rosales School until 1984{ Source }. He completed his secondary education, made the last-equivalent school at University Orientation Course-in Lakefield College School in Canada course in 1985{ Source }. From September 1985 to J

Royal Profile: Prince Hashem bin Al Abdullah of Jordan

Prince Hashem bin Al Abdullah of Jordan was born 30 January 2005, the youngest child and second son of King Abdullah & Queen Rania of Jordan{ Source }. He has an older brother and two older sisters{ Source }. At the present time, he is second in line for the Jordian throne after his older brother. Because he is so young, he is not regularly seen attending to public duties, like most young royals. However, during a 2009 working visit to the US, he was spotted out and about with his mother and siblings { Photos }. Also in 2009, he attended an air show which was organized by the military in cooperation with the British Embassy to celebrate his father's 10th anniversary of his succession to the throne { Source }. In June 2009, he along with his parents, attended the awards ceremony for the 2009 King Abdullah II Award for Physical Fitness awards in which his sister won 4th place { Source }.

Royal Profile: King Abdullah II of Jordan

Prince Abdullah bin Al-Hussein (now King Abdullah II of Jordan ) was born 30 January 1962 the eldest son of King Hussein and his 1st wife, Princess Muna al-Hussein{ Source }. He has one older half sister from his father's 1st marriage, two younger full brothers, and two younger full sisters, as well as 4 younger half sisters, and 3 younger half brothers{ Source }. Under the 1952 Constitution, he was considered heir to his father, but due to the unstable times in the 1960s, his father named his brother, King Abdullah's uncle the heir{ Source }. The future king attended to his education at various institutions around the world{ Source }. He attended St. Edmund's School in Hindhead, Surrey, England from 1964-1975{ Source }. After that, he moved on to Eaglebrook School and then to Derrfield Academy in the United States{ Source }. Upon graduation, he went back to England to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he graduated in 1980, and was subsequently commissione

The Royal Recap of the Royals You Love: Jan 20-26, 2014

Bhutan -Princess Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck  celebrated her 32nd birthday on Thursday. Belgium -King Philippe & Queen Mathilde attended the 44th Edition of the World Economic Forum on Tuesday { Photos }. On Thursday, they attended the session, The Millennial Challenge, during the 44th Edition of the World Economic Forum { Photos } -Queen Mathilde  celebrated her 41st birthday on Monday. - Prince Laurent   attended the 92nd Edition of the European Motor Show for Cars and Motorcycles on Tuesday { Photos } Denmark -Queen Margrethe II,Henrik, Prince Consort &Prince Felix attend the handball match between Denmark and France for the European title on Sunday { Source } -Crown Princes Frederik  attended the opening ceremony of the 7th World Future Energy Summit on Monday { Photos }. On Tuesday, the future Danish King visited the Shams 1 Solar Power Plant { Photos } -Princess Marie attended the opening of the Syddansk Universitets Børnesprogskonfer

Royal Profile: Princess Charlene of Monaco

Princess Charlene Lynette of Monaco ( born Charlene Lynette Wittstock ) was born 25 January 1978, the eldest child and only daughter of Mike and Lynette Wittstock in Zimbabwe{ Source }. She has two younger brothers, Sean and Gareth { Source }. She and her family re-located from Zimbabwe to South Africa when Charlene was 11 years old { Source }. The future Princess of Monaco attended local schools in Benoni, South Africa, but left school to peruse her passions for swimming. She developed a passion for swimming at a very early age { Source }. In 1996, at 18, she won the South African Championship { Source }. In 2000, her team came in fifth at the Sydney Olympic Games { Source }. That same year, she won the gold medal for the 200m backstroke event at the "Marenostrum" international swimming meeting in Monaco { Source }.  This is when she met Prince Albert for the first time; he was presiding over the international competition { Source }. In 2002, she won three gold medals at

Royal Profile: Princess Athena of Denmark

Princess Athena Marguerite Françoise Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat was born 24 January 2012 as the fourth child and first daughter of Prince Joachim and second child and only daughter of Princess Marie { Source } Due to the 2008 Succession Act, which made Denmark's monarchy an absolute primogeniture monarchy (absolute primogeniture=boys and girls have equal rights to the throne and younger brothers do not displace older sisters), she is in line for the Danish throne and will not be displaced by any possible younger brothers.  She was christened in May 2012{ Source }, with the following as her godparents: Gregory Grandet (maternal uncle) Edouard Cavallier (maternal uncle) Carina Axelsson (her father's cousin's girlfriend) Julie Mirabaud(friend of her parents) Diego de Lavandeyra (friend of her parents) Henriette Steenstrup(friend of her parents) It is likely that she will begin her education as her elder brothers did before her, she will likely atten

Royal Profile: Princess Caroline of Hanover

Princess Caroline Louise Marguerite of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco  was born 23 January 1957, the eldest of three children to Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace of Monaco. She was very aware of her responsibilities from early on in life. "I was raised with a sense of duty, obedience and… guilt," she once said of her childhood. "What I had to do always came before what I wanted to do."{ Source }. She attended local schools in Monaco until her upper education years, when she was sent to St. Mary's School, Ascot{ Source }. She received her French Baccalaureat with honors in 1974 { Source }. She attended The University of Paris: Sorbonne VI from 1974-1977, when she received a bachelor's degree in Philosophy, with minors in psychology, biology{ Source }.  During her youth she took ballet lessons at the Marika Besobrasova School of Dance in Monte-Carlo and studied both piano and flute{ Source }. She has been married a total of three times. Th

Royal Profile: Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway was born on 21 January 2004 the elder of the two children of The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway { Source }. She has one older half-brother from her mother's side, Marius Borg Høiby { Source }. On 17 April 2004, she was christened with the following as her godparents{ Source }: The King of Norway (her paternal grandfather)  Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (paternal aunt) Marit Tjessem (her maternal grandmother) Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark (close friend of her parents who is also a distant cousin) Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (close friend of her parents who is also a distant cousin) Prince Felipe of Asturias (close friend of her parents, who is also distantly related) Just before her second birthday, she began attending a day-care centre { Source }. At the age of 6 years and 8 months, she began attending Jansløkka elementary school, which she currently attends{ Source }. Even at her young age, she has alrea

Royal Profile: Sophie, The Countess of Wessex

Sophie, The Countess of Wessex was born Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones  on 20 January 1965, the only daughter and second child  of  Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones and the late Mary Rhys-Jones{ Source }. She has an elder brother David{ Source }.  While a youngster, her family relocated from Oxford to Kent, where she began attending Dulwich College Prepatory School{ Source }. She then moved on to Kent College for Girls and West Kent College to complete her education{ Source }.  Upon completing her education, she began a career in public relations, where she worked for various firms, including Capitol Radio, The Quentin Bell Organisation and MacLaurin Communications and Media { Source }. She also briefly worked in Switzerland, where she worked as a ski representative, before she spent a year traveling and working in Australia{ Source }. In 1996, she returned to England, where she opened her own public relations agency, R-JH Public Relations, which she ran with a business partner until 200

Royal Profile: Queen Mathilde of Belgium

Queen Mathilde of Belgium was born on 20 January 1973and is the daughter of the Count and Countess Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz { Source }. She was educated in Belgium, attending primary school in Bastogne, and attending the "Institut de la Vierge Fidèle" { Source }. From 1991-1994, she studied to be a speech therapist at the "Institut Libre Marie Haps" in Brussels, graduating magna cum laude{ Source }. Upon graduation, she embarked on a professional career as a speech therapist, setting up a practice in Brussels{ Source }. In 1999, she returned to school for a masters degree in Psychology at the Catholic University of Louvain, graduating cum laude in 2002{ Source }. Queen Mathilde has taken patronage of many organizations, especially children. In 2000, just a short year after marrying into the Royal Family, the " Fund Princess Mathilde " was created{ Source }. In addition, Princess Mathilde has given her patronage to several associations dealin

The Royal Recap of the Royals You Love: Jan 13-19, 2014

Belgium -King Philippe attended the inauguration of the 92nd European Motor Show for Cars and Motorcycles on Wednesday { Photos } - Princess Claire  celebrated her 40th birthday on Saturday. Denmark -Crown Princess Mary  inaugurated the Royal Copenhagen’s new head office and grant-giving ceremony on Wednesday { Photos } Great  Britain -The Princess Anne, The Princess Royal  attended the MSc Occupational Therapy and MSc Physiotherapy End of Course Conference { Source } and visited the Saltaire Brewery { Source } on Tuesday -Sophie, The Countess of Wessex visited 7th Frimley Brownies on Wednesday { Photos } - Zara Anne Elizabeth Philips Tindall  gave birth to a 7 pound, 12 oz baby girl on Thursday { Source }. - Princess Michael of Kent  celebrated her 69th birthday on Wednesday. Japan -Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko,Crown Prince Naruhito,Prince Akishino& Princess Kiko  attended a lecture given by a top researcher during the annual Kosho Hajime No Gi (Ceremo

Royal Profile: Melanie-Antoinette de Massy de Lusignan

Melanie-Antoinette de Massy de Lusignan was born 18 January 1985 in Monaco as the daughter of Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy and { Source  ( ed note: this website claims she is the daughter of   Bernard Alexandre Baron Taubert Natta, when she is not )} Nicolai Vladimir Costello dit de Lusignan { Source }. She is the niece of Christian Louis de Massy  and cousin of Antoine de Massy . She grew up in Monaco, attending The International School of Monaco, obtaining the International Baccalaureate in 2005. Melanie is a prominent business woman in Monaco, she is presently Agribras’ Head of Investor Relations { Source }. She is an advisor for Giersch Ventures, a financial advisory boutique, and a co-founder with Luiz Macambira of The Macmas Group, an investment advisory, real estate development and event promotion group{ Source }.. She sits on the Committee of the Monegasque Tennis Federation and of the Monte Carlo Country Club  { Source }. Other than the Tennis event in April and ap

Royal Profile: 19 Facts about Princess Claire of Belgium

Claire Marie Coombs (aka Princess Claire of Belgium ) was born Princess Claire was born in Bath, Somerset, Englandon 18 January 1974 { Source } She is the daughter of Nicole (Mertens) Coombs and Nicholas Coombs { Source }. Princess Claire has two siblings, elder sister Joanna and younger brother Matthew { Source }. She has a niece named Emma { Source }. When she was three years old, her family moved to Belgium, settling in Wavre{ Source }.  She attended primary and secondary school at the Institut de la Providence in Wavre{ Source }.  She was interested in drawing, painting, music and horse-riding{ Source }. She was an active member of a youth movement (the Guides), and sang in the local choir, with whom she played an active part in the Pope's visit to Brussels{ Source } Princess Claire frequently travels to England to visit her grand-parents on her father's side and friends{ Source } Her grandmother on her mother's side of the family lives in Chaumont-Gistoux{

Royal Profile:María de las Mercedes Fernández-Sastrón y Gómez-Acebo

María de las Mercedes Fernández-Sastrón y Gómez-Acebo was born 17 January 2000 and is the daughter of Doña Simoneta Luisa Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón and granddaughter of Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz, Dowager Viscountess de la Torre{ Source }. She has two siblings{ Source }: Luis Juan Fernández-Sastrón y Gómez-Acebo (1991) Pablo Fernández-Sastrón y Gómez-Acebo (1995) As she is not technically or is technically a minor member of the Spanish Royal Family (pending on if you see her grandmother's abdication prior to the adaption of the constitution and define "descendants of King Juan Carlos I" as his sisters and their descendants as well), little is known about her nor does she perform public duties, one can assume she lives a fairly normal life of a 14 year old.

Royal Profile: 31 Facts about Christian Louis de Massy

Christian Louis de Massy was born 17 January 1949 He is only son of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy and her husband, Alexandre-Athenase Noghès.  He has two sisters, Elisabeth Anne (1947) and Christine Alix (1951-1989). He has one niece and two nephews-K. Sebestian Knecht de Massy, Baron Jean-Leonard Taubert-Natta and Melanie-Antoinette Costello de Massy.  He is first cousins with Prince Albert II of Monaco. He is the only biological nephew of Prince Rainier III. Upon his birth, his surname was his mother's last name Grimaldi, due to the dynasty and the fact that his parents were not married at the time.  When his parents married shortly before his 2nd birthday in December 1951, his uncle granted his mother the title Baroness de Massy as a wedding present.  Thus, she immediately changed her children's last name from Grimaldi to de Massy.  Also at the time of his birth, his uncle was unmarried and childless, and the succession laws only allowed for ma

Royal Profile: Princess Michael of Kent

Baroness Marie Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnit z (aka Princess Michael of Kent ) was born 15 January 1945, the daughter of Baron Günther Hubertus von Reibnitz (of German descent) and his Hungarian wife, Countess Maria Anna Carolina Franziska Walpurga Bernadette Szapáry von Muraszombath, Széchysziget und Szapár. She has a much older sister, Margarita, who was born almost 21 years to the day before her sister. She has been married twice, firstly to English banker Thomas Troubridge, in the early 1970s. That marriage did not last. They were separated in 1973, and divorced by 1977, and the marriage was annulled by the Catholic church in 1978. A month after the annulment took place, she wed in a civil ceremony in Vienna, Austria to Prince Michael of Kent, who was the youngest son of Prince George, Duke of Kent. Upon marriage, she assumed the style and title of HRH Princess Michael of Kent, the female equivalent to her husband's title; because she was not born a princess, she