Madicken

news and pictures of the different Queens and Princesses of the world

I would like to hear what you think about the fashion sence of royals....
what would you like to see them in...
what is the worst you have seen?
what is the best you have seen?

[ 03-29-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

Madicken

Charlotte Casiraghi is not royal but her mom is....


http://www.hellomagazine.com[/url]

Born at Monaco's Princess Grace Hospital to Princess Caroline and her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi on August 3, 1986, as a child Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi was shielded by her mother from the media. No royal titles were bestowed on her in the hope that she would be able to lead a normal life, far from the turmoil which seems part and parcel of modern monarchy.

Along with her two brothers – Andrea, who is two years her senior, and Pierre, born a year after her – Charlotte grew up in the tiny Mediterranean principality ruled over by her grandfather, Prince Rainier. But when she was just four years old, her life was turned upside down by the death of her Italian industrialist father; killed in an accident after the powerboat he was in flipped over.

Distraught, Princess Caroline moved the family to the beautiful Midi village of Saint Remy-de-Provence in France where the children grew up protected from the inquisitive eyes of the press. It was there that Charlotte learned to ride, a sport at which she excels today.

Then, in January 1999, Charlotte's life changed again. After almost a decade without a paternal figure, she gained a stepfather when Princess Caroline married longtime family friend Prince Ernst of Hanover. Seven months later, a little half-sister, Alexandra, was born at a clinic in Germany. The family then moved to the Parisian suburb of Fontainebleu, so Princess Caroline and her new husband would have a base closer to his German roots and his children from a previous marriage, who live in London with their mother Chantal.

Fluent in French, Italian, English – she also speaks a smattering of German, as befits her new status as a stepchild of one of the foremost German princelings – Charlotte has grown into a self-assured teenager. On the cusp of womanhood, she attends school in Fontainebleu where she is studying for her French baccalaureat exams.

Mad about horses, Charlotte also lists skiing, snowboarding and swimming as hobbies. She appears to be inheriting her mother's inherent style and has begun to accompany Caroline on official engagements in Monte Carlo. On the romance front, she has been linked to a friend of Prince Ernst's teenage son, a rumour which the Monegasque royal house has neither confirmed nor denied.

[ 03-25-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

[ 03-28-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

Madicken

Princess Caroline
http://www.hellomagazine.com

Caroline, who was born January 23, 1957, 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."

It was an approach which the Sorbonne-educated princess presumably drew upon as she hit her first major hurdle in life, the demise of her short-lived marriage when she was just 21. Six hundred guests, including her mother's old friends Gregory Peck and Frank Sinatra, had attended her lavish wedding to Philipe Junot on June 28, 1978 – fairy-tale nuptials for a couple that hoped to live happily ever after. However, the two divorced in 1980. Calling herself "young and in love" she reflected after the split: "Everything happened too quickly. Since I had been little, everybody wanted me to get married." Sources, however, say Grace had disapproved of the union.

Caroline was soon overcome by an even greater tragedy in the form of the death of her beloved mother soon after the split. But on December 29, 1983, she once again found contentment when she wed 23-year-old Italian Stefano Casiraghi, the son of a wealthy businessman whom she'd met a year earlier at a Monte Carlo disco. "Happiness has finally returned to a family which recently has had its share of personal tragedies," said a palace spokesperson after the 15-minute civil ceremony.

The low-key, last-minute nuptials – the wedding was officially announced by the palace ten days before it took place – led to speculation that Caroline was pregnant. And sure enough, Andrea Albert Pierre was brought into the world on June 8, 1984. The young boy, named after a friend of his father who had died in an accident, was followed in 1986 by a sister, Charlotte Marie Pomeline, named for Rainier's mother, and, one year later, a brother, Pierre Rainier Stefano.

However, Caroline's delight in her growing family was cut short on October 3, 1990, when avid sportsman Stefano, aged 30, was killed in a speedboat racing accident. The young widow decided to retreat with her children to Saint-Remy in France, "to move away from the gossip and hoopla of Monaco" explained Prince Albert. There the family lived quietly in a rented villa for years – during which time Caroline's first marriage was annulled – until a controversial romance put the princess back in the spotlight.

Prince Ernst-August of Hanover, a direct descendant of King George III, was a married father of two when rumours sparked of a secret relationship between him and old friend Caroline. The gossip was confirmed in 1997, when the multi-millionaire divorced his wife of 16 years and became the princess' constant companion.

Ernst and Caroline wed in a quiet civil ceremony on her 42nd birthday in January 1999, making the Monegasque royal a Princess of Hanover, to be addressed as Her Royal Highness, a title which outranked her former Her Serene Highness. Caroline's fourth child, Alexandra, was born that June.

Unlike the subdued Caroline, the prince – who was said to be one of Princess Grace's choices as a match for her daughter years before – has demonstrated a volatile personality. In the past he has drawn his share of media attention with a number of public outbursts, including breaking a TV cameraman's nose with his umbrella in 1998 and admitting that he assaulted a disco owner in Kenya two years later.

Despite the intensive media coverage of her life, from the death of her mother through her husband's public antics, Caroline has focused elsewhere, primarily on her continuing duties with the Red Cross and the Princess Grace Foundation. She has rarely given interviews, preferring to let her philanthropic work speak for itself. In 2003 Caroline was chosen as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, in recognition of her "personal commitment to the protection of children and the family".



[ 03-28-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

Madicken

Crown Princess Maxima of the Netherlands



http://www.hellomagazine.com

In 1999 Maxima Zorreguieta met her now-husband, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, at a party in Seville, Spain. The striking Argentinian blonde had heard a prince would be at the fiesta, but she had no clue who it might be.



Little did she know that not only would she meet the mystery royal, but he'd also take a keen romantic interest in her. It was hardly a case of instant romance, however. When the prince came to visit her in New York three weeks later, says Maxima, "I'd nearly forgotten what he looked like."

The daughter of a wealthy landowner, Maxima was born May 17, 1971, to Jorge Zorreguieta and Maria del Carmen Cerruti in Buenos Aires. Educated at the English-style Northlands School in the city, she received a bilingual baccalaureat in 1988, going on to study economics at the Universidad Catolica de Argentina.

Although Maxima, then 27, met her prince while working for Germany's Deutsche Bank in New York, she came to the world's attention in August 1999, when the pair appeared together in public for the first time. Although they were dating seriously, Maxima kept her new beau's identity hidden from her parents. "I would tell them something different (about Willem) every time, but at some point I had no other remedy than to say: 'He's the prince of Holland.'"

But the romance was not a fairy-tale – Maxima and Willem-Alexander walked into a storm when it emerged that during the Seventies, Maxima's father had served as Argentina's agriculture minister during the rule of country's brutal military dictatorship, infamous for human rights violations. The news sparked a national discussion on whether Maxima was a suitable person to join the royal family.

Throughout the controversy – the Dutch parliament even went so far as to debate the issue – Queen Beatrix continued to embrace her son's girlfriend. And on Jan 31, 2001, on the queen's 63rd birthday, she posed for photos alongside the couple, giving the relationship the royal stamp of approval. Two months later, accompanied by the happy couple and her husband Prince Claus, the monarch praised Maxima as "an intelligent modern woman" in a rare nationally televised address as she announced the couple's engagement. However, though the wedding would go ahead, Maxima's father would not be present.

Facing reporters for the first time, Maxima candidly accepted the protocol that would keep her father away from her big day. "As a daughter I find it terrible that my father won't be there," she said, "but that's the way it is, and I understand the feelings of the Dutch on the question."

Becoming crown princess of the Netherlands doesn't mean that Maxima, who has dual Argentine and Dutch citizenship, plans to lose her identity. She says: "I am Latin and I will continue being Latin in respect to some aspects of my culture. I dance, I sing – and I will keep on dancing and singing." And does Willem-Alexander join in on the fun? "I keep trying to push him," she says humorously of Willem-Alexander's efforts on the dance floor. "His hips are a little rigid."

Her prince said he hoped the down-to-earth woman with the winning smile wouldn't change after she became part of the royal family. "I fell in love with this Maxima: spontaneous, interesting, nice," he says. "It wasn't always, nor will it be easy, but I hope that she stays the same person as she is now."

And 16 months after their wedding, as Maxima joyfully announced she was expecting the couple's first child - "I was so happy, I couldn't believe it!", she exclaimed - it was clear the princess hadn't lost a bit of her vibrant personality. Their baby, a daughter, was born on December 7, 2003.

And it seems the future queen has her feet planted firmly on the ground. Even in the run-up to her wedding, watched by the eyes of thousands, she said: "When we're in the church, we have to say, 'This is our day'. I think I won't see anyone there but Alexander."

[ 03-29-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

Madicken

Crown Princess Mathilde of Belgium



http://www.hellomagazine.com

"A Queen For Prince Philippe" declared the headline in one Belgian newspaper when it was announced that the 39-year-old Crown Prince was to wed. And the country couldn't have been more thrilled with his choice. When Philippe eventually ascends to the throne his wife Mathilde will become the first Belgian-born Queen Consort.




Aristocrat Mathilde was born on January 20, 1973, the daughter of the Count and Countess Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz. After completing primary studies in Bastogne, and secondary studies at L'Institut de la Vierge Fidele in Brussels, she went on to study speech therapy at L'Institut Libre Marie Haps in the Belgian capital.

It was when she began working as a speech therapist, concurrently studying psychology at L'Universite Catholique de Louvin, that she met her future husband during a game of tennis. As it blossomed over the next three years the relationship went undetected by the press; so much so in fact that when their engagement was announced in 1999, the prince had to deny rumours the betrothal was "arranged".

Mathilde, however, weathered any short-lived scepticism with grace, and soon proved herself the perfect candidate to help build bridges in a country long divided by language and ethnic differences. To many, her own life represented the bringing together of Belgium's many cultural facets. Multilingual – she speaks Dutch, French, English and Italian fluently – she's Brussels-born of Flemish heritage, while her family seat is located in French-speaking Wallonia.

As a future Belgian royal, Mathilde, a music-lover who plays the piano, includes literature among her passions and is an avid sportswoman, also showed she would be a modern, down-to-earth princess. For her engagement announcement, she put any overt formality aside, donning a simple linen trouser suit as she and her fiancé were photographed in shots that would be printed in newspapers around the world.

She married her prince on December 4, 1999, in the last royal wedding of the 20th century. At the civil ceremony in front of 200 family and friends, formal proceedings were repeated in three languages. And during the religious nuptials that followed, the happy couple pledged their love in both French and Dutch.

Philippe and Mathilde welcomed their first child, Princess Elisabeth, who will one day become Queen, on October 25, 2001. A second baby, Prince Gabriel, arrived nearly two years later.

[ 03-28-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

Madicken

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway





http://www.hellomagazine.com

"I've just been taken home in a taxi... by the crown prince," an excited Mette-Marit told her father in the summer of 1996. No royal pageantry or formality. Just two twenty-somethings sharing a cab and savouring the indescribable first moments of falling in love.

But if scrutinised on a grand scale, as royal actions often are, that decidedly commonplace cab ride can perhaps serve as a metaphor for Norway's mould-breaking future king and queen.

Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby was born on August 19, 1973, the youngest child of Marit Tjessem, a bank officer, and Sven Olav Bjarte Hoiby, a journalist. The couple divorced in 1984. Mette-Marit and her three siblings grew up in the southern part of Norway and holidayed on the coast where the princess-to-be cultivated a love of sailing. A natural born leader and sportswoman, she took up volleyball in secondary school and later became a coach in the sport.

Mette-Marit spent six months studying in Australia before completing her final exams at Kristiansand Katedralskole in 1994. She took the preliminary university examination at Agder College, and later attended classes at the University of Oslo. She met the crown prince through mutual friends shortly after he returned from his studies at the University of California at Berkeley and soon the two staggered people by moving in together for months without even announcing an engagement.

Suddenly Mette-Marit, who was known to have moved in circles where drugs were readily available, and who had a three-year-old son, Marius, by a man convicted of drug possession, found her past under fierce scrutiny. And while nearly half of all Norwegian children are born out of wedlock and unmarried cohabitation is rapidly becoming the norm, many questioned the crown prince’s choice of partner.

When she and Haakon did get engaged some months after moving in together, Mette-Marit had to make radical adjustments before stepping out into the spotlight. Just on a superficial level, she had to look the part as she began to attend official functions, and one of her first trips was to New York to buy new clothes without the pressure of being photographed out shopping. "Before, I used to love shopping," she said, "but now it's just stressful. Sure, buying clothes is fantastic for most girls, but not so great for me. What has effectively happened is that all of a sudden I need to have a good wardrobe for my new role in life. And I certainly didn't have many ballgowns before I met Haakon," she added wrily.

A picture of the young woman curtseying to Queen Elizabeth showed Mette-Marit adapting gracefully to her new role. Her unassuming demeanour and the royal family's clear support began to swing public opinion, and Mette-Marit won praise for her courage a few days before her August 25, 2001, wedding when she made a public statement at a press conference. Visibly distressed, holding Haakon's hand for support, she confessed to the assembled reporters that she regretted her wild past.

The president of Norway's parliament, Kirsti Kolle Grondahl, suggested the following to the country's four million citizens: "I think it's wise for all of us to put this in the past and not let it tarnish her future." And for the most part the next generation has done just that, having easily fallen under the charm of the future queen of Norway.

On January 21, 2004 Mette-Marit gave birth to daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra who becomes Norway's first ever female heir to the throne.

[ 03-29-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

[ 05-02-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

Madicken

Mary Donaldson - future Crown Princess of Denmark









[ 05-02-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

Madicken

[ 05-02-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

Queen Laura

Well as an Australian, I think that Mary Donaldson has beautiful taste. They all look nice though. Thanks for the pictures.

Casandra

Hey there [img]smilies/wave.gif[/img]

You might want to change the title a bit, making the thread a general female royals thread instead of just in regards to their fashion. I'm pretty sure we don't have a all encompassing royals thread around.

Just a suggestion [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Madicken

done thank you for the advice...

Madicken

Letizia Ortiz - future Crown Princess of Spain


http://www.hellomagazine.com

Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, a news presenter on Spanish state television station TVE, was born on September 15, 1972 in the northern Spanish city of Oviedo. Described by her father Jesus Ortiz as "very responsible with a good head on her shoulders", the third generation journalist earned a degree in information sciences from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, received a Master’s degree in Audiovisual Journalism and embarked upon doctorate studies in Mexico.

She worked for ABC newspaper and Spanish news agency EFE before joining TVE in 2000. During her three years with the station, she combined the roles of news anchorwoman with roving reporter, providing live reports from within Spain as well as on-the-spot coverage from the US during the aftermath September 11 and from Iraq as the 2003 conflict escalated. The year she joined TVE, she won the best journalist under 30 prize from the Spanish Press Association. "Being a reporter is in her blood," says a workmate.

Madicken

[ 03-28-2004: Message edited Madicken ]

Madicken

http://www.hellomagazine.com

Mary was born in Hobart, Australia, on February 4, 1972. One of four children, she grew up in the waterfront town of Taroona and was educated at Hobart College. Her childhood years were marked by the early death of her mother – her father John Donaldson now lives in Britain with his second wife, crime writer Susan Moody.

After graduating from the University of Tasmania, where she studied law, Mary worked in various marketing and advertising jobs. A striking and high achieving young woman who enjoys sport and takes an active interest in fashion, she ran into Prince Frederik during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

During their transcontinental courtship, Mary has combined discretion with determination, losing five kilos and taking deportment and Danish classes to deflect any hint of criticism from her prince charming's choice of partner. Danes and Australians alike are watching with interest to see if her background and character will withstand the pressures of marrying into a 1,000-year-old royal dynasty.

Madicken

Princess Alexandra of Denmark





www.kongehuset.dk

Alexandra Christina, Princess of Denmark was born in Hong Kong on 30 June 1964. Her Royal Higness Princess Alexandra is the daughter of managing director Richard Nigel Manley (Grand Cross) (born in Shanghai in 1924) og Christa Maria Manley (born Nowotny in Austria in 1933).

Wedding
On 18 November 1995, HRH Prince Joachim married Miss Alexandra Christina Manley, who in connection with the marriage became HRH Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The wedding ceremony was conducted by the Queen’s Chaplain-in-Ordinary and took place in the Chapel of Frederiksborg Castle at Hillerød. The wedding festivities were held at Fredensborg Palace.

Children
HH Prince Nikolai William Alexander Frederik, born on 28 August 1999 and HH Prince Felix Henrik Valdemar Christian, born on 22 July 2002.

Christened and confirmed
Princess Alexandra was christened in Saint John's Cathedral, Hong Kong. In Denmark the Princess, who originally belonged to the Anglican Church, has received instruction in the Lutheran Faith and was confirmed prior to the wedding in 1995.

Education
Princess Alexandra attended Quarry Bay Junior School in the years 1969-1971, Glenealy Junior School 1971-1974 and Island School 1974-1982, all in Hong Kong. After having finalised general schooling, the Princess completed an international business education. In the period 1983-1984, Princess Alexandra studied at Wirtschaftsuniversität in Vienna. In the years 1984-1986, the Princess was a student in Tokyo. In 1989-90, the Princess studied in London.

Business background
Princess Alexandra has a business background from the financial world. In the period 1986-1989, the Princess worked as a stockbroker first at Citibank, Hong Kong and subsequently for Jardine Fleming, Hong Kong. From 1990 to 1995, Princess Alexandra was employed by GT Management (Asia) Ltd., Hong Kong, where the Princess from 1990-1993 worked in Sales and Marketing and from 1993 as a deputy chief executive until the Princess took up residence in Denmark.

Language
Princess Alexandra’s mother tongue is English, but the Princess learnt Danish very swiftly after having moved to Denmark. In addition, the Princess speaks German and French.

Residence
Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra reside at Schackenborg Manor in southern Jutland. As TRH Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra have a number of tasks to perform in Copenhagen, among other things in connection with their official duties, the Prince and Princess spend part of their time at Amalienborg Palace

[ 03-28-2004: Message edited Madicken ]