Monthly Archives: September 2014

Tessy Antony de Nassau, former wife of Prince Louis of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Tessy Antony de Nassau in Thailand with Professors Without Borders in July 2019; Credit – Wikipedia

Tessy Antony de Nassau is the former wife of Prince Louis, the third son of Grand Duke Henri and Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla. Tessy Antony was born in Luxembourg on October 28, 1985, the daughter of François and Régine Antony, on October 28, 1985, in Luxembourg. Tessy has a twin brother Ronny, an older brother Mike and an older sister Patty. Another sibling, Mike’s twin Jerry, passed away shortly after birth.

Tessy completed her primary and secondary education in Luxembourg, before entering the Luxembourg Army at the age of 18. While serving on a mission connected to the NATO force in Kosovo, Tessy first met her future husband in 2004 when he was visiting troops in Yugoslavia.

In September 2005, the Royal Court announced that Prince Louis and Tessy Antony were expecting a child together. Tessy gave birth to a son, Gabriel Michael Louis Ronny, on March 12, 2006, in Geneva, Switzerland. As the couple was not married, the child was not given any royal titles and was simply Gabriel de Nassau. Tessy and Louis married six months later, on September 29, 2006, in Gilsdorf, a small village in northeast Luxembourg. At that time, Prince Louis relinquished his rights to succession for himself and his descendants. He retained his royal title and style, but Tessy simply became Tessy de Nassau.

On September 21, 2007, the couple’s second son, Noah Etienne Guillaume Gabriel Matthias Xavier, was born in Luxembourg. On Luxembourg’s National Day in 2009, Grand Duke Henri granted Tessy the title of Princess of Luxembourg with the style of Her Royal Highness, and raised their children to Prince of Nassau, also with the style of Royal Highness.

© 2014 Cour grand-ducale / Hana Noguch

photo © 2014 Cour grand-ducale / Hana Noguch

Following two years living in the United States while Prince Louis received training in Aeronautics and Aeronautical Management, the couple moved to London where both Tessy and Louis enrolled at Richmond American University. They both received their Bachelor’s degrees in May 2014, Tessy in International Relations, and Louis in Communications. Tessy also received a masters degree in diplomatic studies at the University of London. In 2016, Tessy co-founded Professors Without Borders, an NGO specializing in international educational efforts, and is currently its President.

The Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced on January 18, 2017, that Prince Louis and Princess Tessy of Luxembourg plan to divorce.  Their divorce was granted on February 17, 2017, in London where the couple lived, and was finalized on April 4, 2019.  Tessy held her titles until September 1, 2019, when she reverted to her maiden name and with de Nassau, Tessy Antony de Nassau. On December 31, 2020, Tessy announced her engagement to Swiss businessman Frank Floessel and on February 24, 2021, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child together. The couple married on July 23, 2021, in Zürich, Switzerland.  Tessy gave birth to a son, Theodor Frank Floessel, on August 26, 2021, at Hirslanden Clinic in Zurich., Switzerland.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Claire of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Princess Claire of Luxembourg is the wife of Prince Félix, the second son of Grand Duke Henri and Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla. She was born Claire Margareta Lademacher on March 21, 1985, in Filderstadt, Germany. She is the second child of Hartmut and Gabriele Lademacher and has an older brother, Felix.

Claire began her schooling in Germany, followed by several years at the Atlanta International School in Atlanta, Georgia. The family returned to Germany in 1999 and she was enrolled at the Frankfurt International School, and then the Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil in Switzerland, graduating in 2003. After earning her Bachelors degree in International Communication from the American University of Paris, Claire spent several years working for Condé Nast and IMG World. She returned to school to pursue her Masters degree in bioethics at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome. During this time, she worked with UNESCO alongside her studies. After earning her Masters, she decided to stay in Rome to pursue her doctorate in organ donation ethics. As part of this program, she spent several months as a visiting scholar at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University in the United States.

 

Claire and Félix’s engagement was announced in December 2012. The couple had met while both were students at Beau Soleil. They were married in a civil ceremony in Germany on September 17, 2013, followed by a religious ceremony on September 21, 2013, in the south of France. Following their wedding, the couple settled in Lorgues, France where they manage a winery, Château les Crostes, owned by Claire and her father.

The couple has three children:

  • Princess Amalia Gabriela Maria Teresa of Nassau (born June 15, 2014)
  • Prince Liam Henri Hartmut of Nassau (born on November 28, 2016)
  • Prince Balthasar Felix Karl (born January 7, 2024)

Félix and Claire live in Lorgues, France, where they manage Château les Crostes, a winery owned by Claire and her father.

Prince Felix with his wife Princess Claire and his children Princess Amalia and Prince Liam, 2023; Credit – The Grand Ducal Court

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Prince Félix of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Félix of Luxembourg; Credit – Maison du Grand-Duc/Sophie Margue

Prince Félix Léopold Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg was born June 3, 1984, at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. He is the second son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla. Félix was christened on June 24, 1984. His godparents were:

Prince Félix has four siblings:

Félix attended primary school in Lorentzweiler and then attended the Notre Dame (Sainte-Sophie) private school, and The American School of Luxembourg. From 1998 to 2003, he attended the Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil in Switzerland. He then enrolled in the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, but was forced to leave early due to a severe knee injury.

Following a year of expanding his education through several internships, Prince Félix began working in the Marketing and Public Relations department of Grand Chelem Management SA. The company specializes in organizing sports and cultural events. The Prince continues to work with them as an independent consultant. He later attended the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, earning his bachelor’s degree in biophysics.

photo © 2013 Cour grand-ducale/Guy Wolff

photo © 2013 Cour grand-ducale/Guy Wolff

Prince Félix’s engagement to Claire Lademacher was announced in December 2012. Félix and Claire had met while both were attending the Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil. They married in a civil ceremony on September 17, 2013, in Königstein im Taunus, Germany, and a religious ceremony on September 21, 2013, at the Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, France.

The couple has three children:

  • Princess Amalia Gabriella Maria Teresa of Nassau (born June 15, 2014)
  • Prince Liam Henri Hartmut of Nassau (born on November 28, 2016)
  • Prince Balthasar Felix Karl (born January 7, 2024)

Félix and Claire live in Lorgues, France, where they manage Château les Crostes, a winery owned by Claire and her father.

Prince Felix with his wife Princess Claire and his children Princess Amalia and Prince Liam, 2023; Credit – The Grand Ducal Court

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Sayako Kuroda, formerly Princess Nori of Japan

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Sayako

Photo Credit – japandailypress.com

Her Imperial Highness Princess Nori was born on April 18, 1969, at the Aoyama Detached Palace in Tokyo, Japan. She is the third of the three children and the only daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko (born Michiko Shōda). Shortly after her birth, her grandfather Emperor Shôwa (Hirohito) named her Sayako and granted her the title Princess Nori (Nori no miya Sayako Naishinnô).

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Princess Nori with her mother; Credit – http://www.yuko2ch.net

Sayako has two elder brothers:

Sayako_family

Seated: Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko; Standing: Princess Nori, Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako, Prince Akishino, Princess Akishino; Credit – freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Princess Nori completed her primary and secondary education at Gakushūin whose original purpose, before World War II, was to educate members of the aristocracy including members of the Imperial Family. Members of the Imperial Family have continued to attend Gakushūin for their primary, secondary, and university education. Princess Nori continued her university education at Gakushuin University and she graduated from the Department of Japanese Literature in the Faculty of Letters in March 1992.

Later in 1992, Princess Nori started a career as a researcher at Yamashina Institute for Ornithology where she specialized in the study of kingfishers. The princess was also interested in traditional Japanese dance and performed several times at the National Theater. She also participated in activities related to the training and use of guide dogs for the visually impaired.

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Princess Nori the ornithologist; Credit – http://www.hellomagazine.com

On December 30, 2004, the Imperial Household Agency announced the engagement of Princess Nori to Yoshiki Kuroda, a 40-year-old urban designer with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Princess Nori and Yoshiki Kuroda, a longtime friend of the princess’ brother Prince Akishino, had known each other since childhood but were re-introduced by Prince Akishino in 2003. According to Article 12 of the Imperial Household Law of 1947, “In case a female of the Imperial Family marries a person other than the Emperor or a member of the Imperial Family, she shall lose the status of Imperial Family member.” Upon her marriage, Princess Nori would have to relinquish her title from birth, her official membership in the Imperial Family, and any monetary allowance from the state. After her marriage, Her Imperial Highness Princess Nori would be known as Sayako Kuroda. Three of Emperor Akihito’s sisters also were required to relinquish their membership in the Imperial Family upon their marriages.

Sayako_engagement

Princess Nori and Yoshiki Kuroda at the press conference announcing their engagement; Credit – www.chinadaily.com

On November 15, 2005, about 30 people from both families attended the Shinto wedding at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, which has no relation to the Imperial Family. Princess Nori chose a white silk dress with a pearl necklace instead of the 12-layered “juni hitoe” wedding kimono traditionally worn by female members of the Imperial Family, and her groom wore a morning suit. The Emperor and Empress attended the wedding, as well as Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako, and other members of the Imperial Family.

Sayako_wedding

Photo Credit – www.dailytelegraph.com.au

The bride and groom held a news conference after the wedding ceremony at the hotel and Sayako expressed her intention to live a new life. “Holding memories of the days with my family in my mind, I am going to face a new life as a member of the Kuroda family,” she said. A reception that followed the news conference was attended by 130 guests.

Sayako_wedding reception

Mr. and Mrs. Yoshiki Kuroda enter their wedding reception; Photo Credit – www.beaumontenterprise.com

Sayako and Yoshiki Kuroda started their life together at a condominium they rented near the palace. The government provided the couple with a one-time payment of 152.5 million yen or 1.29 million dollars. Sayako resigned from her job as an ornithologist to focus on her new life.

Sayako_outing

Sayako and Yoshiki Kuroda enjoying an outing with Princess Akishino and her son Prince Hisahito in 2009; Credit – www.logsoku.com

In 2012, Sayako was given the role of a sacred priestess at the Ise Shrine which recognizes the ancestral gods, specifically the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, from whom it is believed that the Imperial Family descended. She served as an assistant to the supreme priestess at the shrine, Atsuko Ikeda, Emperor Akihito’s older sister, who also had to relinquish her membership in the Imperial Family upon her marriage. The supreme priestess serves the Sun Goddess, representing the Emperor. The title has always been held by a current or former member of the Imperial Family. In 2017, Sayako replaced her aunt as the supreme priestess at the Ise Shrine.

Sayko_shrine

Sayako Kuroda at a ceremony at the Ise Shrine; Credit – https://imperialfamilyjapan.wordpress.com

Since her marriage, Sayako has continued to appear during some formal occasions with other members of the Imperial Family. She was among the guests during a banquet held at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in honor of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium in October 2016. In 2019, Sayako and her husband attended the enthronement ceremonies for her brother Emperor Naruhito.

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Crown Princess Akishino of Japan

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Crown Princess Akishino of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

Crown Princess Akishino, sometimes called Princess Kiko, is the wife of Crown Prince Akishino, the second son of Emperor Akihito of Japan. 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 would become Emperor. In accordance with legislation passed allowing his father’s abdication, Prince Akishino became heir presumptive to the throne and Crown Prince of Japan. Crown Prince Akishino is followed in the line of succession by his son Prince Hisahito.  Unless Emperor Naruhito has a son or the laws of succession are changed, it is very likely that Prince Hisahito will one day inherit the throne.

Kiko Kawashima was born on September 11, 1966, in Shizuoka, Japan. She is the eldest daughter of Tatsuhiko Kawashima, an economics professor at Gakushuin University in Tokyo, Japan, and Kazuyo Sugimoto.

In 1967, when she was still a baby, Kiko’s parents brought her to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States where her father enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania as a graduate student. Kiko’s family stayed in Pennsylvania for six years while her father earned his doctorate degree and taught at the University of Pennsylvania. As a result of her early years in the United States, Kiko speaks fluent, accentless English. The first school she attended was the Henry C. Lea Elementary School, a Philadelphia public school.

Kiko then attended elementary and high school in Vienna, Austria, when her father became the chief researcher at The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria, and she became fluent in German. In 1989, Kiko received her undergraduate degree from the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Letters of Gakushuin University in Tokyo, Japan. Next, she entered graduate school at Gakushuin University with the goal of obtaining a doctorate in psychology. In 1995, she completed the first part of her doctorate in psychology at the Graduate School of Humanities of Gakushuin University. Kiko was granted a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences at Ochanomizu University in 2013.

Kiko met Akishino while they were both undergraduate students at Gakushuin University. He first proposed to her in 1986. The Imperial Household Council announced the engagement on September 12, 1989, and the engagement ceremony, called Nosai-no-Gi, was held on January 12, 1990.

The couple married at the shrine at the Tokyo Imperial Palace on July 29, 1990. Kiko was only the second commoner to marry into the Japanese Imperial Family. Her mother-in-law Empress Michiko was the first.

Photo Credit – Photo: Corbis

Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Akishino, and their children reside at the Aoyama Detached Palace within the grounds of the Akasaka Estate in Motoakasaka, Minato Ward in Tokyo. The residence was the former home of Prince and Princess Chichibu and has been in use by the family since March 1997, after it had been redesigned.

The couple has three children:

Kiko_family

Princess Kiko and her family in 2011; Photo source: Japan Times

Crown Princess Akishino accompanies her husband to many events both in Japan and in other countries. She plays active roles in the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-kai, Japanese Red Cross Society, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.  In addition, she learned Japanese sign language, is a skilled sign language interpreter and has also learned American Sign Language.

Kiko_sign language

Princess Kiko signing “I love you” with a student at the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults in the United States; Photo source: Helen Keller National Center For Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second child

Photo Credit – www.usmagazine.com

From the Prince of Wales’ website:

Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their second child.
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The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news.

As with her first pregnancy, The Duchess is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Her Royal Highness will no longer accompany The Duke of Cambridge on their planned engagement in Oxford today. The Duchess of Cambridge is being treated by doctors at Kensington Palace

Princess Marie of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

Princess Marie of Denmark is the second wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, son of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Henri Laborde de Monpezat. She was born Marie Agathe Odile Cavailler on February 6, 1975, in Paris, the only child of Alain Cavallier and Françoise Moreau.

Marie received her primary education in Paris, and following her parents’ divorce, she moved to Switzerland with her mother. She then enrolled at the Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil in Villars-sur-Ollen, Switzerland, graduating in 1993. She initially studied economics at a university in Geneva, and then international business and economics at Babson College in Massachusetts from 1995-1997. She then attended Manhattan Marymount College in New York, graduating in 1999 with her Bachelor’s Degree. During her education, she worked in the public relations department at Estee Lauder in Paris (1994), and ING Numismatic Group in Geneva (1997), in addition to teaching French.

Following college, Marie worked for several advertising agencies, first in New York and then in Paris. In 2004, she returned to Geneva, working for Reuters for a year, and then from 2005 until 2007, working again with ING Numismatic Group.

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Marie was first seen with Prince Joachim while on holiday in the late summer of 2005. Over the next two years, they were seen together often, and in the spring of 2007, Marie joined the Danish Royal Family for Easter at Marselisborg Palace where she reportedly met the Queen for the first time. In October 2007, it was announced that Joachim and Marie were engaged, following the Queen’s formal consent. Prior to her marriage, Marie was a French citizen and belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. Marie joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church and became a Danish citizen before her marriage. Joachim and Marie were married on May 24, 2008, at the Møgeltønder Church (link in Danish) in South Jutland, Denmark followed by the wedding banquet at Schackenborg Castle.

Marie and Joachim have two children:

Princess Marie is also stepmother to Prince Joachim’s two sons from his first marriage:

Queen Margrethe II decided that as of January 1, 2023, the children of Prince Joachim would no longer hold the style and title of His/Her Prince/Princess. Instead, they will hold the title Count/Countess of Monpezat, with the style of His/Her Excellency. This slimming down is in keeping with recent changes in other royal families and will allow Prince Joachim’s children to pursue more independent lives and careers. The Monpezat titles come from the Queen’s late husband, Prince Henrik, who was Count of Monpezat. In 2008, Queen Margrethe granted the title to her sons and their descendants as well.

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Princess Marie has been an active member of the Danish Royal Family, taking on several patronages, including the National Association for Autism, The Danish Ski Federation, Danish Epilepsy Association, Kattegatcentret, the AIDS Foundation, and The Danish National Commission for UNESCO. In addition to her native French, Marie speaks Danish, English, Italian, and Spanish.

During the summer of 2019, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, and their two children moved to Paris, France, where Joachim began studies in France’s highest-ranking military leadership education at École Militaire. In September 2020, Prince Joachim started work as the defense attaché at the Danish Embassy in Paris. During the summer of 2023, Princess Marie and her family moved to Washington, DC in the United States where Prince Joachim will work as the defense attaché at the Danish Embassy.

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Prince Joachim of Denmark

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

Prince Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the younger son of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Henri Laborde de Monpezat. He was born on June 7, 1969, at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark.

He was christened on July 15, 1969, at Aarhus Cathedral in Aarhus, Denmark. His godparents were:

Prince Joachim has one brother:

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Prince Joachim began his education privately at Amalienborg Palace before attending the Krebs School in Copenhagen. He spent a year at L’École des Roches, a boarding school in Normandy, France before graduating from the Øregård Gymnasium, in Hellerup, just north of Copenhagen, in 1986.

Following a gap year spent working on a farm in Australia, Prince Joachim began his military training in 1987, as a recruit in the Queen’s Own Regiment. After becoming a Lieutenant in 1989, he served as a Platoon Commander in the Prince’s Own Regiment until 1990. From 1996 to 2004, with the rank of Captain, he commanded a tank squadron in the Prince’s Own Regiment. He was promoted to Major in 2005, and then Lt. Colonel in 2001. He served as chief of the Liaison Officers Group in Total Defence Region Fyn, Syd, and Sønderjylland. (source: The Danish Royal House). In addition, during this time he studied agricultural management from 1991-1993, and worked at the A.P. Møller Maersk Group, in Hong Kong and France, to further his business education, from 1993-1995.

It was while working in Hong Kong that Prince Joachim met his first wife, Alexandra Manley. After a whirlwind romance, their engagement was announced in May 1995. They married on November 18, 1995, at the Frederiksborg Palace Chapel in Hillerød, Denmark and took up residence at Schackenborg Castle in Møgeltønder, South Jutland.

They had two sons:

Joachim and Alexandra separated in 2004 and were divorced the following year. Alexandra retained her title Princess of Denmark, with the lower style of Her Highness until her remarriage in 2007. In addition, the Queen had granted her the personal title of Countess of Frederiksborg with the style of Excellency, and Alexandra is now known as Her Excellency Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg. Alexandra still occasionally attends events with the Danish royal family.

Queen Margrethe II decided that as of January 1, 2023, the four children of Prince Joachim would no longer hold the style and title of His/Her Prince/Princess. Instead, they will hold the title Count/Countess of Monpezat, with the style of His/Her Excellency. This slimming down is in keeping with recent changes in other royal families and will allow Prince Joachim’s children to pursue more independent lives and careers. The Monpezat titles come from the Queen’s late husband, Prince Henrik, who was Count of Monpezat. In 2008, Queen Margrethe granted the title to her sons and their descendants as well.

In October 2007, Prince Joachim announced his engagement to Marie Cavallier. The couple was married on May 24, 2008, at the Møgeltønder Church (link in Danish) in South Jutland, Denmark.

They had two children:

Prince Joachim and his family celebrating his son Felix’s 18th birthday on July 22, 2020; Photo Credit – Danish Royal House Instagram

Prince Joachim has had a military career since 1988. During the summer of 2019, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, and their two children moved to Paris, France, where Joachim began studies in France’s highest-ranking military leadership education at École Militaire. In September 2020, Prince Joachim started work as the defense attaché at the Danish Embassy in Paris. With the appointment, Joachim received the permanent rank of brigadier general. During the summer of 2023, Joachim and his family moved to Washington, DC in the United States where he will work as the defense attaché at the Danish Embassy.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – Wikipedia

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh is the wife of Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh. Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones was born on January 20, 1965, at Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, England. She is the youngest of the two children of Christopher Rhys-Jones (born 1931), a retired tire salesman, and Mary (née O’Sullivan, 1934–2005). Sophie has an elder brother David (born 1963). She is distantly related to the Viscounts Molesworth through her paternal grandmother and, as are many people, she is a descendant of King Edward III of England, and also of King Henry IV of England through his son Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester.

Royal Ascot - Day 4

Sophie with her father at Royal Ascot in 2012; Credit – www.getty.images.com

Sophie’s family moved to Kent when she was young and she grew up in a 17th-century farmhouse in the West Kent village of Brenchley.  She began her education at Dulwich Preparatory School in Cranbrook, Kent, England, and then attended Kent College School for Girls in Pembury, Kent, England. Sophie studied to be a secretary at West Kent College in Tonbridge, Kent, England.

In 1993, Prince Edward renewed a casual acquaintance with Sophie Rhys-Jones at a Real Tennis Challenge, hosted by the Prince. Sophie, the public relations executive handling the event, was reportedly charmed by the youngest of the Queen’s sons, and he was with her. After a long courtship, their engagement was announced on January 6, 1999.

Prince Edward Sophie Engagement

Engagement announcement; Photo Credit – www.gettyimages.in

On June 19, 1999, Edward and Sophie were married at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. There were only about 550 guests, far fewer than at the weddings of Edward’s brothers Charles and Andrew, but an estimated 200 million viewers from around the world watched on television. Sophie had a quite remarkable accessory for her wedding, a beautiful black and white pearl necklace and matching earrings designed by Edward as a personal wedding gift. After her marriage, Sophie’s style and title were Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex. On March 10, 2019, Edward’s 55th birthday, The Queen granted him an additional title Earl of Forfar for use when he is in Scotland. Therefore, Sophie uses the title Countess of Forfar when in Scotland.

At the time of Sophie’s wedding, it was announced that Prince Edward would eventually be granted the Dukedom of Edinburgh, his father’s title, at such time when it reverted back to the Crown. The title Duke of Edinburgh automatically passed to Edward’s eldest brother Charles when their father died in April 2021, and merged into the Crown in September 2022 when Charles acceded to the throne. King Charles III granted his younger brother Prince Edward the title Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday, March 10, 2023, and Sophie is now styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh.

Sophie_Wessex_wedding

Photo Credit – royalweddings.hellomagazine.com

After she had left West Kent College, Sophie had begun a career in public relations at Capital Radio and then worked for the public relations firms Quentin Bell Organization and MacLaurin Communications and Media. She also worked as a ski representative in Switzerland and spent a year traveling and working in Australia. In 1996, Sophie started a public relations agency, R-JH Public Relations, which she ran with a business partner for five years.

In 2001, an undercover reporter posing as a sheikh recorded Sophie, by then a member of the British Royal Family, making unfavorable comments about members of the British Royal Family and the Government and appearing to use her royal status in order to gain clientele for her company. The comments were published in the media and this caused a scandal that had to be addressed by Buckingham PalaceSophie left her business in 2002 to focus on royal duties and support The Queen during her Golden Jubilee.

 

Sophie and Edward have two children:

Sophie carried out a full schedule of engagements in the United Kingdom and overseas in support of Queen Elizabeth II, and now her brother-in-law King Charles III, her husband, and the charities and organizations with which she is involved. She is particularly interested in working with organizations that help children and young people with sensory, learning, and communications disabilities such as Dyslexia Action, Mencap, the National Autistic Society, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, and Vision 2020.

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Sophie and Edward in 2014; Photo Credit – www.zimbio.com

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

Edward Antony Richard Louis was born on March 10, 1964, at Buckingham Palace in London, England. He is the youngest of the four children of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born a Prince of Greece and Denmark). Edward was part of a baby boom the British Royal Family was having in 1964. Also born that year were James Ogilvy, son of Princess Alexandra of Kent, on February 29, 1964; Lady Helen Windsor, daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent on April 28, 1964; and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, daughter of Princess Margaret on May 1, 1964.

The infant Prince Edward with his brother Prince Andrew and his mother Queen Elizabeth

Edward was baptized on May 2, 1964, in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle. His godparents were:

Edward with his parents and siblings in 1968

Edward has three elder siblings:

Edward was educated privately by a governess before attending Gibbs School in Kensington, London, England for a year. In 1972, he began to attend Heatherdown School in Winkfield, Berkshire, England. Edward then moved on to Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland, which his father and elder brothers had also attended. During his last term at Gordonstoun, Edward was Head Boy.

Starting in September of 1982, Edward worked as a house tutor during his gap year at the Wanganui Collegiate School in Wanganui, New Zealand. While at the school he taught English and History and supervised other activities, including Drama and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions. Edward then studied history at Jesus College, University of Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986. While at university, he enjoyed theater, taking part in a number of productions, and sports, including learning to play real tennis.

After leaving university, Edward joined the Royal Marines. However, in January of 1987, he dropped out of the year-long officer training after completing only four months. Reportedly, his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, was angered by the decision and Edward took some criticism from the media.

Edward then pursued a career in theatrical production working for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatre Company as a production assistant on musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express, and Cats.

In 1993, Edward formed Ardent Productions, a television production company. Programs included Edward on Edward, a documentary on his great-uncle, King Edward VIII (later the Duke of Windsor); thirty half-hour programs of Crown and Country: A Royal History of Britain; The Cater Street Hangman, a dramatization of Anne Perry’s first mystery novel; and Windsor Restored, a program on the restoration of Windsor Castle after the fire in 1993. Edward was accused in the media of using his royal connections for financial gains and his professionalism was also questioned. In September of 2001, an Ardent production crew invaded the privacy of Prince William, Edward’s nephew, while he was at the University of St Andrews, ignoring the guidelines regarding the privacy of the royal family. Reportedly, Prince Charles was angered by this incident. Edward’s productions were received well in the United States (this American writer, Susan, saw them all and enjoyed them) and the program about Edward VIII sold well in many countries. However, Ardent Productions reported losses for each year of its existence except one. In June of 2009, the company was liquidated with assets of £40.

In 1993, Edward renewed a casual acquaintance with Sophie Rhys-Jones at a Real Tennis Challenge, hosted by the Prince. Sophie, the public relations executive handling the event, was reportedly charmed by the youngest of Queen Elizabeth II’s sons, and he with her. After a long courtship, their engagement was announced on January 6, 1999.

 

The wedding was a smaller affair, unlike the large, formal weddings of Edward’s brothers, Charles and Andrew. On June 19, 1999, Edward and Sophie were married at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. There were only about 550 guests, far fewer than at the weddings of Charles and Andrew, but an estimated 200 million viewers from around the world watched on television.

On his wedding day, Edward was created Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn, breaking with the tradition of a dukedom granted to the son of the Sovereign upon marriage. However, it was announced that Prince Edward would eventually be granted the Dukedom of Edinburgh, his father’s title, at such time when it reverted back to the Crown.  On his 55th birthday, Prince Edward was granted the additional title of Earl of Forfar for use in Scotland. The title Duke of Edinburgh automatically passed to Edward’s eldest brother Charles when their father died in April 2021, and merged into the Crown in September 2022 when Charles acceded to the throne. King Charles III granted his younger brother Prince Edward the title Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday, March 10, 2023. His ducal title is not hereditary, so it will become extinct on his death. Edward’s son James Mountbatten-Windsor now uses Earl of Wessex as his courtesy title.

Edward and Sophie also decided, with The Queen’s agreement, that their children would use the courtesy titles as sons or daughters of an Earl rather than the style and title His/Her Royal Highness Prince or Princess. As they would already be well down the line of succession (Prince Edward was 7th in line at the time of his marriage), it is believed that this was done to alleviate some of the ‘burdens’ associated with having a royal title, and to allow them somewhat more of a normal life. However, many argue that the press release does not supersede the terms of the 1917 Letters Patent and that Edward’s children, Louise and James are, in fact, Prince and Princess. In June 2020, during an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, the Countess of Wessex stated that she and her husband have raised their children with the intent that will have to work for a living as opposed to being working royals. She continued: “Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.”

Edward with his two children James and Louise at the coronation of King Charles III in 2023

The couple had two children:

Edward and his family live at Bagshot Park which is located close to Windsor and is owned by the Crown Estate. He pays rent to the Crown Estate for the use of the estate. Edward has a busy schedule of engagements in the United Kingdom and overseas both in support of the crown and for the large number of charities and organizations with which he is involved.

Bagshot Park; Credit – By Len Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39952096

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