Bright Young Royals (15 page)

THEIR ROYAL OFFSPRING:
The crown prince and crown princess have been blessed with two sons and two daughters: Princess Elisabeth (Belgium’s future queen, born October 25, 2001); Prince Gabriel (born August 20, 2003); Prince Emmanuel (born October 4, 2005), and Princess Eléonore (born April 16, 2008).

USING THEIR TITLES FOR THE GREATER GOOD:
Prince Philippe created the Prince Philippe Fund in 1998 with the aim of fostering dialogue between the different cultural communities of Belgium through educational and professional exchange programs. Prince Philippe also acts as honorary chairman of the Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development, which supports research into energy, climate, and biodiversity.

Meanwhile, Princess Mathilde is very concerned about the plight of vulnerable people, particularly children, and as a result she set up the Princess Mathilde Fund in December 2000. Each year the fund awards prizes to laudable projects that help improve the situations of children at risk.

In addition, Princess Mathilde is patron to several associations that work to help vulnerable women and improve education. In conjunction with UNICEF, the princess has presided over several humanitarian missions abroad, promoting the importance of children’s rights, health, the empowerment of women, poverty eradication, and good governance. She has also worked as a United Nations envoy for the International Year on Micro-credit and as a UNICEF special representative for their campaign to help children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

PRECEDING PAGE:

Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal with children, Princess Maria Olympia, Prince Constantine Alexios, Prince Achileas-Andreas, Prince Odysseas-Kimon, and Prince Aristidis-Stavros

ABOVE:

Prince Pavlos holding son Prince Aristidos-Stavros, Princess Marie-Chantal, Princess Maria-Olympia, Prince Achileas-Andreas, Prince Constantine Alexios, and Prince Odysseas-Kimon

CROWN PRINCE PAVLOS AND CROWN PRINCESS MARIE-CHANTAL OF GREECE

THE PRINCE:
Born May 20, 1967, Crown Prince Pavlos is the eldest son of King Constantine II. If Constantine were ever restored to the throne, Pavlos would be his heir apparent. Prince Pavlos is also the highest ranking person in the British line of succession to be triply related to Queen Victoria.

Pavlos was educated in London, at the Hellenic College, before training at the UK’s Sandhurst military academy. Later he attended Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he completed a master’s degree in foreign service and shared an apartment with his cousin, Prince Felipe of Spain.

The crown prince met the stunning American heiress Marie-Chantal on a blind date at a friend’s dinner party, and later proposed to her on a snowy ski lift in Gstaad. Pavlos was one of the first European princes of his generation to marry a commoner, starting a trend that the princes of Norway, Spain, and Denmark would soon follow.

THE PRINCESS:
Marie-Chantal Claire Miller was born September 17, 1968, to an American father and a South American mother. The delicate blond socialite grew up in Hong Kong and went to school in Switzerland and New York before fate brought her and Prince Pavlos together at a friend’s dinner party. She declares that when she was seated next to the handsome Greek royal, it was “love at first sight.”

Her wedding to Prince Pavlos brought together the largest group of royals in London since Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947. Today, Pavlos and Marie-Chantal are known as one of the most popular and glamorous couples in international society.

Celebrated for her elegant fashion sense, Marie-Chantal successfully launched a line of luxury children’s clothing that is sold in London, New York, and Greece.
http://www.mariechantal.com

THEIR ROYAL OFFSPRING:
The prince and princess are proud parents to five bouncy blond children with traditional Greek names: Maria-Olympia (born 1996), Constantine Alexios (born 1998), Achileas-Andreas (born 2000), Odysseas-Kimon (born 2004), and Aristidis-Stavros (born 2008).

USING THEIR TITLES FOR THE GREATER GOOD:
Crown Prince Pavlos is the U.S. committee chairman of United World Colleges and sits on the board of the New York City Ballet.

Along with his three siblings (the aforementioned Prince Nikolaos, Prince Philippos, and Princess Theodora), Prince Pavlos is an acting board member of The Anna-Maria Foundation, which provides aid to people who have suffered due to natural disasters.
http://www.greekroyalfamily.gr/index.cfm?get=foundation

Crown Princess Marie-Chantal sits on the board of the New York School of American Ballet and the Animal Medical Centre, and is a founding member of the Board of Venetian Heritage. She is also a trustee for London’s Royal Academy.

Pavlos and Marie-Chantal cochair the U.S. Committee for World in Harmony—a nonprofit founded by the prince’s aunt, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, to provide humanitarian assistance to those who need it most.
http://www.worldinharmony.org/index_en.html

THE BRIGHTEST, YOUNGEST QUEEN

H
er Majesty Rania Al-Abdullah is the world’s youngest living queen. She is also the most stylish and the most in touch with the youth of today—both within her own country of Jordan and throughout the world.

Queen Rania twitters (@QueenRania). She’s even on Facebook and YouTube. And when it comes to humanitarianism, no royal can beat her—for the glamorous Queen Rania is just as famous for her progressive philanthropy as she is for her supermodel looks.

Her designer wardrobe may be immaculate, but Queen Rania has made it clear to her fans that she is more than a royal fashion icon. She is a businesswoman, an activist, a mother, and a wife—and she is vehemently committed to making the world a better place for women and children.

Queen Rania has thrown herself into full-time charity work with a creative gusto that hasn’t been seen since the late Princess Diana of Wales. She has become a world-renowned role model for women, a global advocate for education, and a strong supporter of social development. Her philanthropic activities encompass community empowerment, economic fairness, women’s rights, and the environment, among other issues. As an official advocate for UNICEF and honorary chairperson for UNGEI, she campaigns tirelessly on behalf of all children in need. Most importantly, as an Arab Muslim woman, Queen Rania is committed to reconciling people of different faiths and encouraging cross-cultural dialogue, particularly among young people. (And yet somehow, she still finds time to bake chocolate chip cookies for her four children!)

There is no doubt that Queen Rania of Jordan is one of the most intriguing women on the planet. But she is also a working mother who is dedicated to changing the world—and in that way, she is a thoroughly modern monarch, one whom we should all aspire to become more like—with or without a royal kingdom.

QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

HIM:
Abdullah became King of Jordan on February 7, 1999, upon the death of his father, King Hussein. Since his ascension to the throne, King Abdullah II has continued his late father’s commitment to creating a strong and positive moderating role for Jordan within the Arab world.

HER:
Born in Kuwait on August 31, 1970, Rania received a thoroughly Western education and ultimately earned a degree in business administration from the American University in Cairo. Upon graduation, her career path led her to high-powered roles at Citibank and Apple Computer. Despite her killer heels and glossy hair, make no mistake: this queen is as brainy as she is beautiful.

REGAL ROMANCE:
Abdullah and Rania met at a dinner party in 1993 and it was love at first sight. They were married just five months later, and in 1999, Rania became the world’s youngest living queen at just twenty-nine years old. The royal couple are still considered to be a perfect intellectual match and are said to always be on the same wavelength when it comes to humanitarian issues.

HEIR AND SPARES:
Crown Prince Hussein (born June 28, 1994), Princess Iman (born September 27, 1996), Princess Salma (born September 26, 2000), Prince Hashem (born January 30, 2005).

QUOTE:
“At the end of the day you are living your life for the people that you represent. It’s an honor and a privilege to have that chance to make a difference—a qualitative difference in people’s lives—and it’s my responsibility to make the most out of that opportunity.”
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PHILANTHROPY:
Queen Rania has pushed for education reform, is an enthusiastic supporter of the micro-fund movement, and continues to discuss formerly taboo topics like domestic violence, child abuse, and honor killings. She believes that there is a direct relationship between increasing education and eliminating poverty, and feels that many problems (including terrorism) stem from intolerance. Because of this, Rania has purposely set out to create more educational and economic opportunities for young people and to encourage more cross-cultural dialogue.

QUOTE:
“No matter where we come from, what we look like, how we dress, or to whom we pray, when it comes to what makes us laugh or cry, when it comes to what we dream of for ourselves and for our children, when it comes to how hard we work each day, we are usually more alike than we are different.”
¹³

QUEEN RANIA’S CHARITIES:

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The Jordan River Foundation
Chaired by Queen Rania, the foundation aims to empower society, especially women and children, in order to improve quality of life and to secure a better future for all Jordanians.
http://www.jordanriver.jo/