Princess Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg
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| Born | June 30 1964 (age 45) Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Title | Princess of Denmark, Countess of Frederiksborg |
| Spouse | Prince Joachim of Denmark (1995-2005) |
| Children | Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix |
| Parents | Richard Nigel Manley and Christa Maria Nowotny |
Princess Alexandra Christina of Denmark, Countess of Frederiksborg (née Alexandra Christina Manley), born 30 June 1964, is a member of the Danish Royal House. [1] She is the former wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark.
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[edit] Early life
Of Chinese, British, Polish and Austrian ancestry, Alexandra Manley was born in Hong Kong, as the eldest of three daughters of Richard Nigel Manley (born in Shanghai in 1924 to a British father and Chinese mother) and Christa Maria Manley (née Nowotny, born in Austria in 1933). Alexandra was christened at the Cathedral of Saint John, Hong Kong. Her father was an insurance company executive; her mother was the manager of a communications company. She also studied at a private English Schools Foundation run secondary school called Island School for her secondary education.
Alexandra Manley studied international business at universities in Austria, Japan, and the United Kingdom. It is not known whether she obtained any university degree. From 1990 to 1995, she was employed by GT Management (Asia) Ltd., Hong Kong, where she from 1990-1993 worked in Sales and Marketing and from 1993 as a deputy chief executive of that department.
[edit] Marriage and children
Alexandra met Prince Joachim at a party in Hong Kong, where he was working for a Danish shipping company. After a whirlwind courtship, thought to have begun in late autumn of 1994, Prince Joachim, on bended knee, presented Alexandra with a diamond and ruby engagement ring while the couple holidayed together in the Philippines. Their engagement, which took both Alexandra's family and Danish royal watchers by surprise, was officially revealed in May 1995. They were wed on 18 November 1995, by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark's Chaplain-in-Ordinary, and took place in the Chapel of Frederiksborg Castle at Hillerød. The wedding festivities were held at Fredensborg Palace.
When she wed Prince Joachim, however, she had to renounce her British citizenship and give up her career in marketing. She also decided to change her religious community. Alexandra, an Anglican, received instruction in the Evangelical Lutheran faith and was confirmed prior to her wedding.
Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra have two children:
- His Highness Prince Nikolai William Alexander Frederik, born on 28 August 1999
- His Highness Prince Felix Henrik Valdemar Christian, born on 22 July 2002
[edit] Life as a princess
Princess Alexandra instantly became popular with the Danish people. Known for her fashion sense and charity work, she was dubbed the Diana of the North. She is a native English and German speaker (through her father and mother, respectively), and her fluency in German helped her pick up the Danish language quickly. Within a few years she spoke it nearly without accent, which further endeared her to the Danes. As she said in an interview, "I don't find the grammar especially difficult, but the pronunciation can be hard, since we swallow some of our words. It reminds me a little of Chinese, with the glottal stop … Saying something with an upswing or a downswing can give a word an entirely different meaning," she explained. "It was my decision to learn the language immediately. It would have been terrible to have to stand up and speak English at an engagement, or thank someone for something. It would have been utterly wrong. This is my home, and so there was no other option."<ref>"Denmark's Princess Alexandra reflects on life at 40"</ref>
She also speaks Cantonese as a result of growing up and being educated in Hong Kong, but reportedly does not speak it fluently, despite having lived in Hong Kong for more than three decades.
Both during and after her marriage, she was involved in numerous philanthropic pursuits, including the Children's Red Cross, the Danish Society for the Blind, UNICEF, and single mothers' advocacy group Mother Help. She also served as a UNICEF ambassador when she travelled to Thailand to visit HIV/AIDS patients.<ref>"Denmark's Princess Alexandra reflects on life at 40"</ref>
[edit] Separation and divorce
By the summer of 2004, rumours were circulating throughout Denmark and neighbouring Sweden and Norway that her marriage to Prince Joachim had gone sour. The rumours proved to be true. On 16 September 2004 Alexandra and Joachim announced their separation and eventual intention to divorce. It would be the first in the royal family since 1846. Newspaper reports speculating on the reasons for the marital rupture soon followed. The Folketing decided to put Alexandra on the civil list for life, independent of her possible future remarriage. Alexandra's payments of her new yearly allowance started retroactively from 1 October 2004. The couple divorced on 8 April 2005.
In the summer of 2005 there were reports and photographs of Alexandra with her new live-in companion Martin Jørgensen, who is fourteen years her junior. For many years JJ Film, which is his father Jacob Jørgensen's film production company, produced numerous documentaries in which members of the royal family co-operated and participated. However, after Martin and Alexandra's relationship became public knowledge, another film production company has been given that task.
[edit] New style and title
| Styles of Princess Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg | |
|---|---|
| Image:Denmark large coa.gif | |
| Reference style | Her Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Highness |
| Alternative style | Ma'am |
As with other royal consorts married to princes, Alexandra's style Royal Highness rested on her marital status, and ceased upon her divorce. After the divorce Alexandra was given a new, albeit lower status, style Highness. This is viewed by many in Denmark as a better solution than what was done with the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who having lost her Royal Highness style upon her divorce, was not given any new style of her own, despite the fact that she was the mother of a future monarch, Prince William of Wales.
On her birthday 16 April 2005 Queen Margrethe bestowed upon her former daughter-in-law the additional personal title grevinde af Frederiksborg (countess of Frederiksborg). [2] The title is personal (unlike the title of princess) and thus will not be revoked or become dormant if Princess Alexandra chooses to remarry. Like a life peerage in the United Kingdom, it will not be inherited by her children. The title Countess of Frederiksborg is given the rank of Class 1, which will entitle Princess Alexandra to the style of "Excellency" upon remarriage.
[edit] Titles from birth
[edit] English
- Miss Alexandra Christina Manley (1964-1995)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra Christina of Denmark (1995-2005)
- Her Highness Princess Alexandra Christina of Denmark (2005)
- Her Highness Princess Alexandra Christina of Denmark, Countess of Frederiksborg (2005-)
[edit] Danish
- Frøken Alexandra Manley (1964-1995)
- Hendes Kongelige Højhed Prinsesse Alexandra Christina af Danmark (1995-2005)
- Hendes Højhed Prinsesse Alexandra Christina af Danmark (2005)
- Hendes Højhed Prinsesse Alexandra Christina af Danmark, grevinde af Frederiksborg (2005-)
[edit] References
<references/>
[edit] External links
da:Prinsesse Alexandra de:Alexandra Manley ko:알렉산드라 왕자비 nl:Alexandra Christina Manley no:Alexandra av Danmark pl:Alexandra (księżniczka Danii) sv:Prinsessan Alexandra zh:文雅麗
