Princess Alexandra of Hanover (born 1999)
Princess Alexandra of Hanover (born 1999)
Early life and family
Alexandra was born on 20 July 1999 in Vöcklabruck, Upper Austria.[2][4][5] She was christened on 19 September 1999[1] by Horst Hirschler, Landesbischof of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover, in a ceremony at her father's hunting lodge Auerbach, near Grünau im Almtal, Upper Austria.[1] Her godparents are her paternal aunt Alexandra, Princess of Leiningen, maternal half-sister Charlotte Casiraghi, Ulrike Ulmschneider, Maryam Sachs, Virginia Gallico, George Condo, and Eric Maier.[1] She was named after each of her godmothers.
She has half-siblings from her parents' previous marriages.
From her father's previous marriage, she has two half-brothers, Hereditary Prince Ernst August and Prince Christian of Hanover.[5] From her mother's previous marriage, she has two half-brothers, Andrea and Pierre Casiraghi, and one half-sister, Charlotte Casiraghi. Her maternal uncle, Albert II, is the sovereign of Monaco. She is a granddaughter of the American actress Grace Kelly.[6][7] On her father's side she is a descendant of Queen Victoria and Wilhelm II, German Emperor.[8]
Alexandra is the only one of Princess Caroline's four children who bears any royal style or title.
While she is formally styled as Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Hanover in Monaco, she is afforded the style and title out of courtesy elsewhere.[4][5] As the Kingdom of Hanover no longer exists, the title is not legally recognized in Germany. She is 13th in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne.[4][9][5]Catholic Church[11][12]
Skating career
Alexandra began skating when she was ten years old after receiving ice skates as a Christmas present.[13][9] When she was 11 years old she competed at a competition in Toulon, France.[14] At the age of 12, she competed in the "Skate 7" class at the 10th Figure Skating Championship in Monaco, finishing in second place. She was awarded the cup of the Monegasque Federation of Skating.[15]
Personal life
When Alexandra was 11 years old, German entertainment magazine Freizeit Revue published an article about and photographs of her competing at a figure skating competition in France. The article also covered her mother's dating life and other personal matters. Alexandra sought injunctive relief and sued the magazine, taking the case to the German Federal Court of Justice.[14]