EARLY LIFE
Alexandra was born on the 11th of May 1996 during the reign of her father, William VI. Her father was a British monarch while her mother, Princess Märtha Louise was a Norwegian princess from the Norwegian branch of the House of Glücksburg, thus conforming Alexandra and her siblings as princesses and princes of Norway by virtue of their matrilineal descent from Olav V of Norway. Upon baptism, she was named Alexandra Lauren Elizabeth William Hanover, with the names paying homages to the revered queen Elizabeth and her father William, while specifically honoring that of her paternal grandmother and her aunt, the Duchess of Albany whom her given name had derived from. Despite being the eldest daughter of a reigning monarch at the time, she was never awarded the title of Princess Royal which is held by her aunt. By her grandmother's request, her only godmother was to be that of her aunt, the Duchess of Albany with her grandfather, the King of Norway and her uncle, the Crown Prince of Norway as her respective godfathers.
Up until the age of six, she and her subsequent siblings were placed under the dual care of their appointed governess Rose Watts and Alexandra's paternal grandmother, the latter whom she came to mutually adore. According to Watts herself, Alexandra was described as an "extremely joyful, obedient and incredibly active child".
Alexandra initially went to the Primrose Hill Primary School up until the age of eight, where she was described as having excelled in the English, History and Physical Education subjects . However, despite the positive feedback, concerns over her public privacy despite existing regulations prompted a return to Buckingham Palace in the form of a private education, with her compulsory subjects being taught by specially picked tutors.
Through her paternal ancestry, she is the great great granddaughter of the last German Emperor Wilhelm II. Additionally, she is the great granddaughter of the celebrated Norwegian king Olav V through her maternal ancestry.
Up until the age of six, she and her subsequent siblings were placed under the dual care of their appointed governess Rose Watts and Alexandra's paternal grandmother, the latter whom she came to mutually adore. According to Watts herself, Alexandra was described as an "extremely joyful, obedient and incredibly active child".
Alexandra initially went to the Primrose Hill Primary School up until the age of eight, where she was described as having excelled in the English, History and Physical Education subjects . However, despite the positive feedback, concerns over her public privacy despite existing regulations prompted a return to Buckingham Palace in the form of a private education, with her compulsory subjects being taught by specially picked tutors.
Through her paternal ancestry, she is the great great granddaughter of the last German Emperor Wilhelm II. Additionally, she is the great granddaughter of the celebrated Norwegian king Olav V through her maternal ancestry.
THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
As Alexandra matured well into her teenage years, so did her future responsibilities as queen. On the 3rd of May 2011, a day after the death of notorious terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, a 15 year old Alexandra gave her first public speech, emphasizing national unity and solidarity in the times of troubles. Her ten minutes long speech was widely received and praised though she would not appear in public again until a year later to make way for her studies. Upon completing her secondary level education from the Mulberry School for Girls, she refocused her interests in assuming part-time duties as princess. Initially, she frequently accompanied her parents in their state visits but was soon given a chance to do so herself, in a solo state visit to Dubai in 2012 when the 16 year old Alexandra was hosted by the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. During the visit, she was exclusively treated to an aerial performance by the Emirati Air Force and later a tour around Dubai's under-construction buildings.
Described as an "exceptionally talented student" by her lecturers, she swiftly graduated with a Law degree in 2014 from the University of Edinburgh. However, the death of the Queen Mother, whom Alexandra deeply loved in August of the same year proved a devastating setback for the latter, which led to several suggestions for her potential replacement as heir apparent following reports of her allegedly deteriorating mental health.
For exactly two weeks, she reportedly undertook a short-lived modelling career which was extensively covered by British tabloids. However, she then chose to pursue a military career and on the 3rd of May 2015 she was formally commissioned as a Second Lieutenant with The Rifles regiment serving in Afghanistan under the ongoing Operation Freedom's Sentinel, amid much concern and public debate over her safety and wellbeing. Soon after her promotion to Captain on the 7th of June 2016, she then applied and was inducted into the elite Parachute Regiment, which prolonged her active duty in Afghanistan. Despite serving with distinction afterwards, heightened concerns over her safety in light of a Taliban-claimed ambush in the Kandahar Province prompted the British Ministry of Defence to informally "retire" the princess from active duty, relegating her instead to the ceremonial Blues and Royals regiment under the Household Division.
Since assuming her official duties as sovereign, Alexandra continues to maintain a considerably active degree of participation in the military as Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces, having participated in the 2018 and 2019 Eager Lion exercises alongside her Parachute Regiment servicemen.
QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
During the last few years of her father's reign, the former had shown little signs of an ailing health. The King was also said to had been a keen sportsman, particularly in the game of polo. However, on October 6, while the princess was on a diplomatic trip to Pakistan, the King unexpectedly collapsed in his chambers and was promptly treated to by palace doctors. By the insistence of Queen Märtha Louise, both the British and Pakistani governments agreed to restrict any knowledge of the King's condition as to not disrupt the state travel which successfully concluded two days later with Alexandra's return to the United Kingdom. By the time Alexandra had returned to the United Kingdom, the King was reported to be in stable condition but questions over the former's ability to reign further however were brought forward immediately. After a subsequent two days long discussion between the Britsh royal family and government, William VI agreed to abdicate in favour of his daughter Alexandra, on the premise of "ill health and inability to sustain the continuation of royal duties". On December 17, she was officially coronated as Queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey, with the coronation ceremony being the third to involve a female monarch in British history following that of queens Victoria and Anne 179 and 315 years ago.
Upon her arrival at the RAF Northolt base in London, she was promptly escorted back to Buckingham Palace and spent some time conversing with the Prime Minister Theresa May regarding the preparations for her coronation. Keeping in line with tradition, and by the suggestion of the Queen Mother, the coronation date was to be held within two months into Alexandra's reign. On the 17th of December, she was formally crowned Queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey under the regnal name of "Alexandra". Her coronation, which was viewed by tens of millions in both the United Kingdom and others was the third coronation in British history to involve a female sovereign following that of Queen Victoria, who was coronated 179 years ago. Following her coronation, her first act as Queen was creating her father Duke of Hanover in light of the latter's abdication, which was formalised on December 22.
Despite beginning her reign with considerable popularity and approval as a result of her grandmother's legacy and her pre-eminent popularity, Alexandra's personal popularity briefly deteriorated during the Jamal Khashoggi crisis, when her former relationship with the Saudi Crown Prince casted doubts on her perceived integrity. However, the complications from the crisis gradually softened overtime which more or less reinforced a positive outlook of the queen. On June 10th 2020, in light of the Black Lives Matter protests, Alexandra markedly introduced a long-awaited reform of the British peerages system, in which the British chivalry order formerly known as the Order of the British Empire was promptly renamed to the Order of British Excellence.
Upon her arrival at the RAF Northolt base in London, she was promptly escorted back to Buckingham Palace and spent some time conversing with the Prime Minister Theresa May regarding the preparations for her coronation. Keeping in line with tradition, and by the suggestion of the Queen Mother, the coronation date was to be held within two months into Alexandra's reign. On the 17th of December, she was formally crowned Queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey under the regnal name of "Alexandra". Her coronation, which was viewed by tens of millions in both the United Kingdom and others was the third coronation in British history to involve a female sovereign following that of Queen Victoria, who was coronated 179 years ago. Following her coronation, her first act as Queen was creating her father Duke of Hanover in light of the latter's abdication, which was formalised on December 22.
Despite beginning her reign with considerable popularity and approval as a result of her grandmother's legacy and her pre-eminent popularity, Alexandra's personal popularity briefly deteriorated during the Jamal Khashoggi crisis, when her former relationship with the Saudi Crown Prince casted doubts on her perceived integrity. However, the complications from the crisis gradually softened overtime which more or less reinforced a positive outlook of the queen. On June 10th 2020, in light of the Black Lives Matter protests, Alexandra markedly introduced a long-awaited reform of the British peerages system, in which the British chivalry order formerly known as the Order of the British Empire was promptly renamed to the Order of British Excellence.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
During her past years as princess, when she was not undertaking occasional state visits abroad on her father's behalf or attending public engagements, she would tend to immerse himself in her favourite activities such as swimming and playing football, in which her passion in football is exemplified by her exceptional record as team captain for her university's women's football team. In an interview in 2018, Alexandra confirmed the rumours regarding her alleged modelling career, to which she confirmed its authenticity, adding that her modelling pictures were kept private "on a mutual agreement".
Having been popularly dubbed as the "socialite princess" by her contemporaries, Alexandra was markedly known for her frequent works and affairs during her periodic visits to the Middle East. Reportedly, following her solo state visit, she fell in love with the Crown Prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, who is 14 years her senior and the two soon began a public relationship which lasted for four years. The relationship was routinely documented by both royals on their respective social media accounts and received much media coverage due to the staggering age difference. Shortly after their separation, Alexandra was then confirmed to had begun dating the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman who had then been recently appointed as the Minister of Defence for Saudi Arabia. While the pair were generally less public in their affair, Alexandra announced a sudden separation a day following the Jamal Khashoggi controversy. For an unspecified period, Alexandra faced several condemnations and criticisms for her past affair, while also receiving praises and commendations for her decision to end the relationship. In response, Alexandra then revealed the "hidden" and "unexpressed" nature of their former relationship, for she had strongly supported bin Salman's reforms on women's right in the country whilst reportedly expressing passive opposition against the latter's political conduct, particularly in Yemen.
In May 2019, footages of the queen's intimate moments in public with English model Rhys Pickering began to surface. Rumours of a relationship between the two were subsequently confirmed by Alexandra herself. In addition, it was confirmed that the couple had initially met during Alexandra's short-lived modelling career, but chose not to pursue a relationship as a result of Alexandra being in a relationship with the Crown Prince of Dubai. Four years later, in light of her infamous separation from the Saudi Crown Prince, the two decided to finally pursue a relationship, albeit in secrecy for the first few months. In celebrating Alexandra's birthday that year, the pair appeared on British Vogue's May 2019 cover. In the following November that year, the pair appeared once more on the magazine's November issue, marking the one year anniversary of their relationship. Furthermore, Alexandra is an active and distinct supporter and promoter of her boyfriend's modelling career, though she has persistently denied rumours of a possible return to modelling itself.
On the 21st of January 2020, she was made an Honorary Colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian Army by her maternal grandfather, King Harald V of Norway. Currently, she is third in the line of succession to the throne of Norway, succeeding her cousin Prince Olav in second place, and her uncle Crown Prince Haakon, the undisputed heir apparent. Furthermore, she has continuously held a high position in terms of popularity among the Norwegian public itself. Alexandra is additionally known for her keen and unwavering interest in books and poetry, in which some of her reading materials had been previously exhibited to the public. In 2017, she became a royal patron of several organisations and charities related to poetry and reading, such as the National Center for Reading and Wordsworth Trust.
Having been popularly dubbed as the "socialite princess" by her contemporaries, Alexandra was markedly known for her frequent works and affairs during her periodic visits to the Middle East. Reportedly, following her solo state visit, she fell in love with the Crown Prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, who is 14 years her senior and the two soon began a public relationship which lasted for four years. The relationship was routinely documented by both royals on their respective social media accounts and received much media coverage due to the staggering age difference. Shortly after their separation, Alexandra was then confirmed to had begun dating the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman who had then been recently appointed as the Minister of Defence for Saudi Arabia. While the pair were generally less public in their affair, Alexandra announced a sudden separation a day following the Jamal Khashoggi controversy. For an unspecified period, Alexandra faced several condemnations and criticisms for her past affair, while also receiving praises and commendations for her decision to end the relationship. In response, Alexandra then revealed the "hidden" and "unexpressed" nature of their former relationship, for she had strongly supported bin Salman's reforms on women's right in the country whilst reportedly expressing passive opposition against the latter's political conduct, particularly in Yemen.
In May 2019, footages of the queen's intimate moments in public with English model Rhys Pickering began to surface. Rumours of a relationship between the two were subsequently confirmed by Alexandra herself. In addition, it was confirmed that the couple had initially met during Alexandra's short-lived modelling career, but chose not to pursue a relationship as a result of Alexandra being in a relationship with the Crown Prince of Dubai. Four years later, in light of her infamous separation from the Saudi Crown Prince, the two decided to finally pursue a relationship, albeit in secrecy for the first few months. In celebrating Alexandra's birthday that year, the pair appeared on British Vogue's May 2019 cover. In the following November that year, the pair appeared once more on the magazine's November issue, marking the one year anniversary of their relationship. Furthermore, Alexandra is an active and distinct supporter and promoter of her boyfriend's modelling career, though she has persistently denied rumours of a possible return to modelling itself.
On the 21st of January 2020, she was made an Honorary Colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian Army by her maternal grandfather, King Harald V of Norway. Currently, she is third in the line of succession to the throne of Norway, succeeding her cousin Prince Olav in second place, and her uncle Crown Prince Haakon, the undisputed heir apparent. Furthermore, she has continuously held a high position in terms of popularity among the Norwegian public itself. Alexandra is additionally known for her keen and unwavering interest in books and poetry, in which some of her reading materials had been previously exhibited to the public. In 2017, she became a royal patron of several organisations and charities related to poetry and reading, such as the National Center for Reading and Wordsworth Trust.
TRIVIA
- Up until January 2003, Alexandra was generally referred to by the media as a Princess Royal, though the title itself is formally held by her aunt Catherine, a Crown Princess of Norway by marriage as to avoid confusion with that of her aunt whose marriage on that year resulted in the latter being made Duchess of Albany, thus leaving the younger Alexandra as the only "Princess Alexandra", though she was rarely referred to as such until her ascension as queen regnant in 2017.
- In one of her public interviews, Alexandra publicly disclosed that up until the age of 19, she was diagnosed with a mildly severe claustrophobia which was gradually cured with the help of her loved ones. In a similar interview, Alexandra also revealed that aside from her own mother language, she is also fluent in Norwegian, French, German, Arabic, Hebrew Irish, and Spanish by the age of 19.
- As a notable car enthusiast, Alexandra, in addition to her collection of state vehicles boasts a number of high-end and modest vehicles. As of now, she currently owns a McLaren Senna, a Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake, two Mercedes vehicles (CLS-Class C257 & SLS AMG), the Land Rover Discovery and an exclusive Lykan Hypersports sport car.
- As the reigning monarch from the German House of Hanover, she is currently the 11th monarch to simultaneously rule over both the United Kingdom and Hanover, starting with George I.
- As a health-conscious royal, Alexandra reportedly claimed that she had never touched or drank a "dip of wine" in the entirety of her life. She is also a stern advocate for a healthier lifestyle, having organized the first annual "Grand Charity And Lifestyle Walk" in 2017.
- Owing to her past as a former special forces operator, Alexandra was confirmed by her peers as being "highly skilled" in hand-to-hand combat and several martial arts technique. She also possess considerable capabilities in marksmanship.
- She is an extremely close friend of British singer-songwriter, Ellie Goulding. The two had first met during one of the latter's concerts and has since been frequently spotted together in public during their hangouts. In addition, both are active promoters of each other's cause and Goulding herself performed at Alexandra's 21st birthday and subsequent coronation that year.
- On an early dawn of October 10 2018, Alexandra endured a nearly successful kidnapping attempt which occurred during her routine morning jog. The Queen, who had been staying at the Holyroodhouse Palace in Scotland that day was quickly transported back to London. The five men involved in the attempt were alleged to had been personally hired by the Saudi Crown Prince in order to silence the queen following their recent separation, though this was persistently denied by either men.
- With the exception of her sister, both Alexandra and her younger twin brothers are coincidentally linked to a relationship with their respective fashion model partners. However, despite implying the nonexistence of a marriage prospect involving either of the three specific siblings, Alexandra reportedly once teased such possibilities by referring to her twin brothers' fashion model partners, British models Megan Williams and Lottie Moss as "my beloved sisters".
- In addition to her short-lived post-graduate career as a model, Alexandra reportedly contemplated on becoming an actress in honour of her beloved late grandmother whom had then recently passed away. Though she was able to briefly land a small role as a minor character in the British historical drama Downtown Abbey, her acting career was then cut short due to unspecified reasons. However, she briefly came close into portraying herself alongside her mother and sister in a planned reality show, Märtha's Little Angels which was terminated due to legality issues.
- Despite owning a hereditary collection of vintage automobiles, Alexandra is routinely seen with her black and gold 2012 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake, which had been gifted to her on her 16th birthday by her grandmother Lauren. In addition, she also has a male Persian cat named "Willy" as a pet.
- Historically, the 1996 Hanover Succession Act was granted royal assent and enacted at exactly 5 minutes following nationwide announcement of Alexandra's birth. As a result, the Kingdom of Hanover's 182 year old Salic Law system was ultimately abolished, thus affirming her position as heir apparent and subsequent monarch, thereby preserving the UK-Hanover union.
- Since coming of age, Alexandra has consistently expressed sympathies and support for the Jewish community in Britain, as a consequence of her partially Jewish roots in her paternal ancestry line. During the last two years of the presidency of Shimon Peres whom was the distant cousin of Alexandra's paternal grandmother, the two exchanged warm greetings and paid occasional state visits to one another's countries, with Peres himself reputedly acting as Alexandra's mentor in the Hebrew language. She later attended Peres's funeral in 2016 and is an avid supporter of the two-state solution, though she is privately an ardent critic of Peres's deputy, Benjamin Netanyahu whom is the incumbent Prime Minister of Israel since 2009.
- Though she was initially born with a brown-coloured hair, Alexandra later had her original hair colour changed to a blonde-colored one by the suggestion of her paternal grandmother who deemed her original hair colour as "unfitting" towards her purportedly radiant and bubbly personality.
TITLES & HONOURS
- 11 May 1996 - 13 October 2017: Her Royal Highness The Princess Alexandra
- 13 October 2017 - Present: Her Majesty The Queen
National & Commonwealth Honours:
- Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
- Sovereign of the Royal Family Order of King William V
- Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Charles III
- Sovereign of the Royal Guelphic Order
- Sovereign of the Order of St. George
- Sovereign of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
- Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick
- Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
- Sovereign of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
- Sovereign of the Most Gallant Order of British Excellence
- Sovereign of the Distinguished Service Order
- Sovereign of the Williamite Cross
- Sovereign of the Order of Canada
- Sovereign of the Order of Australia
- Sovereign of the Order of New Zealand
- Sovereign of the Order of Barbados
- Sovereign of the Order of St Lucia
- Sovereign of the Order of Solomon Islands
- Sovereign of the Order of Belize
- Sovereign of the Order of Antigua and Barbuda
- Sovereign of the Order of St Christopher and Nevis
- Sovereign of the Order of Grenada
- Sovereign of the Order of Tuvalu
- Sovereign of the Order of Puerto Rico
Foreign Honours:
- Knight - of the Order of the Golden Fleece
- Grand Cross With Collar - of the Order of St Olav
- Dame - of the Royal Family Decoration of King Harald V of Norway
- Recipient - of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Olav V
- Recipient - of the Royal House Centenary Medal
- Recipient - of the King Harald V Silver Jubilee Medal
- Member - of the Royal Order of the Seraphim
- Commander Grand Cross - of the Royal Order of the Sword
- Knight - of the Order of the Elephant
- Grand Commander - of the Order of the Dannebrog
- Collar - of the Order of Zayed
- Knight Grand Cordon with Collar - of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali
- Collar - of the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia
- Grand Collar - of the Order of the Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, and of Valour, Loyalty and Merit
- Grand Cross - of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
- Honorary Recipient - of the Order of the Crown of the Realm
- Grand Cross Special Class - of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Collar and Grand Order - of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
- Golden Medal - of Merit of Japanese Red Cross
- Golden Medal - of Honorary Member of Japanese Red Cross
- Member - of the Order of Mugunghwa
- Dame - of the Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Republic
- First Class - of the Order of the Islamic Republic of Iran
HER MAJESTY'S PROFILE
Full Name |
Alexandra Lauren Elizabeth William Hanover |
Age |
23 |
Born |
11:5:1996 |
Father |
William VI |
Mother |
Märtha Louise of Norway |
Spouse |
N/A |
Issue |
N/A |
Height |
1.69 metres |
Weight |
55 kilograms |
Hair Color |
Blonde |
Eye Color |
Hazel |
Religion |
Anglican Protestant |
