Principalities, kingdoms, duchies: the twelve European monarchies are as diverse as the continent itself. Between kings and queens there is even a bishop and a president.
A snapshot of the royal family from 2019
Andorra
The largest of the European miniature states in terms of area is located in a high valley in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. The monarchy of Andorra is an absolute specialty – because at its head there are two – non-noble – co-princes: the Spanish bishop of Urgell, who is the only prince-bishop in the world, and France's president, who is considered the legal successor to the former French kings .
Group picture with President and Bishop
This dual power dates back to the 13th century, when a dispute arose between the Bishop of Urgell, then lord of the area, and a wealthy French noble family who wanted to become independent from the Church. The dispute was eventually settled and co-rule began. The form of government is called “parliamentary monarchy”, the two current heads of state are Joan Enrico Vives i Sicìlia (Bishop of Urgell) and France's current President Emmanuel Macron.
Mountainous Andorra lives mainly in winter from tourism and draws Year-round masses of day tourists in the country – because there are very cheap alcohol and tobacco products here.
Belgium
King Philippe has been the Belgian head of state since 2013. He is not called “King of Belgium” – but “King of the Belgians”. And they are not his subjects but simply his compatriots. Another Belgian peculiarity: the heir to the throne is not automatically enthroned if his predecessor dies or abdicates. He first has to take the constitutional oath.
Philippe is married to Queen Mathilde, who is 13 years his junior. They have four children together: Crown Princess Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant, Princess Eléonore and the two Princes Gabriel and Emmanuel.
People like you and me: the Belgian royals
The Belgian royal family is close to the tabloid boring. It used to be different for Philippe's parents, Albert and Paola. To this day, an alleged illegitimate daughter of Albert is still demanding her rights, and Paola never missed a party in the wild 1960s. Again and again there were rumors about affairs of the king and queen and the inevitable paparazzi photos.
Today's royal family, on the other hand, is down-to-earth, takes their job seriously and Crown Princess Elisabeth is more conspicuous for her casual, elegant style than for scandalous stories.
Denmark
The Danish royal family is one of the oldest monarchies of the world – it was founded in 980 AD. In addition to the small country in Northern Europe, the national territory includes the Faroe Islands and the huge Greenland.
Queen Margrethe II has ruled the country since 1972. She descends from Harald Bluetooth, the first Viking king. Her eccentric demeanor is her trademark. Even in old age, she favors colorful and sweeping robes, rushes through receptions and likes to laugh remarkably loud. Her big vice: cigarettes, even though she has largely given up smoking in public. One of her most famous pieces of clothing is her brightly colored raincoat, which mercilessly accompanies her everywhere, even on a trip with the Norwegian royal couple. She paints and exhibits in galleries and museums – and the whole family is involved in charitable causes.
Queen Margrethe celebrating her 50th jubilee
Margrethe's husband, Prince Henrik, died in 2018, but the 82-year-old Queen is still alert and will celebrate her 50th anniversary in 2022. Their sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, provided for a large flock of grandchildren. Frederik has four children with his wife Mary, who is popular in Denmark. His brother Joachim brings two sons with him from his first marriage, his second wife Marie gave birth to another prince and princess. Fun fact: Mary and Marie not only have the same name. They look very alike and their birthdays are only one day apart.
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is unique in the world. Because prince and people share state power. For 300 years, the princely family has ruled over the small kingdom that lies between western Austria and Switzerland. The family is committed to sustainability for their country and promotes culture and science. The current head of state, Prince Hans-Adam II, has been in office since 1989. His wife Marie died in August 2021. Heir to the throne Alois, the eldest of the four princely children, is married to Crown Princess Sophie of Bavaria.
But the glamor couple of the family are Prince Maximilian and his elegant Princess Angela. She comes from Panama, has African roots and is a successful business woman. Since her marriage in 2000, she has been part of the European aristocracy, but not a target of the gossip press. She keeps her private life under wraps – as does the entire royal family.
Popular: Prince Hans- Adam of Liechtenstein
Nevertheless, there is no fear of contact between the princely house and the approximately 35,000 subjects. So it can happen that there are encounters with members of the royal family at the hairdresser, in a café or while hiking. The tone is cordial and down-to-earth, so the greeting of His Highness is sometimes: “Hoi Förscht” (Hello Prince). The national holiday is celebrated together, with the annual state ceremony in front of Vaduz Castle, followed by an aperitif in the rose garden and the big folk festival in the capital Vaduz.
Luxembourg
Head of state is His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri, Prince of Nassau, Prince of Bourbon-Parma. In short: Henri. He has been in office since 2000 and primarily has representative functions. He cannot pass laws – but proclaim them. He can dissolve parliaments and appoint ministers. But he has no political responsibility – true to the principle: “The Grand Duke rules, but he does not rule”.
Henri and Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
Always at his side is his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, a so-called “bourgeois” whose family comes from Cuba. She is committed to education, helps people with reading and spelling difficulties (her son Louis himself has dyslexia) and campaigns against violence against girls and women. While Henri is very popular with the people, she also makes negative headlines: in 2019, the so-called Waringo report accused Maria Teresa of causing fear and terror among the palace staff, there was talk of bullying and violence at court, the public prosecutor investigated and a moderate state crisis was the result. To date, the couple denies the allegations.
The two have five children, the eldest son of the couple is the Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, married to Princess Stéphanie, a Belgian count's daughter. Her son Prince Charles turned two in May 2022 and caused delight in the tabloids.< /p>
Monaco
The dwarf state in southern France on the Cote d'Azur is a symbol of wealth, luxury and glamour. The marriage between Prince Rainier and US actress Grace Kelly in the 1956s made sure of that. As Princess Gracia Patricia, she graced the front pages of the tabloid press and made the prince fade in comparison to her. The couple had three children: Caroline, Stéphanie and Albert. In 1982 she died in a tragic car accident. Their children – especially their daughters – kept the tabloids in suspense in the 1970s and 80s.
The Monegasque royal family
Today, Prince Albert II is in charge of government affairs. Prince and Parliament work together. Albert is married to Charlène Wittstock, a former swimmer from South Africa who is 20 years his junior. The couple has twins – this marriage does not seem to be very happy, Charlene can often be seen in photos with a tormented smile. However, both deny any rumors of a crisis and most recently (end of May 2022) showed up hand in hand at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Netherlands
The Dutch love their head of state – it's not for nothing that “Koningsdag” is celebrated every year on the king's birthday – a fun, boozy folk festival during which the royal family also travels through the country and visits communities in the provinces. King Willem-Alexander has been in office since 2013 and is therefore the successor to his popular mother Beatrix. He is married to Máxima, an Argentine with Spanish, Basque and Italian roots. They have three children: Crown Princess Amalia and Princesses Alexia and Ariane.
Popular with the Dutch: Die Royal Family
But even the “Oranjes” are not completely free of scandals: the whole country was pissed off when the royal couple took a trip to Greece in October 2020 despite the increasing number of corona. To appease the outraged citizens, they broke off their vacation, flew home and apologized in a video message. A novelty, because never before have members of the Dutch royal family shown themselves to be as remorseful as Maxima and Willem-Alexander.
Norway
King Harald V has ruled Norway since 1991. He has been married to Sonja Haraldsen since 1968. In 2021, the couple celebrated their 30th crown jubilee. Their two children are Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Märtha Louise. Haakon is married to the commoner Mette-Marit. The couple hit the headlines shortly before their wedding in 2001, when Mette-Marit's eventful past became known: she was already the mother of an illegitimate son, which caused a stir in Norway's public. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit had two more children together: Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway and Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway.
Royal and Traditional: The Norwegian Royal Family on National Day
While King Harald and Sonja perform their representative duties rather inconspicuously, the crown prince couple is under media observation. Sometimes it's Mette-Marit's weight problems, sometimes it's an alleged waste of taxes and Mette-Marit's drug history keeps coming up. The marriage of the two seems to be happy. The Norwegian royal family is closely linked to the Danish and Swedish royal families. Mette-Marit and the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria are best friends.
Sweden
The Swedish royal family maintains close ties to Germany. The reigning queen could have sprung from a fairy tale: At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, the hostess Silvia Sommerlath met the then Swedish Crown Prince Carl Gustav: The result: a love wedding in 1976 and a “German” queen! Carl Gustav has been King of Sweden since 1973. In 1980, the country was the first monarchy to change the law of succession and introduce gender-neutral succession rules.
Carl Gustav celebrates his 50th anniversary of the throne in 2023
Carl Gustav and Silvia have three children: Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine. All three got married civilly – which gives the family a certain closeness to the people. The royal family is very popular, the growing crowd of little princesses and princes is always a feast for the photographers, who also like to steal the show from their grandfather, such as on his 76th birthday on April 30, 2022. All eyes were on them Grandchildren addressed…
Spain
King Felipe VI has been in office since 2014. He succeeded his father Juan Carlos, who had resigned due to a bribery affair and other scandals. Felipe, his wife Letizia and their two daughters Leonor and Sofia resemble a true picture book family. To get to this point, Felipe, who was still a prince at the time, had to overcome a number of hurdles.
Bright from the egg peeled: the Spanish royals
After his parents had already rejected two of his former girlfriends because they were allegedly not befitting their status, Felipe met middle-class journalist Letizia Ortiz. Accompanied by a lot of media hype, the Spanish royal couple said yes on May 22, 2004. Of course, the beautiful Letizia was under close observation – her very slim silhouette repeatedly gave rise to speculation about an alleged anorexia.
Private matters only reach the public in a well-dosed manner. In August 2021, the photographers accompanied Crown Princess Leonor to the airport when she left for the posh boarding school in Wales – and in April 2022, the family visited accommodation for Ukrainian refugees in Madrid, attracting media attention.
Vatican City
< p>The Vatican City State is recognized as the smallest country on earth. With an area the size of around 60 football pitches, it is located in the heart of Rome and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its head of state is the Pope, who is also the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope Francis announces his “Urbi et Orbi” message at Easter
Pope Francis has held this office since 2013. The form of government is a so-called elective monarchy: the head of state is elected by the cardinals and loses office only through death or resignation. The Pope has legislative, executive and judicial powers. A separation of powers with another democratic institution, such as a parliament, does not exist – so there is an absolute monarchy in Vatican City.
United Kingdom
Queen Elizabeth II has been in office since 1952. She became Britain's Queen at just 25, making her Europe's longest-serving monarch. In April 2022 she turned 96 years old. But she will only celebrate her birthday together with her 70th anniversary of the throne from June 2, 2022. The British royal family is the most dazzling in Europe – and Elizabeth made sure of that. Her coronation in 1953 was like a huge media spectacle that was watched by 300 million people on television worldwide.
Queen Elizabeth in April 2022
The cameras never left the Queen. They also followed the Queen through her worst misfortunes and scandals – whether it was the antics of her sister Margaret, the drama surrounding her son Prince Charles and Lady Diana, the fatal accident of the popular princess, a fire at Windsor Castle, a sex scandal involving the son Prince Andrew, the separation of her grandson Harry from the family and finally the death of her husband Prince Philip in 2021.
- The biggest scandals of the British Royals
Abdication for love
Their love moved the world: Because King Edward VIII, as head of the Anglican Church, was not allowed to marry the divorced American Wallis Simpson, he abdicated after only 326 days. The couple finally got married – on June 3, 1937 at Candé Castle in France. The scandal plunged the British royal family into a serious crisis.
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Princess Margarets Divorce
Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II's sister, was one of the most dazzling personalities of the royal family: she loved parties, alcohol and affairs. She had two children with her husband, photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones. The couple separated in 1976. When the marriage was dissolved, Margaret was the first family member to divorce – since Henry VIII in the 16th century.
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Infidelity spouses
Not everyone believes that riding instructor James Hewitt was Lady Diana's first extramarital affair. Rumor has it that she had a relationship with her bodyguard, Barry Mannakee, in the 1980s. Simultaneously with Prince Charles' admission of being unfaithful, Lady Diana also admitted her misdemeanor with Hewitt.
- The biggest scandals of British royals
Royale “Marriage in three”
Prince Charles' marriage to Lady Diana, who had sons William and Harry, failed. Their marital war made intimate secrets public. In a BBC interview, when asked if Camilla Parker Bowles was a “factor” in the marriage's failure, Diana said: “Well, there were three of us in that marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” Finally, Prince Charles led Camilla to the altar.
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The silence the Queen
In 1997, when Lady Di and Charles were already divorced, Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed were involved in a car accident. All of Great Britain was shocked, but for a long time there was no word of sympathy from the palace. The British experienced a cold-hearted royal family, one in four supported the abolition of the monarchy at the time. Only days later did the Queen approach the mourning people.
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Prince Harry in a Nazi costume
Long party nights with drug and alcohol escapades earned Harry, Prince Charles' younger son, the nickname “Dirty Harry” early on . Harry once made the headlines stark naked. But the picture of 20-year-old Prince Harry, disguised as Field Marshal Rommel complete with a swastika armband, went around the world. A treat for the scandalous press.
Interview with explosive force
50 million people around the world followed the interview of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. On US television, they made serious allegations against the British royal family and accused them of, among other things, racist mind games. When she was pregnant with son Archie, Meghan said there were concerns “how dark his skin might be when he was born”.
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The Queen breaks her silence
The racism allegations by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are making waves: The Queen takes the allegations “very seriously”, Buckingham Palace has now announced. The royal family is “sad about how difficult the past few years have been for Harry and Meghan”. The allegations would now be “worked up privately” by the family. Can the Queen use it to put out the fire?
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Prince Andrew sex scandal
Is Prince Andrew, the second eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and ex-husband of Sarah Ferguson, involved in the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal and has a 17- year old girl abused? A US court should now clarify this. Even before the trial, this is a great loss for the British royal family. But Queen Elizabeth will endure this scandal too – also because she is his mother.
The Queen survived everything with demonstrative and unshakable composure. The 70th anniversary of the throne – the platinum jubilee – is celebrated for four days in Great Britain – for the British there is an additional day off.