Elisabeth of Autelia
| Elisabeth | |
|---|---|
| Queen of Autelia | |
| Reign | 14 February 2015 - present |
| Investiture | 6 June 2016 |
| Predecessor | Henri IV |
| Spouse | Joachim, Prince Consort |
| Issue Detail |
Aurélien, Crown Prince Princess Madeleine Princess Gabrielle Prince Louis |
| Full name | |
| Elisabeth Marie Sophie Helena | |
| House | House of Astier (by birth) Württemberg (by marriage) |
| Father | Henri IV |
| Mother | Princess Marie of Schaumburg-Lippe |
| Born | 5 May 1987 Cavaillon, Autelia |
| Signature | 
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Elisabeth, Queen of Autelia (Elisabeth Marie Sophie Helena; born 5 May 1987) is the reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Autelia, and head of the House of Astier. She ascended the throne on 14 February 2015, at the age of 28.
Born and raised in Autelia, Elisabeth was the daughter of Crown Prince Henri and Crown Princess Marie. She decided to attend the University of Perugia in Italy to study for a degree in Law and Linguistics, where she met her future husband, the then-Prince Joachim of Württemberg. After a courtship of six years, they officially announced their engagement in 2011, and were married the following year in Cavaillon.
Elisabeth is mother to the couple’s four children: Crown Prince Aurélien, Princess Madeleine, Princess Gabrielle and Prince Louis. The family mainly reside at the Palais Royal in Cavaillon, however they also spend time in Port-Charles and Württemberg.
The princess is known for her keen interest in the environment and languages, having participated in various competitions in both areas during her youth, and her status as Patron of both the Autelian Environmental Fund and the Institut She supports many charities in Autelia, and has her own charity herself, the Queen’s Enterprise Fund, which works with young entrepreneurs and businesspeople.
Biography
Princess Elisabeth Marie Sophie Helena of Autelia was born at 5:53am on May 5, 1987 in Cavaillon, Autelia. Her mother is Queen Marie The Queen Mother, the former-Princess Marie of Schaumburg-Lippe, and her father was King Henri IV of Autelia, the then-Prince Henri. She has two younger sisters, Princess Désirée (b. 1992) and Princess Amélie (b. 2000), and a younger brother, Prince Joseph (1996-2001), who died of leukaemia, aged 4. She was named for her mother, her maternal aunts (Princess Elisabeth of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess Sophie of Schaumburg-Lippe) and her maternal grandmother, Princess Helena of Greece and Denmark.
She began her studies at the University of Perugia in 2005, choosing a course in Law and Linguistics, specialising in international law studies, and taking Spanish and Italian as her languages of study. She had been studying there for a few months when she met an older third-year student at a university function, Prince Joachim of Württemberg. Sharing mutual friends, they met each other again a couple of times before deciding to date each other. They officially began a relationship in 2006, announcing it via a joint statement. Elisabeth graduated in 2009 and the couple decided to move to Rome, living in a shared apartment in the city, and returning to their respective home countries on a regular basis.
In 2010, after six years of courtship, Joachim proposed to Elisabeth in Rome, and they became engaged on December 24, 2010. They announced their engagement to the press on January 9, 2011 and preparations for the wedding officially began. Representatives from both Autelia and Württemberg worked together on the ceremony, and it was decided it would be held in the Cathédrale National in Cavaillon, Autelia. The date was set for January 21, 2012. Upon their marriage, they were created Duke and Duchess of Borbeuges. It has been discovered that Elisabeth and Joachim are 3rd cousins, 1x-removed, as they are both descended from Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe (1834-1906) and his wife, Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau (1837-1902).
A year later, the couple’s first child Aurélien was born. They continued taking part in engagements for both Autelia and Württemberg, occasionally including Aurélien in their duties.
After having been suffering privately with lung cancer for a couple of years, her father King Henri passed away on February 14, 2015. Elisabeth, Joachim and Aurélien were all in Württemberg visiting family at the time, so they had to make a quick retreat to Autelia for Elisabeth’s confirmation as monarch.
Shortly after, the couple announced Elisabeth’s second pregnancy, and in December of 2015, she gave birth to twins, Princess Madeleine and Princess Elisabeth. As the couple’s life became more centred on state affairs, the family permanently moved to the Palais Royal in Cavaillon and ceased undertaking duties for the Kingdom of Württemberg.
On June 6, 2016, Joachim and Elisabeth were officially invested as Prince Consort and Queen of Autelia in a public ceremony attended by various international dignitaries.
The couple’s fourth child, Louis, was born in November of 2017.
Activities
Elisabeth attended school at l'École de Notre Dame Marie la Vièrge, a modern school where she could fit in without special treatment, which she plans for her children to attend. Elisabeth attended high school at l'École Gabrielle-Roy, and studied at the University of Perugia, where she graduated with a degree in Law and Modern Foreign Languages (Spanish and Italian).
Elisabeth undertook her constitutional duties assiduously as heiress to the throne, hosting many official events in Autelia and participating in all events of different sectors and aspects of Autelian public life as required. Elisabeth has held regular meetings with constitutional bodies and state institutions keeping up-to-date with their activities. She also attends meetings of the various bodies of the Central Administration and of the Conseille Internelle as required by her national and international constitutional obligations. Elisabeth has welcomed as many public and private audiences as possible to maintain Crown interaction in national and international affairs. In particular, she has held meetings with people of her generation who are building successful careers in political, economic, cultural and media circles. On occasions when Queen Emma or King Henri were unable to attend respectively, Elisabeth presided over the annual presentation of dispatches to officers and non-commissioned officers in the Armed Forces as well as participating in military exercises held by the three Armed Services.
Elisabeth has made many official visits to the rest of Europe and the Francophonie, as well as to countries in the Arab World, the Far East, and Australia, maintaining a special interest in all matters relating to the European Union, la Francophonie, the Middle East and North Africa. Following the 13 December 2006 Madrid bombings, Elisabeth, along with her cousins Caroline and Maxence, took part in a public demonstration. Until the point of becoming Crown Princess, she was a strong force in the Greenpeace movement, and campaigned regularly on various issues championed by Greenpeace. It remains as one of her main charities, and she is the Patron of the Autelian Section.
Elisabeth speaks five languages. She was brought up speaking French with her father and paternal family, and German with her mother and maternal family; She speaks a mix of French and German with her siblings. She began studying Italian as one of her university degrees, she continued to expand her vocabulary during the years she lived in Italy with her then-boyfriend Prince Joachim - they also speak it with their children. She also speaks Spanish as part of her university degree. She also speaks (to varying degrees) English, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.
Issue
Elisabeth and Joachim have four children:
- His Royal Highness Prince Aurélien, the Crown Prince (Aurélien François Alexandre Henri; b. 2013)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine (Madeleine Emma Marie Hélène; b. 2015)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Gabrielle (Gabrielle Anne Désirée Christiane; b. 2015)
- His Royal Highness Prince Louis (Louis Joachim Guillaume Antoine; b. 2017)
Titles and styles
- 5 May 1987 - 21 January 2012: Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth of Autelia
- 21 January 2012 - 18 October 2013: Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Borbeuges
- 18 October 2013 - 14 February 2015: Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Autelia
- 14 February 2015 - present: Her Majesty the Queen of Autelia
