Princess Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg, (née
Alexandra Christina Manley, formerly Princess Alexandra of Denmark; born 30 June 1964) is a former member of the Danish Royal Family
as the former wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark
.
, Czech 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; died Jan. 2010) and Christa Maria Manley (née Nowotny
of Czech and Austrian descent, born in Austria
in 1933). She 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 studied at the private English Schools Foundation
run Island School
for her secondary education.
Manley studied international business
at universities in Austria
, Japan
and the United Kingdom
. It is not known whether she has obtained a 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.
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
's Chaplain-in-Ordinary, 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 changed her religious affiliation. Alexandra, an Anglican, received instruction in the Evangelical Lutheran faith
and was confirmed prior to her wedding.
Prince Joachim and Alexandra have two children from their former marriage:
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 German, 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". Despite growing up and being educated in Hong Kong, Alexandra never learned to speak Mandarin Chinese or Cantonese.
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.
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 of $330,000.00 (US) started retroactively from 1 October 2004. The couple divorced on 8 April 2005.
), who is a photographer and the son of Jacob Jørgensen. Jacob Jørgensen is well known in Danmark for his film production company JJ Film, which produced numerous documentaries in which members of the Royal Family co-operated and participated.
She married Martin Jørgensen on 3 March 2007 and therefore forfeited her title as a "Princess of Denmark". She is now named as Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg.
In 2007 the Countess of Frederiksborg joined the Danish board of directors
of Ferring Pharmaceuticals
.
, 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, Duke of Cambridge.
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). The title Countess of Frederiksborg is given the rank of Class 1, which entitles Alexandra to the style of "Excellency". The title is personal (unlike the title of Princess) and was threrefore not revoked, nor did it become dormant, when Alexandra remarried in March 2007. Like a life peerage in the United Kingdom, it will not be inherited by her children.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Alexandra Christina Manley, formerly Princess Alexandra of Denmark; born 30 June 1964) is a former member of the Danish Royal Family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
as the former wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark
Prince Joachim of Denmark
Prince Joachim of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the younger son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark....
.
Early life
Of British, ChineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
, Czech and Austrian
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
ancestry, Alexandra Manley was born in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, as the eldest of three daughters of Richard Nigel Manley
Manley
-Places:* Manley, Cheshire, England* Manley, Devon, England* Manley, Minnesota, USA* Manley, Nebraska, USA* Manley Hot Springs, Alaska, USA-People:* Abe Manley, Negro League Baseball owner* Alexandra Christina Manley...
(born in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 1924 to a British father and Chinese mother; died Jan. 2010) and Christa Maria Manley (née Nowotny
Nowotny
Nowotny is the German spelling of the common Czech surname Novotny, also widespread in Austria and Germany.People with this surname include:* Robert A...
of Czech and Austrian descent, born in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1933). She 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 studied at the private English Schools Foundation
English Schools Foundation
The English Schools Foundation is an organisation that runs 20 educational institutions, most of which are international schools, which are all located in Hong Kong...
run Island School
Island School
Island School is a co-educational non-profit international school in Hong Kong. The campus is situated in the Mid-Levels district of Hong Kong on 20 Borrett Road...
for her secondary education.
Manley studied international business
International Business
International business is a term used to collectively describe all commercial transactions that take place between two or more regions, countries and nations beyond their political boundary...
at universities in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is not known whether she has obtained a 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.
First marriage and children
Alexandra met Prince JoachimPrince Joachim of Denmark
Prince Joachim of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the younger son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark....
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
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. 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
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
's Chaplain-in-Ordinary, 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 changed her religious affiliation. Alexandra, an Anglican, received instruction in the Evangelical Lutheran faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and was confirmed prior to her wedding.
Prince Joachim and Alexandra have two children from their former marriage:
- His Highness Prince Nikolai William Alexander FrederikPrince Nikolai of DenmarkPrince Nikolai William Alexander Frederik of Denmark, Count of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the elder son of Prince Joachim and his former wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg...
, born on 28 August 1999 - His Highness Prince Felix Henrik Valdemar ChristianPrince Felix of DenmarkPrince Felix Henrik Valdemar Christian of Denmark, Count of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the younger son of Prince Joachim and his former wife, Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg...
, born on 22 July 2002
Life as a princess
Alexandra instantly became popular with the Danish people. Known for her fashion sense and charity work, she was dubbed the DianaDiana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
of the North. She is a native English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
speaker (through her father and mother, respectively), and her fluency in German helped her pick up the Danish language
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority 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 German, with the glottal stop
Glottal stop
The glottal stop, or more fully, the voiceless glottal plosive, is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. In English, the feature is represented, for example, by the hyphen in uh-oh! and by the apostrophe or [[ʻokina]] in Hawaii among those using a preservative pronunciation of...
… 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". Despite growing up and being educated in Hong Kong, Alexandra never learned to speak Mandarin Chinese or Cantonese.
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
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
to visit HIV/AIDS patients.
Separation and divorce
By the summer of 2004, rumours were circulating throughout DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and neighbouring Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
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
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
decided to put Alexandra on the civil list
Civil list
-United Kingdom:In the United Kingdom, the Civil List is the name given to the annual grant that covers some expenses associated with the Sovereign performing their official duties, including those for staff salaries, State Visits, public engagements, ceremonial functions and the upkeep of the...
for life, independent of her possible future remarriage. Alexandra's payments of her new yearly allowance of $330,000.00 (US) started retroactively from 1 October 2004. The couple divorced on 8 April 2005.
Second marriage and current life
In the summer of 2005 there were reports and pictures of Alexandra together with 14 years younger Martin Jørgensen (b. 2 March 1978 in ValbyValby
' is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. Located in the southwestern corner of Copenhagen Municipality, it is a heterogeneous mixture of different types of housing - including apartment blocks, terraced housing, areas with single-family houses and allotments, as well as remains...
), who is a photographer and the son of Jacob Jørgensen. Jacob Jørgensen is well known in Danmark for his film production company JJ Film, which produced numerous documentaries in which members of the Royal Family co-operated and participated.
She married Martin Jørgensen on 3 March 2007 and therefore forfeited her title as a "Princess of Denmark". She is now named as Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg.
In 2007 the Countess of Frederiksborg joined the Danish board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Ferring Pharmaceuticals
Ferring Pharmaceuticals
Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical company that specializes in the development and marketing of drugs for use in human medicine.It was founded by Frederik Paulsen Sr in Malmö, Sweden, in 1950, initially as the Nordiska Hormon Laboratoriet, renamed Ferring in 1954. A ferring in Frisian is a...
.
Names, titles and styles
English
- 30 June 1964 – 18 November 1995: Miss Alexandra Christina Manley
- 18 November 1995 – 8 April 2005: Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Denmark
- 8 April 2005 – 30 June 2005: Her Highness Princess Alexandra of Denmark
- 30 June 2005 – 3 March 2007: Her Highness Princess Alexandra of Denmark, Countess of Frederiksborg
- 3 March 2007 – present: Her Excellency Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg
Danish
- 30 June 1964 – 18 November 1995: Frøken Alexandra Christina Manley
- 18 November 1995 – 8 April 2005: Hendes Kongelige Højhed Prinsesse Alexandra af Danmark
- 8 April 2005 – 30 June 2005: Hendes Højhed Prinsesse Alexandra af Danmark
- 30 June 2005 – 3 March 2007: Hendes Højhed Prinsesse Alexandra af Danmark, grevinde af Frederiksborg
- 3 March 2007 – present: Hendes Excellence Alexandra, grevinde af Frederiksborg
Style and titles after her divorce
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 a different solution than what was done with Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, 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, Duke of Cambridge.
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). The title Countess of Frederiksborg is given the rank of Class 1, which entitles Alexandra to the style of "Excellency". The title is personal (unlike the title of Princess) and was threrefore not revoked, nor did it become dormant, when Alexandra remarried in March 2007. Like a life peerage in the United Kingdom, it will not be inherited by her children.
Denmark
- Knight of the Order of the ElephantOrder of the ElephantThe Order of the Elephant is the highest order of Denmark. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in 1849, is now almost exclusively bestowed on royalty and heads of state.- History :A Danish religious...
(RE) - Silver Jubilee Medal of Queen Margarethe of Denmark
- Queen Margrethe's portrait en miniature (this is not a family order, but a personal decoration by the queen)
Foreign
- Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (SVR SR)
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of RomaniaOrder of the Star of RomaniaThe Order of the Star of Romania is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania...
- Grand Cross of the Civil and Military Order of Merit of Adolphe of Nassau
External links
- Official Website of the Countess of Frederiksborg
- About us - Board of directors: Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg - website Ferring Pharmaceuticals