Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway celebrates her birthday in August
August is traditionally quiet on the royal front. The summer holidays beckon and as the rest of us head off for a bit of a break, the royals do exactly the same leaving a great big gaping hole where the photos, smiles and appearances usually go. But that's not to say a royal fix will be hard in August because it's also a bumper month for birthdays. Get the cards ready, here are 12 royals who will be celebrating in August.
Prince Louis of Luxmbourg is 31 on August 3rd 2017
Louis Zavier Marie Guillaume was born on August 3rd 1986 in Luxembourg. He is the third son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, who were still heirs at the time of Louis' birth. He went to school in Luxembourg and Switzerland. The past year has been a sad one for Louis - his union with Tessy Antony ended with the couple announcing they were parting after 11 years of marriage. The couple has two sons together, Noah and Gabriel.
Charlotte Casiraghi is 31 on August 3rd 2017
Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi was born on August 3rd 1986 in Monaco, the second child and first daughter of Princess Caroline and her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi. Her father died when she was four and Charlotte went to live in France with her mother and two brothers. Charlotte attends major events in Monaco with her family. She has a son, Raphael, from her relationship with French actor, Gad Elmaleh.
Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson is 74 on August 3rd 2017
Christina Louise Helena was born on August 3rd 1943 at the Haga Palace, near Stockholm, the fourth daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and his wife, Princess Sybilla. Soon after the birth of her only brother, the future King Carl XVI Gustaf, her father died. Christina married Tord Gosta Magnuson in 1974 and gave up her HRH title as a result.The couple has three sons. The past year has seen Princess Christina being treated for chronic leukaemia.
Princess Beatrice of York is 29 on August 8th 2017
Beatrice Elizabeth Mary was born on August 8th 1988 at the Portland Hospital in London, the first child of Andrew, Duke of York and his then wife, Sarah. She went to school in Berkshire and university in London. In the past year there has been debate about whether she and her sister, Eugenie, should become full time royals but for now Beatrice's appearances are limited to major events like Trooping the Colour as well as a handful of engagements for charities she is involved in.
Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau is 49 on August 11th 2017
Mabel Martine Wisse Smit was born on August 11th 1968 in Pijnacker in the Netherlands to Hendrik Los and his wife, Florence. Her father died when she was young and she took her stepfather's surname when her mother married Peter Wisse Smit in 1984. She married Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands in 2004 after her future husband had given up his rights to the throne following controversy about their relationship - the Dutch Prime Minister said that the couple had given incomplete information about Mabel's relationship with a drugs dealer, Klaas Bruinsma. Mabel and Johan Friso had two daughters. The prince died in 2013, eighteen months after a ski-ing accident which had left him in a coma. Princess Mabel has worked in the fields of humanitarianism for many years.
Princess Anne, The Princess Royal is 67 on August 15th 2017
Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born on August 15th 1950 at Clarence House, London, the second child and first daughter of the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Her mother became Queen in 1952 and Anne was second in line to the throne for eight years before the birth of her brother, Andrew. She won the European Eventing Championship in 1971 and competed in the 1976 Olympics. She married Captain Mark Phillips in November 1973 and they had two children, Peter and Zara. Following their divorce, Anne married Timothy Laurence. The Princess Royal carries out hundreds of public engagements every year and is also known for her work with Save the Children. She now has three granddaughters.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is 44 on August 19th 2017
Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby was born on August 19th 1973 in Kristiansand, Norway to Sven Hoiby and his wife, Marit. Her parents divorced when she was young and she grew up in Kristiansand. She had a son, Marius, in 1997 and she was a controversial royal fiancee when her engagement to Crown Prince Haakon Magnus was announced in 2000. They married in August 2001 and have two children together, Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus. The Crown Princess is now a popular member of her country's Royal Family and has a high profile with public engagements and her work to improve literacy and increase awareness of HIV/AIDS.
Prince Gabriel of Belgium is 14 on August 20th 2017Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie was born on August 20th 2003 in Anderlecht, Belgium, the second child and first son of the then heir to the throne, Philippe, and his wife, Mathilde. Gabriel's father became King of the Belgians in July 2013 and he is now second in line to the throne. He attends school in Belgium and is taking on an increasing number of public appearances with his family.
Princess Maria Laura of Belgium is 29 on August 26th 2017
Maria Laura Zita Beatrix Gerhard of Belgium, Archducess of Austria-Este was born on August 26th 1988 in Woluwe-St-Lambert in Belgium. She is the second child and first daughter of Princess Astrid of Belgium and her husband. Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este. She wasn't a Princess of Belgium at birth, acquiring that title and succession rights in 1991 with a change in the law. Her grandfather, Albert, became King of the Belgians in 1993 and abdicated in favour of her uncle, Philippe, in 2013. Maria Laura makes very few public appearances and is currently studying.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is 73 on August 26th 2017
Richard Alexander Walter George was born on August 26th 1944 in Northamptonshire, the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and his wife, Alice. He is the youngest of the grandchildren of King George V and Queen Mary.He studied architecture at Cambridge and was set for a career in that field when his older brother, William, was killed in an air crash in 1972 making Richard heir to their father. He became Duke of Gloucester on Henry's death in 1974 and has carried out a wide range of public engagements on behalf of the Queen ever since. He married Birgitte van Deurs in 1972 and the couple has three children and six grandchildren.
Prince Nikolai of Denmark is 18 on August 28th 2017
Royal grandchild coming of age alert. Yes, you're really int the royal grandparents club when you have a second generation descendant hitting eighteen and that's what will happen to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark this August. Nikolai William Alexander Frederik was born on August 28th 1999 at the University Hospital of Copenhagen. He is the first child of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra. His parents divorced when he was five and they had joint custody of Nikolai and his younger brother, Felix. He is now a student and appears with his family on major royal occasions.
Anne-Marie of Greece is 71 on August 30th 2017
Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark was born on August 30th 1946 in Copenhagen, the third daughter of the then Crown Prince, Frederik, and his wife, Ingrid. Her father became King of Denmark in 1947 and she grew up in Copenhagen with her sisters, Margrethe and Benedikte. She married King Constantine of Greece in 1964 just months after his accession to the throne. The couple went into exile in 1967 and raised their five children in London. They now have nine grandchildren.
Photo credit: Grand Cour Ducale
