True Love Marriages

[Denville]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

Funny. Albert and Charlène. The last couple I would pick as "true love marriage". We all remember the tensions shortly before and during the wedding.

I think a lot of that was media nonsense. But All the same, I doubt if it is True Love, in that Albert has been having a relationship with the woman who gave him a on, for soem time not that long before the wedding, as far as I know. And I suspect that Albert after seeing his sisters' marriages, wanted an heir of his own..

[Skippy]

Originally Posted by Denville

I think a lot of that was media nonsense. But All the same, I doubt if it is True Love, in that Albert has been having a relationship with the woman who gave him a on, for soem time not that long before the wedding, as far as I know. And I suspect that Albert after seeing his sisters' marriages, wanted an heir of his own..

You mean Nicole Coste, mother of his son Alexanre? I doubt if it was anything more than a one night stand or at least a very short relationship.
But at least he has acknowledged his out-of-wedlock children, which has my respect.
Him and Charlène true love? I don't know. I do believe them to be much happier now that they have children, though.

[Denville]

I understood that he spent time with the child and there was something of his pursuing the papers because they had pictures of him with his son..I don't know how old his son is, but not very old, so this thing with Nicole must have been not too far away from his getting inot a relationship with Charlene. I think if I were her, I'd be uneasy, marrying him. However, I believe they have their children and are probably now settled into married life. But I feel that Albert put off marriage till quite late and perhaps if his sisters had had more stable marraiges, and love lives, he would have left them to provide the heirs to the throne...

[Skippy]

Originally Posted by Denville

I understood that he spent time with the child and there was something of his pursuing the papers because they had pictures of him with his son..I don't know how old his son is, but not very old, so this thing with Nicole must have been not too far away from his getting inot a relationship with Charlene. I think if I were her, I'd be uneasy, marrying him. However, I believe they have their children and are probably now settled into married life. But I feel that Albert put off marriage till quite late and perhaps if his sisters had had more stable marraiges, and love lives, he would have left them to provide the heirs to the throne...

Alexandre was born on August 24, 2003, so he is three days shy of his 13th birthday.

[Denville]

But IIRC he was living with Charlene for some time before they married...I don't suppose she's bothered about his previous children..

[Skippy]

Originally Posted by Denville

But IIRC he was living with Charlene for some time before they married...I don't suppose she's bothered about his previous children..

No, I don't think so either.

Anyway, this is veering too much off-topic.

[Countessmeout]

Alexander is 13. According to Nicole they met in 1997 and dated a few years but broke up. Alexander came years later from a simple tryst around Albert's birthday. Any actual dating was long over by his birth (DNA 2 years later in 2005). He and Charlene started in 2006, when Alex was 3. Nicole says he stopped seeing his son in 2005. Nicole and her 3 sons (2 older sons) live in the UK.

[Mirabel]

Originally Posted by Denville

I dont know much about the Scandinvian royals, is there any reason why you say that you dont think Fred and Mary of Denmark and Haakon and Mette Marit are in love? Is is the social and cultural gaps?

It has nothing to do with social and cultural gaps, and everything to do with rumored other interests.

[Osipi]

There are some couples that when they marry, you can just tell from their expressions and their interactions with each other that they're a couple that deeply love each other. One case of this would be Victoria and Daniel at their wedding. There is no mistaking the emotions between these two and it has only grown stronger as the years passed and the children arrived.

Another indication is to watch a couple grow towards each other as the years after the wedding passes. To see them having obvious obstacles in their paths and working to overcome them and grow stronger together. True love isn't the mushy, hands in each other's back pockets and goo-goo eyes at each other but the willingness to love each other enough to work through whatever problems present themselves. There is never the fact that one loved their spouse "more" than the other did but the love is a common bond that can withstand anything thrown at it and endures not in spite of mistakes made but because of mistakes made and resolved. Its getting through the "I love you but I really don't like you much right now" times that true love grows.

[Curryong]

Originally Posted by Mirabel

I agree. In fact, I'm also surprised at some of the other choices for a true-love match-

Mary and Frederik?

Haakon and Mette-Marit?

Even if you disregard the gossip (which I never do), those matches wouldn't strike me as good examples of true love.

I see a lot of royal marriages as strictly one way, if that.
More often it seems like a convenience- with the royal making a choice and the other person falling in.

I agree. Someone told me once that there is an old proverb, maybe Spanish, which says 'In every relationship there is the one who offers their cheek and the one who kisses it,' and I think at least one of the above illustrates that, especially Haakon and MM.
I agree with most of people's other choices, Letizia and Felipe, Willem Alexander and Maxima, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are especially devoted among today's royal couples.

[LadyRohan]

Originally Posted by Curryong

I agree. Someone told me once that there is an old proverb, maybe Spanish, which says 'In every relationship there is the one who offers their cheek and the one who kisses it,' and I think at least one of the above illustrates that, especially Haakon and MM.
I agree with most of people's other choices, Letizia and Felipe, Willem Alexander and Maxima, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are especially devoted among today's royal couples.

With all due respect, anyone who thinks that the Norwegian Crown Princely couple are not very, very much in love, have no insight into issues surrounding the Royal Family. One could argue that the King and Queen were a lovematch, and it was, but as a marriage, it has been an open secret that it has been a sometimes bumpy ride. The Crown Prince and Princess however, are so visibly in love at every public or private occasion, that to doubt their devotion to each other, is frankly to doubt love itself.
I'm not sure I can think of a couple more suited for each other, but then again, ranking love is a pointless exercise :)

At any rate, Haakon and M-M are very, very much in love, and as far as I can tell, so are most heirs in European royal houses these days. Quite likely that's a product of actually being allowed to marry the one that makes you happy.

[Denville]

Originally Posted by Mirabel

It has nothing to do with social and cultural gaps, and everything to do with rumored other interests.

Does that mean seeing other people? I don't think you can always tell from seeing people in public. OK if a marriage gets very bad, it can be hard for the couple to hide their distaste, and outsiders may disagree as to what looks like "loving looks".... I think Will and Kate are in love, but in a very quiet way, not demonstrative.. and probably not very intense.
but with regard to Haakon and MM, I can't help feeling that he's probably more in love? after all she has a lot to gain, in her position, from his wanting to marry her.

[lucien]

True love marriage??

Beatrix & Claus

Harald & Sonja

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by lucien

True love marriage??

Beatrix & Claus

Harald & Sonja

I agree and would like to add Baudouin & Fabiola.

Back then, in the days of arranged and equal marriage, it was a real struggle to stand up for your love match. Especially the commoner bride or groom had no idea of the world he or she would get into and it was new territory.

The new generation knew what was at stake, especially after what happened to the mother of all unhappy princesses, Diana.

I have no doubt that those new generation couples are in love, but the difference for me is that the bride and grooms were somewhat much better prepared and interested in the job, maybe even actively looking for it, or like the attention or the fact that they can present their virtues on a world stage.

In my opinion, most women of the new generation, who have a good sense of duty and are going a good job, like Maxima, Mary, Letizia, wouldn't have looked twice if the guy had not been a CP but a carpenter.

[Lee-Z]

imo True Love:
Beatrix&Claus
Victoria&Daniel
Baudouin&Fabiola
Naruhito&Masako

I like this definition

Originally Posted by Curryong

'In every relationship there is the one who offers their cheek and the one who kisses it,'

and think this applies for lot's of couples (not necessarily a bad thing because it can work out quite well) like:
W-A&Maxima
Haakon&M-M
Frederik&Mary
William&Catherine
Felipe&Letizia
Juliana&Bernhard (although that wouldn't be a relationship i'd like to be in)

Not the big romantic love but grown together over the years to be really great couple (maybe a better base than above):
Philip&Mathilde
Constantijn&Laurentien

I don't know where i'd put Albert& Charlene...their marriage sometimes seems a mix of friendship/love/business-agreement to me...

[Biri]

Originally Posted by Lee-Z

Not the big romantic love but grown together over the years to be really great couple (maybe a better base than above):
Philip&Mathilde
Constantijn&Laurentien

So they know each other from childhood?

[Lee-Z]

Originally Posted by Biri

So they know each other from childhood?

I didn't say that perse, but they are together for a lot of years now

[Skippy]

Originally Posted by LadyRohan

With all due respect, anyone who thinks that the Norwegian Crown Princely couple are not very, very much in love, have no insight into issues surrounding the Royal Family. One could argue that the King and Queen were a lovematch, and it was, but as a marriage, it has been an open secret that it has been a sometimes bumpy ride. The Crown Prince and Princess however, are so visibly in love at every public or private occasion, that to doubt their devotion to each other, is frankly to doubt love itself.
I'm not sure I can think of a couple more suited for each other, but then again, ranking love is a pointless exercise :)

At any rate, Haakon and M-M are very, very much in love, and as far as I can tell, so are most heirs in European royal houses these days. Quite likely that's a product of actually being allowed to marry the one that makes you happy.

Do you *have* that insight? Interesting.

That Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit have had no visible bumpy rides doesn't mean they haven't had any. The visibility of the love doesn't always say something about the status of the relationship. Just saying.

I recognize your fierceness, though

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

I agree and would like to add Baudouin & Fabiola.

Back then, in the days of arranged and equal marriage, it was a real struggle to stand up for your love match. Especially the commoner bride or groom had no idea of the world he or she would get into and it was new territory.

The new generation knew what was at stake, especially after what happened to the mother of all unhappy princesses, Diana.

I have no doubt that those new generation couples are in love, but the difference for me is that the bride and grooms were somewhat much better prepared and interested in the job, maybe even actively looking for it, or like the attention or the fact that they can present their virtues on a world stage.

In my opinion, most women of the new generation, who have a good sense of duty and are going a good job, like Maxima, Mary, Letizia, wouldn't have looked twice if the guy had not been a CP but a carpenter.

That's worth considering, although there is no attainable proof whatsoever.
With Mary I am able to imagine something like it. Máxima a little less, Letizia I don't know. I know so little about her.

Originally Posted by Lee-Z

imo True Love:
Beatrix&Claus
Victoria&Daniel
Baudouin&Fabiola
Naruhito&Masako

I like this definition

and think this applies for lot's of couples (not necessarily a bad thing because it can work out quite well) like:
W-A&Maxima
Haakon&M-M
Frederik&Mary
William&Catherine
Felipe&Letizia
Juliana&Bernhard (although that wouldn't be a relationship i'd like to be in)

Not the big romantic love but grown together over the years to be really great couple (maybe a better base than above):
Philip&Mathilde
Constantijn&Laurentien

I don't know where i'd put Albert& Charlene...their marriage sometimes seems a mix of friendship/love/business-agreement to me...

I think many of us have come to regard big romantic love by the public displays of it. Like "we see enough to be convinced that it's the real deal".
I think the couples I have bolded are especially strong because of the subtlety of their love.

Although Philippe and Mathilde and Constantijn and Laurentien are not exactly compatible due to their positions.

Originally Posted by Biri

So they know each other from childhood?

Originally Posted by Lee-Z

I didn't say that perse, but they are together for a lot of years now

Constantijn and Laurentien must have known each other since childhood, since their mothers were already friends when Princess Beatrix was studying.

[Marengo]

Out of curiosity: what is a definition of 'true love'? Something like the Harlequin novels?

IMHO it is likely that most of the royal generation that got married after the 1950-ties will have done so motivated by love (save a few exceptions). If this love lasted for a lifetime or not will only be known by the couples themselves.

[Skippy]

Good question. True love is by no way a Harlequin novel description. That is more romantic, star-crossed love. Every couple has its ups and downs, that's only natural, and whether they survive is generally dependent on multiple factors.

A few ingredients of true love are, IMO, compatibility, resilience, willingness and communication. At least a couple must have a solid foundation to fall back on.