Royal Births
23 February 1960: Prince Naruhito is the eldest son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. He is first in line to the Chrysanthemum throne. He has one brother and one sister. He studied at Gakushuin University in Tokyo and Oxford University in England. The prince married Masako Owada on 9 June 1993. The couple has one daughter, Princess Aiko (b. 2001). (See Masako Owada below.)
15 April 1960: Prince Philippe of Belgium is the eldest son of King Albert II of Belgium and Queen Paola. He has one sister and one brother. He attended universities in the UK (Oxford) and USA (Stanford), obtaining a Master of Arts in Political Science from the latter in 1985. He married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz on 4 December 1999. They have four children, Princess Elisabeth (b. 2001), Prince Gabriel (b. 2003), Prince Emmanuel (b. 2005) and Princess Eléonore (b. 2008). As heir apparent to the Belgian throne, he is also known as Duke of Brabant.
4 February 1962: Prince Abdullah of Jordan (later Abdullah II) is the son of King Hussein (then Crown Prince Hussein) and Princess Muna Al Hussein. He studied at the Islamic Educational College in Amman, and later attended schools in England and the USA. In 1980, he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to start his military training. A year later, he received his commission as a 2nd LT and remains a member of the military to this day. He married Rania al Yassin on 10 June 1993. They have four children, Prince Hussein (b. 1994), Princess Iman (b. 1996), Princess Salma (b. 2000) and Prince Hashem (b. 2005). He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father, King Hussein. King Abdullah II has tried to maintain the same policies as his late father.
4 February 1962: Moulay Mohammed of Morocco (later Mohammed VI) is the son of the late King Hassan II and his wife Lalla Latifa Hammou. He has one brother and three sisters. Mohammed received a B.A in law at the College of law of the Mohammed V University in Rabat in 1985 and in 1993 he obtained his PhD from the French University of Nice Sophia Antipolis. He ascended to the throne 23 July 1999. In a televised address to the people, King Mohammed VI promised to fight poverty and corruption while creating more jobs and improving human rights. In 2004, he enacted a new family law which gave more power to women. King Mohammed VI married Salma Bennani on 21 March 2002, giving her the title of Princess because the constitution does not allow for a Queen consort. The couple has two children, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan (b. 2003) and Princess Lalla Khadija (b. 2007).
9 December 1963: Masako Owada (later Princess Masako) is the daughter of Hisashi Owada, a senior diplomat and President of the International Court of Justice. She has two sisters. Masako attended various foreign schools while accompanying her parents on their missions. As a result, she is fluent in Japanese, French and English and is able to converse in Russian, German and Spanish. Masako attended Oxford and Harvard Universities. Although Masako wished to pursue a career with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she was instead persuaded to marry Prince Naruhito. The couple wed on 9 June 1993. After eight years of marriage and miscarriages, Masako give birth to a daughter, Princess Aiko (b. 2001). In 2003, Princess Masako began looking like a shadow of her former self and had to reduce the number of activities she was performing. Prince Naruhito had to publicly admonish the IHA before they would admit that Princess Masako was suffering from a psychological illness they termed 'adjustment disorder' which they attributed in part to the pressures of life at the palace. Another stress factor was Masako’s inability to conceive a male heir. It is difficult to assess what part Kiko's pregnancy and the shelving of the equal primogeniture law in 2006 played in Masako's illness. Nonetheless, with appropriate treatment and her husband and daughter's support and encouragement, Princess Masako slowly recovered from her illness to start resuming her official duties in January 2009.
30 November 1965: Prince Fumihito (later Prince Akishino) is the second son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. He has one brother and one sister. Akishino studied at Gakushuin and Oxford Universities and has a Ph.D in Ornithology. On 29 June 1990, Prince Fumihito married Kawashima Kiko, the daughter of Kawashima Tatsuhiko, professor of economics at Gakushuin University and his wife, Kazuyo. Upon his marriage, he received the title, Prince Akishino. They have three children, Princess Mako (b. 1991), Princess Kako (b. 1994) and Prince Hisahito (b. 2006). Prince Akishino spoke out against the Crown Prince when Naruhito defended and supported Masako during her illness. It is widely perceived that Kiko received in vitro fertilization so the couple could produce a male heir, and shortly after Kiko's pregnancy was announced, plans to change the succession law were canceled. Since the birth of Hisahito (third in line to throne), Prince Akishino has been viewed as receiving preferential treatment from the IHA and given assignments fit for a crown prince.
11 September 1966: Kiko Kawashima (later Princess Kiko) is the daughter of Kawashima Tatsuhiko, a professor of economics at Gakushuin University and his wife, Kazuyo. Kiko learned English and German as a young girl while her father was studying and doing research abroad. She attended Gakushuin University where she met Akshino. She completed her studies after they were married, receiving an MA in Psychology in 1995. Kiko was chosen as one of the Young Global Leaders for 2007. (See Prince Fumihito above.)
27 April 1967: Prince Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands (later Prince of Orange) is the son of Queen Beatrix and the late Prince Claus (1926-2002). He has two brothers. He became Prince of Orange when his grangmother, Queen Juliana abdicated on 30 April 1980 and his mother, Beatrix, became Queen regnant. Prince Willem-Alexander is an honorary member of the World Commission on Water, a patron of the Global Water Partnership and a member of the IOC. On 2 February 2002, he married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti. They have three daughters, Princess Catharina-Amalia (b. 2003), Princess Alexia (b. 2005) and Princess Ariane (b. 2007).
29 October 1967: Princess Sophie of Bavaria (later Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein) is the daughter of Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria, and Swedish Countess Elisabeth Douglas. Princess Sophie, Duchess in Bavaria married Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein (see below) on 3 July 1993 at St. Florin's in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. They have four children, Prince Joseph Wenzel Maximilian Maria (b. 1995), Princess Marie-Caroline Elisabeth Immaculata (b. 1996), Prince Georg Antonius Constantin Maria (b. 1999) and Prince Nikolaus Sebastian Alexander Maria (b. 2000).
30 January 1968: Infante Felipe of Spain (later Prince of Asturias) is the son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. He has two sisters. As heir apparent to the throne he became known as Prince of Asturias in 1977. He attended schools in Spain, Canada and the USA. He studied economics and foreign service. He participated in military exercises in all three branches of the service. He married TV reporter, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, on 22 May 2004 in Madrid. They have two daughters, Infanta Leonor (b. 2005) and Infanta Sofía (b. 2007).
26 May 1968: Prince Frederik of Denmark is the son of Queen Margrethe II (then the Crown Princess of Denmark) and Prince Henrik. He has one brother. On 14 January 1972, he became Crown Prince Frederik when his mother acceded to the throne as Queen Margrethe II. He studied political science at Harvard University. He received an MSc in Political Science from the University of Aarhus. He has completed extensive studies and training in all three branches of the military and remains active in the service. On 14 May 2004, Prince Frederik married Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, a marketing consultant from Tasmania whom he met during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They have two children, Prince Christian (b. 2005) and Princess Isabella (b. 2007).
11 June 1968: Prince Alois of Liechtenstein is the eldest son of Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein and his wife/cousin Marie Aglaë, Countess Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. In 1993, he earned a Masters degree in law from the University of Salzburg. In May 1996, he settled in Vaduz to manage his father's finances and to take a more active role in his princely duties. Prince Alois married Princess Sophie, Duchess in Bavaria (see above) on 3 July 1993. They have four children, Prince Joseph Wenzel Maximilian Maria (b. 1995), Princess Marie-Caroline Elisabeth Immaculata (b. 1996), Prince Georg Antonius Constantin Maria (b. 1999) and Prince Nikolaus Sebastian Alexander Maria (b. 2000). Prince Alois has been regent of Liechtenstein since 15 August 2004.