Vanessa Walker, Duchess of Valtoria
| Riley | |
|---|---|
| Duchess of Valtoria | |
| File:Lady Riley Lopes.png Lady Lopes in 2021 | |
| Full name
Riley Mae[fn 1] | |
| Born | Miss Riley Mae Lopes 5 November 1993 The Bronx, Bronx County, New York, New York, United States |
| Noble family | Beaumont |
| Fiancé | King Liam |
| Father | Immanuel Lopes |
| Mother | Joan Lopes |
| Religion | Judaism |
Her Royal Highness Riley, Duchess of Valtoria (Riley Mae;[fn 1] born 5 November 1993), is an American-born member of the Skavandian royal family as the fiancée of King Liam Skavand and likely future queen consort.
Born in The Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York, United States, she was raised in a working class family and attended The Bronx High School of Science and later the University of New York. Riley graduated with honors and a bachelor in communications and international relations in 2016. She worked as a waitress at a local Bronx café in 2009 until she accepted a job in 2018 as a congressional secretary for the office of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the United States House of Representatives from The Bronx and Queens. Riley later quit after one year, unsatisfied with political life. She eventually returned to waitressing in Midtown Manhattan.
Riley is a non-relative member of the House of Beaumont. She met Lords Maxwell Beaumont and Drake Walker while waitressing at Windows on the City, a Manhattan restaurant they were for a bachelor party for then-Prince Liam, Prince of Skavand. She was invited to attend the 2021 social season in Cordonia, a yearly event held from March–May. Speculation rose after she was invited to attend that she was going to join the opportunity to compete with noblewomen to court Liam; every social season women within the royal social circle compete to court the heir apparent as the Constitution of Skavand states that a prince or princess must be married by the age of 30 to inherent the Skavandian throne. After the press leaked photos of King Liam and Riley on Liberty Island, Riley was considered a serious suitor to the then-Prince. Beaumont House later confirmed the speculation. Riley officially moved to Cordonia in March 2021 and became Lady Riley Lopes, Countess Beaumont.
During the 2021 social season, tabloids described Riley as "the Bronx princess" and were fond of her previous life before becoming Skavandian nobility. She gained high praise from the monarchy after winning the Appleblossum festival, being crowned "Apple Queen" by Queen Regina, King Liam's stepmother. After two months with the Skavandian advisory court, Riley was involved in a sex scandal with Tariq Al-Saadi which damaged her reputation and she was removed from the Applehouse Ball 2021. Before the scandal, she was considered to be chosen as King Liam's fiancée. A week after the scandal, she rejoined the court and attended the coronation ball of King Liam and his new fiancée Madeleine and subsequent functions.
During the world engagement tour of the King and fiancée consort, Tariq did a press statement and defended Riley and exposed that the sex scandal was a set-up to devoid Riley of a courtship and reign with the King. Vogue described it as the "...most upset in the Ryan royal family in 100 years..." The royal advisory court officially cleared Riley's reputation on May 1, 2021. Later that evening in New York City while attending a UN summit, the press secretary for King Liam announced that his engagement with the Countess ended. On May 21, 2021, the King and Lady Riley announced their engagement.
Early life and education
Riley was born on 5 November 1993 in The Bronx, Bronx County, New York, New York, United States, to Joan (née Kennedy), former member of the the New York City Council from the 18th district; and Immanuel Lopes, corporate banker. She is the half-niece of American rapper Lisa Lopes through her father Immanuel. Her father is the younger half-brother of Lisa's father, Ronald Lopes. Asked about the connection while with Prince William at the annual derby races in Cordonia in May 2021, Riley said that her father is not close with his brother of the immediate family of Lisa Lopes and that she has never met the singer.
Private career
Countess Beaumont
Lopes–Al Saadi scandal
Engagement to King Liam
Public image and character
Personal life
Riley has suffered from major depressive disorder.
Titles, styles, honors, and arms
Titles and styles
- 1993–2021: Miss Riley Mae Lopes
- March 2021–May 2021: Her Grace Lady Riley Mae Lopes, Countess Beaumont
- May 2021–present: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Valtoria
Notes, references and external links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Since Riley became the Duchess of Valtoria, she no longer needs to use a last name but may choose to do so. Since The Duchess is not yet a Skavandian citizen, she has not been issued a passport; she has an American passport which still uses her birth name of Riley Mae Lopes. This is due to American nationality law which does not recognize foreign titles. The press secretary said that once Riley marries King Liam, her American passport will read Riley Mae Ryan. Her Skavandian permanent residency card reads Her Royal Highness Riley Mae The Duchess of Valtoria, her legal name and title in Skavand.