Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Paloton

Alexandra
Duchess of Paloton
Tenure	18 December 2000 – Present
Born	7 March 1960 (age 64) Arcadia, Lihnidos
Spouse	Philip Claudius, Count of Durolipons (m. 1983)
Issue	Kathleen Irene Donus Sandra
Full name Alexandra Peony Sofia Damara
House	Vasiliou
Father	Daemon of Edacia
Mother	Selene II of Lihnidos
Religion	Fabrian Catholic

Alexandra (Alexandra Peony Sofia Damara, born 7 March 1960) is a Princess of Lihnidos and the Duchess of Paloton. She is the third child and second daughter of Empress Selene II of Lihnidos and Daemon of Edacia. Currently, Alexandra is twenty-eighth-in-line for the Lihnidosi throne in the unofficial line of succession.

Alexandra was born at Saint Maria's Hospital in the Lihnidosi capital of Arcadia on 7 March 1960. She was raised as fourth-in-line to the throne behind her elder sister and brother, Teresa and Nikolai, and her mother. She entered Saint Anna's School for Girls at the age of five and attended the school for primary and secondary education. Upon graduating secondary school she went on to attend Aigis University, one of the highest regarded universities in the country. She graduated in 1983 at the age of twenty-three with a Bachelors Degree in Applied Economics.

Following the death of her grandmother, Stella I, Alexandra became third-in-line for the throne behind her sister and brother. As is tradition, Alexandra was given much of the same tutoring in national policy and governmental affairs as her sister had been in order to be prepared for the possibility that she became the crown princess. By the time of her mother's death in 2000, Alexandra was eighteenth-in-line for the throne.

Early Life and Education

Alexandra was born on 7 March 1960 in room 590 of Saint Maria's Hospital in Arcadia at 3:52 PM BST. She was the third child of Crown Princess Selene and Daemon of Edacia, the first son of Grand Duchess Jacinda of Ithaca. At the time of her birth she was fourth-in-line for the throne. She was baptized on 13 March 1960, with her aunt, Princess Penelope, as her Godmother and her uncle, Clio of Ithaca, as her Godfather. She was baptized into the Fabrian Catholic Church at the Imperial Palace's private chapel with a small number of close family members in attendance.

Alexandra spent her early life alongside her sister and brother being groomed for rule. While she was not expected to become the crown princess, she was prepared in the event that unforeseen consequences resulted in her ascension. At the age of five she was enrolled at Saint Anna's School for Girls in central Arcadia. Saint Anna's, a private Fabrian Catholic school, was one of the most prestigious schools in the city. She attended Saint Anna's throughout her primary education and half of her secondary education. At the beginning of her third year in secondary school, she was unexpectedly moved to Vathurion Academy, a college preparatory school outside the Arcadia city limits.

Following her time at Vathurion, Alexandra was accepted into Aigis University. Alexandra was the first in her family to attend Aigis, one of the most highly respected universities in the nation. She studied for a Bachelors Degree in Applied Economics and graduated in 1983 at the age of twenty-three. During her time at Aigis, Alexandra remained out of the public eye and was not involved in any extracurricular activities. Her private nature persisted later in life.

Role as Princess and Duchess

Alexandra's place as fourth-in-line for the throne at the time of her birth put her in a unique position. While not expected to inherit the throne, as her older sister Teresa was the presumed favorite, she was tutored and given the same lessons as her older sister and brother for the unlikely event that she was selected as crown princess by her mother. In her youth she attended many events with her mother and siblings, putting her in the public eye frequently. It became evident as she was subject to more invasive press as she grew older that she was a shy girl who wished to keep her life private. Despite her apparent desire to remain out of the public eye, she still attended many events into her late teenage years.

In 1978 Alexandra attended Aigis University in Phthiotis near the Lihnidosi-Vannosian border. During her time at university she rarely attended events with her mother and sister, both of which remained in Arcadia during her years at university. From 1978 to 1983 Alexandra was rarely seen with her family or in public as she kept a low profile at university by refraining from extracurricular activities and limiting her appearances at events. She returned to the public eye after she graduated from university in 1983 and returned to Arcadia. During the years she attended university she was still expected to participate in events, as she had been elevated to the defacto third-in-line to the throne in 1978 after the death of her grandmother, Empress Stella I, despite that fact that her sister had already had twin daughters and her brother a son. The ascension of her mother to the throne saw her sister Teresa selected as the crown princess. Alexandra seemed to defy tradition by being absent from several events that she should have attended with her sister even when she was in Arcadia during breaks from her classes. Regardless, Alexandra was granted the title Countess of Kerkespontos by her mother in 1980.

In 1980 Crown Princess Teresa had another daughter. While Alexandra had technically descended to seventh-in-line to the throne at this time, the young age of Teresa and Nikolai's children meant that Alexandra was still expected to fulfill the duties as her sister's spare despite the chances of her taking the throne minimal. It was the opinion of many royal insiders at the time that she continued to neglect these duties, which one palace insider claimed angered her mother and sister.

On 2 October 2000, Alexandra's mother, Empress Selene II, passed away at the age of eighty-two. Her sister ascended to the throne as Empress Teresa, and selected her first daughter, Stella, as her designated heir. As Stella was twenty-three at the time, she was also selected as her Teresa's auxiliary on the Crown Council. Alexandra was granted the title Duchess of Paloton by Teresa on 25 December 2000, only a little over two months after her ascension. Her position as Duchess of Paloton allowed her to claim a seat on the Crown Council and prompted her to relocate from Arcadia to Preveza.

As twenty-eighth-in-line to the throne, her presence at most royal functions is not required, however she does occasionally attend royal events in the capital and around the country.

Personal Life

Alexandra has kept out of the public eye in an attempt to keep her life, as well as the lives of her children, private. While she is seen at events occasionally, she has made it a point to limit her exposure to the press and refuses to do interviews. Her desire to keep her life private is believed to have caused tension between her and her sister and mother in her early twenties, however following the death of her sister Empress Teresa in 2007 she began to appear alongside her niece, Empress Stella II, more often.

Alexandra married Philip Claudius in 1983. Their marriage is believed to have been arranged by her mother and Philip's father Isidorus, however the initial introduction to the proposal is believed to have been done by Philip's aunt and uncle, the Latin Empress Diana and Latin consort Leo. It is believed the two first met at Messenia Palace in western Lihnidos in January of 1982 and that the marriage was held off until she had graduated from university. The couple had their first child, Kathleen, on 21 June 1984. In the following years they had three more children, Irene in 1986, Donus in 1988, and Sandra in 1992. According to the Imperial Palace at the time of his birth, Donus would take the Claudii name in order to be eligible to inherit titles from his father. The couple's three daughters would keep the Vasiliou name to be eligible to inherit titles from their mother's side of the family. Donus was still to be granted the title Prince of Paloton on the insistence of his mother.

Alexandra is a practicing Fabrian Catholic, although she does not regularly attend church like many other members of her family. Alexandra is not officially a member of any of the political parties in Lihnidos and has maintained her status as independent. Her mother's unapologetic support of right-wing policies during her time as Empress is known to have angered her brother, Prince Nikolai, and could have been a further factor in Alexandra's chilly relationship with her sister.

Titles, styles, and honors

Titles and styles

Styles of The Duchess of Paloton
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Reference style	Her Imperial Highness
Spoken style	Your Imperial Highness
Alternative style	Her Highness

• 7 March 1960 - 11 August 1980: Her Imperial Highness Princess Alexandra of Lihnidos
• 11 August 1980 - 18 December 2000: Her Imperial Highness Princess Alexandra of Lihnidos, Countess of Kerkespontos
• 18 December 2000 - present: Her Imperial Highness Princess Alexandra of Lihnidos, Duchess of Paloton

Honors

• Grand Cross of the Order of the Dolphin <imgur w="50">LABZeN8.png</imgur>

Ancestry

Family of Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Paloton

16. Tarasios Michaelides 8. Antilochus Michaelides 17. Catherine Barla 4. Klaus Michaelides 18. Jaison Demopoulou 9. Katharyn Demopoulou 19. Dorinda Leka 2. Daemon of Edacia 20. Leandro Spanos 10. Nilo of Borarta 21. Countess Cherise of Borarta 5. Duchess Cascadia of Edacia 22. Homer Apostolos 11. Duchess Anthea of Edacia 23. Duchess Eirene of Edacia 1. Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Paloton 24. Stelios Kellis 12. Ajax Kellis 25. Bellanca Zane 6. Theoclymenus of Messenia 26. Andres of Borarta 13. Grand Duchess Isaura of Messenia 27. Grand Duchess Deianira of Messenia 3. Selene II of Lihnidos 28. Haemon Samaras 14. Philip Samaras 29. Timandra Delli 7. Stella I of Lihnidos 30. Cleytus of Epidion 15. Desdemona of Lihnidos 31. Athanasios II of Lihnidos

See also

Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Paloton House of Vasiliou Born: 7 March 1960
Lines of succession
Preceded by Princess Larissa of Lihnidos	Succession to the Lihnidosi throne 28th in line	Followed by Princess Kathleen of Paloton
Regnal titles
Vacant 2nd creation extinct in 1796 Title last held by Duchess Nikoleta of Paloton	Duchess of Paloton 2000–present	Incumbent Heir: Princess Kathleen of Paloton