User:Jamesinderbyshire/Sandbox/PrincessElisabeth

Elisabeth, Princess of Thurn and Taxis (born Princess Elisabeth Margarethe Maria Anna Beatriz of Thurn and Taxis) is a princess of the German Thurn und Taxis House. She is probably the first member of royalty to be a regular blogger, writing "The Princess Diaries", which appears in the London-based "Finch's Quarterly Review", an online journal about high fashion, the arts and wealthy lifestyles. The blog contrasts her "relative normality" as a writer and editor, living and working in London, with a (sometimes) globetrotting socialite lifestyle.

Biography
Princess Elisabeth was born on March 24, 1982 at Schloss St. Emmeram in Regensburg, the daughter of Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis and Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis.

The Princess has two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother:
 * Princess Maria Theresia Ludovika Klothilde Helene Alexandra of Thurn and Taxis, born November 28, 1980 in Regensburg
 * Prince Albert Maria Lamoral Miguel Johannes Gabriel of Thurn and Taxis, born June 24, 1983 in Regensburg, who succeeded his father in 1990 as Albert II, Prince of Thurn and Taxis.

Elisabeth was educated in England in Sevenoaks, Kent and has a B.A. from the American University of Paris. She has lived in many countries and now resides in North-West London, where according to her blog, she is looking for a new flat.

In her childhood, the princess and her siblings were frequent guests of Michael Jackson, something Elisabeth recalled in her blog after his death, in which she strongly defends Jackson's reputation. "I couldn’t imagine Michael hurting a fly, let alone a friend."

Her mother Gloria acted as regent for her underage son Albert, now the head of the princely House of Thurn und Taxis. During her regency Princess Gloria controlled the $2 billion-plus Thurn und Taxis fortune. Albert is often cited as one of the world's richest men - Forbes "The World's Billionaires 2009" for example lists him as the 318th richest. Princess Elisabeth herself does not appear on rich lists, but has frequently featured in socialite diary items and appears as an "heiress" in Vanity Fair's "Fortune's Children" piece in June 2009, photographed by Bruce Weber. "I think it's a huge privilege to be able to use the access that we have in an interesting way" she said, discussing a book about art collectors she is writing in collaboration with Alex Flick.

The Princess is a committed Catholic - Pope Benedict is a family friend - and has written for the British Catholic Herald about the revival of traditional religious communities in France. She signed a 2008 petition asking the bishops of England and Wales to provide more Latin Sunday Masses in the extraordinary form known as the Tridentine Rite, favoured by the new Pope.

Princess Elisabeth likes the form of Pilates known as "True Pilates". Speaking on their website, she said "I truly love this form of exercise and recommend it to anyone looking for a balanced workout and a healthy body awareness." She also has a Facebook page, unusually for a member of Royalty.

A Note on German titles
Although the German Federal government does not recognize "noble" or "royal" status per se, members of the former royal, princely, and noble houses of German descent use their "titles" which the German government regards as last names. As a courtesy and for ease of use, female members of these families use the feminized version of the family name. There is no existing monarchical class system in Germany, Austria, or the nations once part of the former Habsburg or Hohenzollern empires.