We must add one more date to the calendar of future royal weddings. Following the announcements of engagements of Prince Georg of Liechtenstein and Princess Maria-Nives von der Leyen, and Samuel Chatto, grandson of Princess Margaret, and Eleanor Ekserdjian, there will now be a royal wedding in the Principality of Monaco. Alexandra of Hanover has become engaged to her boyfriend, Ben-Sylvester Strautmann.
At 27, the daughter of Caroline of Monaco and Ernst August of Hanover thus ends a long drought of wedding drought in Monaco after this announcement that crowns a decade of dating. The good news was announced by the young woman herself through her Instagram account, with a carousel of images that the princess and writer humorously titled: “The Matrimonial Plot.” And she added up to eight yellow heart emojis.
In it, Alexandra appears proudly showing her fiancé — of German origin, founder of a digital agency and former basketball player in Monaco’s youth team — and also the engagement ring. The jewel features a 4.8-carat fancy yellow diamond chosen by her fiancé. ‘Fancy’ is a designation used for diamonds that display natural colors. It is a custom design by Antinori di Sanpietro in yellow and white gold with an estimated value of 175,000 euros.
Her post immediately received innumerable enthusiastic reactions. “I am so happy for you,” commented her sister-in-law Beatrice Casiraghi, visibly moved. In the comments section, other family members such as Louis Ducruet and Camille Gottlieb, and close friends such as Olympia of Greece or Kitty Spencer, niece of the late Princess Diana of Wales, were among those replying.
Alexandra and Ben: the prodigious decade
Over the last ten years, the press has reported on the discreet romance between Alexandra of Hanover and Ben-Sylvester Strautmann. And she has allowed us a glimpse at their courtship through her social networks. Whether during a trip to Cuba with Caroline of Monaco or attending the final of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, last April.
Alexandra shows off her ring with her dachshund Eloise in her arms.
It was in Monaco, at a charity race, where the two young people met. The granddaughter of Grace Kelly was then 17 years old. Her fiancé, almost 18. Soon, the two became inseparable. A few months later, in March 2017, the couple made their first appearance before the world during a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match at the Louis II Stadium.
It took a few months to see Ben-Sylvester Strautmann formally enter the Grimaldi family, accompanying Alexandra of Hanover to the Rose Ball, Monaco’s premier charity event. Since then, the German-born young man has attended almost all acts, official or not, perfectly integrated into the princely family. That said, always, though, slightly in the background, as to let Alexandra take center stage.
Their shared passion for sport
Lovers of sport, especially athletics, Ben and Alexandra enjoy competition and often participate in marathons. However, basketball holds a special place in the heart of Ben-Sylvester Strautmann, as it was his youth passion. Ben grew up in Munich, but spent his adolescence in Monaco, where his parents moved when he was only 10 years old. At 1.96 meters tall, he could have devoted his life to this sport, but he ultimately chose another path. He left the Rock to move to London to study business administration at King’s College.
Now their wedding with Alexandra of Hanover will be the first in the Grimaldi family in the last seven years. The previous one was Louis and Marie Ducruet’s. Where and when will the couple say ‘I do’? What style of dress will the young princess choose? And what jewels will she wear on the big day? For these questions, we still do not have answers.
