Princess Geraldine of Albania
| Princess Geraldine | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 22 October 2020 Tirana, Albania | ||||
| |||||
| House | Zogu | ||||
| Father | Leka, Prince of Albania | ||||
| Mother | Elia Zaharia | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||
Princess Geraldine of Albania (Geraldine Sibilla Francesca Susan Marie; born 22 October 2020) is a member of the House of Zogu, the defunct Albanian royal family, and represents the dynasty's fourth generation.
Life
Princess Geraldine was born at 9:30 pm on 22 October 2020 at the Queen Geraldine Maternity Hospital in Tirana. The princess is the daughter of Leka, Prince of Albania and Elia Zaharia, and was named after her great-grandmother Queen Geraldine, as the princess was born on the eighteenth anniversary of the Queen's death.[1] Leka is the only child of Leka, Crown Prince of Albania and his Australian-born wife Crown Princess Susan, and is the current pretender to the defunct Albanian throne.
Geraldine was baptised on 2 January 2023 in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Annunciation, Palatine Chapel of the Palace of the Brigades in Tirana. Her godparents are Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg and family friend Thomas Frashëri.[2][3]
In January 2024, Geraldine's parents both confirmed that they were getting a divorce, which was finalised on 25 April.[4] Her father remarried on 15 March 2026 to his girlfriend Blerta Celibashi in a private civil ceremony at Apponyi Castle in Slovakia.[5]
Dynastic honours
- Grand Cross of the Order of Besa (28 January 2023)[6]
- Grand Cross of the Order of Skanderbeg (28 January 2023)[6]
Ancestry
| 8. Zog I of Albania | |||||||||||||||
| 4. Leka, Crown Prince of Albania | |||||||||||||||
| 9. Countess Géraldine Margit Apponyi of Nagy-Appony | |||||||||||||||
| 2. Leka, Prince of Albania | |||||||||||||||
| 10. Alan Robert Cullen-Ward | |||||||||||||||
| 5. Susan Cullen-Ward | |||||||||||||||
| 11. Phyllis Dorothea Murray-Prior | |||||||||||||||
| 1. Princess Geraldine of Albania | |||||||||||||||
| 6. Gjergj Polikron Zaharia | |||||||||||||||
| 3. Elia Zaharia | |||||||||||||||
| 7. Yllka Mujo | |||||||||||||||
References
- ^ "Prince Leka's wife gives birth (in Albanian)".
- ^ "Christening of HRH Princess Geraldine of Albania". Sovereign Military Order of Malta Embassy to Albania. 28 January 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Communiqué de la Maison Royale" (in French). Albanian Royal Court. 28 January 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Henni, Janine. "Royal Couple Announces Divorce After 8 Years of Marriage in Separate Statements". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ Allen, Abby (15 March 2026). "European prince ties the knot in 'intimate' ceremony after 5-month engagement". Hello Magazine. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b Richer, Juliette (28 February 2023). "Géraldine d'Albanie à la fête pour son baptême" (in French). Pointe de Vue. Retrieved 15 March 2026.