Her Serene Highness Princess Angela of Liechtenstein (3 February 1958 in Bocas del Toro, Panama) is the wife of Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein. Princess Angela is the only black Princess in a reigning European dynasty.
Angela was born Angela Gisela Brown, the daughter of Javier Francisco Brown and Silvia Maritza Burke. After having finished primary school and high school in New York, Miss Brown studied fashion at Parsons School of Design, where she was awarded the Oscar de la Renta Gold Thimble Award. After working for a fashion designer in New York and starting her own label, A. Brown, she sold her practice after three years. Angela worked for Adrienne Vittadini, an American fashion designer, where she worked as a manager of fashion until September 1999.
Very cool – I had no idea.
I sure would have liked to see some of the Princess’ family in that YouTube montage, however.
I am not what you would call a royal watcher, but I too wouldn’t mind seeing more of Princess Angela and her family.
Princess Angela has got to be the best kept secret in the American black community. Her marriage wasn’t even noted in most of the American black press (I don’t know how it is in Europe – I understand that the Liechtenstein royal family generally keeps a low profile). I wonder if it’s because it’s a black female/white male combo (which does not seem to be as common or accepted in the American black community) that she is being ignored. I’m not saying that we should be falling over ourselves just because she is “royalty”, but we sure manage to fall over for other non-black royalty and for celebrities – so why not a little more coverage of her?
Sandra I agree. It seems like Essence or Ebony would write about her if for no other reason as to hold her up as an accomplished woman who made her mark in New York city and who is making a mark in Europe. She is the mother of a prince in Europe and that alone is noteworthy.
Hola: Beautiful coverage of my compatriot,HS Princess Angela of Liechtenstein.The international press has ignored this lovely couple.
I hear she and her family goes often to Panama, and that the little prince loves her native land.The black Panamanian community is happy for her. I think also she was ignored by the black American media because she is Panamanian.
Saludos.
Hej Ana! Nice to hear from you. You are probably right on point about the American press ignoring her because she is from Panama. But I believe we sister need to stick together wherever we are and wherever we are from. So I will continue to look out for more news about Princess Angela. And I am thrilled to know that her son, the little Prince loves Panama.
It’s entirely possible that the Black press in America is simply largely uniformed about the Princess. I imagine that’s a big factor. I’d love to hear ideas about how we can change that. Anyone got any Black media connections?
The White American press sure as hell isn’t going to cover it because what do they care? Also, the White corporate media is so racist here, I honestly believe (even if it’s only on a subconscious level) that they don’t want to call attention to a Black female Princess with a White male Prince. That shatters all of America’s stereotypes about how crass, ugly, and undesirable Black women are. And a Black woman could never be a Princess (outside of Africa)! Allowing people to see that would just make too many racists’ heads explode. Can’t have that, now can we?
Hej Oaktown, I confess that I don’t read much black media except for a few magazines. I have never seen any coverage of blacks in Europe or Asia in those magazines. Perhaps they don’t have journalists in other parts of the world. Maybe it’s fair to say that if they wanted to give a global perspective of blacks they would have journalists across the globe.
Now who expects the white main stream media to portray black women in a postiive light? I sure don’t which is the main reason I started this blog about Black Women in Europe. Now that I live here I wanted to raise our profile. Mainly because what Europeans see of African American women comes from music videos.
We have to be our own media when we can and share positive news and images of us.
Hej!
Mainly because what Europeans see of African American women comes from music videos.
And sadly, as you well know, that could be said of most Whites in the U.S. as well.
My thinking was not that we should be dependent on the current Black media, but that we should not write it off, either. It’s possible that they really do not know about this story, and our writing to tell them about it and ask that they do the story could have a positive impact.
We don’t have the strategic luxury of engaging the battle on only one front – we must use all means at our disposal, is my thinking. Create our own media, as well as holding the current media accountable.
My mother agrees with you and has suggested I contact various media outlets including Oprah.
I have heard though that the Royal family in Liechtenstein keeps a low profile so I wonder if Princess Angela has actually turned down requests for interviews.
I have just emailed Essence magazine:
Hola: I agree. I believe the Liechtenstein royal family keeps a very low profile. They are not a as flamboyant as the Grimaldi family of Monaco,(their French counterpart).
The last I heard was when Princess Angela gave birth. Her aunt gave information to the Panamanian press. Also someone picked up information when Prince Alons had started school.I believe they resided between London and Munich.I don’t know where they reside now.
I also heard that she goes home to Panama to do a lot of shopping.(Panama has changed overnight) There were gossips that the royal family was planning on buying a home there. There is a real estate boom in Panama right now. Princess Angela was born in Bocas del Toro – it truly resembles paradise on earth.
I am glad that blackwomenineurope wrote about her.The black press should write about her. there is information out there. Also on National Day, a big day in the month of July, in Liechtenstein the entire royal family comes out and celebrate with the community. Some of the photos on the video presented here were on that celebration.
I have a Panamanian friend who resides in Switzerland and she has a blog that caters to Afro latinas and I told her to do an article in Spanish on Princess Angela.
It is caoba.org for all those who speak and read Spanish.
Saludos.
Thanks Ana. I like your friend’s site. Unfortunately I don’t read or speak Spanish, but I know enough to see that there is a lot of good information on her site. Please invite her to join the Black Women in Europe social network: http://blackwomenineurope.ning.com.
I hope Princess Angela does buy a home in Panama. I imagine she would like to have a permanent presence there for her and her family.
Saludos.
Hola:
I have forwarded the information to the editor of caoba.org.
Saludos.
Thanks Ana! Your friend joined! I asked her if she has an RSS feed for her site. I’d like to post it a couple of places.
Saludos
Actually her marriage was covered many years ago when it first took place. It’s been so long ago that I can’t say with 100% accuracy, but I believe it was covered in Ebony.
Thanks Mick. It would be great if you could find out exactly where so that we can access that information.
I did a search on the Ebony website but found nothing for Liechtenstein,Princess Angela or Princess.
Take care!
Greetings,
You can find more information about H.S.H on The royal Forums, where information is culled from all over Europe, various picture sites, and articles. It is also true that H.S.H. Maximilian has purchased property in Los Santos. Recently, he has taken over the family bank. Google his name and there will be a link under Wikipedia where you can see his C.V.
I have long suspected that the press blackout (Mainstream) was deliberate, though some have said that it was the family’s wish to be low profile. I do not buy that. I do think that the black media was simply fast asleep at the wheel. Thanks to the internet, the story got out and perhaps that is when Jet picked it up.
The images of Black women historically have not been good on the whole. Indeed, many have been vicious and brutal. The mainstream press/media is only interested in lining their pockets with profit from broadcasting to the world the dysfunctional pathologies frequently displayed in hip hop culture. It would defeat their object by showing something this staggering, taking place on such a hyper elite level.
There has NEVER been any doubt in my mind that there are plenty of Black woman who have made staggering contributions throughout history and in these modern times, that NEVER really get the attention or credit that they deserve.
Hard to believe she's 12 years younger than him. He's a very lucky man.
Interesting. She was born in my native land too. 🙂
I hope she's a happy Princess.
I am happy for this Serene Royal Couple. May they and their son Alfonso remain blessed by the Most High!
The Princess hails from my family's country of Panama, as well. I am proud of her!!!
Love and Light EVERLASTING…
Yes, may they have a wonderful life and inspire others.
she is born 1959 in panama and the prince was born in 1969 so she is 10 years older then him. She is a very lucky woman.
Thanks Alexandra.
Thanks Alexandra.
Thank you for writing the article on the Serene Highness Princess Angela of Liechtenstein, many years ago, Jet magazine featured the wedding picture of a black woman that married into royalty. Years later when I did research, I could not find information on her. Thank you for researching this information and sharing it with others.
You are most welcome.
Please correct the name of the award that Angela received. It is the Oscar de la Renta Gold Thimble Award.
May God continue to bless the union, she is also from my native land
Elena
Corrected, thank you!
Panama is full of surprises and this is one of them! Great video of an example of true love in spite of so many differences of Princess Angela from Bocas del Toro, her husband the Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein and gorgeous son! I wish they could come to Panama someday and visit. God bless them! And thank you BlackWomen in Europe…great story!
Rosa Carbonó
You are welcome.
I had a hard time trying to find a picture to post of the Royal couple. Thank you Black girls need to know they can dream too and their dream can come true.
Does Princess Angela still speak Spanish? I hope her growing up in NYC did not impact that.