Royal Bachelor: Prince Amedeo of Belgium

Ah, Belgium, land of delicious chocolate, fruity beers, and mussells and pomme frites (mayonnaise on the side!). Belgium is also the home country for this week's royal bachelor, Prince Amedeo, who just turned 25. The monarchy in Belgium is a young one, the first King of the Belgians was Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, uncle to both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and widower of Princess Charlotte of Wales.

Prince Amedeo, who is 7th in line for the throne, is the son of Princess Astrid of Belgium (once tipped as a potential bride for Prince Charles if it hadn't been for her religion, she's Catholic) and Archduke Prince Lorenz of Austria-Este.  The heir to the House of Austria-Este is reputed to be serious, thoughtful and ambitious (he certainly looks it in the photo on the left). Educated at London School of Economics, he is a reserve officer in the Belgian army.

American Princess wannabes take heart.  Prince Amedeo works for Deloitte in New York, where he ran the marathon in 2008. No need to book a plane to Brussels, you can just hop one to New York. I'm sure that job applications for the New York office of Deloitte went off when Prince Amedeo was recently featured in The Fresh Princes of New York article in Page Six magazine of The New York Post. Not to mention, all those girls who previously had never put on a pair of running shoes, are probably jogging around the resevoir in Central Park as I write this, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Like most Princes, he also enjoys rugby, and speaks several languages fluently.

Rumor has it that he has a girlfriend but nobody has been able to confirm it. He doesn't look like a party animal, but no doubt he hangs out at cultural institutions in the city. One could do worse than to read The New York Social Diary, Town and Country or Quest Magazine to see where the Prince might be located or just hang out in any of the trendy bars and restaurants in the Financial District or the Upper East Side. Belgian consulate events n'est pas?

Royal Bachelor: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Varmland


Full name: Carl Philip Edmund Bertil

Born: May 13, 1979 (making him a Taurus)

Hair: Dark Brown

Eyes: Brown

Age: 31

Background: Carl Philip is the only son of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, but prepare yourself to be disappointed if you are imagining yourself as his Queen; his big sister Victoria is next in line to the throne. As well as Victoria, he's also got another sister, Madeleine, which means he's definitely in touch with his feminine side. With Prince William out of circulation, Prince Carl Philip ranks after Prince Harry and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg as one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. He was #9 on the Forbes Top 20 Hot Royals List in 2010. Don’t worry ladies, although he’s no longer heir to the throne, there’s still plenty of palaces and jewels to go around.

With a degree in graphic design from the Rhode Island School of Design, this Swedish meatball (you know I had to do it!) is artsy and creative. He has designed his own range of cutlery as well as the cover for a CD of the music of Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker which was released to honor his mother’s 60th birthday. Professionally, he's a lieutenant in the army, a captain in the Naval Reserve (meaning he looks good in a uniform). He also undertakes royal duties on behalf of his father, King Carl XVI Gustaf. Currently, he’s studying agriculture and forestry at Prince Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Alnarp.

“He comes across as the black sheep of the family,” a royal watcher told The Daily Telegraph last year. “Now that he is no longer next in line for the throne, he does his own thing. He’s a racing car driver and a bit of a wild child.”

Hobbies: avid skier, soccer player, swimmer and car racer. He's also a bit of an adrenaline junkie, thanks to a passion for both winter sports and motor racing. In 2003, he completed the historic Swedish ‘Vasaloppet,” the longest cross-country ski race in the world. So if you don’t ski, you might want to take lessons. Waiting in the ski lodge with a couple of hot toddies is not going to cut it with this Prince.

Past relationships: He's recently split up with his girlfriend of 10 years, PR executive Emma Pernald and is now dating underwear model Sofia Hellqvist who he met back in 2008. (That's Sofia on the left. Hmm, he appears to like brunettes!) His relationship with Hellqvist has apparently shocked even the unshockable Swedes. Hellqvist became famous or infamous when she posed naked with only a python for company. She’s also appeared in the Swedish version of the reality TV show ‘Paradise Hotel,’ which consisted of fights, lies, sex, orgies and alcohol. She’s even shared a kiss with American porn star Jenna Jameson. Needless to say, the Palace is not amused. No doubt they would be happy to see their son settled with someone more suitable and clothed. Recently the couple moved into together, but despair not ladies, this could just be a phase.

To catch a Prince: Anyone wanting to be his princess will have to get used to living in Sweden, land of Abba, Ace of Base, Ikea and Strindberg. Not to mention Absolut Vodka. Being multi-lingual would also help; like most European royals Carl Philip is multi-lingual, speaking English, French as well as his native Swedish. One criticism of Crown Princess Victoria's husband, Prince Daniel was that he had no small talk or knowledge of history. Brushing up on the royal houses of Europe and how everyone is related to each other would be a good idea (hint: it all goes back to Queen Victoria) for any potential princess. Watching past seasons of Top Gear would probably be a good idea as well. Being able to change a flat tire and a carburator and then change into an evening gown and a tiara would all be top skills for Carl's future princess.