Princess Alexandra of Hanover announces engagement to Ben-Sylvester Strautmann after decade-long relationship

Social media announcement

Princess Alexandra of Hanover announced her engagement to German entrepreneur Ben-Sylvester Strautmann on 11 September 2026. The 27-year-old royal shared a carousel of photographs on Instagram, where she has approximately 38,000 followers. The images showed Strautmann, her engagement ring resting in a velvet box and near breakfast settings, and her dachshund Eloise. Alexandra captioned the post "The Marriage Plot" with yellow hearts, a title matching Jeffrey Eugenides's 2011 novel centered on adulthood and relationships. The announcement received over 4,500 likes and hundreds of messages. Congratulatory notes came from royal and public figures, including Beatrice Borromeo, Louis and Marie Ducruet, Pauline Ducruet, Lady Kitty Spencer, Princess Olympia of Greece, singer Laufey, Alexandra Leclerc, and Carmen Montero Mundt.

Details of the custom ring

The engagement piece was designed by Italian jeweler Antinori di Sanpietro, with Strautmann selecting the stones personally. The ring features an elongated 4.8-carat cushion-cut Fancy Yellow diamond, a variety also known as a canary diamond, which derives its hue from nitrogen trapped within the crystal structure. The central gem is flanked by two transparent triangular trilliant-cut diamonds and mounted in a setting of platinum alongside 18-karat yellow and white gold. Beneath the setting, the mounting incorporates geometric patterns based on Rome's Piazza del Campidoglio, referencing the couple's ties to the city. The structure also includes engravings with the jeweler's name and the marking "Made in Italy".

Royal lineage and educational background

Born in Vöcklabruck, Austria, Alexandra is the youngest child of Princess Caroline of Monaco and Prince Ernst August of Hanover. Following Caroline's 1999 marriage to Ernst August, Alexandra holds the title of Princess of Hanover with the style of Royal Highness, making her the most titled member of the Grimaldi family. Her family includes maternal half-siblings Andrea, Charlotte, and Pierre Casiraghi from Caroline's second marriage to Stefano Casiraghi, who died in a 1990 boat racing accident, as well as paternal half-brothers Ernst August and Christian of Hanover. Alexandra, who previously competed in figure skating, studied political science and philosophy at New York University and graduated in history and literature from Columbia University in Paris in 2024. Strautmann relocated to Monaco in childhood with his banker parents, played basketball for Monaco, studied economics, and established ventures in IT and digital technology.

Milestones and upcoming nuptials

The couple met at age 17 and made early public appearances together in late 2016 at Monaco's No Finish Line charity race, followed by the Rose Ball in 2018. Alexandra had previously debuted at the Rose Ball in March 2016 at age 16 alongside her mother and uncle. In early 2026, she moved out of the family residence into her first private apartment, ordering furniture months in advance to set up her home before later celebrating the couple's tenth anniversary in Copenhagen. The couple has not yet announced an official date for the wedding, though events are anticipated to encompass civil and church services at Monaco's Palais Princier and surrounding venues.