I am not describing the world’s most beautiful women who stand loyally by their sides.
The women who stand by heads of states have occupied a role of prominence similar to their husbands. Some have devoted themselves to charitable activities while others have served as power brokers in their own regard. Take a closer look and find out who are the most beautiful and elegant first ladies in the world.
Queen Rania of Jordan
Queen Rania Al-Yassin was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents from Tulkarm. She attended primary and secondary school at New English School in Kuwait and later earned a degree in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo. After her graduation in 1991, Rania had short stints working at Citibank and Apple Computer before she met her husband, Jordanian King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, then Prince, at a dinner party. Meeting in January of 1993, the couple announced their engagement just two months later and were married less than six months after their initial introduction.
Aside from presiding over activities at home in the Kingdom of Jordan, Rania has been active in philanthropy and other activities. The Queen has been an outspoken advocate of women’s rights and in clarifying misconceptions about Islam. In 2005 the Arab beauty was named the third most beautiful woman in the world in the top 100 of Harpers & Queen magazine. In addition, Forbes Magazine has counted the Queen among the 100 most powerful women, a honor that should come as no surprise. Rania is a frequent guest with her husband at the World Economic Forum and other high brow venues and is reportedly respected as much for her intelligent conversation as her beauty.
Aguas Ocaña of Honduras
The elegant Aguas Ocaña has reigned as First Lady of Honduras for several of the past few years. She married her husband, President Ricardo Maduro, while he was already in office leading many to label the woman an “opportunist” and “gold digger.” However Ocana has been able to sustain her charm, leading advocacy on behalf of street children in her country and adopting five children with her husband, including two of whom had their families murdered.
However not all things have been smooth for this Latin beauty. In 2003, Ocaña returned to live in Spain for a short period of time, sparking rumours that she and her husband were about to divorce. The separation was allegedly provoked because Ricardo Maduro named a former girlfriend, Mireya Batres, to be Honduras’ Minister of Culture. In an act of redemption, Ocaña had the girlfriend sacked as she returned to her husband’s side. However, the victory was short lived. Ocaña herself was sacked on January 25, 2006, two days before the end of her term as first lady. If Aguas will not be remembered for her beauty, perhaps her vanity and cunning may bestow her legacy.
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy of France
Carla, Carla, Carla. Where do we begin? How about with the fact that this Italian model turned pop singer is the first First Lady to have nude pictures posted on the Internet? Or maybe with lyrics of one her latest songs where she boasts of having “30 lovers.” She was, of course, exaggerating she later explained; she’s only had 15.
And she has certainly made those 15 count. It has been claimed that the French beauty has been involved with Mick Jagger (Jagger’s wife acknowledged his affair with Bruni was a reason for their separation), Eric Clapton, Donald Trump, and even former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius. Questioned on her philosophy of love, Bruni stated that she is easily “bored with monogamy”, and “Love lasts a long time, but burning desire - two to three weeks.”
Yet for all her complexity, it is difficult to not sympathize with the 40 year old Bruni. She is, after all, gorgeous. She is fluent in multiple languages, and though not exactly a Jackie Kennedy, she exudes her own finesse and style as she globe trots the world with her first husband (his third partner), Nicholas.
Asma al-Assad of Syria
Beautiful, smart, savvy, intelligent. Not the first words that come to mind when you think of Syria, a country the US State Department counts as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism.” Perhaps it’s time for you to take a closer look.
Asma, the daughter of prominent Syrian cardiologist Fawaz Akhras, was born in the west London town of Acton. The elegant English born Syrian attended King’s College, London and graduated in 1996 with a BSc first class honours degree in Computer science and a Diploma in French Literature. Upon her return in 1997, she had short stints as an investment banker.
Married in 2000, Asma has taken a more active role as Syrian First Lady, unlike other women who have shared the role. Asma initiated and supported programs designed to foster economic development and improve the quality of life for Syrian people. She has focused her energies on issues concerning rural development technology. In July 2001, she established Syria’s first rural development N.G.O., known as the Fund for Integrated Rural Development of Syria (F.I.R.D.O.S.). The fund aims to play a leading role in advancing comprehensive and sustainable human development through the direct participation of the Syrian population. During her frequent visits to villages and local communities, Asma stresses the importance of strengthening and enhancing the capacity of communities, whilst respecting the positive values of local culture and heritage.
Yet despite all her beauty and splendor, she does have detractors, even some close to home. Tensions have been reported between Asma and her mother in law, former Syrian First Lady Anisah Makhlouf. Anisah, unlike her son’s wife, shared a much more private role as First Lady . The tensions are reported to be ongoing and surround concerns regarding “the sort of first lady that Asma wants to be”. For now, the world couldn’t be happier with a beautiful face with a will to enhance the livelihood of her people.
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
Where else would you expect to find this beautiful and elegant princess but a place like Norway? The blond princess grew up in Kristiansand, near the southern part of the country. As a youth she spent many weekends and holidays in the nearby valley of Setesdal and at the seaside, where she learned to sail. She met her husband, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, while attending the Quart Festival, Norway’s largest rock festival.
The couple were soon married, but not without their own dalliances of controversy. Although King Harald had earlier broken with custom by marrying the commoner Sonja Haraldsen, the relationship between the crown prince and Mette-Marit sparked controversy. Many felt that Mette-Marit’s past (which included a relationship with a man convicted on drug charges), her status as an unwed mother, and the couple’s choice to live together before being married, would damage the dignity and the image of the Royal Family. Although few expressed personal criticism of Mette-Marit, her introduction into the monarchy led to a debate about the standards for Royalty in Norway. However, the controversy largely dissipated once the couple were engaged and then married.
The couple married on 25 August 2001 at the Oslo Cathedral, Oslo, with attendance of statesmen and royalty from around the world. The Nordic beauty and her husband now live at Skaugum estate, just outside Oslo.
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Dubai
Princess Haya redefines First Lady, but perhaps not in the way you were thinking. Haya is the the junior wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s two wives. Already a Princess before marriage through her lineage from Jordanian royalty, Princess Haya is both beautiful and elegant, features that, for obvious reasons, become more pronounced when at her husband’s side, the “Sheikh.”
Like the city-state she holds tutelage over, Haya is cosmopolitan, mixing both East and West ensuring an endearing mystique. Born in Jordan, the beauty received most of her schooling in England, including a Honours degree from Oxford University where she read P.P.E. (Politics, Philosophy, and Economics).
An avid sportswoman, Haya participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney Australia representing Jordan in show jumping, where she was also the flag bearer for the Jordanian delegation. An avid horse rider, she has been elected as president of the International Equestrian Federation for a standard four year term ending in 2010.
Mehriban Aliyeva of Azerbaijan
Like many of the First Ladies on our list, Mehriban has the beauty and the brains. Born into a family of scholars, her father was a prominent mathematician and physicist while her mother was a prominent philologist. Graduating from high school with highest honors, the beauty continued her studies at the prestigious Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, where she graduated with an honorary diploma in 1988.
Professionally trained as a doctor, she married her husband, current President Ilham Aliyev, while still a student in 1984. Since then she has worked as an UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for promoting oral and musical traditions and was reported to be personally responsible for bringing the International Gymnastics Federation Championship competition to Azerbaijan. Interestingly, she has followed her husband into political life, becoming in 2004 a member of the New Azerbaijan Party. During parliamentary elections in 2005, she was elected to the National Assembly of Azerbaijan.
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Kucinich
30 years his younger, Elizabeth Kucinich is the third wife of Democratic represenative and former Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich. While Kucinich failed in his Presidential bid earlier this year, we couldn’t help but include Elizabeth in our list of leading ladies. This British belle exudes a sophisticated worldliness that extends beyond being a prominent Congressman’s wife. At age 19 Elizabeth went to Agra, India, to volunteer at one of Mother Teresa’s homes for India’s poorest children. After completing her graduate level education, writing her Masters thesis on “Conflict Resolution in World Politics,” the British beauty spent 16 months in a rural Tanzanian village and worked as an advocate for regional development.
Well traveled, smart, educated, eloquent, beautiful. When questioned about the media’s obsession for her looks, Elizabeth stated: “It’s a nice thing,” she says of the media focus on her beauty. “I’d rather have them discuss my beauty than that I’m ugly.” But beautiful she is and much much more.
Queen Rania Al-Yassin was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents from Tulkarm. She attended primary and secondary school at New English School in Kuwait and later earned a degree in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo. After her graduation in 1991, Rania had short stints working at Citibank and Apple Computer before she met her husband, Jordanian King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, then Prince, at a dinner party. Meeting in January of 1993, the couple announced their engagement just two months later and were married less than six months after their initial introduction.Aside from presiding over activities at home in the Kingdom of Jordan, Rania has been active in philanthropy and other activities. The Queen has been an outspoken advocate of women’s rights and in clarifying misconceptions about Islam. In 2005 the Arab beauty was named the third most beautiful woman in the world in the top 100 of Harpers & Queen magazine. In addition, Forbes Magazine has counted the Queen among the 100 most powerful women, a honor that should come as no surprise. Rania is a frequent guest with her husband at the World Economic Forum and other high brow venues and is reportedly respected as much for her intelligent conversation as her beauty.
Aguas Ocaña of Honduras
The elegant Aguas Ocaña has reigned as First Lady of Honduras for several of the past few years. She married her husband, President Ricardo Maduro, while he was already in office leading many to label the woman an “opportunist” and “gold digger.” However Ocana has been able to sustain her charm, leading advocacy on behalf of street children in her country and adopting five children with her husband, including two of whom had their families murdered.However not all things have been smooth for this Latin beauty. In 2003, Ocaña returned to live in Spain for a short period of time, sparking rumours that she and her husband were about to divorce. The separation was allegedly provoked because Ricardo Maduro named a former girlfriend, Mireya Batres, to be Honduras’ Minister of Culture. In an act of redemption, Ocaña had the girlfriend sacked as she returned to her husband’s side. However, the victory was short lived. Ocaña herself was sacked on January 25, 2006, two days before the end of her term as first lady. If Aguas will not be remembered for her beauty, perhaps her vanity and cunning may bestow her legacy.
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy of France
Carla, Carla, Carla. Where do we begin? How about with the fact that this Italian model turned pop singer is the first First Lady to have nude pictures posted on the Internet? Or maybe with lyrics of one her latest songs where she boasts of having “30 lovers.” She was, of course, exaggerating she later explained; she’s only had 15.And she has certainly made those 15 count. It has been claimed that the French beauty has been involved with Mick Jagger (Jagger’s wife acknowledged his affair with Bruni was a reason for their separation), Eric Clapton, Donald Trump, and even former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius. Questioned on her philosophy of love, Bruni stated that she is easily “bored with monogamy”, and “Love lasts a long time, but burning desire - two to three weeks.”
Yet for all her complexity, it is difficult to not sympathize with the 40 year old Bruni. She is, after all, gorgeous. She is fluent in multiple languages, and though not exactly a Jackie Kennedy, she exudes her own finesse and style as she globe trots the world with her first husband (his third partner), Nicholas.
Asma al-Assad of Syria
Beautiful, smart, savvy, intelligent. Not the first words that come to mind when you think of Syria, a country the US State Department counts as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism.” Perhaps it’s time for you to take a closer look.Asma, the daughter of prominent Syrian cardiologist Fawaz Akhras, was born in the west London town of Acton. The elegant English born Syrian attended King’s College, London and graduated in 1996 with a BSc first class honours degree in Computer science and a Diploma in French Literature. Upon her return in 1997, she had short stints as an investment banker.
Married in 2000, Asma has taken a more active role as Syrian First Lady, unlike other women who have shared the role. Asma initiated and supported programs designed to foster economic development and improve the quality of life for Syrian people. She has focused her energies on issues concerning rural development technology. In July 2001, she established Syria’s first rural development N.G.O., known as the Fund for Integrated Rural Development of Syria (F.I.R.D.O.S.). The fund aims to play a leading role in advancing comprehensive and sustainable human development through the direct participation of the Syrian population. During her frequent visits to villages and local communities, Asma stresses the importance of strengthening and enhancing the capacity of communities, whilst respecting the positive values of local culture and heritage.
Yet despite all her beauty and splendor, she does have detractors, even some close to home. Tensions have been reported between Asma and her mother in law, former Syrian First Lady Anisah Makhlouf. Anisah, unlike her son’s wife, shared a much more private role as First Lady . The tensions are reported to be ongoing and surround concerns regarding “the sort of first lady that Asma wants to be”. For now, the world couldn’t be happier with a beautiful face with a will to enhance the livelihood of her people.
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
Where else would you expect to find this beautiful and elegant princess but a place like Norway? The blond princess grew up in Kristiansand, near the southern part of the country. As a youth she spent many weekends and holidays in the nearby valley of Setesdal and at the seaside, where she learned to sail. She met her husband, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, while attending the Quart Festival, Norway’s largest rock festival.The couple were soon married, but not without their own dalliances of controversy. Although King Harald had earlier broken with custom by marrying the commoner Sonja Haraldsen, the relationship between the crown prince and Mette-Marit sparked controversy. Many felt that Mette-Marit’s past (which included a relationship with a man convicted on drug charges), her status as an unwed mother, and the couple’s choice to live together before being married, would damage the dignity and the image of the Royal Family. Although few expressed personal criticism of Mette-Marit, her introduction into the monarchy led to a debate about the standards for Royalty in Norway. However, the controversy largely dissipated once the couple were engaged and then married.
The couple married on 25 August 2001 at the Oslo Cathedral, Oslo, with attendance of statesmen and royalty from around the world. The Nordic beauty and her husband now live at Skaugum estate, just outside Oslo.
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Dubai
Princess Haya redefines First Lady, but perhaps not in the way you were thinking. Haya is the the junior wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s two wives. Already a Princess before marriage through her lineage from Jordanian royalty, Princess Haya is both beautiful and elegant, features that, for obvious reasons, become more pronounced when at her husband’s side, the “Sheikh.”Like the city-state she holds tutelage over, Haya is cosmopolitan, mixing both East and West ensuring an endearing mystique. Born in Jordan, the beauty received most of her schooling in England, including a Honours degree from Oxford University where she read P.P.E. (Politics, Philosophy, and Economics).
An avid sportswoman, Haya participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney Australia representing Jordan in show jumping, where she was also the flag bearer for the Jordanian delegation. An avid horse rider, she has been elected as president of the International Equestrian Federation for a standard four year term ending in 2010.
Mehriban Aliyeva of Azerbaijan
Like many of the First Ladies on our list, Mehriban has the beauty and the brains. Born into a family of scholars, her father was a prominent mathematician and physicist while her mother was a prominent philologist. Graduating from high school with highest honors, the beauty continued her studies at the prestigious Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, where she graduated with an honorary diploma in 1988.Professionally trained as a doctor, she married her husband, current President Ilham Aliyev, while still a student in 1984. Since then she has worked as an UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for promoting oral and musical traditions and was reported to be personally responsible for bringing the International Gymnastics Federation Championship competition to Azerbaijan. Interestingly, she has followed her husband into political life, becoming in 2004 a member of the New Azerbaijan Party. During parliamentary elections in 2005, she was elected to the National Assembly of Azerbaijan.
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Kucinich
30 years his younger, Elizabeth Kucinich is the third wife of Democratic represenative and former Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich. While Kucinich failed in his Presidential bid earlier this year, we couldn’t help but include Elizabeth in our list of leading ladies. This British belle exudes a sophisticated worldliness that extends beyond being a prominent Congressman’s wife. At age 19 Elizabeth went to Agra, India, to volunteer at one of Mother Teresa’s homes for India’s poorest children. After completing her graduate level education, writing her Masters thesis on “Conflict Resolution in World Politics,” the British beauty spent 16 months in a rural Tanzanian village and worked as an advocate for regional development.Well traveled, smart, educated, eloquent, beautiful. When questioned about the media’s obsession for her looks, Elizabeth stated: “It’s a nice thing,” she says of the media focus on her beauty. “I’d rather have them discuss my beauty than that I’m ugly.” But beautiful she is and much much more.
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