Maria, Princess of Ubenmoor

**Maria, Princess of Ubenmoor** (born 1 March 1939), sometimes known as **Maria Olegöwindenburg**, is the only daughter of King Oleg I and Leila, The Queen Mother.

As a teenager and young adult, Princess Maria was a massive celebrity in Lashardia, frequently seen with notable celebrities, being listed as one of the most desired women in all of Lashardia, and having a lucrative film career.

However, she never married and never bore any children. Throughout her life, rumors about her sexuality and personal relationships were widespread. Despite her popularity, she has remained a controversial figure within the royal family.

## Early life

Princess Maria was born on 1 March 1939 at King's Royal Hospital in the Hoffmann district of Ubenmoor. She is the third child and only daughter of Prince Oleg and his wife Duchess Leila. She was born one year before her father's accession to the throne as King Oleg I. Following his accession, she was given the title "Maria, Princess of Ubenmoor".

Her two elder brothers are King Oleg II and Prince Piet. Her younger brother, Prince Rok, was born in 1942. According to her mother, Princess Maria was the most rebellious child out of the four, and was frequently getting in trouble around the house since she was a toddler. Princess Maria was reported to have a close relationship with her brother, Prince Piet.

## Education

Along with her siblings, Princess Maria was educated by private tutors at the Royal Palace. She was said to be very intelligent, perhaps the most intelligent of the four children, but also got lost in her imagination too often. When asked about her primary schooling in a 1970 interview, Princess Maria stated, "It was hell having to sit still in that room with my siblings and listen to the tutors. I was a curious child, and I was constantly thinking of adventures I could go on, and never really was interested in sitting down to do work. I guess I'm still that way now, even".

According to the royal court, Princess Maria was said to enjoy art and music very much as a child, and would frequently perform for her family members. Additionally, she wished to be an actress throughout her childhood and teenage years.

Princess Maria earned her high school diploma from private tutoring, in 1957. After graduating high school, she was encouraged by her family members to attend Queen's University with a major in some sort of scholarly pursuit, but she declined. In a 1975 interview, Princess Maria revealed that she had wished to attend Queen Maria's School for the Performing Arts as a drama student instead of being tutored privately, but that her parents forbade her, claiming that a career in the arts wasn't suited for a royal.

## Young adulthood

Princess Maria was thrust into the limelight shortly after graduating from high school, and it was soon reported that she would be pursuing a modeling career. After determining that she wasn't tall enough to model professionally, Princess Maria instead decided to pursue acting, like she had wanted to do in her childhood. She starred in the now-iconic Lashardian romantic comedy, *Tessa*, in 1962. She was credited as "Maria Olegöwindenburg" for the role, and the name later went on to become her professional stage name. While the film was initially unsuccessful critically, it was a massive success with viewers, and has went on to become acclaimed in retrospective reviews, as well.

After massively increasing her star power with the release of *Tessa*, Princess Maria went on to achieve levels of fame that very few royals have achieved within Lashardia. She was well-known to be close friends with Lashardian supermodels Öga Karshölitelmonk, Nanna Palösens, and Pala Jenöshirk, and was regularly seen partying with them throughout the 1960s. She was also a close friend of musician Nanna Charkögaard and her sister-in-law Marianna, Duchess of Ubenmoor.

Princess Maria continued her acting career throughout the 1960s, starring in a multitude of successful films, and establishing herself as one of the leading ladies and it girls of the decade. In the 1970s, Princess Maria's acting career began to die down, and she became known as mostly a socialite, in addition to taking up more of her royal duties.

## Royal duties

Princess Maria's royal duties largely consist of attending royal occasions, such as celebrations of Lashardian Independence Day, the Royal Family's birthdays, and dinners and state visits with other members of the royal family.

## Personal life

Princess Maria never married and never bore any children. Also uncommon with notable actresses, Princess Maria was never romantically linked to any leading men in the film industry. She resided for most of her young adulthood in a luxury apartment in the Tenichi district of Ubenmoor, before retiring to Plesti Palace in the Flastland district during the 1980s. After the death of Piet, Prince of Ubenmoor in 2015, the royal court announced the Princess's plans to move into a beach house in Vanna, Vanna Municipality with her close friend and Prince Piet's widow Marianna, Duchess of Ubenmoor. They will officially move in during the summer of 2017.

### Sexuality

Princess Maria's sexuality has been long talked about in the Lashardian press, and one of the most controversial issues regarding the Lashardian royal family. Princess Maria was never married and never bore any children, in addition to never even being romantically linked to any men, whether through rumors or confirmation. This has led many to speculate on whether Princess Maria is homosexual. The rumors regarding Princess Maria's sexual orientation date back to 1967, when she was known to be close friends with openly-bisexual supermodel Pala Jenöshirk.

In a 1968 interview, Princess Maria stated, "No I'm not a lesbian, and I'm not in a relationship with Pala, we are simply close friends. I am a proud Lashardian Orthodox Christian and believer in God. The lifestyle of homosexuals does not fit into my personal values". However, many members of the public and the media did not believe this to be sincere, and that it was a cover-up by the Lashardian royal family to avoid criticism by conservatives and the church.

In 2005, Princess Maria was asked about her sexuality once again, and responded differently, stating, "I don't think it matters what my sexuality is. This is Lashardia, everyone is free to live how they so please. It doesn't affect anyone, so why should they care?"