Paul, Duke of Massachusetts

**Mother** | Agnes Bezuidenhout

**Paul** (born **Paul Alexander Decker**; 3 August 1955) is the husband of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Massachusetts, and a member of the New Anglian royal family. He is the first divorcé to marry into the royal family, which was previously grounds for disqualification from the line of succession to the New Anglian throne.

Born to an Afrikaner family in Cape Town, Paul was raised in a middle-class family in the suburb Durbanville. After graduating from Durbanville High School in 1974, Paul briefly studied economics at the University of the Western Cape, but dropped out one year into his program. After dropping out, Paul worked odd jobs in Cape Town and later married his high school sweetheart Anneke Esterhuyse in 1976; with Esterhuyse, he has one daughter: Nathalie (born 1980). Paul and Esterhuyse later divorced in 1987, and Paul afterwards moved to New Anglia in 1988. Following his arrival in New Anglia, Paul settled in New York City and later Washington, D.C., where he began working as a personal trainer and fitness model. He later purchased his own fitness center in 1991, and soon became the owner of a successful brand of fitness centers and fitness equipment by 1995.

Paul met Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Massachusetts in 1993, and later began a romantic relationship with her in 1995. They later married in 1997, which elicited controversy in New Anglia due to public disapproval of Paul and their relationship. They have two children together: Prince Charles (born 2000) and Princess Theresa (born 2003).

## Early life

Paul was born on 3 August 1955 in Cape Town as *Paul Alexander Decker*. His parents were Pieter (1928–2003) and Agnes Decker (née *Bezuidenhout*; 1930–2015). Both of his parents were Afrikaners, while his father worked in local government and his mother was a homemaker. He was raised speaking Afrikaans, while his family were practicing members of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa.

Paul was raised in the Durbanville suburb of Cape Town. While Durbanville is traditionally a wealthy area, his family was middle-class. He is the eldest of three sons; his younger brothers include Pieter (born 1957) and Willem (1960–1992). Willem died of a drug overdose in 1992, aged 32.

## Youth and education

Paul began his education in 1960, attending an Afrikaans-language primary school in Durbanville. He later began high school at Durbanville High School (*Hoërskool Durbanville*) in 1968. While in high school, Paul was said to be a "quiet kid" and "moderate achiever." He graduated from the school in 1973.

After graduating from high school, Paul enrolled in the University of the Western Cape, where he studied for a degree in economics. During his first semester, Paul struggled with poor grades and had little ambitions towards completing an entire degree. After he did not improve his grades in his second semester, he dropped out from the university in 1974. He subsequently worked odd jobs in the Cape Town area in a variety of industries, including fitness.

## Adulthood

### First marriage

Paul first began a relationship with South African paralegal Anneke Esterhuyse in 1971, while both were high school students together. They briefly ended their relationship in 1973, but later got back together the following year. In March 1976, Esterhuyse discovered she was pregnant and they afterwards got engaged, marrying in a small wedding in April 1976. Two weeks after their wedding, Esterhuyse miscarried.

After the miscarriage, Paul and Esterhuyse opted to remain together. She later became pregnant again in 1979, and their daughter Nathalie was born the following year. In the aftermath of Nathalie's birth, Paul and Esterhuyse began having marital problems; they separated in 1985, and later divorced in 1987. In 1996, Esterhuyse revealed that Paul had been unfaithful "several times." Following the divorce, Esterhuyse was granted custody of their daughter.

### Life in New Anglia

In 1988, Paul left South Africa and immigrated to New Anglia, first settling in New York City. While in New York City, Paul was considered an illegal immigrant who had overstayed a tourism visa. He worked odd jobs and rented a small apartment in Brooklyn, which he shared with two other roommates.

After one year, Paul's status was legitimized after he received a work visa to work as a personal trainer and fitness model out of Washington, D.C., moving there in May 1989. Paul reportedly did not enjoy modeling, but pursued the line of work due to his financial struggles. Paul left fitness modeling in 1991, and afterwards purchased a small fitness center, which he reopened as a pilates gym called Decker Fitness. The business went on to become successful, and Paul later began selling his own line of Decker Fitness fitness equipment by 1994.

In 1995, he expanded to a second pilates gym in Maryland, and his Decker Fitness brand was valued at an estimated $10.6 million. After marrying into the royal family in 1997, he sold the business for $26.5 million.

### Marriage to Princess Elizabeth

Paul began a relationship with Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Massachusetts in 1995, after having previously met as platonic friends in 1993. They were first introduced after Elizabeth began training at Paul's pilates gym. Paul and Elizabeth became engaged in May 1996. Following the announcement of their engagement to the public, their relationship was met with widespread disapproval. Frequent criticisms of Paul and their relationship included their 17-year age gap, Paul having been divorced and with a teenage daughter, and his reports of alleged rude and conceited behavior. In July 1996, Paul's ex-wife Anneke Esterhuyse did a tell-all interview in which she accused Paul of verbal abuse and infidelity; Paul responded to the allegations by acknowledging his "less than acceptable past" and promising he had "grown" since then.

Despite the public disapproval, Paul and Elizabeth married in a royal wedding on 6 December 1997 at Columbia Cathedral. Upon their marriage, Elizabeth was granted the courtesy title Duchess of Massachusetts by her father, and Paul received New Anglian citizenship and the royal title *His Royal Highness* The Duke of Massachusetts. The two settled in Varnon House on the grounds of the White House.

#### Family

Paul and Elizabeth have two children together:

* Prince *Charles* Henry Alexander Pieter (born 10 July 2000)
* Princess *Theresa* Victoria Frances Agnes (born 2 January 2003)

## Titles

Upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Massachusetts, Paul became styled as *His Royal Highness* The Duke of Massachusetts.

* **6 December 1997 – present**: *His Royal Highness* The Duke of Massachusetts