Princess Úlfhildur

*This name uses Velkanian naming customs; the last name is a patronymic, not a family name. This person should be properly referred to by the given name* Úlfhildur.

**Úlfhildur** (Úlfhildur Lydía Hafrún Freydís Jóhannsdattir; born 23 June 1971) is the younger sister of Ragnhildur II, younger child of Hrafnhildur III, a member of the Velkanian royal family, and a former actress.

Born to Hrafnhildur and her husband Jóhann Eiríksson, upon her birth Úlfhildur became third-in-line to the throne behind her mother and elder sister Ragnhildur; she is currently fourth-in-line, behind her three nieces. Úlfhildur attended public primary schooling in Narísandur and the Royal Velkanian Academy of the Arts, later graduating from Narísandur Arts University with a degree in drama in 1994. Úlfhildur later married Venutian financier and nobleman Marco-Vicenzo di Togliaro in 2000. They have two children together: Rósa Graziella di Togliaro (born 2004) and Róman Alessandro di Togliaro (born 2006).

## Early life and education

Úlfhildur was born on 23 June 1971 as Úlfhildur Lydía Hafrún Freydís Jóhannsdattir, at Velkania University Hospital and Medical Center in Narísandur. She was the second child of Crown Princess Hrafnhildur and Crown Prince Jóhann, and the second grandchild of Queen Ragnhildur I and Prince Consort Ingibergur. With her birth, Úlfhildur became third-in-line to the Velkanian throne, behind her mother and elder sister. She was named after her great-grandmother and great-aunt.

After her birth, Úlfhildur was granted the title Princess of the Velkanian Isles. She has one elder sister: Ragnhildur II (born 1968). Úlfhildur was raised with her parents and elder sister at Köllapúnk House on the grounds of Árbæjarheimar Palace. Ragnhildur began her education in 1977, attending a local, public primary school in the Garðareyri neighborhood of Narísandur. While in primary school, Úlfhildur struggled academically and has recalled suffering from anxiety due to frequent comparisons with her elder sister. However, she discovered a love for the arts, and was enrolled by her parents in acting, singing, and dance classes by the time she was seven. She graduated from primary school in 1987, and afterwards enrolled in the Royal Velkanian Academy of the Arts to study musical theatre, graduating in 1991.

After completing her upper secondary education, Úlfhildur opted to continue her education and enrolled in Narísandur Arts University to study drama, ultimately graduating with her bachelor's degree in 1994.

## Acting career

Úlfhildur first began her acting career at the age of 17, after she was cast in a supporting part in the stage drama *Hans maður*, which ran from June until August 1988 in Narísandur. Her casting became nationwide news, which significantly increased interest in the low-budget production. Ragnhildur I was reportedly in attendance backstage for every performance during the show's two-month run.

Úlfhildur took a break from performing professionally while she prioritized her education, although she appeared in a number of school productions and student films until her university graduation in 1994. After graduating, she was cast as Petrúnella in the historical-drama musical *Jafnt*, which ran from August 1994 until September 1995 in Narísandur. While acting, she began using the name "Úlfhildur Jóhannsdattir" as her stage name. She subsequently moved to Hersingborg after being cast in the leading role of Anna Þjóðhildur Magnúsdattir in the musical comedy *That's What I Call Love!*. The show ran from December 1995 until January 1997, with Úlfhildur later being cast in the same role during the musical's Eurean tour production, performing in eighty-four cities from February 1997 until April 1998.

Úlfhildur returned to the Velkanian Isles in 1998, and was cast as Sólhildur María Bjarkadattir in the stage drama *Tel blessanir þínar*. She performed in this role from July 1998 until August 1999, when she retired from her acting career. In a 2005 interview, she stated that she decided to leave acting in order to begin prioritizing her duties as a royal and to begin starting her own family.

### Filmography

 1995–1997
 1997–1998
 1998–1999

## Marriage and family

In 1997, while in Pavoli during the Venutian leg of her Eurean tour for *That's What I Call Love!*, Úlfhildur became introduced to Venutian model, financier, and nobleman Marco-Vicenzo di Togliaro. Úlfhildur was attending a dinner with the cast and crew of the musical, when she met Marco-Vicenzo. Their mothers were acquaintances, so they knew of each other's existences but had never previously met. They later went on a date the following night, and Marco-Vicenzo decided to follow the tour throughout Venutia and Regia to continue seeing Úlfhildur.

After several months apart when the tour left Regia, Úlfhildur and Marco-Vicenzo became reintroduced when she returned to Pavoli after the tour's completion in April 1998. They returned to Narísandur together the following month, where they resided together. Úlfhildur and Marco-Vicenzo became engaged in June 1999, later marrying in a royal wedding on 27 May 2000 in Narísandur. A week after the Velkanian wedding, they had a traditional Eurean Catholic wedding ceremony and reception in Pavoli. After marrying, Marco-Vicenzo received Velkanian citizenship and the title Prince of the Velkanian Isles, while Úlfhildur received the noble title Countess of Togliaro. They subsequently began residing in a five-bedroom home in Húsavík, which was purchased by the royal family two years prior to function as their eventual home. This made Úlfhildur the first royal not to settle in a home on the grounds of Árbæjarheimar Palace since Princess Dóró.

Úlfhildur and Marco-Vicenzo have two children together:

* Rósa Graziella di Togliaro (born 17 November 2004)
* Róman Alessandro di Togliaro (born 2 December 2006)

### Controversy

Upon Úlfhildur publicly introducing Marco-Vicenzo as her fiancé to the Velkanian public in June 1999, she began to receive widespread criticism for the public disapproval in Marco-Vicenzo. After being introduced to the public, Marco-Vicenzo refused to attempt to speak the Velkanian language, alleging that his skill in the language was "non-existent," and made numerous references to Venutia and Eurean Catholicism in a televised interview, which elicited negative responses from Velkanians. In August 1999, the media dubbed Marco-Vicenzo as the "Most Hated Man in the Velkanian Isles," and commentators jokingly alleged that they were the "world's worst couple."

In September 1999, entertainment journalist Saldís Anna Guðmarsdattir stated that Úlfhildur and Marco-Vicenzo were "the most hated Velkanian couple since Dóró and Hólmgeir Sigurgestarson," the man whose property the deceased Princess Dóró was found at. The comment was swiftly criticized by the public as being insensitive, and Saldís was publicly condemned by Ragnhildur I and the House of Ásthildur for her remark; she later apologized and called her comment insensitive.

Amidst the controversy and disapproval, Úlfhildur publicly defended her fiancé in a televised interview in February 2000, stating that she "wouldn't be marrying him if [she] didn't think he was worthy." Marco-Vicenzo also was reported to have begun classes in the Velkanian language, and was "deeply troubled" by his unpopularity in the "country that he intends to spend the rest of his life in." As is the case with other Velkanian royal weddings, their wedding was aired live on Velkanian National Television (VNT), but saw dismal ratings, with only 80,000 viewers watching live compared to the 500,000 who watched the wedding of her elder sister just three years prior.

## Titles

* **23 June 1971 – *present***: *Her Royal Highness* Princess Úlfhildur of the Velkanian Isles
* **27 May 2000 – *present***: *Countess* Úlfhildur di Togliaro