Antonia Guelph
| This article is a proposal
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| Title: | Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Term in office: | 2 January, 2005–present |
| Predecessor: | Gianni Ferre |
| Successor: | n/a |
| Birth: | |
| Date: | 15 May, 1968 |
| Place: | Mantua, Italy |
| Profession: | Politician |
| Political Party: | Liberal Democratic Union |
| Relgious Affiliation: | Catholic (Roman Rite) |
| Personal Arms: |
Antonia Guelph (born 1968) is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs from Italy. She is second in line for the throne of Mantua, her home nation, and is slated to be the Liberal Democratic Union's chancellor candidate for the 2009 election. She is to be addressed as "Minister Guelph".
Biography
Antonia Guelph is the younger sister of Bianca II, queen of Mantua. Having never been first in line for the throne of Mantua, Guelph attended the University of Milano, graduating third in her class with a major in Political Science. Guelph has always been very close to her sister, frequently visiting the Mantuan royal family and maintaining a personal residence there.
Guelph reportedly first became deeply interested in politics during the 1985 chancellor elections, in which it seemed for the first time since before the Second Great War that a Popular Front politician could win the chancellorship. Guelph asked her father, King Cristiano IV Guelph, to speak against the Popular Front, and it is believed that this contributed to the defeat of the Popular Front in Mantua and neighboring Modena.
From an early age, Guelph demonstrated an unusual aptitude for languages. By the time she attended the University of Milan, she spoke, in addition to Lombard and Italian, Sicilian and Romanian. While at University, she studied Serbian and English. Upon graduation, she was appointed by her sister as Mantua's primary representative to the Court of Chamberlains. While working in the national government, Guelph met Liliana Spada, then a Delegate from Tuscany. The two shared many political beliefs, and they soon became close friends. When Spada was named Minister of the Environment by Chancellor Roderigo Micheale in 1997, she named Guelph as her Junior Minister. When Spada herself was elected Chancellor in 2005, Guelph was a natural choice for Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Her first major international crisis was the cunami of 2005, a situation with which she dealt admirably. Most recently, she engaged in meetings with the leaders of the European Commission to discuss Italy's prospects of joining that organization. With the support of the Senate behind it, that plan, one of the Queen's pet projects and a favorite of Guelph's as well, is expected to come into full effect soon.
When the coronation of Juan Carlos of Tejas was announced, Guelph was chosen to represent Italy in attendance of the event.
Personal Life
As second in line for the throne of Mantua and a powerful political figure in her own right, Guelph is seen as a very eligible young woman. She has had several proposals of marriage, all of which she has turned down. Guelph spends much of her time traveling the world, especially Europe, and rarely spends time at home.
Guelph enjoys fencing, as well as (unusually) archery. She was at one time considered for World Games in the latter sport, but declined to attend, as it would have interfered with her political work. Guelph especially likes watching foreign language films (her favorite film, however, is Mare, produced in Italian).
Since the end of 2005, a rumor has been spreading of a relationship between Guelph and Nicolae Vladescu Vlas-Florea of Oltenia. Vladescu speaks Italian and often visits Italy. Likewise, Guelph often finds time to visit the Romanian Federation while traveling, and has reportedly said it to be "one of [her] favorite countries".
After an announcement in 2007, the two did indeed wed in the autumn of 2008, after prolonged legal and diplomatic negotiations.
