In a groundbreaking move, Princess Xenia Florence Gabriela Sophie Iris of Saxony, Germany, has made history as the initial aristocrat to pose topless for Playboy magazine. Her intention is to convey the message that ‘every woman is inherently beautiful as she is,’ using this bold step in the local edition of the publication.
Xenia, 37, was born in Dusseldorf but claims she descended from the 1,000-year-old House of Wettin. She has used her royal connections to gain roles in TV shows, including a dancing competition and the German version of I’m A Celebrity. She has also posed for international fashion magazines, including Vogue and Vanity Fair.
She has said that she will not use her title in her magazine role and hopes to inspire young women to be more confident about their bodies. She has also brushed off the criticism that she may be toxic to Hugh Hefner and Victor Lownes, who ran Playboy for decades. The former Playmate says that Hefner and Lownes were very kind, and nothing was toxic about them or their work.
Last year, Xenia broadened her search for Prince Charming in England by participating in the BBC Three reality show Undercover Princesses. The quite brilliant concept left a group of royal claimants to ‘fend for themselves’ in Essex, living like ordinary people with jobs in hairdressers, a cafe, and a cricket shop while they ‘trawled the pubs, clubs, and supermarkets of Essex for the one.’ Xenia, who struggled to choose suitors and returned to Germany without a new prince at the end of five hour-long episodes, has written openly about her traumatizing childhood experiences.
Despite her attempts to shrug off the label ‘playboy princess,’ Xenia is a well-known face in Germany thanks to her appearances on dance shows and soaps. She has starred in the German version of I’m A Celebrity and has a regular slot on local TV show B: REAL.
She has also starred in her talk show and is set to appear as a guest on the next episode of American hit TV show The Talk. She is keenly interested in politics and has spoken publicly about her views on the migrant crisis. She is a supporter of the Green Party. She has been described as a feminist and a ‘strong woman.’ In her book, she claimed that her father abused her when she was young and that her mother only believed her claims after police presented evidence. She has been a critic of the German government’s immigration policy and supports anti-racist organizations. She has a reputation for being outspoken and controversial. Xenia has also worked as a singer and columnist for a German newspaper. She has several tattoos on her shoulders, including the Star Spangled Banner. She has two children with her husband and lives in a ‘huge mansion’ in Dusseldorf.
