Tatler reveals the European movers and shakers you need to know

While British royals and blue-blooded beauties are frequently photographed at glitzy parties and high society weddings – or at least they were, pre-Covid – their European counterparts remain a mystery to many. 

Fortunately Tatler has put together a comprehensive guide to the continental movers and shakers who it is worth ‘cultivating an entente cordiale with’ before Britain officially leaves the European Union. 

Included on the list are model sisters Viola and Vera Arrivabene, whose Italian mother is a distant relative of Queen Victoria, French former prima ballerina Aurélie Dupont, and a pair of dashing Spanish dukes: Rafael de Medina and Fernando Fitz-James Stuart.

Here, 10 of the well-connected Europeans you might not have heard of…

THE MODEL SISTERS

VIOLA AND VERA ARRIVABENE

Double trouble: Even in a country full of impossibly chic women, Italian models Viola (left) and Vera Arrivabene stand out from the crowd. The well-dressed sisters, aged 29 and 27, are the eldest children of Venice’s Count Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga and Princess Bianca di Savoia Aosta, a descendant of Queen Victoria through her paternal grandmother

Glamour runs in the family: Princess Bianca with her daughters in 2010

Viola and Vera strike a pose on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival in September this year

Glamour runs in the family: Princess Bianca with her daughters in 2010 (left). Viola and Vera strike a pose on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival in September this year

Even in a country full of impossibly chic women, Italian models Viola and Vera Arrivabene stand out from the crowd.

The well-dressed sisters, aged 29 and 27, are the eldest children of Venice’s Count Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga and Princess Bianca di Savoia Aosta, a descendant of Queen Victoria through her paternal grandmother, HRH Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark.  

The couple, who are both descendants of King Louis XIV of France through King Ferdinando IV of the Two Sicilies and his wife, Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria, married in a glamorous wedding in 1988. 

They passed their good looks onto daughters Viola and Vera, who can be spotted mingling with fellow society beauties at events like the Venice Film Festival. 

Alongside their modelling careers, the sisters run their own footwear brand and are ambassadors for fashion house Dior. Their ultra-luxe range of slippers, ViBiVenezia, are created in an array of sumptuous fabrics and colours.   

THE GLAMOROUS DJ-ING ROYAL

PRINCESS SCILLA RUFFO DI CALABRIA

Low-key princess: Italian cool-girl princess Scilla Ruffo di Calabria, 35, is an in-demand DJ with royal roots that date back to the 11th century. Pictured, at an event in 2017

Low-key princess: Italian cool-girl princess Scilla Ruffo di Calabria, 35, is an in-demand DJ with royal roots that date back to the 11th century. Pictured, at an event in 2017

Effortless style: Scilla in 2018. Her parents are Prince Augusto Ruffo di Calabria, a distant relative of King Philippe of Belgium through his paternal grandfather Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, and Tana Windisch-Graetz, of the Austrian-Slovenian aristocratic family

Effortless style: Scilla in 2018. Her parents are Prince Augusto Ruffo di Calabria, a distant relative of King Philippe of Belgium through his paternal grandfather Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, and Tana Windisch-Graetz, of the Austrian-Slovenian aristocratic family

Italian cool-girl princess Scilla Ruffo di Calabria, 35, is an in-demand DJ with royal roots that date back to the 11th century. 

Her parents are Prince Augusto Ruffo di Calabria, a distant relative of King Philippe of Belgium through his paternal grandfather Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, and Tana Windisch-Graetz, of the Austrian-Slovenian aristocratic family. 

Scilla studied international relations in London and worked briefly for the Italian ministry for health before stumbling into DJ-ing after a friend asked her to play a set at a gallery opening. 

A successful career has followed with bookings including Miu Miu corporate events and the 2011 wedding of Prince Antonius von Fürstenberg and Countess Matilde Borromeo.

Tatler compares Scilla, who performs as Princess Scilla DJ, to Britain’s own society DJ, Lady Mary Charteris.    

THE DASHING SPANISH DUKE

RAFAEL DE MEDINA 

Dashing: Prior to tying the knot ten years ago, Rafael de Medina, the 20th Duke of Feria, regularly topped international best-dressed lists and was regarded as one of Spain's most eligible bachelors. He is now married to swimwear designer Laura Vecino (left)

Rafael cuts a sharp figure at an event in Madrid in 2018

Dashing: Prior to tying the knot ten years ago, Rafael de Medina, the 20th Duke of Feria, regularly topped international best-dressed lists and was regarded as one of Spain’s most eligible bachelors. He is now married to swimwear designer Laura Vecino (left)

Mummy's boy: Rafael with his mother Nati Abascal, 77, a former model and Valentino muse who once graced the covers of high-end fashion magazines like Harper's Bazaar

Mummy’s boy: Rafael with his mother Nati Abascal, 77, a former model and Valentino muse who once graced the covers of high-end fashion magazines like Harper’s Bazaar 

Prior to tying the knot ten years ago, Rafael de Medina, the 20th Duke of Feria, regularly topped international best-dressed lists and was regarded as one of Spain’s most eligible bachelors. 

Now he is a proud husband to swimwear designer Laura Vecino, with whom he has two children.  

The couple regularly share photos of their charmed life on Instagram, including getaways to the likes of Monte Carlo, New York and Tokyo. 

Rafael also uses his account to gush over his mother, Nati Abascal, 77, a former model and Valentino muse who once graced the covers of high-end fashion magazines like Harper’s Bazaar. 

His father, Rafael Medina y Fernandez de Cordoba, died in 2001.

THE FORMER PRIMA BALLERINA

AURÉLIE DUPONT

Prima Ballerina: Once one of the world's most celebrated dancers, Aurélie Dupont, 47, now works behind the scenes as the influential Company Director of the Paris Opera Ballet. Pictured, in 2019

When not at the theatre, the mother-of-two is often spotted on the front row at Fashion Week. Pictured, at Giorgio Armani last year

Prima Ballerina: One of the world’s most celebrated dancers, Aurélie Dupont, 47, now works behind the scenes as the influential Company Director of the Paris Opera Ballet

Leading light: The ballerina began her career at the Paris Opera’s Ballet School 1983 and retired in 2015 following a performance of Kenneth MacMillan's Manon. Above, in 2006

Leading light: The ballerina began her career at the Paris Opera’s Ballet School 1983 and retired in 2015 following a performance of Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon. Above, in 2006

One of the world’s most celebrated dancers, former prima ballerina Aurélie Dupont, 47, now works behind the scenes as the influential Company Director of the Paris Opera Ballet. 

The ballerina began her career at the Paris Opera’s Ballet School 1983 and retired in 2015 following a performance of Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon. 

In recognition for her outstanding contribution to the world of dance, Aurélie was made a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres and a member of the Ordre National du Mérite.

When not at the theatre, the mother-of-two is often spotted on the front row at Fashion Week. 

THE REFORMED WILD CHILD HEIR TO THE FIAT FORTUNE

LAPO ELKANN

Party boy: Reformed wild child Lapo Elkann, 43, who is worth a reported $800million, is grandson of Fiat founder Gianni Agnelli and heir to the Italian motoring fortune

Party boy: Reformed wild child Lapo Elkann, 43, who is worth a reported $800million, is grandson of Fiat founder Gianni Agnelli and heir to the Italian motoring fortune

Giving back: His hard partying days behind him, Lapo is now focused on his philanthropic work through his foundation, LAPS, and is a contemporary art collector

Giving back: His hard partying days behind him, Lapo is now focused on his philanthropic work through his foundation, LAPS, and is a contemporary art collector 

Reformed wild child Lapo Elkann, 43, who is worth a reported $800million, is grandson of Fiat founder Gianni Agnelli and heir to the Italian motoring fortune.

Born to writer Alain Elkann and Countess Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen, Agnelli’s daughter, Lapo was born in New York City and spent his teenage years in London. 

At the age of 17 he moved to Turin and secured a job in the family business in 2003 as Fiat’s Director of Marketing. 

He stepped down two years later after an overdose at the apartment of a transsexual prostitute landed him in a coma. Immediately after his release from hospital, Lapo checked himself into a rehab facility and later admitted it had been a ‘huge mistake’. 

In December last year Lapo was involved in a major car crash in Jerusalem. 

His hard partying days behind him, Lapo is now focused on his philanthropic work through his foundation, LAPS, and is a contemporary art collector. 

THE PLAYBOY PRINCE’S MODEL DAUGHTER

MELUSINE RUSPOLI

Model behaviour: Princess Melusine Ruspoli is 'set on a career in fashion' according to Tatler and has already appeared on the catwalk for Dolce & Gabbana (pictured in 2017)

Model behaviour: Princess Melusine Ruspoli is ‘set on a career in fashion’ according to Tatler and has already appeared on the catwalk for Dolce & Gabbana (pictured in 2017)

Home sweet home: Named by Tatler as the European It Girl of the summer, Melusine spends her time jet-setting to glamorous locations and utilising the stunning grounds of her family's 16th-century castle, Castello Ruspoli, pictured, just outside of Rome

Home sweet home: Named by Tatler as the European It Girl of the summer, Melusine spends her time jet-setting to glamorous locations and utilising the stunning grounds of her family’s 16th-century castle, Castello Ruspoli, pictured, just outside of Rome 

Named by Tatler as the European It Girl of the summer, Melusine spends her time jet-setting to glamorous locations and utilising the stunning grounds of her family’s 16th-century castle, Castello Ruspoli, just outside of Rome.

The 26-year-old princess, who shares her lavish lifestyle with her 17,600 followers on Instagram, has previously revealed she ‘never uses’ her princess title, preferring to ‘be like everyone else’.

Melusine was born in Paris to French model Theresa Patricia Genest and the late Prince Alessandro Ruspoli, an eccentric aristocrat whose family titles reportedly date back more than 1,000 years.

Her father was a thrice-married ladies’ man and notorious partygoer whose social circle included American novelist Truman Capote, French actress and singer Brigitte Bardot and French poet Jean Cocteau.

Prince Alessandro, who also dabbled in acting and had a bit part in The Godfather: Part III (1990), died in 2005 at the age of 80. 

For her own party, Melusine is ‘set on a career in fashion’ according to Tatler and has already appeared on the catwalk for Dolce & Gabbana. 

THE GLAMOROUS SPANISH ARISTOCRATS 

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF HUÉSCAR   

College sweethearts: The Duke and Duchess of Huéscar, Fernando Fitz-James Stuart, 30, and Sofía Palazuelo, are two of the most glamorous figures on Spain's social scene

College sweethearts: The Duke and Duchess of Huéscar, Fernando Fitz-James Stuart, 30, and Sofía Palazuelo, are two of the most glamorous figures on Spain’s social scene

New parents: The couple welcomed their first child together, daughter Rosario, in September

New parents: The couple welcomed their first child together, daughter Rosario, in September

The Duke and Duchess of Huéscar, Fernando Fitz-James Stuart, 30, and Sofía Palazuelo, are two of the most glamorous figures on Spain’s social scene. 

Fernando is heir apparent of the dukedom of Alba and grandson of the late Duchess of Alba, María del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva, who was known as Spain’s richest woman. Sofia worked in luxury fashion PR before marrying Fernando, her college sweetheart, in 2018. 

The couple exchanged vows at Fernando’s 18th century family estate, Liria Palace in Madrid, in front of some 750 wedding guests including the likes of Spain’s Queen Sofia, and designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada. 

The couple welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Rosario, in September.  

Fernando’s recently-engaged brother Carlos Fitz-James Stuart y Solís, Count of Osorno, also made Tatler’s list alongside his fiancée Belén Corsini de Lacalle, who comes from one of Spain’s richest dynasties and works in the family construction business.

THE JET-SET DEBUTANTE

PRINCESS LOUISE D’ORLÉANS

The world is her oyster. From Greece to Peru, Princess Louise d'Orleans' Instagram account is full of photos from her jet-set adventures. The 21-year-old French princess is the daughter of Louis, Duke of Chartres. Pictured, Louise poses for a photo in Skiathos, Greece

The world is her oyster. From Greece to Peru, Princess Louise d’Orleans’ Instagram account is full of photos from her jet-set adventures. The 21-year-old French princess is the daughter of Louis, Duke of Chartres. Pictured, Louise poses for a photo in Skiathos, Greece 

From Greece to Peru, Princess Louise d’Orleans’ Instagram account is full of photos from her jet-set adventures.  

The 21-year-old French princess is the daughter of Louis, Duke of Chartres, member of the House of Orléans, whose paternal grandfather was the late Henri, Count of Paris, who was the Orleanist claimant to the French throne with the title of Henri VI.

Louise made her formal debut last year at the Le Bal Des Débutantes in Paris, alongside young women including Kayla Rockefeller, of the powerful US dynasty, and fellow European royal Princess Maria Carolina de Bourbon des Deux Siciles.

THE AUSTRIAN ARCHDUCHESS AND THE BELGIAN RACER

ARCHDUCHESS ELEONORE VON HABSBURG AND JEROME D’AMBROSIO

Newlyweds: Eleonore von Habsburg, whose full title is Archduchess of Austria, Royal Princess of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia, married Belgian Formula E racer Jérôme d’Ambrosio, in July

Newlyweds: Eleonore von Habsburg, whose full title is Archduchess of Austria, Royal Princess of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia, married Belgian Formula E racer Jérôme d’Ambrosio, in July

Black tie beauty: Born in Salzburg, the glamorous model and socialite, 26, is the daughter of Archduke Karl von Habsburg - head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and a leading politician - and his estranged wife, Baroness Francesca von Habsburg. Pictured, in 2019

Black tie beauty: Born in Salzburg, the glamorous model and socialite, 26, is the daughter of Archduke Karl von Habsburg – head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and a leading politician – and his estranged wife, Baroness Francesca von Habsburg. Pictured, in 2019

Eleonore von Habsburg, whose full title is Archduchess of Austria, Royal Princess of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia, married Belgian Formula E racer Jérôme d’Ambrosio, in July this year. 

Read the full feature in the January 2021 issue of Tatler available on newsstands and digital download now

Read the full feature in the January 2021 issue of Tatler available on newsstands and digital download now

Born in Salzburg, the glamorous model and socialite, 26, is the daughter of Archduke Karl von Habsburg – head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and a leading politician – and his estranged wife, Baroness Francesca von Habsburg. 

This makes Eleonore the great-granddaughter of the last Emperor of Austria, Charles I of Austria, who reigned for two years until the monarchy was abolished at the end of the First World War. 

At its height of power, the House of Habsburg was one of the leading and most influential rulers in Europe. 

Based in Monaco, d’Ambrosio started go-karting when he was eight and is now a Formula E driver with three wins under his belt.  

And 10 names you might recognise 

François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek

Antonela Roccuzzo and Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo 

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

Antoine Arnualt and Natalia Vodianova 

Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and her children 

Patrick Viera

Giorgio Armani 

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 

Afrojack and Elettra Lamborghini  

Read the full feature in the January 2021 issue of Tatler available on newsstands and digital download now.