A German princess has made history by becoming the first aristocrat to pose nude for Playboy in a risqué royal photoshoot. Xenia Florence Gabriela Sophie Iris, the Princess of Saxony, is set to feature topless in the upcoming local edition of Playboy. Her decision is motivated by a desire to convey the message that "every woman is beautiful just the way she is."
Xenia told the magazine she thinks her regal ancestors, including her great-great-great-grandfather, Frederick Augustus III, the last king of Saxony, "would have definitely approved" her decision, especially considering her motive behind it. However, she said she would be "surprised" if her ancient noble family bought the magazine.
Bold but Beautiful Move
However, Xenia said that she hopes "they at least tolerate it." The 37-year-old German princess graces the cover of the March 2024 edition of German Playboy. In a bold pose, she drapes a white sheet across one half of her body, leaving the other side completely bare.
In another photo, she sheds the coverup entirely, posing topless by a luxurious pool while wearing a sheer white skirt with waist-high slits.
In a third photo, Xenia, who claims a link to the 1,000-year-old House of Wettin, is seen wearing a white bodysuit with the crotch unsnapped. She pulls it down to reveal her chest in this daring image.
"You don't have to conform to trends or have surgery on your body just to please someone," she told the magazine. "I have stretch marks and I'm proud to show them," she told the magazine.
The reality TV personality, currently featured on "B:Real – Real Celebrities, Real Life," shared with the magazine that she has to "fight against prejudices all day long", both due to her ancestry and her body.
"In some reality TV shows, I was the only one who didn't have anything done to her body," she shared, adding that "other women, some of whom had had a lot of surgery, said something like that I wasn't any competition for them because I didn't have any curves and wasn't feminine."
Acknowledging the impact of "horrible" comments, the star of "Undercover Princesses" revealed that the negativity almost led her to succumb to the pressure of undergoing plastic surgery, even though she ultimately chose not to do so.
Breaking Family Taboos
The royal descendant, who also had a stint as an Ikea model and authored a biography titled "Xenia: The Life of a Princess in the 21st Century", goes on to say, "I see myself more as a kind of spy. I want to bring the real thing back to reality TV and at the same time show people who I really am."
However, her claim of being a princess, has been disputed by at least one member of her noble lineage, Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen. He issued an indignant statement to the German newspaper Bild following the news of Xenia's book.
"She is a nothing. She can't have a biography," said Emanuel, the defunct dynasty's head, adding that "this thing is a dreadful faux pas, a misfortune for the 1,000-year-old House of Wettin."
However, Xenia's royal lineage is traceable as the great-great-granddaughter of the last King of Saxony, Friedrich August III, remaining in the public eye for her royal connections.
Her mother, Iris of Saxony, is the daughter of Prince Timo (1923-1983), a member of the House. Timo's father, Xenia's great-grandfather, was Prince Ernst Heinrich, married to Archduchess Luise of Austria and the son of Frederick August III, the last King of Saxony.
Frederick voluntarily abdicated in 1918 following Germany's defeat in World War I after a brief 14-year reign, famously remarking, 'Oh, well, I suppose I'd better.'
Despite criticism questioning Xenia's connection to the crown, she has embraced her royal heritage and gained recognition on global shows.
In 2016, she participated in an Israeli production featuring celebrity couples sharing an intimate space surrounded by cameras. She later appeared on dance shows, the German version of I'm a Celebrity! in 2021, and played a role in the local soap B:REAL last year.
However, fame has posed challenges for the princess, who says her royal title as a hindrance in finding her Prince Charming.
In a 2010 interview with B.Z., Xenia said, "I've actually been single since I was born. After a short time, everyone turned out to be bad guys."
Despite being the daughter of a farmer and a hairdresser, she expressed frustration with intrusive questions about her royal status, such as "Where is your crown, your castle, your dress..." The outlet concluded that she simply wanted to be a normal girl.
