She was born on 8 February 1983 in Tirana, Albania. She is the daughter of Gjergj Zaharia and Yllka Mujo. Her father is from Përmet while her mother's family come from Podgorica, Montenegro. They moved to Shkodër, a city in northern Albania, later during the monarchist period. She has a younger brother, Amos Muji Zaharia. Both her mother and brother are famous artists in Albania, her mother being a well-known actress and her brother an actor and film director. In 2002, she graduated from the National Art School Jordan Misja in Tirana in art and scenography and later moved to Paris for her university studies, where she met Prince Leka. In 2005, she graduated from the National Conservatory of Bordeaux in art drama. She then attended a private Frenchdrama school in Paris, Cours Florent, and then continued her studies in scenic acting at the Paris 8 University,graduating in 2010. She is fluent in French, English, and Italian.
Career
Crown Princess Elia has done several plays at the National theatre including:
2016: Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, Albanian National Theater
Crown Princess Elia also acted in movies and performed as a singer. In 2002, she had the main role in 'Lule te kuqe, lule te zeza', while in 2008 she acted in the movie Honeymoon by Goran Paskaljevic. From 1999 until 2002 Elia took part in a musical band called “Spirit Voice”. In 2016 & 2018 Elia co-hosted Kënga Magjike, a major musical event in Albania, together with Ardit Gjebrea.
Personal life
In Paris she met Prince Leka and on May 2010 they got engaged. Since then she has accompanied the Prince on all his visits and meetings with members of other royal families. She is also head of the Queen Geraldine Foundation, which is a humanitarian, charitable and non-profit organisation, created by the Royal Court. The foundation aims to be close to the Albanian families who need help and to children who need care. It has reconstructed numerous schools and kindergartens in northern Albania, especially in the Mat District, from where the Zogu Family comes. On 27 March 2016 it was announced by Prince Skënder Zogu, a member of the Albanian Royal Family, that the couple would get married on 8 October 2016 in the Royal Palace in Tirana. The ceremony was a semi-official ceremony, held in Tirana in the Royal Palace, with more than 300 members of other European noble and royal families attending. The couple's civil marriage was officiated by the Mayor of TiranaErion Veliaj. A blessing was given by the religious leaders of Albania, which is a tradition for the Albanian royal family that shows the unity and tolerance between religions in Albania. Among the members of the Royal families, who attended the wedding were: Queen Sofía of Spain, Empress Farah Pahlavi, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia, Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg together with Princess Sibilla, Princess Léa of Belgium, and other members from the royal families of Russia, Italy, Liechtenstein, Romania, Greece, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco and members of other noble families. Heads of state of Albania also attended the ceremony.
Titles and styles
8 February 1983 – 8 October 2016: Miss Elia Zaharia
8 October 2016 – present: Her Royal HighnessThe Crown Princess of Albania
