Royal News 2011

Last modified: 1 January 2012

Archived royal news from my old website for the year 2011.

January 1st

In her New Year’s speech, broadcasted on New Year’s Eve, Queen Margrethe warned against letting the financial crisis devolve into a “crisis of values”. She said: “We will find some way out of the financial crisis in the shorter or longer term, but we must find at way out of it with our decency intact, and without jeopardising our community.”

In his New Year’s speech, broadcasted on Friday evening, King Harald V of NOrway touched on national pride and the prosperity of the country. He said that “every single person has resources that can be used in our society, regardless of nationality, health, age or social factors”. He said that asylum seekers and immigrants not always have an easy life, because they’re not always welcome in the workforce or community. He thinks Norway should put the emerging multi-cultural competence to use, because it will be more important in the future.

The Swedish TV-channel SVT broadcasted “Året med kungafamiljen”, showing a summary of the royal year 2010.

January 2nd

During the church service at the church near Sandringham this morning the Rev. Jonathan Riviere announced that the daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips will be named Savannah. Several members of the British royal family attended the service, including Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and Timothy Lawrence, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

The imperial family of Japan appeared on the balcony of the imperial palace in Tokyo. Many people had come to see the family and hear the New Year’s wishes of the emperor. The Emperor refered to the hot year and severe economic conditions. He said: “I hope that people will cherish their family and community ties and support one another to overcome these challenges they are facing.” He said to hope that the new year will be a good year for the people in the world. Also the yearly Waka poems of the imperial couple were published.

In his New Year’s speech, that was broadcasted live on Friday evening, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand asked people to love and forgive each other for the prosperity of Thailand in 2011.

January 3rd

Crown Princess Sarah of Brunei Darussalam gave birth to her second child, a daughter, at 10.47pm on 2 January 2011. The birth was marked with a 19-gun salute fired from the Istana Nurul Iman. She and Crown Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah had their first child, Prince Abdul Muntaqim on 17 March 2007.

According to figures by The Times newspaper the Prince of Wales was the busiest British royal in 2010. He carried out 585 official engagements. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain had 444 official engagements, while her 89-year-old husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, carried out 356 official engagements. Prince William of Wales had 73 engagements, including 45 overseas. Prince Harry of Wales had 53 engagements, including 38 overseas. The Duchess of Cornwall had 243 engagements in 2010.

January 4th

Prince Alireza Pahlavi passed away early this morning. He committed suicide at his home in Boston, USA. His body was found at his home shortly after 2am when police responded to an emergency call. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the police said. On the family website his brother Reza said that “Like millions of young Iranians, he too was deeply disturbed by all the ills fallen upon his beloved homeland, as well as carrying the burden of losing a father and a sister in his young life.” He had fought against depressions for several years. The prince’s younger sister Leila committed suicide in a London hotel in 2001.

January 5th

Clarence House released more details for the wedding of Prince William of Wales to Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey. Miss Middleton will travel to the wedding service at Westminster Abbey by car along a route that will include The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and Parliament Square. The wedding service will begin at 11am. The Dean of Westminster will conduct the service, the Archbishop of Canterbury will marry Prince William and Miss Middleton, and the Bishop of London will give the address. The couple, now married, will return along a Processional Route in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace. The route will include Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade and The Mall. On arrival at Buckingham Palace, The Queen will give a Reception for the couple and guests drawn from the congregation representing the couple’s official and private lives. The Prince of Wales will give a private dinner, followed by dancing, at Buckingham Palace in the evening, for the couple and their close friends and family.

Grand Duke Jean of Luxemburg celebrated his 90th birthday today. A private family party took place at home. Together with his children and grandchildren he afterwards attended a birthday concert at the Philharmonie at Luxemburg-Kirchberg.

According to his daughter Princess Adelah, the health of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is improving. He should soon be able to return from the USA, where he underwent back surgery. The Princess said: “The king’s health is constantly improving. He has been attending physiotherapy sessions and will return to the country when he has completed his treatment.”

January 6th

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan has been chosen the new vice-president of the FIFA at the congress in Doha. He managed to beat the South Korean Chung Moon-Joon who had been vice-president since 1994. Prince Ali got 25 votes, while Mr Chung got 20 votes. In a statement Prince Ali thanked his brother King Abdullah II of Jordan and said: “The achievement would not have been made without the support His Majesty extended to Prince Ali since he announced his nomination for the post.”

On his Twitter account Reza Pahlavi says: “I will carry out my dear brother Alireza’s wish to spread his ashes over the Caspian Sea, home of his fondest memories.”

January 7th

The Sultan of Brunei Darussalam named his new granddaughter, born on 2 January. She is fully named and titled Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah Binti Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah. Her daily name will be Muneerah.

January 8th

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has given birth to twins this morning at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. A little prince was born at 10.30am, a little princess at 10.56am. Mother and children are doing fine and the birth was a natural one. The boy is 47 cm tall and weighs 2674 gramms. The girl is 46 cm tall and weighs 2554 gramms. They both had full apgar- scores, the doctor said. The medical staff was at hospital at 6am, while Mary arrived around 7am. The doctor says that Crown Prince Frederik was a good support during the birth. Queen Margrethe II is said to be very happy.

January 10th

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates cancelled a meeting with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton today. It was reported that the Sheikh had fractured his arm in the morning while undertaking his daily exercise. The state news agency said: “Sheikh Khalifa will rest for several days.”

January 11th

Six missing pieces from the colossal double statue of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and his wife Tiye have been discovered at the Medinet Habu on the west bank of Luxor. The double statue is in the main hall at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and was discovered in 1889. The six pieces will soon be relocated to the museum for restoration and placement into the statue.

January 12th

A spokesperson of Clarence House says that Prince Harry of Wales is determined to join two British servicemen, who lost limbs while fighting in Afghanistan, on a trek to the North Pole. The spokesperson said: “However, his military training commitments mean he will not know for some weeks whether this is going to be possible, so in the meantime, he is following preparations closely.” He may join the team for part of the journey. The expedition will leave on 23 March, and is expected to reach the pole around April 25/26, just before the wedding of Prince William of Wales.

The wedding of COunt Jan Bernadotte and Gunilla Stenfors, which was to take place at Hydinge Church on 8 January, had to be postponed. The reason is that he is officially still married to his sixth wife Christiane Grandmontagne. The couple says they are going to get married as soon as the divorce is finalized.

January 13th

Two men in their 20s were arrested while they were trying to talk their way inside Buckingham Palace at the staff entrance early yesterday morning. The two are suspected to be student fees protesters.

In an interview with the French newspaper “Le Parisien” Princess Stéphanie of Monaco says that she enjoys “very, very good relations” with Charlene Wittstock, fiancée of her brother Prince Albert. Stéphanie said: “I couldn’t dream of a better sister-in-law.”

January 14th

Hundreds of people gathered in the lobby and outside the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen this afternoon at 3.34. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and her twin boy and girl left hospital accompanied by Crown Prince Frederik. The twins slept right through their first public appearance.Crown Princess Mary said to be very proud and happy, and says they are quite “laid-back”, but the boy has more temperament than the girl. She said it is a challenge to raise four children, but will do her best. The couple will start a complete new family life, they said. Asked if they would love to have more children, the Crown Princess said: “We have our hands full.” The crown princely couple hasn’t arranged complete plans for a trip to Australia yet, but hope that they can take the twins there soon to introduce them to family and friends. Crown Princess Mary said she has followed the reports about the floods in Queensland closely, and said that their thoughts and deep-felt sympathy goes out to the people who have been affected. TV2: Kongelige TvillingerDR: Kongelige TvillingerRoyal Portraits: Frederik & Mary with twins

January 17th

Alastair Campbell, from 1997 to 2003 Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair, claims in his published diaries that the British royal court thought the Prince of Wales could be attacked when walking behind the coffin of Diana Princess of Wales without his sons accompanying him at her funeral. On 4 September 1997 Sandy Henney, press secretary to the Prince of Wales, was sent to Balmoral to talk to Prince William and tell him that his mother would have wanted him to walk behind her coffin.

The Russian Investigative Committee says they are absolutely 100% sure about the authenticity of the remains of Tsar Nikolai II and his family, which were found near Yekaterinburg some years ago. They have officially closed the criminal case on Friday. The committee has been investigating the killing of the family since 1993. Vladimir Solovyov, investigator of the committee, says there is no evidence that the execution was directly ordered by Soviet leaders Lenin and Yakov Sverdlov. German Lukyanov, lawyer of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, says that it is too early to put a final dot, and says that the family hopes to be able to study the resolution on the closure of the case.

The Italian police have arrested a man who tried to smuggle abroad a 2,5 metre statue of the Roman Emperor Caligula. The man was arrested near Lake Nemi, south of Rome, when he loaded a part of the statue into a lorry. After having been arrested the man led the police to the site of the lost tomb of the Emperor. Excavations will start today. The Emperor had a villa, a floating temple and a floating palace in the area.

January 18th

Keith Vaz, member of the British parliament for the Labour Party, has introduced a draft legislation to abolish the 1701 Act of Settlement. Under the Act of Settlement boys takes precedence over girls in the succession to the British throne. If the draft legislation would gain parliamentary approval, the law might not be changed straigt away. The law would also need approval of 15 independent British Commonwealth countries.

Italian newspapers say that Giorgio Armani has been selected to design the wedding dress of Charlene Wittstock, who is to marry reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco in July. British press speculates that Kate Middleton, fiancée of Prince William of Wales, will wear a dress by Bruce Oldfield.

In an interview with a Kuwaiti newspaper King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia said: “I will return to the Kingdom very soon to be with my family, children and people and my brothers in the Gulf”. He also thanked world leaders for wishing him a speedy recovery after his surgery in December.

January 19th

The Swedish royal court has denied rumours that Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is pregnant.

January 20th

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden paid a visit to the United Arab Emirates. On Monday she spoke at the opening ceremony the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, which was also attended by other royals like Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxemburg. On Tuesday she visited the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Masdar Institute, SymbioCity, the new IKEA store at Abu Dhabi and attended the Zayed Future Energy Prize Award ceremony. On Wednesday she visited Scania and ESAB,and visited the Wadi Wurayah Mountain Protected Area in Fujairah. In Ajman she visited the Rashid Centre for Diabetes and Research, and had dinner with the Crown Prince. On her last day, today, she visited the Abu Dhabi Golf Championships and the Burj Khalifa, the highest tower in the world with 820 metres. In the afternoon she visited the Old Bastakiya, the old part of Dubai, and the Swedish Church.

The Bundesgerichtshof in Karlsruhe, Germany, has decided that Princess Madeleine of Sweden will receive 400.000 Euro smart-money from the publisher Klambt-Verlag. According to the court they have violated the personally rights of the Princess for several years. She is to donate the money to good causes.

Robert Batis, father of Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, died today in Athens, Greece. He had been seriously ill for some weeks. The private funeral will take place in Athens. His wife Ana died in August 2010. He is survived by his daughters Katherine and Betty (Mrs Roumeliotis), his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

January 21st

The Norwegian Royal Court released a serie of pictures of Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who celebrated her 7th birthday today. They were taken by Kristi Marie Skrede of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation in Dzongu in Sikkim, India.

For the first time in 40 years the Round Tower at Windsor Castle will be opened to the public in August and September. Visitors will be able to enjoy the view from the tower after having climbed 200 steps.

January 22nd

The Norwegian Royal Court released new official photographs of King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The pictures were taken by Sølve Sundsbø. On 17 January it was twenty years ago that King Harald succeeded his father King Olav V as King of Norway.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has arrived in Casablanca, Morocco, today after spending almost two months in New York for medical treatment. He was received by King Mohammed V of Morocco. The Saudi King knows Casablanca very well, as he spends most of his holidays there.

Yesterday Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia announced his engagement to Princess Sophie von Isenburg. The wedding is to take place later this year, likely in Potsdam. Prince Georg Friedrich Ferdinand of Prussia was born at Bremen on 10 June 1976 as son of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia and his wife née Countess Donata zu Castell-Rüdenhausen. He is head of the House of Hohenzollern and would be Emperor of Germany if they country had still been a monarchy. Princess Sophie Johanna Maria von Isenburg was born at Frankfurt am Main on 7 March 1978 as fourth of five children of Fürst Franz Alexander von Isenburg and his wife née Countess Christine von Saurma. She grew up in Hessen, Germany, and studied business economics in Freiburg and Berlin. She works for a consultancy office in Berlin.

January 23rd

Hristina Hristova, the new leader of the NMSP party, the party of former King Simeon of Bulgaria, said in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio that the former King has a formidable international reputation. She added: “An experienced politician like him could still be useful for Bulgaria.” She said he was a peaceful prime minister in the period of 2001 to 2005, in contrast with the work of the current government of Bulgaria. Although the former King hasn’t announced yet whether he will run for president in the 2011 elections, Hristova said not to exclude the possibility.

January 24th

Egypt has officially requested the return of the bust of Queen Nefertiti, from the 14th century BC, which is part of the collection of the Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt has sent the official request to Herman Parzinger, president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin. Egypt says the bust was taken out of the country with fraudulent documents after it was found by archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt in 1912. Bernd Neumann, cultural minister of Germany, has said that Germany’s procurement of the bust is lawful. Egypt has no right to demand its return, he said.

January 25th

The office of the Romanian royal family said today that the family will attend the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton on 29 April. Yesterday the Serbian royal family issued an official statement saying that they have received an invitation for the wedding, and are delighted to attend. Also former King Constantine II of Greece, his wife Queen Anne-Marie and their eldest son Crown Prince Pavlos already confirmed their attendance. The major sovereigns have received save-the-date warning invitations by fax, as protocol dictates that they are given earlier notice than foreign heads of state and non-VIP guests. Full handwritten invitations, embossed in gold, will be set to all 1800 guests by the Lord Chamberlain’s Office next month.

January 28th

A request by former King Simeon of Bulgaria and his sister Princess Maria Luisa to present new evidence and testimonies in the dispute over the former royal palace Krichim has been rejected in a sitting today at the Plovdiv Appellate Court. The palace, and other properties, were restored to them between 2001 and 2005, but since 2009 the government of Bulgaria has challenged this decision. A ruling is expected within one month.

January 31st

According to the Imperial Household Agency Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan are considering attending the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton on 29 April. It would be the first overseas trip of Crown Princess Masako since a recupation stay in the Netherlands in 2006. Her last official trip overseas was in 2002, when she visited New Zealand and Australia. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will not attend due to their busy domestic schedules around the wedding date, it was said.

February 1st

A prototype of the wedding dress of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain, the Queen Mother, has been sold at auction at the auctioneers Dreweatts in Bristol for £3,500. It was made by the Queen Mother’s dressmaker, Mrs Handley Seymour and was used for the final design of the wedding dress in 1923.

King Abdullah II of Jordan has sacked the government today after weeks of protests. Maaruf Bakhit was named the new prime minister with orders to carry out “true political reforms”. However the Islamist opposition says Mr Bakhit isn’t a true reformer.

February 2nd

Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands today presented her second children’s book at the Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam. The book is called “Mr Finney and the other side of the water”. Her proud husband and children accompanied her to the presentation. Her first book about Mr Finney has been translated into English, Spanish and Catalan, and more than 20.000 books were sold in the Netherlands. Mr Finney – official websiteRoyal Portraits: pictures

February 3rd

Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg was taken to the Centre Hospitalier in Luxemburg-Kirchberg this morning after suffering a “slight malaise”. According to the Grand Ducal court he underwent a coronary angioplasty. The Grand Duke’s health is not “giving cause for concern”. He will be able to leave hospital soon.

The German federal state of Saxony will pay 4,2 millions of euros to the former royal family of Saxony. Both parties signed an agreement today. It was ruled that the confiscation of nearly 300 pieces of valuable porcelain artefacts by eastern German authorities in 1947 had been illegal. The artefacts nowadays are part of the royal art collections of Saxony, mainly on show in museums in Dresden since the late 1950s. Prince Albert of Saxony said to be happy about the outcome. He says the payment will be of great financial help to the family. He himselfs lives in rented accomodation, while his elderly sisters live in depressing and small apartments in München.

February 5th

Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg lef hospital today. In the next few weeks he will be recovering at Berg Castle. The Grand Duke and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Teresa will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary on 14 February. On that occasion several new pictures of the couple have been released.

February 7th

During an official visit to the King’s Rise Children’s Centre in Chippenham, Great Britain, today the Duchess of Cornwall was asked by the eight-year-old Rebecca: “Are you going to be Queen one day?” The Duchess replied: “You never know.” In November the Prince of Wales was asked in an interview on the US channel NBC if his wife would be Queen if he became King. He answered: “That’s, we’ll see, won’t we? That could be.” It was the first time he expressed his desire for Camilla to be Queen in public. Since the couple’s marriage in 2005 the British royal court has always insisted that the Duchess would merely be the consort of the Prince of Wales, after he would become King.

February 8th

Sotheby’s has released the catalogue of the upcoming auction of property from the estate of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Some 1600 lots will be sold at auction between 14 and 17 March. The sale included furniture, porcelain, glass, silver, paintings and drawings from seven present and former Dutch palaces. The proceeds contribute to four charities chosen by Queen Beatrix and her three sisters, as well as The Red Cross in which Queen Juliana was involved for a long time.

The Imperial Household Agency said that Emperor Akihito of Japan will undergo additional medical tests on Friday at hospital in Tokyo. A heart problem was discovered during checkups last month. He was found not getting an adequate supply of blood to the heart following physical exertion. On Friday doctors will determine what treatment may be required.

February 9th

Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, said today that the pharaonic treasures at the Egyptian Museum have survived the unrest almost unscathed. Two days ago restoration work has already started on the few artifacts that were damaged in a raid on the museum two weeks ago when mass protests against the rule of the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak erupted. 25 Objects need restoration work, including a statue of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

February 10th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has approved the approval of her grandson Prince William of Wales as Colonel of the Irish Guards. The regiment was formed in 1900 by order of Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth is Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment. It is Prince William’s first honorary appointment in the Army.

Prince Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Foreign Minister, said today about King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia: “He is in excellent health, he is undergoing therapy.” He added that the King is looking forward to go back home and go back to work after undergoing surgery in the USA. At the moment he is recovering in Morocco.

February 11th

The Danish royal court announced that the christening of the twins of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will take place at Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen on 14 April at 3.30pm. Crown Prince Frederik was christened in the same church.

The Birmingham Mint has started pressing around 50.000 coins to commemorate the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton. The coins will cost £5 and show a picture of the couple on one side, and the wedding date and the initials C and W on the other side. The Mint will also make medals available to schools and charities for £3.

21-year-old Charlie Gilmour has been charged with violent disorder linked to the attack on the convoy of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in London on 9 December 2010. He is said to have been sitting on the bonnet of a car carrying Royal protection officers and is also said to have thrown a rubbish bin at the royal convoy, hitting a car that didn’t contain royals. The case has been adjourned until 25 March. Charlie Gilmour is the son of David Gilmour, guitarist and vocalist with the British rock band Pink Floyd.

The Oslo police have arrested, questioned and charged a man in connection with the theft of an historic ski-jacket worn by King Haakon VII of Norway. Karin Berg, the director of the Ski Museum at Holmenkollen discovered the theft in broad daylight yesterday when she was preparing a speech about the jacket. The jacket is made from reindeer fur and contains embroidery, illegally sewn by a prisoner of war at the Grini prison camp outside during WWII. The prisoner of war was a friend of the King’s late wife.

Emperor Akihito of Japan was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis in his cardiac blood vessels during medical tests at the University of Tokyo Hospital today. He will receive medication, but it is expected he will continue carrying out his normal duties and activities as usual. The Emperor will stay the night at the hospital and return to the Imperial Palace on Saturday. Empress Michiko accompanied her husband to the hospital today.

According to an AFP-report a group of 36 tribal leaders from Jordan have attacked the Palestinian origins of Queen Rania of Jordan. In a statement they said: “She is building power centres for her own interest that go against what Jordanians and Hashemites have agreed on in governing and is a danger to the nation and the structure of the state and the institution of the throne.” The statement also says: “We call on the king to return to the treasury land and farms given to the Yassin family (of the queen). The land belongs to the Jordanian people.” Today the Jordanian royal court says that the 36 people who signed the statement are not leaders of the tribes to which they belong and don’t represent these tribes. They say the allegiations in the statement about the Queen and her family are not true. A check with the land registry will show that the allegiations that her family received land and farms are ubsubstantiated. Queen Rania also didn’t help 78.000 Palestinians to obtain the Jordanian nationality between 2005 and 2010, the royal palace states. Their statement says that official records at the Ministry of Interior will prove that these allegiations are also baseless.

The King of Bahrain has ordered that each family in his country will receive $3,000 to mark the 10th anniversary of a national charter for reforms. He says it is a sign of appreciation for the people in his country who have approved these reforms.

February 12th

Despite of what was reported earlier several objects are missing from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo after a raid on the museum two weeks ago. After the raid staff of the database department made an inventory of objects at the museum. Among the missing objects are two statues of Pharaoh Tutankhamun and a statue of Queen Nefertiti. List of missing items

February 14th

Prince William of Wales has asked his brother Prince Harry of Wales to be his best man. Catherine Middleton has asked her sister Philippa Middleton to be her maid of honour. The couple also choose six bridesmaids and page boys for their upcoming wedding on 29 April. They are Lady Louise Windsor (7), the Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones (8), Grace van Cutsem (3), Eliza Lopes (3), William Lowther-Pinkerton (10) and Tom Pettifer (8). Both Grace van Cutsem and Tom Pettifer are godchildren of Prince William.

February 15th

During a visit to Thailand UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé has praised the “tireless decication, commitment and leadership” of Princess Soamsawali Kitiyakara of Thailand in the HIV responce in Thailand. He presented the princess with a commemorative plaque for her ongoing efforts to fight HIV and AIDS. The Princess divorced Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand.

Earl Spencer, uncle of Prince William and Prince Harry of Wales, has announced his engagement to Karen Gordon only months after he broke off his previous engagement to Lady Bianca Eliot. The private wedding, his third, is to take place on 18 June at the Spencer family home in Northamptonshire.

February 16th

Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton will undertake a tour of Canada from 30 June to 8 July 2011 on invitation of the Canadian government. They will visit Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and the National Capital region.

The newborn daughter of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark spent some time in hospital last week. She reportedly had a cold. According to the court she is doing well again. It was decided to hospitalize her because she is only a few weeks old.

Princess Alexandra of Luxemburg celebrated her 20th birthday today. On the occasion the Luxemburg grand-ducal court released a series of photos.

Prince Laurent of Belgium has been caught driving 82 kilometers per hour, where only 50 kilometers per hour was the speed limit. When the police stopped his car his driver’s license was taken away from him and suspended for two weeks. The court will decide whether he will be fined or loose his drivers license even longer.

February 17th

Princess Astrid of Belgium had surgery this morning at the UCM Sint-Pieter in Brussels. She had a mild urological affection. She will stay at hospital for a couple of days. Back home she will need a few weeks to recover.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo and other Egyptian historical sites are to reopen on Sunday after the riots in the country of the past weeks. The most important artifact stolen from the museum, a statue of Pharaoh Akhenaten, has been returned after a teenager found it back next to a garbage can. Three other artifacts have been found back on the museum grounds itself. According to the ministry of antiquities the tomb of Hetep-Ka in Saqqara was broken into and several objects and a false door were stolen. A portion of a false door was taken from the tomb of Re-Hotep in Abusir. Also other archaeological storehouses were targets for break-ins. It is not yet clear what is missing.

February 19th

The invitations to the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton on 29 April have been issued in the name of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and have been posted on Wednesday and Thursday. The EIIR on the invitation is die-stamped in gold and then burnished. The text on the invitation is also die-stamped. The edges of the invitations are bevelled then gilded. Around 1900 people have been invited to the wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Around 600 people have been invited to the lunchtime reception at Buckingham Palace given by the Queen. Around 300 people have been invited to the dinner at Buckingham Palace given by the Prince of Wales. Over 1000 invitations went to family and friends of the bridal couple, over 50 members of the British royal family are invited as well as over 40 members of foreign royal families. Furthermore over 200 members of government, parliament and diplomatic corps have been invited, as well as around 80 guests drawn from Prince William’s charities, 60 governors-general and realm prime ministers and 30 members of the defence services.

The Dutch royal family had their traditional yearly photosession at Lech, Austria, this morning. For the first time Queen Beatrix was surrounded by all her three sons, three daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren. NOS videoPictures: Royal Portraits

In Oman about 300 people demonstrated peacefully and demanded political reforms and better payment. Last week the country has increased the salaries of national workers active in the private sector from 140 to 200 rials per month. The protesters also said they think cabinet ministers shouldn’t serve more than four years.

February 20th

Oscar Magnuson, the second son of Tord Magnuson and Princess Christina of Sweden, announced his engagement to his girlfriend Emma Ledent. The engagement took place at Gattières, France, on 11 February 2011.

February 21st

Princess Aiko of Japan is been readjusting to school life. In March 2010 it turned out the princess had skipped classes in February because of the behaviour of some boys in her school. Since she attended lesser classes and was often accompanied to school by her mother Crown Princess Masako. Since January the princess often stays with her classmates until the end of the school day. She also regularly walks home. However she is still not attending all clases and eats lunch with her mother in the classroom.

In a speech during a ceremony for appointments of members of the advisory Social and Economic Council King Mohammed VI of Morocco says he doesn’t cede to demagoguery. He said he wants “irreversible reforms”, but they have to be formulated in accordance with the Moroccan model. Yesterday thousands of Moroccans protested and demanded that the King would give up some of his powers.

February 22nd

In a message sent by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain to Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand the Queen says that she is “utterly shocked by the news of another earthquake in Christchurch.” She sends her deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the people who were killed. The Queen also says that her thoughts are with the people who have been affected by the earthquake, the emergency services and the people who are assisting in the rescue efforts. Also the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, as well as Prince William of Wales, have sent messages to the Prime Minister and to the Governor-General of New Zealand.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia will return home on Wednesday afternoon. In November he travelled to the USA for treatment of a herniated disk which caused blood accumulation around the spine. In the past four weeks he has been recuperating in Morocco.

Tens of thousands people demonstrated in Bahrain since more than a week, asking for the fall of the regime. They refuse to enter talks with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa until their demands are met. The people ask for the release of prisoners, they want the government to resign, the deaths of protesters in the past week to be investigated and political reforms that will lead to a constitutional monarchy. Some people even wish King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa to step down. The King in the meantime has ordered the release of a group of political prisoners. He has named the Crown Prince to lead a dialogue with the opposition, although the protesters and opposition so far haven’t accepted the proposal.

Also in Jordan various people are calling for a constitutional monarchy, in which the people choose their governments including the prime minister. The extensive executive powers of the monarch should be limited, some groups say. On Sunday King Abdullah of Jordan said that his own attempts at reform had been derailed. So far he has appointed a former intelligence general as prime minister.

February 23rd

According to the new book of Leo Van Audenhaege, “Van Küssnacht naar Argenteuil. Drama’s in het Belgisch koningshuis (1935-2002)” King Leopold III of the Belgians at least had two illegitimate children. One is a 57-year-old man, who was born during an affair the King had with a French lady. The King is even said to have wanted to give up his marriage to Lilian Baels at that time. The other child was born as Ingeborg Verdun in December 1940. Her mother was the Austrian figure skating star Liselotte Landbeck, who in the winter of 1939/1940 gave skating lessons to the children of the King. In an interview with the magazine Humo Ingeborg, who now lives in the USA, says that she only heard about her real father when she was 50 years old.

On a press conference on the occasion of his 51st birthday Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan spoke about his family. He said: “I and Masako have always tried to figure out what we can do for Aiko as her parents.” He said that his wife Crown Princess Masako “is recovering steadily”. Referring to the health of his father Emperor Akihito he said that the Emperor’s official duties proceed “in line with His Majesty’s intentions”. He added that the burden placed on his father shouldn’t be too excessive.

February 24th

The Danish Royal Court released the first official pictures of the twins of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. The pictures were taken by Steen Brogaard at the Knight’s Hall at Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg, in Copenhagen.

Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton had their first official engagement since they announced their wedding. They dedicated a new lifeboat in Anglesey, Wales, today. A huge crowd was gathered at Trearddur Bay to greet them. In his speech Prince William applauded the work of the rescue crews of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute. Afterwards Catherine Middleton poured champagne over the boat, which was officially named Hereford Endeavour.

February 25th

Today Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton returned to the university at St. Andrews in Scotland, where they met during their studies, to launch its 600th anniversary celebrations. Prince William is the patron of the 600th Anniversary Appeal, which will have a large focus on generating new funds for scholarships. In his speech Prince William said: “This is a very special moment for Catherine and me, it feels like coming home.”

The Oslo police said today they have recovered a ski jacket made of reindeer skins that was once worn by King Haakon VII of Norway. The jacket was found at a local dry cleaners. The jacket had been stolen from the Norwegian Ski Museum at Holmenkollen recently. A 44-year-old man has been charged with the theft and remains in custody.

According to the Saudi Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is in good health. However he needs to continue the physiotherapy treatment that began after his surgery in New YOrk some months ago. The King returned to his country on Wednesday.

The USA returned historical documents to Russia. The documents were stolen between 1994 and 2002. They were later discovered on websites of auction houses in the USA. Several of the 21 documents included decrees signed by Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Catherine the Great.

February 28th

The film “The King’s Speech” were one of the big winners at the 83rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles yesterday. The film won Oscars for best film, actor Colin Firth, director and screenplay. The film tells the story of King George VI and his speech therapist. The king was a stammerer.

Princess Lalla Khadija, daughter of King Mohammed VI and Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco, celebrated her fourth birthday today.

The wedding of Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia and Princess Sophie von Isenburg will take place at noon at the Friedenskirche in Potsdam, Germany, on 27 August 2011. As the groom is protestant and the bride catholic the wedding ceremony will be an oecumenical one. Some 720 guests will be invited, including German and foreign nobility and royalty. More than 1200 invitations will be sent out in April. The evening before the annual concert of the Princess Kira Foundation will exceptionally take place at the concert hall at the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin.

Tjalling ten Cate and his wife Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme had their second daughter at the Bronovo Hospital in The Hague, The Netherlands, on 25 February at 6.05pm. The girl received the names Paola Cecilia Laurentien. She weighed 2825 gramms and is healthy. The parents say they are very grateful and happy with their new daughter. The couple’s first daughter, Julia, was born in 2008.

March 1st

A Saudi Princess and her husband has won a fight to hide their identity in court at Central London, Great Britain, yesterday. The British bodyguard of the the couple claims that the Princess was engaged in drinking, illegal drug/taking and sexually promiscuous behaviour. The bodyguard also claims the husband is a viewer of gay porn websites. The court ruled that the couple should not be named in court to shield them from publicity as their life could be put at risk. The Brit worked for the couple from 2003 to 2010. The case will be heard later this year.

Baron Karl-Theodor von und zu Guttenberg has stepped down as Minister of Defence of Germany today. He said he was relinquishing all his political offices. He said: “I was always ready to fight, but have to admit I have reached the limit of my strength.” He said the decision had been “the most painful step of my life”. He thanked chancellor Angela Merkel for her support, trust and understanding. Several weeks ago he was found to have copied large parts of his university doctorate thesis written in 2006, without attributing. The university of Bayreuth has decided already to take aways his PhD, saying he had “violated scientific duties to a considerable extent”.

March 2nd

St. James’s Palace launched the official Royal Wedding website celebrating the marriage of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton today. A spokeswoman said: “There’s been lots of interest in the wedding from the public and the website will be a resource for them to go to.” The website will be regularly updated. On the wedding day itself the website will be the place to read about all details. There are also plans to broadcast the wedding itself on the website.

A 34-year-old man was arrested in connection with the attack on the car carrying the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on 9 December 2010. The man was questioned on suspicion of violent disorder and criminal damage. Afterwards he was bailed.

Kerry Taylor Auctioneers will auction pieces of lingerie, accessoires and jewelry from the late Duchess of Windsor in London, Great Britain, on 17 March. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Dodi International Charitable Foundation, set up by Mohamed al-Fayed in memory of his son who died with the Princess of Wales in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Al-Fayed had bought contents of the home of the Duchess of Windsor in Paris after her death in 1986. He sold most of the items in 1998 and donated some other items to the foundation. Among the items being sold is a scarlet chiffon nightdress that is expected to fetch up to £1,000. A black crocodile handbag by Christian Dior from 1964 is thought to be worth up to £8,000. A vanity case by Louis Vuitton from the 1960s is thought to be worth up to £10,000.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has cancelled her state visit to Oman, that was to take place from 6 to 8 March. In a statement it was said that the decision to call of the visit was taken by both countries because “current developemnts demand all attention” of Oman. It is hoped the visit can take place later on. In the past few days protests against the Arab governments also reached Oman, and several people were killed during the protests. The state visit of Queen Beatrix to Qatar from 9 to 10 March will take place as planned. She will be accompanied by the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima.

March 3rd

The religious wedding of Alexander Johannsmann and Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg will take place at the evangelical church in Bad Berleburg, Germany, on 18 June, it was officially announced today. According to the Danish magazine Billed Bladet the wedding will take place at 5pm and the dress code will be white tie.

Former Crown Prince Paras Shah of Nepal appeared in court at Bharatpur, Nepal, today. More than 1000 people cheered him when he arrived. He has been charged with disturbing the peace after allegedly firing his gun during an argument with other guests at a luxuous resort in Chitwan in December 2010. The court heard the testimonies from witnesses and was addressed by the defence lawyers. The hearing has been adjourned until 16 March.

March 4th

Buckingham Palace has announced that Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has accepted an invitation from president Mary McAleese of Ireland. She will pay the country a state visit this year. No date has been released. It will be the first state visit by a British monarch to Ireland since its independence. The last reigning British monarch to visit Ireland was King George V in 1911. At that time the country was still a part of the United Kingdom.

Prince Harry of Wales has postponed his Sentebale Polo Cup visit to Dubai on 19 March. The event has been cancelled. Thus far Dubai hasn’t noticed much of the wave of protests sweeping the Arab world in the past weeks. St. James’s Palace however said today: “Prince Harry was very much looking forward to the visit, but feels it would be insensitive for him to participate in a sporting event at a time when there are matters of greater priority to focus on in the region.”

Yesterday Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit of Jordan rejected calls for a constitutional monarchy. Today thousands of Jordanians demonstrated in Amman and demanded reforms of the regime.

March 6th

The trips by the Duke of York as special British representative for trade and investment have cost £3,861,904 according to an investigation by the newspaper The Sunday Telegraph. These costs don’t include the costs of his bodyguards. The costs are much higher than thought. The Duke made 76 foreign trips between 2001 and March 2010. A spokesman for the Duke said: “The Duke has delivered enormous benefit to British companies, with deals worth hundreds of millions of pounds, and the cost of the role has to be set in that context.” Foreign Secretary William Hague today defended the work the Duke has done to promote Great Britain and said he has done a lot of good for Great Britain in his role as trade ambassador. Recently the Duke has also been criticised for his links to the American businessman Jeffrey Epstein, who is a convicted paedophile. Although the Duke is said to be determined to save his job, he is under growing pressure to resign as trade ambassador. Various political sources today say that the British government might decide to downgrade his role. Ministers are said to carry out a review of his position.

March 7th

The biography of Catherine Middleton, fiancée of Prince William of Wales, was added to the official wedding website today. The biography reveals she lived in Amman, Jordan, from 1984 to 1986. Exclusive photographs from the Middleton family album have been released also.

March 8th

Prince William of Wales will pay a visit to New Zealand and Australia on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The visit follows the recent natural disasters in the countries. Prince William will visit Christchurch, New Zealand from 17 to 18 March. He will attend the National Memorial Service there on 18 March. On 19 and 20 March Prince William will visit a number of areas and towns in Queensland, Australia, affected by a recent cyclone and flooding. on 21 March he will visit north-west Victoria.

Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton paid an unannounced visit to Northern Ireland today. They were received at the City Hall in Belfast and outside they celebrated Shrove Tuesday with the crowds and tossed pancakes with children who were raising money for the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund. The couple held a private meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson at Hillsborough Castle, Co. Down, followed by a lunch. They also met with young people from the protestant and catholic communities at Youth Action NI.

The Royal Parks has launched an interactive map of the Royal Wedding procession route of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton. The procession will pass by some of London’s most well-known landmarks, including the Queen Victoria monument, The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall, the Cenotaph and the Houses of Parliament, not to mention two of London’s best-loved royal parks, St. James’s Park and The Green Park.

Queen Beatrix, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima attended a private dinner at the palace of the Sultan of Oman tonight, despite of objections of the Dutch government. Tomorrow she will start a two-day state visit to Qatar. The state visit to Oman was cancelled late February because of the present problems in the country. After the state visit was postponed the Sultan invited the Dutch royals for a private dinner, which they accepted.

March 9th

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the wedding of Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips will take place at the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 30 July. According to several newspapers rugby player Iain Balshaw will be best man.

Flanked by his son Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and his brother Prince Moulay Rachid King Mohammed VI of Morocco said today that the country will revise its constitution for the first time in fifteen years. He said a new commission will suggest constitutional revisions to him by June. Afterwards a referentum will be held.

Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud of Saudi is the highest ranked royal on the 2011 Forbes list of the world’s billionaires. He is ranked 26th with an estimated fortune of 19,6 billion dollars.

March 10th

Prince Harry of Wales has qualified as an Apache helicopter pilot after a ten-month course. His spokesman said the Prince was delighted to have qualified. He could be eligible to return to Afghanistan for a combat position from Spring 2012.

On his 47th birthday Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain appointed her son the Earl of Wessex as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

On the second and last day of her state visit to Qatar Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands said the visit had been impressive and a real feast. She said she likes state visits. The Queen, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima arrived on Wednesday morning by airplane and were welcomed by Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani of Qatar at his palace. The royals also visited the Museum of Islamic Art where the exhibition “Golden Age of Dutch Painting” was visited, and walked through the Souq Waqif. In the evening they attended a family dinner at the private Al-Wajba Palace. Today they visited Ras Laffan Industrial City and received the Dutch community in the country. In the evening the Queen offered a concert of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra to her hosts. The Emir had to cancel his attendance, but sent his wife Sheikha Mozah instead. Queen Beatrix said also she was happy that the good relationship with Oman could be confirmed by accepting an invitation for a private dinner with the Sultan on Tuesday.

March 11th

Royal Houses sent their condolences to the Emperor of Japan after the terrible earthquake and tsunami which have struck Japan today.

Today the Plovdiv Appellate Court in Bulgaria has again rejected the claim of former King Simeon and his sister Princess Maria Luisa in a dispute over the ownership of the Krichim Palace. The Court confirmed a 2010 ruling of the District Court in Plovdiv and said that the Krichim Palace and its land are not the property of the former Bulgarian royal family. They say the palace wasn’t acquired on behalf of the King or personally for him as a private entity.

March 12th

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden celebrated her name day. At noon she and her husband Prince Daniel came out at the inner courtyard. The Mounted Guard presented them with a horseshoe worn by the horse Regent during the couple’s wedding procession on 19 June 2010. The Crown Princess enjoyed a musical tribute by the Life Guards’ Dragoon Music Corps. Afterwards she greeted the audience and received gifts. Royal Press Europe pictures

The Duke of York has cancelled a trade trip to Saudi Arabia next week. Buckingham Palace said that the trip has been postponed because of the current circumstances in the region. They say the cancellation has nothing to do with the recent media reports about the Duke.

March 15th

Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton have chosen two choirs, one orchestra and a fanfare team to perform the music at their wedding service at Westminster Abbey on 29 April. The Choir of Westminster Abbey and The Chapel Royal Choir will be under the direction of Mr James O’Donnell. Mr Christopher Warren-Green will conduct The London Chamber Orchestra. Seven musicians from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force will perform under the direction of Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs. Prince William and Catherine Middleton have choise a number of well-known hymns and choral works as well as some specially-commissioned pieces to be played during the wedding service. Claire Jones, the official harpist to the Prince of Wales, will perform at the reception hosted at Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth II.

After weeks of pro-democracy protests the King of Bahrain has declared a state of emergency for the coming three months. Several people were killed in the clashes.

March 16th

In his first-ever television address Emperor Akihito of Japan said: “I am deeply saddened by the devastating situations in the disaster-hit areas.” Last Friday Japan was hit by an earthquake and a tsunami. He said to hope that the people in Japan will overcome the challenges they face by caring for each other. He expressed his appreciation for the people who help out in the areas.

Thai webmaster Thantawut Thaweevarodomkul has been jailed for insulting the Thai monarchy on his website and for violating computer laws. He was sentenced to three years in jail for violating the computer crime law and ten years for lese majeste.

March 17th

An official website on the occasion of the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock has been opened.

The auction of property from the estate of the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands at Sotheby’s in Amsterdam was a huge success. The final result of four days of auctioning was 6,986,783 euros. All 1535 lots were sold. More than 5 million euros was raised for charity. The top two lots were an extensive Chinese silver-gilt tea service from the Qing Dynasty (204,750 euros) and a rare and extensive Doccia Ginori porcelain dinner service (168,750 euros). In some cases the price was pushed up to ten times over the low estimate.

March 18th

The palace in Monaco said today that Princess Antoinette of Monaco, aunt of Prince Albert II, died at the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace at Monaco during the night of Thursday to Friday. She was born on 28 December 1920 as eldest child of Count Pierre de Polignac and Princess Charlotte of Monaco. She was the sister of Prince Rainier III of Monaco (1923- 2005). She married in 1951 (divorced 1954) Alexandre Noghès (1916-1999), with whom she had three children: Elisabeth (* 1947), Christian (* 1949) and Christine (1951-1989). From 1961 to 1973 she was married to Jean-Charles Rey (1914-1994), and in 1983 briefly to John Gilpin (1930-1983). She is survived by two of her three children, six grandchildren, and as far as known six great-grandchildren. Two weeks of mourning have been announced, until 1 April. The remains of the Princess will be transfered to the palace chapel, where the family can say goodbye. On Saturday 19 March the staff of the palace can pay their last respect. A mass will be held on Sunday, attended by the princely family. The people in Monaco can pay their respect from Sunday to Wednesday. The funeral service will take place at the cathedral of Monaco on 24 March. Afterwards the princess will be buried in private at the chapelle de la Paix.

Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton have set up a charitable gift fund, called the “The Prince William & Miss Catherine Middleton Charitable Gift Fund”. They have asked anyone who might wish to give them a wedding gift consider giving to a charitable fund instead. The couple has personally chosen a list of charities to benefit.

The Imperial Household Agency said today that Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan will not attend the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton on 29 April. They have declined the invitation because of the earthquake that hit Japan recently. The couple has also cancelled a private trip to the Nagano Prefecture later this month.

The Dutch royal court confirmed that the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands will attend the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton.

March 19th

Yesterday Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Prince Bernhard, Prince Pieter-Christiaan and Princess Annette van Oranje-Nassau van Vollenhoven volunteered during NL DOET, the Dutch voluntary days. They painted and papered at the Stichting Grote Broer at Nijmegen. The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima served HIgh Tea at De Opmaat in Monster, while Prince Floris and Princess Aimée van Oranje-Nassau van Vollenhoven helped out in a centre for homeless people in Rotterdam. Today Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands painted a building of scouts in Vlissingen, while Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène van Oranje-Nassau van Vollenhoven gave workshops in kickboxing and streetdance at the Ronald McDonald centre in Amsterdam.

The senior members of the princely family of Monaco didn’t attend the annual Rose Ball today, because of the death of Princess Antoinette. The family was represented by Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre Casiraghi, the children of Princess Caroline. In his speech Andrea Casiraghi said that his aunt Antoinette had been very fond of the ball and would surely have wanted the ball to continue. He said that the presence of the guests was a tribute to her. He said that Princess Antoinette had a rich and eventful life in the service of charity.

March 20th

The first pictures of Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme and her husband Tjalling ten Cate with their two daughters Julia and newborn Paola were released today. They were taken at their new home in Wassenaar, The Netherlands. The pictures were taken by Jeroen van der Meyde. Pictures at PPE Agency

March 21st

Prince William of Wales returned home today after a five-day trip on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. He visited earthquake-hit New Zealand and flood-hit areas in Australia. The Prince said to have been “incredibly moved” by what he saw and heard. A spokesperson for St. James’s Palace said: “He’s very pleased and honoured to have been able to come and meet so many people in some quite hard-to-reach communities.” In New Zealand the prince met rescue workers and people affected by an earthquake in February in Christchurch and Greymouth. On his second day, 18 March, he attended the National Christchurch Memorial Service and held a speech. He said they were an “inspiration to all people”. On 19 March the Prince travelled to Queensland, Australia. He visited the towns of Cardwell and Tully, which were hit by the cyclone Yasi. On the fourth day of his visit Prince William met 11- year-old Blake Rice, whose brother Jordan sacrificed himself to make sure his little brother was saved from the floods.

March 22nd

Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton will use the 1902 State Landau along the processional route from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace after their wedding service on 29 April. In case of bad weather they will travel in the Glass Coach. The carriage procession will have five horse-drawn carriages. Two Ascot Landaus will carry the best man, maid of honour and the bridal children. A Semi-State Landau will carry Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh. Another semi-State Landau will carry the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Mr and Mrs Middleton. The processional route runs from Westminster Abbey to Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parace, The Mall to Buckingham Palace. The couple will travel separately to the wedding service using state cars.

Principal witness Rubel Chowdhury had his statement recorded regarding the alleged shooting by former Crown Prince Paras Shah of Nepal in December 2010 during an argument at a resort in Chitwan. The verdict had been delayed last week because he hadn’t showed up. Afterwards Paras Shah appeared at court to attending today’s hearing. The next hearing will be on 27 April.

March 23rd

Only hours after the wedding a recording of the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton will be available online. Decca Records will release the ceremony digitally to online retailers. A physical album will be released on 5 May, produced by producer Anna Barry. The official album will include all the music, as well as a booklet containing the order of service, readings, vows, hymns and blessings. Decca says that £1 from each album sold will go to The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

According to a poll by YouGov for Prospect magazine says that 45% of the people questioned think that the Prince of Wales should succeed Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. 37% prefers Prince William of Wales. One in four people said they wanted the Queen to abdicate before her 85th birthday. However 65% wants her to stay. 71% is in favour of a change of the Act of Settlement that bans Catholics from succeeding, while 75% thinks the first born child should succeed instead of the eldest son of the monarch.

Queen Silvia of Sweden had to cancel her attendance at the Swedish state visit to Botswana because she has the flu. King Carl XVI Gustaf travelled to the African country alone.

Bettina Wulff, the wife of the German President, opened the flower exhibition Keukenhof in Lisse, The Netherlands, today in presence of her husband Christian Wulff and the Prince of Orange. After the visit the president and his wife were received in audience by Queen Beatrix.

March 24th

The funeral service of Princess Antoinette of Monaco was held at the cathedral of Monaco this morning. The service was attended by a large part of the princely family of Monaco, including Prince Albert II and his fiancée Charlene Wittstock. After the service the princess was laid to rest in private at the chapelle de la Paix.

According to the British royal court Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh will pay a visit to Australia late October. They among others will attend the meeting of the Commonwealth heads of government in Perth. It will be the 16th official visit to Australia for the Queen and her husband.

The Danish Royal Court said that Queen Margrethe II has spent two days visiting the Danish troops in Afghanistan. It was the Queen’s first visit and she said she was “impressed and proud” of the work of the soldiers.

The state of Bulgaria wants to receive back three royal residences from the heirs of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria. Three seperate claims for the estates of Tsarska Bistrirsa, Sitnyakovo and Vrana were submitted by a law firm authorized by the Ministry of Regional Development today. The family received back the properties years ago, but the state claims they were returned unlawfully. They also claim BGN 110.000 for their use throughout the years.

March 25th

Prince Harry of Wales will join a team of wounded military servicemen from Walking with the Wounded at the start of their expedition to trek unaided to the Geographic North Pole. He will join the group at their base camp in Longyearbyen, in the north of Norway, on 29 March. He will trek with the team for five days until departing on 5 April to continue his military training. The prince is the patron of the team.

March 26th

From 11 to 22 October King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway will pay an official visit to the USA. They will visit New York, Minnesota and Iowa. In the two Midwestern states the couple will visit Norwegian-American communities and institution. They are also the guests of honour at the 100th anniversary of the American Scandinavian Foundation in New York. In May the royal couple will make state visits to Slovenia and Croatia.

The royal palaces in Oslo and Stockholm, as well as the Swedish palaces Drottningholm, Kina Slott, Gripsholm and Rosendal took part in “Earth hour”, and put out their lights for one hour this evening.

March 27th

Today the Prince of Wales attended a memorial service at Westminster Abbey in London for the victims of the earthquake in New Zealand of February. The Prince laid a wreath of white and yellow roses carrying a Maori message reading: You will be remembered always. After the service he met 47 people who had been affected, including people who had losts relatives and friends.

Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton will have two wedding cakes. Leicestershire baker Fiona Cairs has been asked to create the official cake. It will be a traditional multi-tiered fruit cake – cream and white icing – decorated with edible flowers – an English rose, a Scottish thistle, a Welsh daffodil and an Irish shamrock. It will also feature the new cipher of the couple, which will officially be released on 29 April. The tiers will all have a different theme. The other cake will be an unbaked chocolate biscuit cake by McVitie’s made to a secret royal family recipe, a childhood favourite of Prince William.

March 28th

Prince William of Wales had his stag party last weekend. The party is thought to have taken place at the country estate of one of his friends outside London. Some 20 close friends attended. Catherine Middleton’s hen night is said to have taken place some days earlier. The low-key party is understood to have taken place at the home of a friend, and was organised by her sister Pippa. A spokesman for St James’s Palace said that they wouldn’t comment, as both parties were a private matter.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have started an official visit to Portugal, Spain and Morocco today. In Spain and Morocco they will be the guests of the royal families of the country. They will spend two days in Portugal and three days in Spain. The themes of the tour will include highlighting commercial diplomacy (including trade and investment promotion), co-operation on climate change and building a low-carbon economy, faith and minority communities and youth opportunities, the military and cultural links.

March 29th

On 21 April the Royal Mail will issue commemorative stamps to celebrate the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton. The stamps show the official engagement photographs of the couple. The sheet will consist of two 1st class stamps and two £1,10 stamps. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Prince William of Wales have approved their issue.

March 30th

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have visited victims of the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March at a shelter in Tokyo. The couple talked to evacuees for about fourty minutes. According to sources close to the Imperial Household Agency the Emperor and his wife would like very much to visit the areas that are affected by the disaster. They however don’t go yet, so they don’t interfere with the ongoing rescue operations and the situation at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

March 31st

Prince William of Wales will not be wearing a wedding ring, a palace official has said today. Catherine Middleton will wear a ring made of Welsh gold, but more details will be released before the wedding.

The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands have paid a four-day official visit to Vietnam. The visit mainly concentrated on strenghtening the ties and the trade between the two countries.

April 1st

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh visited RAF Valley in Anglesey today to meet with service personnel. They also toured the base. Of course they met with their grandson Prince William of Wales who has joined the Search and Rescue team on the base. Prince William said he enjoys settling into life in Anglesey, where he and his fiancée Catherine Middleton were usually left alone.

April 3rd

The start of the Walking with the Wounded trek of four disabled British servicemen and Prince Harry of Wales has been delayed. The team was supposed to depart Spitsbergen on Friday, which was delayed until today. Now the departure again has been rescheduled to Monday afternoon. Prince Harry arrived at Spitsbergen on Tuesday and is to leave the team on Thursday.

April 4th

The website of the princely family of Monaco has completely been redesigned. There is a French and an English version of the website with lots of wedding information. The website for me only works in Firefox, not in Internet Explorer. Also Facebook and Twitter don’t seem to work yet.

The princely palace of Monaco has announced that Charlene Wittstock, fiancée of reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco has been admitted through a free and personal decision into full communion in the Catholic church.

The lastest wedding news about the wedding of reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock on 1 and 2 July 2011 has been released on the special wedding pages on the official website. Apart from a time schedule, it was announced that the prince has chosen a hybrid vehicle of the Lexus brand for his ride to the Church of Sainte Dévote, where the princess will leave her bouquet. Wedding souvenirs will be available at the start of May 2011. The couple also announced that they don’t want to receive gifts, but request a donation to foundations and associations. A special account has been opened. In September 2011 the couple will reveal which foundations and associations will receive a donation.

April 5th

The diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain in 2012 will be marked by a 1000-strong flotilla, that will sail along the River Thames on 3 June. The Queen will head the fleet. The jubilee celebrations will be held from 2 to 5 June 2012. The Queen ascended the throne on 6 February 1952.

Prince Harry of Wales and the team of Walking with the Wounded finally left Spitsbergen late on Monday evening. They reached Borneo Ice Airfield, about 320 kilometers from the North Pole, early on Tuesday morning. Despite of the delay Prince Harry said: “The miles may have to be minimised only by a little bit, but it’s not going to make a difference to what these guys are doing. It’s truly inspirational and truly remarkable, so let’s keep the support going.”

The Dutch royal court announced that the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands will attend the wedding of reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock in Monaco in July. No other members of the Dutch royal family will attend the wedding.

The Belgian royal court has confirmed today, that King Albert II of the Belgians is angry about his son Prince Laurent’s visit to Congo in March. He visited the country without approval of the Belgian government and the King. During the trip Prince Laurent was greeted by controversial President Joseph Kabila. The official purpose of the visit was to promote deforestation. Congo used to be a colony of Belgium, and became independent in 1960.

April 6th

Queen Silvia of Sweden has been injured while shopping in New York on Monday with her daughter Princess Madeleine. A Swedish photographer of Aftonbladet followed them, because of which the Queen took a side-door out of a shop. While hurrying away she fell and hurt her foot and wrist. Although the Queen walks with a cane and wears a brace on her foot, her schedule for the rest of the week remains unchanged. Aftonbladet said to deeply regret the incident. In a statement the royal palace said: “The photographer didn’t acknowledge their wish not to be photographed, but instead remained in the entryway of the store. The Queen felt the photographer was being obstinate and chose to go out through the store’s side door. The Queen walked briskly to a parked car in order to avoid the photographer who ran after her. Unfortunately, the Queen then fell, injuring both her foot and wrist.”

People will be able to watch the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton live on giant screens at Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square it was announced today. London Mayor Boris Johnson said that the city wants everyone to be able to join in the celebrations.

Reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancée Charlene Wittstock paid a state visit to Ireland from 4 to 6 April. It was the first state visit of Charlene Wittstock, and took place fifty years after the official visit of the Prince’s parents. The couple met with President Mary McAleese and other politicians. After the ceremonial welcome on the first day they visited among others Leinster House and the National Museum in Dublin. In the evening a state banquet was held. Yesterday the couple visited Trinity College and toured the Docklands area. At Farmleigh House the Prince opened an exhibition about his mother the late Princess Grace of Monaco, who was of Irish descend. Afterwards a dinner was held there. Prince Albert announced that an Irish university research post will be set up at Trinity College in Dublin in name of his late mother. Today the Prince visited the Irish Marine Institution in Oranmore. The couple also visited the Prince’s ancestral home in Mayo and met distant relatives. His maternal great-grandfather John H. Kelly moved to the USA from Mayo.

After having spent nine months in Beijing, China, for medical treatment, former King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia has returned to his country. Family members welcomed him at Phnom Penh airport. It is not known how long the former king will stay in Cambodia.

April 7th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh will pay a state visit to Ireland from 17 to 20 May 2011 on invitation of President Mary McAleese. Apart from Dublin, they will also visit Kildare, Cashel and Cork.

The Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme told the Belgian parliament today, that he will set a list of conditions for Prince Laurent. If the Prince doesn’t abide them it might have consequences for his annual apanage. He hopes this will make an end to the unacceptable activities and behaviour of the Prince. He will have a conversation with the Prince tomorrow afternoon to inform him about the contents of the list of conditions.

Spokesman for the Royal House of Hannover, Mauritz von Reden, yesterday announced that the family will no longer let out the Fürstenhaus in Herrenhausen, Germany. Hereditary Prince Ernst August von Hannover lives and works as an investment banker in London. He wants to start using the historical palace in private, although that doesn’t mean that it will become his permanent residence. He however has decided that the palace won’t be used for events anymore after June 2011.

April 8th

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan paid another visit today to survivors of the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March. They visited an evacuation senter in Kazo, Saitama Prefecture.

April 9th

Prince Laurent of Belgium yesterday accepted the new rules governing his activities. Prime Minister Yves Leterme presented him the rules set by him and the Belgian government as a result of the Prince’s controversial trip to Congo.

Prince Harry of Wales returned to Great Britain yesterday. He was to depart on Thursday, but cracks in the ice had closed the runway. Workers first had to repair the ice-field before the Prince could leave. He spent an extra day trekking with the team of Walking with the Wounded expedition. He is due to resume his military training.

April 11th

One day after her fourth birthday, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands brought their youngest daughter Princess Ariane to the Bloemcampschool in Wassenaar for her first schoolday. Between her two elder sisters Princess Amalia and Princess Alexia, the excited little princess walked to the school with a new rugsack on her back. NOS: Video

The Bulgarian state has filed court claims of ownership of the forests in the area of the town of Samakov, near the Tsarska Bistritsa royal residence. The forest is one of the properties returned to former King Simeon of Bulgaria a few years ago. The claim is a follow-up to an earlier state claim from Spring 2009.

April 12th

During a day-long visit to Lancashire Prince William of Wales paid a tribute to his fiancée Catherine Middleton in a speech at the Darwen Aldridge Community Academy. He said: “I know that I am very fortunate. I have the support of my family and friends, I do a job I enjoy … and I have Catherine. But I have learnt through working with some truly inspiring charities – none more so than SkillForce – that these things can never be taken for granted.” It was the last engagement of the couple before their wedding.

The 90th birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh will be celebrated with a service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 12 June. After the service a reception will be held in the state rooms of Windsor Castle. The service will be attended by Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the British royal family. The Duke’s actual birthday is on 10 June.

The grave of King Magnus III Ladulås of Sweden, who reigned the country from 1275 to 1290, is being opened. Researchers will perform DNA tests and hope to find the identity of the persons who are buried with him. The king was buried at the Riddarholmen church in Stockholm. It is known his wife, daughter and a grandchild were buried in the grave. It is however not known who the others are. The DNA will be compared with tests taken from the grave of the King’s father Birger Jarl, who is likely buried at Varnhem Abbey. That grave was opened in 2002. Researcher have concluded at that time that it is 65% certain that the king is buried there, together with his second wife Mechtild and his son Erik.

Four of the missing pieces from the collection of Pharaoh Tutankhamon of Egypt, that were stolen from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo during protests on 28 January, have been found “by accident in an underground metro station”, antiquities minister Zahi Hawass said. A gold statue of the pharaoh, a gilded bronze and wooden trumpet, a part of a fan of the pharaoh, and a shabtis of Queen Tide’s parents. 25 items have been found now, 33 objects are still missing.

April 13th

A spokesman for St James’s Palace said that Catherine Middleton, the fiancée of Prince William of Wales, was confirmed in the Church of England by the Bishop of London the Rt Rev Richard Chartres at a private service at St James’s Palace on 10 March. Only close family attended. She had a series of counselling sessions from the Bishop.

Queen Beatrix, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands saw lots of rain during the first two days of their state visit in Germany. They spend the days in the capital of the country, Berlin. They met with president Christian Wulff and his wife Bettina, as well as with chancellor Angela Merkel. On the first day a wreath was laid, and in the evening there was a state banquet at the Bellevue Palace. Today a walk through the Brandenburger Tor had to be cancelled because of the rain, but they visited the television tower and the Queen and the Prince made a boat tour on the Spree River. Princess Máxima visited a school. In the afternoon they together visited a circus project for children. In the evening Queen Beatrix hosted a concert of the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest at the Philharmonie in Berlin. Tomorrow the royals will travel to Dresden, and on Friday they will end their state visit in Essen and Herzogenrath, near the German-Dutch border.

Margaret Rhodes, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, has published her memoirs. She is a cousin and friend of Queen Elizabeth II and was lady-in-waiting of the late Queen Mother, and wrote about her last weeks. She has submitted passages for royal approval.

April 14th

The twins of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark were christened this afternoon by Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen at Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen. They were named Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda. The elder children Prince Christian and Princess Isabella were seated on smaller chairs on the side of the parents. The prince’s godparents were the Prince of Asturias (not present), Prince Gustav zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, John Stuart Donaldson (Mary’s brother), Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille, Baroness Helle Reedtz-Thott and Caroline Heering. The godparents of the princess were Princess Marie of Denmark, the Duke of Castro, Patricia Bailey (Mary’s sister), Count Bendt Wedell, Mrs Brigitte Handwerk and Mrs Josephine Rechner. The Prince was wearing the traditional christening gown, in which also other family members were christened. The Princess wore a christening gown that was found in the possession of her great-grandmother Queen Ingrid after her death. It is unclear where the christening gown comes from, but might have been presented to her after the birth of Queen Margrethe II in 1940. A reception was held at Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg, afterwards. Among the guests were apart from the godparents Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark, Prince Joachim, Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix and Prince Henrik of Denmark, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Carina Axelsson, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana of Greece, the Duchess of Castro, John and Susan Donaldson and Mrs Catherine Murray, Count Valdemar and Countess Marina af Rosenborg. The floral decorations in the church were inspired by the sparkling spring and consists of Danish spring flowers in white and yellow colours. Used were daffodils, white cherry stalks, golden bells, snowball branches and yellow azalea branches from the gardens of Fredensborg Palace, as well as buttercups,cream-coloured double tulips, long French tulips, pea flowers and white and yellow snapdragons. Royal Portraits: Christening arrivalRoyal Portraits: Christening departure

Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands presented the Spanish version of her first Mr Finney children’s book, “El Señor Finney y el mundo patas arriba”, at the Dutch primary school in Madrid, Spain, today.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan today visited two evacuation shelters in Asahi City, Chiba Prefecture today. It was the first time the couple visited the area that has been ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March. They spoke with survivors and kneeled on mats to console them.

April 15th

Catherine Middleton took part in a wedding rehearsal at Westminster Abbey today. She was joined by her future brother-in-law Prince Harry of Wales, her bridesmaids and page boys. Prince William of Wales couldn’t join his bride because of his RAF duties. According to a spokesman of St James’s Palace it wasn’t the first rehearsal. And there will be more rehearsals before the big day.

Buckingham Palace released an update about the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton on 29 April. The detailed ceremonial timings became known. It was also confirmed that the Middleton family, including the bride, will spend the night before the wedding at the Goring Hotel. Most guests arrive at Westminster Abbey at the Great West Door. The people outside can follow the wedding service via audio speakers along the route.

Just in case somebody missed T-Mobile’s superb royal wedding commercial, here is the link.

April 16th

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark celebrated her 71st birthday today. The Queen and Prince Henrik appeared together on the balcony of Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus. PPE Agency: Birthday Pictures

Prince Harry of Wales has been promoted to Captain within the Army Air Corps in recognition of time service in the Armed Forces. He was also awarded his Apache Badge from the Officer in Command of his Squadron on Thursday 14th April, marking the completion of the eight month Apache Conversion to Type (CTT) Course. Prince Harry is now qualified to fly the aircraft without an instructor and has progressed to a further eight month weapons handling course in order to become a fully operational Army Air Corps Pilot.

April 17th

The British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is looking at ways of changing the rules on the line of succession in Great Britain. He said that it would be reasonable to see whether the traditions and conventions could change so that a daughter of Prince William of Wales and his wife Catherine could eventually ascend to the British throne.

April 18th

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has paid a three-day visit to the Swedish troops in Afghanistan.

April 19th

Live updates and unique material from the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton on 29 April will be made available via the official royal wedding website, the Flickr account of the British Monarchy, the Twitter page of Clarence House, the Royal Channel on YouTube and the Facebook page of the British Monarchy. The couple wants to make the wedding as accessible as possible. The wedding will be broadcasted live on the Royal Channel at YouTube from 10am to 2pm (British time).

The official souvenir programme to mark the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton is to be sold as a memento on the day of the wedding. The programme will include the order of service, a personal message of thanks from the couple and an unknown picture of the couple taken by Mario Testino. The programme will also be available to download for free from the official website from 24 hours before the wedding on 29 April.

The new coat of arms of Catherine Middleton and her family has been designed in cooperation with the College of Arms. The design was agreed and approved by Mr Thomas Woodstock, Garter King of Arms and Senior Herald in England. The three acorns represent the three children of Michael and Carole Middleton. Acorns were chosen because the area in which the children were brought up – West Berkshire, England – is surrounded by oak trees. Additionally, oak is a long-established symbol of both ‘England’ and ‘Strength.’ The gold chevron, which sits at the centre of the design, represents Mrs. Middleton, whose maiden name is Goldsmith. The two thinner chevrons, which sit either side of the gold chevron, allude to hills and mountains and represent outdoor pursuits that the family enjoy together. The colours blue and red were chosen as they are the principle colours from the flag of the United Kingdom.

According to a survey by YouGov for MyDaily.co.uk 86% of British women don’t envy Catherine Middleton. Just over 1000 women aged 18 and older were surveyed between 30 March and 1 April.

April 20th

The Prince of Wales today has become the longest-serving heir apparent to the British throne. He broke the record set by his great-great-grandfather King Edward VII of Great Britain, who was Prince of Wales for 59 years, two months and 13 days. The Prince of Wales has been the heir to the British throne since his mother acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952.

Hugo Burnand has been selected as the official photographer at the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton on 29 April. After the wedding he will take the official pictures at Buckingham Palace.

April 21st

On her 85th birthday Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh attended the Royal Maundy Service at Westminster Abbey. The Queen traditionally gave out special minted silver coins to the elderly. 85 men and 85 women received two purses: a white one containing the Maundy money, and a red purse holding a five pound coin commemorating the 90th birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh and a special 50-pence coin marking the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

According to the Daily Mirror newspaper Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton have visited the grave of Diana Princess of Wales at Althorp Estate. They laid flowers on her grave. A spokesman for the family said: “We wouldn’t comment on a speculative story about what would be an entirely private matter.”

Michael and Carole Middleton, the parents of Catherine Middleton, had lunch at Windsor Castle yesterday. They had been invited by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh. It was the first time they met.

April 22nd

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan paid a visit to the city of Kitaibaraki, in the area hit by an earthquake and a tsunami on 11 March. They made a silent bow to the sea and asked many questions about the tsunami. They also visited a gymnasium in the city and talked to evacuees.

April 23rd

Buckingham Palace today released a selected guest list of confirmed guests at the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton on 29 April. They also confirmed the seating plan for Westminster Abbey.

Count Rodolphe de Limburg Stirum and his wife née Archduchess Marie-Christine of Austria had their first child, a son called Léopold, on 19 April. He is the first grandchild of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria and his wife née Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxemburg.

April 24th

Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and several other members of the British royal family attended the Easter Sunday service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, today. After the service the Queen was presented with bouquets of flowers by local schoolchildren.

One day after it was revealed that Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain, would attend the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton, he made known he wouldn’t come after all. The Crown Prince said that he deeply regrets that he isn’t able to travel to London because of the ungoing unrest in his country. He also said that he had reached his “considered decision”. He had hoped that the situation in his country had improved so he could have attended the wedding. He doesn’t want to overshadow the event.

April 26th

The first people area already camping on the streets of London outside Westminster Abbey to be sure they will have the best spots for the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton on Friday. In the evening there was a big wedding rehearsal at Westminster Abbey attended by both bride and groom.

Savannah Phillips, the daughter of Peter and Amber Phillips, was christened at the Church of the Holy Cross at Avening, Gloucestershire, on Saturday. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh attended the christening of their first great-grandchild. Also the Princess Royal, Timothy Laurence, Mark and Sandy Phillips, Zara Phillips and her fiancé Mike Tindall attended.

Although he will celebrate his 65th birthday on 30 April King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has no plans to retire, he said in an interview with the news agency TT today. He told them: “It is tradition that the monarch carries on in his duties as long as he is of a sound mind.”

April 27th

Former Crown Prince Paras Shah has been found guilty of disturbing the peace during a drunken argument at the Tiger Tops Hotel in December 2010. The Crown Prince, who didn’t attend the hearing today, however only received a warning because it was his first conviction.

April 28th

A final rehearsal for the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton took place at Westminster Abbey in London this morning. The groom didn’t attend.

The Duchess of Cornwall went out on the Mall in London today to meet well-wishers and the people camping out ahead of the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton tomorrow. She said: “We’re all ready for tomorrow. It’s wonderful and all very exciting. There’s a great atmosphere out here and it’s so nice to meet people and see how the celebrations are getting underway.”

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark have chosen to send their son Prince Christian to a standard school funded by the state, it was announced today. He will be the first member of the royal family not to attend a private school. This autumn he will start at Tranegårdskolen in Gentofte, Copenhagen.

April 29th

Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton married today at Westminster Abbey in London, Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain bestowed three titles on her grandson. He has become Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. His bride on marriage has become Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.

April 30th

The Dutch royal family celebrated a sunny Queen’s Day in the province of Limburg today. They visited the towns of Thorn and Weert. Royal Portraits: Queen’s Day 2011Royal Press Europe: Queen’s Day 2011

King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrated his 65th birthday today. He appeared at the Outer Courtyard of the Royal Palace in Stockholm. He was accompanied by Prince Carl Philip. The Swedish Armed Forces gave a concert and the King received many wishes by the public. Afterwards the King, Queen Silvia, Prince Carl Philip, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel appeared on the balcony of the palace. Pictures by Sofia Svanholm

King Mohammed VI and Prince Moulay Ismail of Morocco today visited the site of the café Argana in Marrakech. On Thursday 16 people were killed there in a bomb attack and 25 people were injured. Among the victims were many foreigners. The King today also visited injured people at the hôpital Ibn-Tofail and the military hospital Avicenne at Marrakech. On Thursday the King offered his sincere condolences to the families of the victims.

May 1st

A spokesman for the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has said that the Duke is honoured to have become Duke of Cambridge, but that he would prefer to remain Prince William. People who want to call his wife Catherine “Princess” are welcome to do so.

Several royals attended the beatification of Pope John Paul II at St Peter’s Square in Rome. Among them were King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg, Prince Hans Adam II and Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, the Prince and Princess of Asturias, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn.

May 3rd

The website of the Dutch royal house yesterday revealed that Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands hasn’t been smoking anymore for over fourty years. Although she did never smoke in public, it was thought by most people that she was still smoking, as she did when she was younger.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand is recovering well after a lumbar puncture procedure had been performed to drain excess fluid circulating around his spinal cord and brain. He is now receiving antibiotics intravenously. The King has been in hospital since September 2009, when he had a lung infection. He has remained in hospital since for rehabilitation and nourishment.

Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia gave an interview to Blic magazine about their presence at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on 29 April. The Crown Prince said: “It was an amazing wedding and huge. My wife and I were very impressed. We enjoyed the whole event.” RoyalFamily.org: Blic magazine interviewRoyalFamily.org: Pictures taken at the wedding

May 4th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has expressed her “deep sympathy” for the families and friends of the people killed in the storms that have hit the state of Alabama and the southern part of the USA. In a message to US President Barack Obama she said: “‘Please pass on my deep sympathy to the families and friends of all those who have been killed and to all those who have been affected.”

The Greek royal family has put online some pictures of them at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on 29 April.

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway completed a tandem sky dive today at the Jarlsberg airport outside Tønsberg, Norway. With the jump from a height of 3800 metres, not her first one, she wanted to ask for attention for the campaign of the Norwegian Sports Association “Rektruttering Norge på langs”. She jumped together with the disabled athletes Cato Zahl Pedersen, Steinar Andreassen Jensen and Per Christian Brunsvik. Kongehuset: video and pictures

May 5th

The Duke of Cambridge has returned to his work at the RAF base in Anglesey, Wales, only days after his wedding.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit California, USA, from 8 to 10 July 2011, following their tour of Canada. According to the British royal court it will be the first visit to the USA for the Duchess of Cambridge.

Wedding dress designer Sarah Burton says the wedding dress of the Duchess of Cambridge was a collaboration between the bride and the label Alexander McQueen, of which she is the creative director. According to Burton the dress has a lot of the Duchess’s personality in it. The dress was made of ivory satin and lace. Sarah Burton also designed the dress worn by the bride’s sister Philippa Middleton.

According to an online poll by Reader’s Digest among 2357 readers 93% of them find the new Duke of Cambridge the completely or fairly trustworthy member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain scored 90%, while the late Queen Mother ended up in third place with 88%. The Duchess of Cambridge was fourth with 87%, while the Prince of Wales only scored 70%.

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has started working again today. She attended the start of the annual campaign against skin cancer at the Glyptotek in Copenhagen. She had been on maternity leave since the birth of her twins early January.

May 6th

Charlie Gilmour, the adopted son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, today pleaded guilty to violent behaviour during protests against student fees on 9 December 2010. He was among others accused of throwing a rubbish bin at a convoy of cars carrying the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. The judge at Kingston Crown Court, London, warned him that he could face a jail term. He was granted bail until July so he can complete his exams at the university of Cambridge. The court case will continue on 8 July.

May 7th

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands opened the exhibition “Máxima, 10 years in the Netherlands” at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn today in presence of Princess Máxima herself. Royal Portraits: Máxima exhibition

In his first interview since he ascended the throne of Kelantan in September 2010 Sultan Muhammad V said he is searching for a wife, to complete the throne. He hopes that the prayers of the people will bring him a suitable candidate.

May 8th

Several dresses of the late Diana Princess of Wales have been auctioned by Julien’s Auctions. A dress designed by the late Catherine Walker fetched $275.000. It was bought by the Museo de la Moda in Santiago de Chile. A black crepe evening gown was sold for $144.000, while a light-blue silk chiffon strapless gown was sold for $132.000.

Eric Hagen Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg, son of Countess Diana Bernadotte af Wisborg, was christened today at the castle church at Mainau, Germany, this afternoon. His godparents were countess Sandra Bernadotte af Wisborg, Marc Will(e)m, Manuela Willm and Andreas Straehl.

Queen Thomozile Jezangani KaNdwandwe Zulu, the mother of Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, was reburied at a memorial site in Cato Manor, Durban, South Africa, on Saturday. A memorial ceremony took place on Sunday. The reburial will cost $45 million according to the media, and will have to be paid by the taxpayers. The Queen died in the 1950s. After a search of more than two years her remains were found, and a DNA test proved that “Thoko Zulu” was indeed the Queen.

May 9th

More than hundred dancers stepped out of the crowds in front of Buckingham Palace to take part in a real royal “flashmob” on We Will Rock You from Queen and Show me Love. Most of the dancers were students from the University of East London. The choreography had been inspired by the royal wedding. The planned flashmob marked a royal reception in the evening where young people in the performing arts were honoured. The reception was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Middleton family has complained to the Press Complaints Commission after several British newspapers published pictures of Carole, Catherine and Philippa Middleton during their holiday with Prince William of Wales on a yacht off Ibiza in 2006. The women are all wearing bikinis.

A nice pictures was issued on the occasion of the 8th birthday of Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan of Morocco. The picture shows him and his younger sister Lalla Khadija with a huge birthday cake.

May 10th

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have finally gone on honeymoon, it was announced by Clarence House. The Duke has taken a fortnight’s leave. Clarence House didn’t want to reveal where the couple went to or how long the honeymoon would be. They said: “The couple have asked that their privacy be respected during their honeymoon.” However a spokeswoman for the department of tourism of the Seychelles has confirmed that the couple arrived there by private jet early this morning. An helicopter flew them from the local airport to a private island.

In the talk show of Oprah Winfrey the Duchess of York said she had found it “difficult” not to have been invited for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. While the wedding was taking place she had gone to Thailand. She would have loved to be there with her daughters and former husband. The Duchess said that the late Diana Princess of Wales would have been very proud of her son.

Zara Phillips, daughter of the Princess Royal, has posed for the magazine “Country Life”. The picture was published in the issue of 11 May 2011.

A Royal Decree was issued today by former King Michael of Romania announcing that from today that the dynastic ties between the Royal House of Romania and the Princely House of Hohenzollern are over. The family will no longer be the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, but the Royal House of Romania. Members of the family will no longer use the titles Prince(ss) von Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen or Hohenzollern-Veringen.

May 11th

Buckingham Palace released a nice picture of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain with her two youngest grandchildren Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. They are shown riding their horses at Windsor Great Park on Easter Monday. The picture was released on the occasion of the 2011 Royal Windsor Horse Show today.

May 12th

As of today Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is the second longest-reigning monarch of Great Britain. She overtook the length of reign of King George III, who reigned for 59 years and 96 days. Only Queen Victoria reigned longer. She remained on the throne for 63 years, seven months and three days. Queen Elizabeth II could break that record on 10 September 2015.

Princess Beatrice of York has put her Phillip Treacy hat she wore at the wedding of her cousin the Duke of Cambridge up for auction at eBay. She hopes to raise money for UNICEF and Children in Crisis. According to a spokesperson the auction was her own idea.

For the first time in history the Dutch royal family presented an annual report. The report covering the year 2010 is focussed on the activities of the family and contains many pictures. It is not a financial report. It is only mentioned that the royal family spent €38.824.000 last year. These costs don’t include security or the maintenance of the palaces.

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway has agreed to extend his function of goodwill ambassador for the UN-development programme UNDP for another two years.

May 13th

The Prince and Princess of Asturias today visited the Spanish town of Lorca, that was hit by an earthquake earlier this week. Several people lost their lives. The princely couple attended a funeral mass together with hundreds of other people and met family members of people who died.

According to several Belgian newspapers Prince Laurent of Belgium has been banned from the Royal Palace and will not be invited for official activities for the time being. Reason is his recent trip to Congo, which he undertook without permission. His wife Princess Claire and the children are however still welcome.

May 14th

Princess Dona Maria de Orleans e Bragança née Princess of Bavaria died at her apartment at the Jardim Botânico in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, yesterday at 1.40pm aged 96. She was buried today at the cemitério da Irmandade de NOssa Senhora da Conceição at Vassouras next to her husband. She was born at Nymphenburg Palace, München, Germany on 9 September 1914 as daughter of Prince Franz of Bavaria and Princess Isabella von Croÿ. In 1937 she married Prince Pedro Henrique de Orleans e Bragança, who died in 1981. The couple had twelve children. Princess Maria was the last surviving member of the Bavarian royal family born when her country was still a monarchy.

May 15th

The Swedish royal court has announced that Queen Silvia of Sweden and her relatives have started to investigate the alleged Nazi-past of their father Walther Sommerlath. According to media reports he joined the party in 1934 and in 1939 took over a factory which was owned by a Jewish man. The results of the research will be made public. The Queen will use her contacts in German and Brazil, it was said.

The Dutch royal court released three pictures of Princess Máxima of the Netherlands on the occasion of her 40th birthday on 17 May. They are part of a series of pictures made by Erwin Olaf in and around Noordeinde Palace in April.

May 17th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has started her four-day state visit to Ireland just before noon today. She was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. It is the first visit by a British monarch to Ireland in 100 years. The Queen’s grandparents King George V and Queen Mary visited Dublin exactly 100 years ago. The evening before the visit a viable improvised explosive device was found in a bus on the outskirts of Maynooth, Co Kildare. A second bomb found near Phoenix Park, where the Queen is staying during her visit, turned out to be a hoax. About 8000 policemen are involved in the protection of the Queen and the public. After arriving at the airport the royal visitors were driven to the residence of President Mary McAleese in Phoenis Park for a ceremonial welcome. In the afternoon the Queen laid a wreath at the Garden of Rememberance, which commemorates those who died in the fight for Irish independence. She also visited Trinity College, founded by Queen Elizabeth I of England. On Wednesday the Queen and Duke will tour the Guinness Storehouse and the Government Buildings. She also laid a wreath at the Irish War Memorial Garden. In the evening a state dinner will take place at Dublin Castle. On Thursday Queen Elizabeth will visit the National Stud at Kildare and the racehorse stud Coolmore in Tipperary. The Duke will attend a reception at Farmleigh House with members of The President’s Award. In the afternoon the British Embassy will host a celebration of the state visit. The visit will end on Friday with a tour of St. Patrick’s Rock in Cashel and a visit to the English Market and the Tyndall Institute in Cork.

Norway celebrated its National Day today. In the early morning Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their children Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus appeared outside Skaugum Estate. They watched the Asker municipality children’s parade. Later today the royal family gathered on the balconyof the royal palace in Oslo to watch the Oslo children’s parade in which 108 schools took part. King Harald V and Queen Sonja visited Nordstrand district, Oslo. Royal Press Europe: National Day of Norway

May 18th

In her speech during the state dinner at Dublin Castle tonight Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain said: “It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss. These events have touched us all, many of us personally, and are a painful legacy. We can never forget those who have died or been injured, and their families. To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy.” She also mentioned that: “We can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all.” The Queen also said that she and her husband were “delighted to be here, and to experience at first hand Ireland’s world-famous hospitality”.

May 20th

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan announced his engagement to Jetsun Pema in his speech at the opening of the 7th session of parliament. The wedding will take place in October 2011. The King asked the government not to make plans for a big celebration. The wedding will be in accordance with age-old tradition. Jetsun Pema was born at Thimphu, Bhutan, on 4 June 1990 as the second eldest child of Dhondup Gyaltshen, grandson of Trashigang Dzongpon Dopola (governor of Trashigang), and Sonam Chuki, who is a member of the family of Bumthang Pangtey. She has two brothers and two sisters. She attended Regents College in London, UK, Lawrence School in Sanawar, St. Joseph’s Convent in Kalimpong, India, Changangkha Lower Secondary School and Lungtenzampa Middle Secondary School in Thimphu. In his speech the king said: “As King, it is now time for me to marry. After much thought I have decided that the wedding shall be later this year. Now, many will have their own idea of what a Queen should be like – that she should be uniquely beautiful, intelligent and graceful. I think with experience and time, one can grow into a dynamic person in any walk of life with the right effort. For the Queen, what is most important is that at all times, as an individual she must be a good human being, and as Queen, she must be unwavering in her commitment to serve the People and Country. As my queen, I have found such a person and her name is Jetsun Pema. While she is young, she is warm and kind in heart and character. These qualities together with the wisdom that will come with age and experience will make her a great servant to the nation.” The Queen-to-be, still a student, already accompanied the King on royal tours around Bhutan recently. They have known each other for quite some time. Her interests are fine arts, painting and basketball.

According to media reports former Crown Prince Paras Shah of Nepal was involved in a midnight brawl with the management of the Royal Casino in Kathmandu on Tuesday night. The reports say he was under the influence of alcohol.

May 21st

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have returned to Great Britain after having spent ten days in the Seychelles for their honeymoon. According to a statement by St James’s Palace they had a memorable honeymoon, and “thoroughly enjoyed their time together”.

May 22nd

The Philip Treacy hat Princess Beatrice of York wore at the wedding of her cousin the Duke of Cambridge has been sold online at eBay on Sunday for £81,100.01 to an unknown buyer. The proceeds will go to the charities Unicef and Children in Crisis. The Princess said: “I’ve been amazed by the amount of attention the hat has attracted. It’s a wonderful opportunity to raise as much money as possible for two fantastic charities. I hope whoever wins the auction has as much fun with the hat as I have.”

According by an internet poll by the Swedish newspaper Expressen 59% of the people who were questioned think King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden should abdicate in favour of his daughter Crown Princess Victoria within the next decade. Only 29% thinks he should reign until his death.

May 23rd

The first wedding souvenirs of the wedding of reigning prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock have gone on sale.

According to Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand her father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is recovering well. He even wishes to walk again in two months. The King has been in hospital since September 2009.

May 24th

US-President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have arrived iin Great Britain for a rare state visit. After arriving at Buckingham Palace, where they were greeted by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh, the US national anthem was being played and a 41-gun salute was fired. Inside the palace the presidential couple also met with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who performed their first official royal duty since their marriage. During the state banquet in the evening the president praised the special relationship between both countries.

May 25th

In a television interview with the German TV-channel ZDF Charlene Wittstock, the fiancée of reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco, said: “He is the man I dreamt of. He is perfect for me in every way.” She also said, that she really wants to have children and can’t wait to have a family of her own.

The Emir of Kuwait has left his country to undergo medical tests in Great Britain. It is not known what kind of tests he will undergo, nor how long he will stay in Great Britain.

May 27th

Princess Máxima of the Netherlands celebrated her 40th birthday (which was on May 17) with a special birthday concert by the Koninklijk Concertgebouw Orkest at the concert hall in Amsterdam. For the events family and friends, as well as people who have supported her during her ten years in the Netherlands either private or in her work, were invited. After a wonderful concert Princess Máxima thanked all her guests for coming to her party and for their support. Also several royals were attending: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange, Prince Friso and Princess Mabel van Oranje-Nassau, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Princess Irene of the Netherlands, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, Pieter van Vollenhoven, Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène, Prince Bernhard and Princess Annette, Prince Pieter-Christiaan and Princess Anita, Prince Floris and Princess Aimée van Oranje-Nassau van Vollenhoven, Princess Christina of the Netherlands, the Duke and Duchess of Parma, Tjalling ten Cate, Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme and Paulette van Ommen, Princess Carolina de Bourbon de Parme, the Duke and Duchess of Brabant, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxemburg, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn, Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana of Greece, Prince Kirill and Princess Rosario of Bulgaria (Preslav), Crown Princess Miriam of Bulgaria, The Aga Khan IV, one of the Bavarian princesses, Prince and Duke Pierre and Princess and Duchess Silvia d’Arenberg, and members of the families von Amsberg and Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff. Also Máxima’s parents Jorge Zorreguieta and Maria del Carmen Cerruti and her brother Martin ZOrreguieta attended the celebrations. This weekend there will be private celebrations. A brunch will be held at De Horsten Estate in Wassenaar, while a private party will take place at an undisclosed location. Royal Press Europe: Concert for Máxima

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden paid a four-day visit to Germany. They stayed two days in München, the city where the Crown Princess’s parents met in 1972, and two days in Berlin. The crown princess couple received a very hearthy welcome everywhere.

May 28th

The Holy Communion of Miguel Urdangarín y Borbón was celebrated in the gardens of the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid today. The event was attended by his parents Infanta Cristina of Spain and Iñaki Urdangarin, Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, his grandparents King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía of Spain, as well as by the Prince and Princess of Asturias and their daughters, Infanta Elena and her children, as well as by Carlos Morales Quintana and Princess Alexia of Greece and their children.

May 29th

To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, there will be an extra long weekend from 2 to 5 June 2012. The late May Bank Holiday therefore has been moved to 4 June, while a special Jubilee Bank Holiday will be added on 5 June. Millions of people are expected to join the celebrations. A Big Jubilee Lunch on 3 June 2012 is to encourage people across Great Britain to invite their neighbours to share a meal with them. The event will be organised by Buckinghama Palace together with The Eden Project. A large river pageant will be held on the River Thames on 3 June, when the Queen will travel in a Royal Barge and lead the flotilla of more than 1000 boats down the river.

May 30th

In an interview with the TT news agency this afternoon King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has denied media reports that he visits strip clubs and has contacts with the criminal underworld in Sweden. The Swedish channel TV4 recently reported that they have seen pictures of the King in a strip club while two women nearby had sex. According to the King these photos can’t exist. One of the close friends of the King, Anders Lettström, has admitted last week that he has been in touch with an alleged mafia boss. Reason for the contact was that he needed help to negotiate with the strip club owner to stop him publishing the sensitive material. The King says he doesn’t know anything about it. The Local: The complete Interview

Antonio Mestre, brother of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg, was admitted to hospital in Florida, USA, on Saturday with cardiovascular problems. He is in a coma and his condition is said to be “critical”. The Grand Duchess and Grand Duke Henri started a three-day state visit to Norway today. The Grand Duchess will only take part in the first two days of the visit now. Afterwards she will fly to the USA to be with her brother.

The Duke and Duchess of Canada, as already known, will visit Canada between 30 June and 8 July. The nine-day visit will be their first official overseas trip. A detailed programme wasn’t released yet. They will be at Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau from 30 June to 2 July. They’ll spend 2 July in Montréal, 3 July in Québec City, 3 and 4 July at Charlottetown and Summerside (Prince Edward Island). From 4 to 6 July the couple will be at Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. The visit will end in Calgary, Alberta, where they were stay from 6 to 8 July. The couple is said to be looking forward to their summer tour.

The government of Swaziland said today that the silver jubilee celebrations of King Mswati III have been postponed indefinitely because of the financial crisis. The celebrations were planned for September 2011 and 1,2 million Euros was set aside. The king is said to be very concered about the economic climate in his country.

May 31st

Raja Saidatul Ihsan Tengku Badar Shah died at Ampang Puteri Hospital in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) on 31 May 2011 (around 9am), aged 88. She was the mother of the Sultan of Selangor. She was laid to rest later today at the Royal Mausoleum in Shah Alam (Masjid Istana Sultan Alam Shah) after the “Asar” prayers.

June 1st

The Swedish gangster Mille Markovic has announced that he has been in touch with people who will help him writing a book about his life. In connection with the publication he wants to publish pictures featuring King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in compromising situations online. The Swedish government doesn’t think it is necessary to establish a truth commission to investigate the King, his friends and their alleged contacts with the criminal underworld.

June 2nd

One year before the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain Buckingham Palace announced the main programme of the central weekend that will take place from Saturday 2 June to Tuesday 5 June 2012. On 2 June the Queen will attend the Epsom Derby. The Big Jubilee Lunch in which people all over the country can take place, and the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant will take place on 3 June. A BBC Concert will take place at Buckingham Palace on 4 June, and will be televised. The Queen will also light the National Beacon to start the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Beacon all over the country. On 5 June a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and a carriage procession will take place.

June 3rd

During a visit to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London Princess Eugenie of York told a patient undergoing scoliosis surgery about her own experience nine years ago. She said she underwent an eight hours surgery to repair a severe curvature of the spine. She was in intensive care for three days, and afterwards six days in a wheelchair. Eugenie also showed the girl the scar on her neck. Now she is happy to be a role model for children who are undergoing the same operation.

King Juan Carlos of Spain was successfully operated today at the San Jose Clinic in Madrid. Doctors inserted an artificial right knee joint. In a statement released afterwards it said: “The surgery was concluded with success under epidural anaesthesia and involved carrying out a total artheroplasty of replacing the joint. The king is now feeling well and will stay under observation for the next 24 hours before being transferred to a floor where he will begin specialised physiotherapy.”

June 4th

The Duke of Cambridge took place in a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour today, dressed in a red guardsman’s uniform. As Colonel of the Irish Guards the Duke will take part in the parade on Saturday for the first time.

June 6th

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden started the country’s national day with a visit to Eslöv. Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel launched the Open Palace event. In the afternoon Crown Princess Victoria attended a citizenship ceremony at the City Hall at Stockholm. In the evening the royal family travelled in a horse-drawn cortège from the royal palace to the Skansen park, to attend the traditional celebrations. After a reception at the royal palace, the day ended with a tattoo at Logården of the royal palace. Apart from Prince Carl Philip, also Prince Madeleine of Sweden was present. She currently lives and works in the USA. Royal Press Europe: Pictures National Day

The wedding dress of the Duchess of Cambridge, designed by Sarah Burton, will be on display during the summer opening of Buckingham Palace between 23 July and 3 October 2011. Also her McQueen shoes, the Robinson Pelham diamond earrings, the ivory silk tulle veil and the Cartier ‘halo’ tiara will be on show. To complete the exhibition also the wedding cake designed by Fiona Cairns, will go on display in the State Dining Room.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to move into a home at Kensington Palace in London, St James’s Palace has announced. The couple mainly lives in Anglesey, Wales, where the Duke is working as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot. Currently they share an apartment with Prince Harry of Wales at Clarence House when they are in London. They will move into Kensington Palace within the next few weeks. It will be their temporarily official London residence. A spokesman said: “A number of options for longer-term solutions are still being considered.”

Queen Margrethe II and Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark have started a visit to the USA in Washington DC today with a reception at the residence of the Danish ambassador in the USA. On 9 and 10 June the couple will be in New York. After the official visit the Prince Consort leaves for Santa Barbara and Palo Alto, California, where he will spend his 77th birthday on June 11.

Since Sunday Antonio Mestre, the eldest brother of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, is no longer in a coma, the Grand Ducal court announced today. The Grand Duchess has prolonged her stay in Florida, USA, to be by his side.

June 8th

On the occasion of the upcoming 90th birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh on Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the Duke by saying he had been a “source of rock solid strength” for the Queen for many years and has conducted many public engagements. He praised the Duke’s “down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach that the British people, I believe, find endearing”.

June 9th

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended their first public engagement as a married couple last night. They were guests of honour at the gala dinner on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the charity Absolute REturn for Kinds. The Duke of Cambridge announced that his wife has joined the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. He also announced a joint venture between their foundation and ARK. The aim is to help children in Great Britain and in Africa.

June 10th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has conferred the title and office of Lord High Admiral to her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, on the occasion of his 90th birthday. This gift keeps alive the tradition of the Monarch investing the office as an honour. The official ceremony will take place at a later date. Furthermore a 62-gun salute was fired from Gun Wharf at the Tower of London to mark the Duke’s 90th birthday. For the Duke himself it was a normal working day. He hosted a reception for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People at Buckingham Palace. He also chaired the Senior Colonels’ Conference ahead of Trooping the Colour and afterwards held a dinner.

Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde and Queen Fabiola of Belgium attended the religious wedding of Baron Nicolas Janssen and Countess Hélène d’Udekem d’Acoz in Bastogne, Belgium, today. The four children of the princely couple, Elisabet, Gabriel, Emmanuel and Eleonore, were among the bridal children. King Albert II and Queen Paola attended the evening party.

June 11th

The Trooping the Colour parade marked the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain today. The Duke of Cambridge for the first time joined the troops to escort the carriage of his grandparents, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall. He wore his uniform of Colonel of the Irish Guards. It was the first time since 1748 that three generations of the Royal Family took part in the parade as royal colonels. The Duke of Edinburgh is Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, Prince of Wales is Colonel of the Welsh Guards, the Princess Royal Colonel of the Blues and Royals and the Duke of Kent Colonel of the Scots Guards. After having returned to Buckingham Palace, the family appeared on the balcony of the palace. Royal Portraits: Trooping the Colour

June 12th

Senior members of the British royal family gathered at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, for a service of thanksgiving on the occasion of the 90th birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh. After the service a reception took place at Windsor Castle. Among the more than 750 guests were also foreign royals, members of the Mountbatten family, the Duke’s godchildren, friends, and former and present staff.

King Juan Carlos of Spain left the Planas Clinic in Barcelona today, where he was rehabilitating after his recent knee surgery. He is back in Madrid.

June 13th

The British royal family continued a busy working wee with the Garter Day ceremony at St George’s Chape, Windsor, today. The Order, which was established in 1348, is restricted to 24 Companions, in addition to the Queen, the Prince of Wales and a number of supernumerary knights and ladies, including members of the British and foreign royal families. Two companions died last year and an investiture was held for the two new knights.

June 15th

St James’s Palace announced the programme of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the United States. The couple will arrive in Los Angeles in the early evening of 8 July, and will have several engagements. They will leave for Great Britain in the afternoon of 10 July.

In a letter Wolfgang Haas, the Archbishop of Vaduz, has given notice to the Liechtenstein government of his decision not to lead the traditional mass at the start of Staatsfeiertag (national day) on 15 August. The church has a disagreement with the government about the law about registered partnership and an initiative called “Help instead of punishment”. The other activities on Staatsfeiertag will go on as planned.

The 14th Duke of Croÿ died yesterday, aged 96. He was a son of the 13th Duke and Nancy Leishman. In 1953 he married Princess Gabriele of Bavaria and with her had three children. He is also survived by ten grandchildren.

De Haar Castle near Haarzuilens, The Netherlands, has reopened its doors today after a restoration of almost ten years. A temporary exhibition shows the international glamour life of the noble family Van Zuylen. In the past exclusive parties were held at the castle, and the exhibition shows haute couture and private pictures of the parties. Baron Thierry van Zuylen, who died earlier this year, sold the castle in 2000. His descendants are allowed to spend the month of September in the castle.

June 16th

Prince Harry of Wales is set to return to Afghanistan in 2012 after having completed his training as Apache pilot. His squadron is being lined up to return to Afghanistan most likely in the late Summer of 2012.

The Danish royal court confirmed that Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is using an hearing-aid. It is not known how long she is already using them, but it is thought she doesn’t use them very long yet.

It is reported that Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia will soon leave for the USA again and undergo medical tests. He only returned to his country in November after having spent several months in the USA for medical treatment.

June 17th

In a speech broadcasted on television King Mohammed VI of Morocco has announced the proposals for constitutional amendments. Although he will retain some key powers, but the prime minister and the parliament would receive more executive authority. Also Berber will become an official language, alongside Arabic. A referendum about the proposals will be held on 1 July.

On the occasion of the wedding of Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Alexander Johannsmann a barbecue was held at the castle park in front of the orangery of Berleburg Castle in Bad Berleburg. Served were beef, fish, seafood, salads and sauces. There were about 230 guests. They also enjoyed singing, music and dancing by Goldrausch entertainment.

June 18th

Alexander Johannsmann married Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg religiously at the evangelical church at Bad Berleburg today. The groom arrived in a Rolls Royce Silver Wraith from 1954 accompanied by his best man Peter Lösser. The bride and her father Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg arrived at church in a Rolls Royce Phantom 2 Sidelight Cabrio from 1935. The bride wore a heavy ivory satin dress with a silk organza lining designed by the Danish designer Henrik Hviid. The top in lace was long sleeved. The train was three meters long and two meters broad. The monogramme of the couple was embroidered on it. The bride wore an irish lace veil worn by the bride’s grandmother Queen Ingrid and her female descendants, as well as by Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. The tiara was worn by all of Queen Ingrid’s female descendants. Witness and bridesmaid was Emma Hindle. Just before entering the church the bride discovered she had forgotten her bridal bouquet at the castle. After a short waiting time someone brought her the bouquet. The service was led by pastor Claudia Latzel-Binder. The St Annae Pige Kor from Copenhagen, Denmark, sang during the service. Among the about 370 guests were Queen Margrethe, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Pavlos, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, Princess Alexia, Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana of Greece, Tord Magnuson and Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson, as well as members of the families Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, Bernadotte, Anhalt, Hessen, Lippe, Waldeck- Pyrmont, Solms-Laubach, Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, Stolberg-Wernigerode and Toerring-Jettenbach. After the wedding ceremony a reception was held in the reception hall and the courtyard of Berleburg castle. Before the dinner-dance the rifle club performed in the castle courtyard. The dinner-dance was held in a marquee in the castle park with about 230 guests. The bridal couple opened the dance with the traditional Danish first waltz from the ballet “Et Folke sagn”. The bridal couple already married civilly on 27 May 2010, and had a son, Konstantin, on 24 July 2010. They live at Berleburg Castle. Royal Portraits: Pictures Berleburg 1Royal Portraits: Pictures Berleburg 2Video: Monarchy Press

Earl Spencer, brother of the late Diana Princess of Wales, married for the third time. The happy bride is 38-year-old Karen Gordon née Villeneuve. A private civil ceremony followed by a blessing took place at Althorp. Only family and close friends attended. The Earl was previously married to Victoria Lockwood and Caroline Freud. He is father of six children.

June 19th

On the occasion of their first wedding anniversary Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden said in a statement on the royal website, that they have warm and thankfully thoughts looking back on their wedding day. They want to thank the Swedish people for their support during the first year of their marriage.

June 20th

Last Wednesday the Austrian parliament voted in favour of an abolishment of the so called “Habsburg-Paragraph”, according to which members of the imperial family of Austria are not allowed to candidate for becoming the president of the country. The changing of the law will come into effect on 1 October 2011.

June 23rd

Luxemburg celebrated its national day today. As usual there was a mass at the cathedral, followed by a military parade. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess were joined by four of their five children, excluding Prince Felix, and their daughter-in-law Princess Tessy.

A new picture of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh was released today. The portrait was taken by German artist Thomas Astruth in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle on 7 April. The portrait was commissioned to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen in 2012. The picture will be part of the touring exhibition “The Queen: Art & Image”, that is to start at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh tomorrow.

June 24th

A collection of fourteen dresses of Diana Princess of Wales was sold by bankrupt Florida businesswoman Maureen Rorech Dunke. Within 25 minutes they fetched more than £2million yesterday at auction in Toronto, Canada. The highest price was paid for a 1985 dress by Victor Edelstein. Princess Diana wore the dress while dancing with John Travolta during her first USA tour. The dress was sold for £510,000.

June 26th

In an interview Princess Madeleine of Sweden has said she plans to continue working for the World Childhood Foundation in New York, USA. She works as the project officer there and is involved in developing the Childhood’s brand further in the USA.

The Greek government is planning to sell part of the national heritage to pay of the debts of the country. They hope to raise 50 billion Euros. People on the Greek Island of Corfu are furious about the plans. Included in the list of heritage to be sold is the Mon Repos Palace in Corfu, currently a museum and one of the prime locations of the island.

June 27th

The whole Grand-Ducal family of Luxemburg was present today for a photo session around Berg Castle.

June 28th

The Princely Palace in Monaco has denied rumours that Charlene Wittstock tried to flee the country only one week ago, and wanted to return to South Africa. It is said she made the move after having heard that Prince Albert II of Monaco had a third illegitimate child, that was only born recently. Thierry Lacoste, lawyer of the couple, says: “It is sheer madness. Everything is false. I can promise you everything is fine. These rumours only serve to gravely hurt the image of the couple and bring major harm to this happy event.” He has started legal action against the French weekly L’Express, which brought the story.

June 30th

Three days of wedding celebrations of Reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock started this evening with a concert by Californian rockstars The Eagles. The Eagles received the couple before the concert and offered the bridal couple a signed guitar. Almost the whole princely family of Monaco turned up to join the couple at the concert.

Proposals for a new legislation in Great Britain were announced today by the Treasury. The proposals include a new funding system for the Royal Household according to which the annual budget of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain will be cut by almost 10 per cent over the next four years. They also want to change the law, so that an eventual female heir of the Duke of Cambridge would also be entitled to an income from the Duchy of Cornwall. Under the new legislation the Queen’s finances would be examined by members of parliament much more detailed.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have started an eleven-day tour of Canada today. They started their visit in Ottawa. They led a wreath at the National War Memorial. The Duke gave his first speech on the tour in both English and French. He said: “Catherine and I are so delighted to be here in Canada. Instilled in us by our parents and grandparents, who love this country, we have been looking forward to this moment for a very long time – and before we were married, we both had a longing to come here together.”

July 1st

Reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco married his fiancée Charlene Wittstock in a 20-minute civil ceremony in the Throne Room of the Princely Palace of Monaco today. The bride wore light blue trousers and jacket, designed by herself. The ceremony was attended by about 80 family members, friends and dignitaries. The wedding was performed by Philippe Narmino, civil registrar of the princely family. Thousands of people crowded the palace square to see the civil wedding on screens. After the ceremony the couple appeared on the balcony of the Hall of Mirrors at the palace and kissed. In the evening the couple and their family attended a unique son and lumière show by Jean-Michel Jarre. At the beginning of the show Prince Albert welcomed everybody in French and English. Charlene Wittstock also thanked for all the support, and charmed everyone by saying “Vive Monaco”. In the meantime, the royal guests who already had arrived enjoyed an evening at the Hotel Hermitage. Royal Portraits: Wedding PreparationsRoyal Portraits: pictures cocktail partyPrince Radu: Reception at the Hotel Hermitage

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa today. They attended a Canadian Citizenship Ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Afterwards they attended the Canada Day Parliament Hill Noon Show. At the end of the day they attended a music concert and a private diplomatic reception.

The office of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall published its 2011 annual review on 28 June. The couple undertook 751 joint and solo official engagement in Great Britain and abroad last year. The income of the Prince of Wales from the Duchy of Cornwall was up just under 4% to £17.8 million in 2010-11.

On 12 September 2011 Mr William Nye will succeed Sir Michael Peat as Principal Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Sir Michael Peat is retiring from the Royal Household after 18 years.

Prince Louis and Princess Tessy of Luxemburg and their sons Gabriel and Noah were photographed during a photo session at the Parc Merveilleux in Bettembourg, Luxemburg.

July 2nd

The religious wedding of reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock took place at the Main Courtyard of the princely palace in Monaco. Prince Albert arrived in a cream coloured summer uniform of the Palace Guards. The bride, accompanied by her father Michael Wittstock, walked along the red carpet from the Carabiniers Barracks to the altar. She wore a Giorgio Armani wedding dress with a flowing line, in off-white silk duchesse with a long train. Crossover detail on the front and back forming a second “à l’andrienne” train. Ramage embroidery depicting flowers, crafted with 30.000 stones in gold shades, 40.000 Swarovski crystals and 20.000 mother of pearl teardrops in white and gold hues, embellish the front of the dress, the trim and the central main section of the train. The long veil was made from off-white silk tulle, with front tier and subtle embroidery. The bride didn’t wear a tiara, but had a diamond jewel in her hair. The wedding bouquet contained white freesias, dendrobium orchids and lillies of the valley. Seven girls of around seven years old had been selected as maids of honour. One of them is from Monaco, the six others were from neighbouring communes. The mass was presided by Archbishop Bernard Barsi of Monaco, and celebrated by Monseigneur André Dupuy (Apostolic Nuncio to the Principality of Monaco), Monseigneur Alberto Maria Careggio (bishop of Ventimiglia-San Remo), René Giuliano (vicar general) and the whole clergy of Monaco. The musical part of the ceremony was performed by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Monaco, the Choir of the Opera of Monte Carlo, the sopranos Renée Fleming and Pumeza Matshikiza, and the tenors Juan Diego Flórez and Andrea Bocelli. Best man was Chris LeVine, cousin of the groom, and maid of honour was Donatella Knecht de Massy. The bridal couple exchanged wedding rings made of 18 carat white gold platinum and created by Cartier. About 3500 guests followed the mass seated in the palace square. After the ceremony the couple left the palace for Sainte Dévote’s Church. They drove in a Lexus hybrid car. After a short ceremony there the new princess laid her bouquet there. The bride shed some tears when a woman and a girl sang for her. In the evening the official dinner and ball took place at the Opera Garnier and the Casino Terraces. The bride had changed into another Giorgio Armani evening dress. in off-white silk chiffon with broad neckline and four-tier train, embellished by graduated embroidery crafted with Swarovski teardrops and stones in gold and platinum colour. The dinner had a Mediterranean theme and was created by master chef Alain Ducasse and Monte-Carlo SBM. At midnight there was a firework display. Royal Portraits: wedding picturesRoyal Press Europe: wedding pictures

Among the many wedding guests of reigning Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco were many royals. On the guestlist were the members of the princely family of Monaco, the Kelly family, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine of Sweden, King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxemburg, Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad of Bahrain, King Letsie III of Lesotho, Princess Lalla Meryem and Lalla Soukaïna of Morocco, Prince Faisal and Princess Sara of Jordan, Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand, as well as representants of the (royal) houses of France (Orléans and Bourbon), Baden, Italy, Iran, Fürstenberg, Bavaria, Hannover, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Two-Sicilies and Prussia. Also the presidents of France, Iceland, Malta, Lebanon, Ireland, Germany and Hungary were present, as well as the captain-regents of San Marino. Also present were many celebrities and members of the IOC. Prince Radu: Romanian royals and other at the wedding

In Ottawa, Canada, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge planted their first official tree together. They planted a Canadian hemlock in the grounds of the Government House. Afterwards they attended a reception for servicemen, war veterans and their families. They then travelled to Montreal. They visited the Sainte-Justine University hospital for children, and also a cookery school. They sailed up the St Lawrence River to Quebec on the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal.

Princess Beatrice of York has graduated (BA) from Goldsmiths College in London with a 2:1, the second highest grade in her history and history of ideas degree. In a statement she said: “I have had the most amazing university experience. I am so excited about my results.”

The Moroccan people voted yesterday whether they will adopt a new constitution, which would give the monarch of the country less power. Also King Mohammed VI of Morocco and his family voted. With almost all the votes countes, 98,5% of the people voted in favour of the constitutional reforms.

July 3rd

The wedding celebrations of reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco ended with a brunch at the princely palace. Prince Radu: Brunch pictures

Anonymous officials have confirmed that reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco is facing another paternity test after his wedding, the French news agency Agence France Press says. It is claimed he has fathered a third child out of wedlock.

The Duchess of Cambridge spoke about her hope to have children during her visit to Quebec on Sunday. She told the father of two-year-old Raffaela Cheater, who presented her some flowers, that she hopes to start her own family. The Duchess and the Duke of Cambridge attended a ceremony to honour the Canadian Royal 22nd Regiment at the City Hall of Quebec. The couple also visited a centre that helps homeless youths.

July 4th

Dr Otto von Habsburg, last Crown Prince of Austria and Hungary, died in the early hours of this Monday at Pöcking, Germany. He was 98 years old. His seven children were by his side. He was born at Reichenau on 20 November 1912 as eldest child of Archduke Karl of Austria and Princess Zita de Bourbon de Parme. His father became Crown Prince in 1914 and Emperor in 1916, when Otto became the Crown Prince. Together with his family he went into exile in 1919. His father died in 1922. The young pretender to the Austrian throne grew up in Spain and Belgium, studied at the university of Louvain, Belgium. In 1951 he married Princess Regina von Sachsen-Meiningen, who died in 2010. From 1973 to 2004 he was the international president of the Pan European Union. From 1979 to 1999 he was member of the European Parliament for the CSU-party. He is survived by seven children, 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. People will be able to say goodbye from 5 July until 9 July at the St Ulrich Church at Pöcking. On 9 July, at 11am, the coffin will be transfered to the St Pius Church in Pöcking. A requiem will be held at the Theatiner Church in München on 11 July at 10am. Another ceremony will take place at Wallfahrtsbasilika in Mariazell, Austria on 13 July at 2pm. People will be able to say goodbye there from 12 July at 6pm. On 14 and 15 July people can say goodbye at the Kapuziner Church in Vienna. A requiem will be held at the Dom St Stephan in Vienna, Austria, on 16 July at 3pm. Afterwards Dr Otto von Habsburg will be buried at the nearby Kapuzinergruft, together with his wife. His heart will be buried at the benedictine abbey of Pannonhalma, Hungary on 17 July, after a requiem at the St Stephans-Basilica in Budapest (3pm). The heart of his wife will remain at the family grave of her family at the Heldburg, where she herself was buried until now also. ORF might have live broadcast online starting at 1pm Austrian time. S.k.k.H. Dr. Otto von Habsburg

The Dutch royal family invited the press today for their annual summer holidays photosession. For the first time in five years it was held at the family’s house in Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, Tuscany, Italy. Queen Beatrix posed together with the Prince of Orange, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands and the princesses Amalia, Alexia and Ariane. Royal Portraits: TavarnelleDutch Photo Press: Tavarnelle

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Prince Edward Island, Canada. After having visited the Province House at Charlottetown, the Duke gave a speech, and told how glad he and his wife were to visit the island. In a horse drawn Landau, and escort of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, they drove to Peake’s Quay were they saw a musical performance about Canada. The Duke of Cambridge participated in a Search and Rescue demonstration. Afterwards the couple competed against each other in a Dragon Boat race.

July 5th

During their visit to Yellowknife, Canada, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were among others welcomed by members of the Inuktitut and Chipewyan tribes. They watched teenagers demonstrating their skills in Arctic sports and also saw a a group of young people playing street hockey. They also had met with volunteers and officers from the Canadian Rangers and Young Canadian Rangers.

July 6th

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today visited the town of Slave Lake in the Canadian state of Alberta. The town was hit by a wildfire on 15 May. The 7000 residents of the town were evacuated, because of the extensive damage. The couple met with fire fighters and families.

July 7th

Reigning Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco held a reception on the occasion of their recent wedding at the Oyster Box Hotel at Umhlanga, Durban, South Africa. About 400 guests attended the evening, which included cocktails and a dinner. Previously the couple had attended a lunch with Prime Minister Jacob Zuma of South Africa. Yesterday the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Alberta on the final stage of their Canadian tour. They attended the Calgary Stampede wearing white “ten gallon” hats, they had received upon arrival at the airport. The couple flew on to California today for a three-day visit.

The police of Cambridge, Great Britain, has arrested a Spanish man today in connection with the attempted assassination of king Juan Carlos of Spain. According to the Spanish interior ministry the man is a member of an ETA-group which plotted to kill the king by throwing grenades at him during the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Another ETA-suspect has been arrested in France on Wednesday.

Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia has undergone an operation in a hospital in New York. No other details were provided.

July 8th

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent the last day of their Canada tour in Calgary. Later today they travelled to Los Angeles, USA. After arrival they attended a reception in the garden of the Concul General’s residence in Los Angeles. Among the guests were Lord Frederick Windsor, Stephen Fry and David Beckham. Canada Heritage: pictures 2011 Royal Tour

The annual photo shoot of Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium and their four children Elisabeth, Gabriel, Emmanuel and Eléonore took place at Archeosite in Aubechies, Hainault, Belgium. Belga Picture: Philippe and Mathilde

July 9th

The Lothian and Borders Police has urged the public to stay away from the wedding. They say the wedding will be a private, family occasion, and that the couple’s wishes should be respected. They also say the Royal Mile is very narrow with limited capacity and restricted access.

A first requiem mass for Dr Otto von Habsburg, the last Crown Prince of Austria and Hungary, took place at te St Ulrich Church in Pöcking. Three grandsons, count Dominik von Neipperg, Count Moritz Douglas and Don Santiago de Casanova-Cardenas carried the most important orders of the deceased. Among the mourners were members of the imperial family of Austria, Prince Luitpold, Prince Rasso and Princess Theresa of Bavaria, Prince Christoph of Bavaria with his wife, Prince Albert of Saxony and his wife, Fürstin Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, Prince Fritz von Thurn und Taxis, Count Josef Hubert von Neipperg, Count Endre and Countess Christine Esterházy. Pictures Pöcking 1Pictures Pöcking 2

July 11th

The mobile phones of at least ten members of the British royal family might have been hacked by professional investigators working for the newspaper News of the World. Among these members are the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. The newspaper also paid Royal Protection Officers for personal details about senior royals including Queen Elizabeth II. In 2007 a royal reporter Clive Goodman and a private detective of the newspaper were jailed for intercepting messages from members of the royal household. Clive Goodman, and Andy Coulson, former editor of the newspaper, have been arrested and bailed until October. They are being suspected of bribing police officers.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge returned home early this morning after a tour of Canada and Los Angeles. On 9 July they attended a charity polo match at the Santa Barbara Polo & Cacquet Club in Carpinteria. In the evening they attended the BAFTA party as guests of honour in Los Angeles. Yesterday they visited a school in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles.

George Lascelles, the 7th Earl of Harewood, died at Harewood House near Leeds, Great Britain, today. He was born at London on 7 February 1923 as elder son of the 6th Earl of Harewood and Princess Mary of Great Britain, Princess Royal, daughter of King George V. He was married from 1949 to 1967 to Marion Stein, and married secondly in 1967 Patricia Tuckwell. He had four sons, and is survived by fifteen grandchildren and at least three great-grandchildren.

A second requiem mass for Dr Otto von Habsburg took place today at the Theatiner Church in München, Germany. More than 600 people attended the service, that was led by Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of München and Freising. Again many family members attended, as well as other royals and nobles, and politicians. The Archbishop remembered the deceased as a great European and convinced Christian. He thanked Dr Otto von Habsburg for what he has done for his family, Germany, Europe and the church. Also the condolences of Pope Benedict XVI were read. Pictures München

July 12th

Mike Wittstock, father of Princess Charlene of Monaco, has denied rumours that the marriage of his daughter and Reigning Prince Albert of Monaco is already on the rocks. He said: “I don’t know where the rumours are coming from.” The couple slept in different hotels, several miles apart, during part of their stay in South Africa. Her father says: “That is because Albert attended the conference for the IOC, which was held at the Hilton.”

July 13th

About 1000 people attended a requiem mass for the late Archduke Otto of Austria in the basilica of Mariazell, Austria. The coffins of Dr Otto von Habsburg and his wife Regina, who died early 2010, were taken to Mariazell on Tuesday. The couple had celebrated both their silver and golden wedding anniversary at the basilica. Pictures Mariazell

Fürst Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe and his wife Nadja had their second daughter together. Daughter Philomena was born on Sunday 10 July at the Klinikum Dritter Orden in München, at 3.22pm. In the meantime mother and daughter have left the hospital. The couple already had a daughter, Felipa. Fürst Alexander has already a son, Heinrich Donatus, from his first marriage.

July 14th

Crown Princess Victoria celebrated her 34th birthday at the family’s summer residence Solliden on the island of Öland today. Despite of the bad weather people had come to congratulate the princess. Her husband Prince Daniel and her parents were accompanying her. King Carl XVI Gustaf led the four traditional birthday cheers. In the evening there was a concert at Borgholm with major Swedish artists. The royal family, including Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine, sat front row covered with plastic. Royal Portraits: Victoria Day SollidenRoyal Portraits: Victoria Day Borgholm

A Boeing 737 belonging to the Crown Prince of Thailand was sealed and banned from leaving the airport of München late on Tuesday. It was the result of a long-running business dispute of the construction firm Walter Bau and the Thai government. The company says that Thailand still hasn’t paid more than 30 million euros for building a motorway link between Bangkok and Don Muang airport more than 20 years ago.

The grand-ducal family von Hessen has sold its Madonna, painted by Holbein, to German collector Reinhold Würth. It is believed the collector paid more than $70 million dollars. The family saved the painting during the second World War. Herditary Prince Donatus von Hessen and his siblings Princess Mafalda, Princess Elena and Prince Philipp will receive 57% of the proceeds. The other 43% go to the Hessian House Foundation.

July 15th

21-year-old Charlie Gilmour was sentenced to 16 months in jail today for an attack on the convoy of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during student protests last year.

July 16th

The funeral mass for Dr Otto von Habsburg, last Crown Prince of Austria and Hungary, took place this afternoon at the Stephansdom in Vienna, Austria. The service was led by Cardinal Dr. Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna. Among the guests were hundreds of members of the imperial family of Austria, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg, Fürst Hans Adam II and Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein, Infanta Cristina of Spain, Prince Lorenz and Princess Astrid of Belgium, Princess Michael of Kent, Prince El Hassan and Princess Sarvath of Jordan, former King Simeon of Bulgaria, former King Michael of Romania, the Duke and Duchess of Parma, Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, also among others members of the houses of Bavaria, Prussia, Baden, Württemberg, Oldenburg, Reuss, Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, Oettingen-Spielberg, Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, Castell-Castell, Sachsen- Weimar und Eisenach, Hannover, Mecklenburg, Italy, Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Windisch-Graetz, Portugal and Schaumburg-Lippe. Also the presidents of Austria and Georgia, as well as the prime ministers of Croatia and Macedonia and the vice-prime minister of Hungary attended. After the impressive service the funeral cortege went from the Stephansdom to the Kapuziner vault, followed by the family members and other guests. During the 1,2 kilometer long route also the Hofburg was passed. The deceased and his wife were interred in the Kapuziner vault. The heart urn of Dr Otto von Habsburg will be interred at the Benedictine Abbey in Pannonhalma, Hungary, tomorrow. Royal Press Europe: Funeral of Archduke Otto of AustriaPictures: In Memoriam Dr. Otto von Habsburg

July 18th

The first Mr Finney children’s book by Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands will also be published in Chinese in August. It was already translated into Spanish, Catalan and English.

July 19th

Princess Woizlawa Feodora Reuss née Duchess von Mecklenburg-Schwerin visits the Netherlands this week. Today she was honoured in Kollum, Friesland.

July 20th

Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium will not participate in the official national day celebrations in Belgium tomorrow. Instead of joining the family they enjoyed the National Bal in Brussels tonight, together with their children. They plan to join the celebrations at the Marollen quarter in Brussels tomorrow.

July 21st

Reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco has asked the media not to spread rumours. He told a few local newspapers: “We want to express our indignation at these rumours.” They think the rumours are unbearable, and say it is regrettable, that the media has picked up the rumours without verifying them. They think there is one or even more people in Monaco who are trying to harm them. The couple has spent their honeymoon from 9 to 20 July at Mozambique where they weren’t disturbed.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the Duke of York will step down as special representative for Trade and Investment for Great Britain. Four months ago people urged the Duke to step down after he was linked to a sex offender, and the high costs of his travels were being questioned.

On Wednesday a court in Landshut, Germany, has ordered the release of the airplane of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand as soon as the Thai government has paid 20 million euro to the company. The airplane had been seized at the airport of München, Germany, a week ago as a result of a dispute between a German construction firm and the Thai government. The airplane however is not in the possession of the Thai state, but of the Crown Prince personally. The director of the Thai Department of Civil Aviation has assured the airplane is the Crown Prince’s, however they haven’t fully proven yet, that the airplane indeed belongs to the Crown Prince. Today the foreign minister of Thailand ruled out that they were going to pay the 20 million euros bank guarantee. He said that the airplane is the crown prince’s, and that he is not involved in the case, and that that can be proven.

July 22nd

Norway was stuck by two huge attacks in Oslo and at the Island of Utøya this afternoon. A bomb heavily damaged the governmental quarter in Oslo, killing seven people. Thereafter likely the same person went to Utøya where he shot tens of young people. King Harald V of Norway shortly appeared on television later today. He said that their thoughts go to those affected and to their relatives, and to the political Norway. He said: We would like to thank all those who have been involved in helping to save lives, to rescue people out of this terrible situation. Now it is important that we stand together and support each other.” Kongehuset: Statement and video

Prince Rashid bin El Hassan of Jordan married Zeina Shaban today at the Basman Palace at Amman. The groom is the only son of Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath of Jordan. Many royals, also from Europe attended. Among the guests were King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan, Queen Noor of Jordan Queen Sofia of Spain, the Duke of Edinburgh, King Hamad ben Issa al-Khalifa of Bahrain, former Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, Prince Nikolaus and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, Prince Felix, Prince Louis, Princess Tessy, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxemburg, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, as well as members of the royal houses of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Baden and Austria. Ammonnews: Pictures

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duchess of Cambridge visited the Royal Wedding exhibition at Buckingham Palace today. The Queen loved the exhibition, but thought however that the headless mannequin used to exhibit the wedding gown looked “horrible”. The exhibition can be visited during the summer opening of the Palace from 23 July to 3 October. There is also an exhibition called Royal Fabergé. Exhibition: The Royal Wedding DressYouTube Video

July 23rd

King Harald V of Norway held a TV-speech this evening about the tragic events in Oslo and on the island of Utøya yesterday afternoon in which many people were killed. The King and Queen Sonja, as well as Crown Prince Haakon today visited victims and families at the Sundvolden hotel.

July 24th

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway attended a church service at the Dom Church of Oslo. Also Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn were present, as well as the Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg. The service was themed “Mass for sorrows and hope”. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit attended a service at Norderhov Church at Ringerike. Afterwards the King and Queen visited victims at the Ullevål hospital, and then visited the governmental quarter of Oslo to see the damage themselves. The crown princely couple visited the Ringerike hospital. Kongehuset: pictures

July 25th

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway was personally hit by the massacre at the Norwegian island of Utøya on Friday. Among the victims was her stepbrother Trond Berntsen, a son of her late stepfather Rolf Berntsen. He was one of the first people to be killed. He had been hired to provide private security on the island. Berntsen however managed to rescue his 10-year-old son and some other people.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway attended a memorial event at the town hall of Hokksund. In the evening she and Crown Prince Haakon took part in a rose procession at the town hall of Oslo. The Royal Palace in Oslo will reopen its doors after having been closed since Friday afternoon. Kongehuset: Crown Prince’s Speech

Reigning Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco have filed a suit against the French magazine L’Express at a court in Nanterre today. They say the magazine has spread false rumours ahead of their wedding early July. They are suing the magazine for invasion of privacy and publishing incorrect facts about their private life.

July 26th

In the evening Crown Prince Haakon attended a memorial service for the victims of Friday’s attacks at the World Islamic Missions Mosque in Oslo.

A campaign to stop King George Tupou V of Tonga’s plans to sell the royal residence in Auckland, New Zealand, has been successfull. The group of protesters, based in New Zealand, say that the house was bought with state money, and that the King has no right to sell it personally. The King says the villa was bought with the family’s private money. The High Court at Auckland decided there wasn’t enough evidence that showed that the family bought the house themselves. The King’s representatives have signed an agreement that the house won’t be sold.

Princess Bejraratana of Thailand, the only child of King Vajiravudh Rama VI and Queen Suvadhana, died this afternoon at the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, aged 85. She was admitted to the hospital on 23 July suffering from septicemia. She was born at the Thep Santhan Pilas Throne Hall in the Grand Palace at Bangkok on 24 November 1925. Her father was already seriously ill and died just over 24 hours after her birth. The Princess’ royal urn will be installed at the Dusit Maha Prasart Throne Hall and will be given the highest honours. The royal court will observe a 100-day mourning period.

A court in Moscow has decided today that documents linked to the murder of Tsar Nikolai II of Russia must be handed to Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia to help unlock the mystery of his final hours. Her lawyer German Lukyanov said: “The Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna wants to know under what circumstances the life of the Tsar and his family were taken. She also wants to know clearly on what basis the unidentified remains found near Yekaterinburg were acknowledged as part of the Tsar’s family.”

Prince Ernst August of Hannover, the husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, was rushed to the private Nuestra Senora del Rosario clinic on Ibiza Island on Monday night with an acute pancreatitis. He spent his annual summer holiday on the island.

July 27th

The parliament of Montenegro has adopted the law on the status of the descendants of the Petrovitch-Njegosh dynasty on 12 July. With the law the status of the descendants of the dynasty in Montenegro has been regulated. The descendants of King Nikola I in the male line have been recognised as descendants of the dynasty, represented at the moment by Prince Nikola II. It also recognises that the succession to the headship of the dynasty will be passed down through the male line. With the new law the use of the heraldic symbols of the dynasty by the family is protected. Members of the dynasty are now allowed to obtain the citizenship of Montenegro and can have a dual citizenship without loosing their Montenegran citizenship, as the present members of the family are citizens of France. Prince Nikola II is entitled to a monthly income equivalent to the gross monthly earnings of the President of Montenegro. Apart from that Prince Nikola II has the right to use state objects and resources and the exclusive right of use of the first storey of the Petrovitch Palace in Podgorica. The family will be allowed to use the house, gardens and meadow-land of King Nikola I in Njeguši. They will also build a family home in Cetinje and will be given an appartment in Podgorica. When Prince Nikola II or his family members performs functions on behalf of the government, such as the funeral of Dr Otto von Habsburg, Crown Prince of Austria and Hungary, they will afford full state protocol. Also the non-political Petrovitch-Njegosh Foundation has been founded, chaired by Prince Nikola II, which will preserve the culture of Montenegro and participate in humanitarian and development activities in the interest of Montenegro and its traditions. In the coming seven years the state of Montenegro will allocate 4,3 million euros to the foundation. The foundation will have its seat in Montenegro.

July 29th

Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, and her soon-to-be husband Mike Tindall held a pre-wedding champagne reception at the former royal yacht Britannia in Edinburgh. Around 150 guests were invited and enjoyed the sunshine on the deck. Earlier today there also was a one-hour rehearsal of the wedding ceremony, that wil be held tomorrow.

Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este, has completed his training today and became an officer in the Belgian Navy. His parents and his siblings joined him for the graduation ceremony. He is now allowed to act as an officer on duty at the bridge for all ships of the Belgian Navy.

Yesterday 26-year-old Prince ‘Ulukalala of Tonga was matched to 24-year-old Hon Sinaitakala Tu’imatamoana Fakafanua in a Faitohi ceremony at Ma’ufanga, Tonga, held by their families. During the ceremony the Prince officially asked for his fiancée’s hand at her residence Siatapu. The Prince is the eldest son of Crown Prince Tupouto’a Lavaka and Princess Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Princess ‘Ofeina Fakafanua and the late Fakafanua (Tutoatasi). The engaged couple are both great-grandchildren of the late Queen Salote of Tonga. The groom’s father is a first cousin of both parents of his future daughter-in-law. The groom is studying in Australia. The bride works as a tutor at Queen Salote College in Nuku’alofa. A date for the wedding will be set later on.

July 30th

Today Mike Tindall married Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. The bride arrived in the sunshine at 3.05pm in a Bentley accompanied by her father Mark Phillips. She wore an ivory silk faille and silk duchess satin gown designed by Stewart Parvin, Jimmy Choo shoes and the Greek Key tiara of her mother the Princess Royal. Her bouquet was designed by Paul Thomas. The service was led by the Reverend Neil Gardner. The newly-wed couple left the church at 3.51pm after Zara Phillips had promised to “honour” Mr Tindall. They briefly kissed in front of the church. Maid of honour was Mrs Dolly Maude, who wore a Stewart Parvin dove-grey duchess satin cocktail dress. The bridesmaids were Stephanie Phillips (half-sister of the bride), Nell Maude, Jaz Jocelyn and Hope Balshaw. They wore Sue Palmer dresses. Page boy Ted Maude wore a Balmoral Tartan Kilt. Iain Balshaw was the best man, while the ushers were Ian Tindall, Peter Phillips, James Simpson-Daniel, James Lofthouse and Andrew Beattie. Among the guests were Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry of Wales, the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie of York, Beatrice’s boyfriend David Clark, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Daniel and Lady Sarah Chatto. The wedding reception took place afterwards at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, followed by a dinner and dancing. Royal Press Europe: Wedding Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner, attended a memorial service for the victims of the attacks of 22 July at the cathedral of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian media Anders Behring Breivik has admitted to the police that the Royal Palace also was one of the targets for his terrorist plans. According to Breivik the Royal Palace is a symbol for the Norwegian society. He is said not to have attacked the palace because of logistics problems. Breivik bombed the government quarter of Oslo and shot tens people on the island of Utøya on 22 July.

August 1st

The round tower of Windsor Castle has been reopened to the public for the first time since 1975. Visitors will be able to climb the 200 steps to the top.

The annual photosession of the Danish royal family at Graasten castle took place today. The twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, who were born early this year, were the stars of the show. The Crown Princely couple said to be planning to take their twins on their first trip to Australia in the autumn. Royal Portraits: Photosession Graasten

August 2nd

In an interview with the newspaper Daily Telegraph the newly-wed granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain said she has adopted the surname of her husband and is now Mrs Tindall. She will keep on using the name Zara Phillips in her professional life and will use her maiden name for work. She has gone back to work after an “amazing” weekend. The couple hasn’t gone on honeymoon as it is the middle of the eventing season and Mike Tindall has to take part in a pre-Rugby World Cup.

The Spanish royal family has started their vacation at Mallorca and attend the 30th edition of the sailing regatta Copa del Rey at Palma de Mallorca. Royal Press Europe: Spanish Royal Family at Mallorca

The office of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand said in a statement Sunday evening that the Crown Prince has offered 20 millions euros from his personal funds to a court in Bavaria to maintain the good diplomatic relationship between Thailand and Germany. With the payment he would secure the release of his plane, that was seized in München, Germany, last month. However the Thai government today said that they wouldn’t utilise the assets of the Crown Prince to secure the release of his Boing 737. They say they will quickly seek other avenues to resolve the dispute with the construction firm Walter Bau.

Prince Ernst August von Hannover, husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, was seen boarding a boat with a group of friends on the island of Ibiza. He was rushed to hospital with pancreatitis last week.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York today said they have shipped 19 objects to Egypt that were originally found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The museum and the Egyptian government agreed about the return in NOvember 2010.

August 3rd

Today 88-year-old former King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia has left for Beijing China again to undergo medical tests. He had been back in Cambodia since early April. Prince Sisowath Sirirath said: “He goes back this time to have his health checked to stay healthy and live longer among his people.”

August 5th

The annual Red Cross Gala Ball took place today at the Sporting d’Eté Club in Monaco. The patron of the ball is Reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco, who of course attended himself accompanied by his wife Princess Charlene. The Prince oversees the proceeds of the fund raiser being distributed to local charities for various important social works and project developments. Royal Press Europe: Red Cross Gala 2011

Raha Didevar, fiancée of the late Prince Alireza Pahlavi of Iran, gave birth to a baby girl, Iryana Leila, on 26 July 2011. Prince Alireza committed suicide on 4 January.

August 6th

Two gunmen opened fire on the Qasr Shateh residence at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 1am on Saturday morning. One of the men was shot dead by security forces, while the other man was arrested. The men were identified as members of the Zahrani family and were under influence of drugs. The palace is the residence of Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, the interior minister of the country.

August 8th

The Swedish royal court has announced that a report on Walter Sommerlath, father of Queen Silvia, has been released today. Queen Silvia has studied letters, notes and other documents in the Sommerlath family’s private possession in order to clarify Sommerlath family circumstances that had previously been uncertain. Last year it had been reported that the Queen’s father had been a Nazi and had taken advantage of the aryanisation programme of the Nazis to take over the factory of Jewish businessman Efim Wechsler in 1939. The Queen has also searched for information in German and Brazilian archives, in order to obtain a complete picture of her family’s history. Archivist Erik Norberg, Director General of the Swedish National Archives, evaluated and supplemented her information through his own research. The research confirms that Walter Sommerlath helped Efim Wechsler leaving Germany before World War II. Sommerlath took over his factory in Berlin, and in return Wechsler received a coffee plantation and three plots of land in Brazil, that had previously been owned by Queen Silvia’s mother. A report on Walter Sommerlath The Queen about the Report I The Queen about the Report II

August 9th

The Thai government has paid of a guarantee in a business dispute between the German company Walter Bau AG and the Thai government. Afterwards a German court ordered the release of the airplane of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, which had been held at the airport of München for a few weeks.

August 12th

Prince Christian of Denmark had his first day at primary school. From today he will visit the Tranegårdsskolen in Gentofte. His parents Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary brought him to school. Pictures were taken of the family leaving Amalienborg in Copenhagen. Royal Portraits pictures

In a short interview with Side2 Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway talked shortly on the occasion of her 10th wedding anniversary later this month. She said: “I was not the most typical candidate for the role of Princess. It was a very big transition, so the first few years I used to really just get familiar. But eventually I was able to see where I wanted to use my time. What issues were important and why I should spend my time on them.”

August 14th

In a BBC documentary to be aired this month Prince Harry of Wales reveals that he had informed his father The Prince of Wales and his brother Prince William about his trip to the Arctic in April. He however didn’t inform his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The two-part documentary “Harry’s Arctic Heroes” will begin on August 23 at 9pm.

August 15th

Liechtenstein celebrated its National Day. As the Archbishop had refused to hold a mass, there were only speeches by Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and the president of the Landtag Arthur Brunhart. Hereditary Prince Alois spoke about the change in the relationship between the state and the Catholic church, and also about some planned changes in the Constitution. He said to be against a planned law about abortion. After a musical programme Reigning Prince Hans Adam II and Princess Marie of Liechtenstein invited everyone for a drink in the garden of the castle at Vaduz.

August 17th

The Swedish royal court announced this afternoon that Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel are expecting their first child in March 2012. The pregnancy will not change the schedule of the Crown Princess in the fall of 2011.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have visited the London areas of Tottenham, Hackney and Lambeth that were hit by riots last week. They met with people who have lost their homes and business. The Prince’s Trust is to double the money it is spending on projects for youth in riot affected areas.

August 18th

5 1/2-year-old Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway had his first school day today. He was accompanied to school by his parents Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and his big sister Princess Ingrid Alexandra. Also Queen Sonja was present. Like his sister he will attend Jansløkka School in Asker. Royal Press Europe: First school day Prince Sverre Magnus

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden told the press today: “We want to say thanks for all the congratulatory messages we’ve received. Now let’s hope that everything goes well.” Victoria added: “I feel fine, on and off, the way I think you are supposed to feel.” Prince Daniel’s father Olle Westling said that he and his wife are really happy and overjoyed at the news and thinks it is huge to become a grandfather again. Also King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia said they are “delighted” with the news and wish their eldest daughter “a calm, peaceful and harmonic time”.

August 19th

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands had a cataract surgery in her right eye yesterday, the Government Information service said today. Everything went well and afterwards she was able to leave the hospital.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has asked the military not to fire the traditional 21-gun salute on the occasion of her 38th birthday on Friday. She thinks it is inappropriate just four weeks after the bombing in Oslo and the massacre on the island of Utøya.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Summerfield Community Centre at Birmingham near the spot where three men were killed during riots last weeks. The couple met with local residents, business people, local dignitaries and emergency services staff. They also met the parents of the three men that died ruing the riots. Prince Harry of Wales paid a visit to Salford already yesterday. He met emergency services and residents affected by the recent riots.

According to a new study by German researchers female Pharaoh Hatshepsut of Egypt might have died of poisoning by her own skin lotion. A highly carcinogenic substance was found in the dried contents of a cosmetic vial found between her possessions.

August 20th

Prince Louis zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn married Countess Philippa Spannocchi today at the St. Jakobus Church at Rohrbach, Austria. The groom arrived at church with his brothers Hereditary Prince Heinrich and Prince Peter. The bride arrived in a Mercedes Cabriolet together with her father. Her dress was designed by fashion designer Gottfried from Linz, Austria. She wore a diademe and a veil of lace traditionally worn by brides of the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn family since 150 years. After the wedding the party continued at Sprinzenstein Castle, home of the parents of the bride. The civil wedding already took place at Sayn Castle on 20 May. The groom is a son of Fürst Alexander zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and his wife Gabriela née Countess von Schönborn-Wiesentheid. The bride is a daughter of Count Hieronymus Spannocchi and his wife Verena née Countess von Schönborn-Buchheim. Bridal children were Philippa Karamat, Countess Elisabeth Hunyady, Countess Anna-Maria von Schönborn-Wiesentheid, Count Clemens and Count Philipp von Schönborn-Buchheim and Prince Alexander zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn. Royal Travel: Louis & Philippa – Rohrbach 20.08.2011

August 21st

King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn, Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark attended a memorial service in Oslo Cathedral, Norway, to remember the people who died in the attacks in Oslo and Utøya in July. Kongehuset.no: Nasjonal minnemarkering

August 23rd

Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine made their debut during the one-week royal summer tour with the royal yacht Dannebrog yesterday. To the delight of the people at Skagen the twins appeared on the arm of their parents Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. Royal Portraits: Skagen, 22 August 2011Royal Portraits: Hanstholm, 23 August 2011

August 24th

The Danish royal court announced today that Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark expect their second child together at the end of January 2012. The birth is expected to take place at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark.

According to the book “De Vrouwen van Prins Bernhard” (The Women of Prince Bernhard) by Marc van der Linden the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands had a third illegitimate daughter. Mildred Zijlstra was born on 12 February 1946 as the result of a brief encounter between the prince and a member of the Home Resistance just after World War II. Mildred was adopted soon after she was born. The identity of her father was revealed to Mildred by a family friend in 2003. There is no proof that she is the daughter of Prince Bernhard, but as Van der Linden says, the evidence all points to Prince Bernhard.

August 25th

Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary with a church service at Oslo Cathedral. Their three children Marius Borg Høiby, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus attended. Also Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden were present. Also family, friends and 200 members of the public attended. Afterwards a private dinner was hosted by King Harald V and Queen Sonja at the royal palace in Oslo. Kongehuset: 10-års bryllupsdagRoyal Portraits: 10th wedding anniversary

August 26th

Windsor Castle will soon be using economic sustaibable energy. The Southeast Power Engineering Ltd will supply the energy. Two huge hydro-electric turbines will be placed by Craen at Romney Weir on the River Thames in September. They will be ready to operate from November.

The new government of Thailand today vowed to crack down online insults against the Thai monarchy. They think insulting Thai royals is unacceptable. According to the new government an online campaign is an immediate priority.

August 28th

From 26 to 28 August Crown Princess Mary of Denmark visited the Horn of Africa to raise awareness for the hunger catastrophe in the areas affected by the drought.

August 29th

According to Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands the summer house of the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands in Mozambique has been completed. The house has not been sold yet.

August 31st

According to a letter written in 1971 by Romano Mussolini to the former deputy editor of the newspaper Corriere della Serra his father, the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, had a relationship with the later Queen Marie-José of Italy. The letter was published in this week’s magazine Oggi. Romano Mussolini writes: “There was a brief period of intimate romantic relations between my father and the then princess of Piedmont.”

September 1st

The Ministry of Defence announced today that Prince Harry of Wales will train at the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Base in Arizona and the US Navy’s airfield in El Centro, California later this year. The Prince will take part in a two-month training exercise with Apache helicopters. He will have environmental training, live firing and tactical exercises.

Yesterday Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands presented the Chinese version of her first children’s book about Mr Finney at the 18th Beijing International Book Fair in Beijing, China.

For the children of Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium school started again today. For the first time also Princess Eleonore joined her siblings to the Sint-Jan- Bergmans College in Brussels. Royal Press Europe: First schoolday in Belgium

The King of Bhutan and his fiancee Jetsun Pema will get married at Punakha, Bhutan, on 13 October 2011, the royal court announced. The next day they will head to Thimphu, where the wedding celebrations will take place at the Changlingmithang stadium on 15 October. Released were also the royal wedding symbol, two rings in gold entwined in front of a khorlo (wheel) and a scarf running through the rings on a lotus. The two rings signify the union of thap (method) and sherab (wisdom) and the knot in the dhar signifies the never ending bond between the couple. The lotus symbolises the purity of union. Also the bride became her own symbol, which included the mythical bird Ja-Tshering upholding the wheel that symbolises royalty.

September 2nd

Princess Basma bint Saud, a niece of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, has accused the regime in her country of corruption. The princess is a social activist and a supporter of women’s rights. She says that while 5% of the population of the country lives in wealth, the other 95% live below the poverty-line of the country and don’t even have access to water and electricity.

September 5th

Only three months after his knee surgery King Juan Carlos of Spain underwent another operation. This time he is to have surgery on his Achilles tendon of his left foot, which is a minor operation. The surgery took place at the USP San José Hospital in Madrid today. The King was admitted to hospital yesterday. Afterwards doctors said that the procedure was carried out successfully under epidural anaesthetic. The King will have to go through a long rehabilitation process. He will not attend any public events for at least one month as the heel will be temporarily immobilised.

In an interview in Tatler magazine of October 2011 Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, says she thinks that the social networking site Facebook is dangerous. She said she rather uses the phone or Skype. She also reveals she has decided to focus on her equestrian career first. She’d love to have children, but not yet.

A man who disrupted a concert attended by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on Saturday evening has been admitted to a psychiatric institution. Just before the concert started the man climbed on the stage and called on the audience to recognise Allah. He also said he didn’t have a bomb with him, and then was quickly escorted from the stage by security people.

September 6th

Prince Hisahito of Japan is celebrating his 5th birthday today. According to the Imperial Household Agency he is very interested in insects and vehicles. He attends the Ochanomizu University Kindergarten in Tokyo.

40-year-old Thai computer programmer Surapak Puchaieseng was arrested by the police and is being held in jail in Bangkok. He is accused of posting images and messages on Facebook that are insulting the Thai monarchy. The man denies the accusations.

September 7th

On the official website of the Swedish royal family Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden thank everybody for all congratulations they received upon the announcement of the pregnancy. They say they appreciate all the support and are very happy that so many people share in their joy.

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium opened the children’s hospital Princess Elisabeth in Gent today in presence of her proud parents Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde. Royal Portraits: Elisabeth opens hospital

September 8th

Christina Murray presented her new cookery book “A Taste Of Mey” at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh today. The book contains a series of anecdotes and unknown pictures and well-guarded recipes, and is dedicated to the late Queen Mother, who was the owner of the Castle of Mey in Caithness, Scotland. The Prince of Wales wrote the foreword.

Family of a victim of the Videla regime in Argentina have launched legal proceedings against Jorge Zorreguieta, the father of Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, who was part of the Argentinian government at that time. He is being sued for his role in the disappearances of people during the regime. Samuel Slutzky disappeared in 1977.

The right kidney of King George Tupou V of Tonga was removed during a successfull surgery at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, USA, last month. Recently a significant tumour was found in the kidney. He is expected to travel back to Tonga on Saturday. According to the royal court: “The king has made a good recovery following that procedure and will return to Los Angeles in a few weeks time for follow-up consultations.”

September 9th

The exhibition of the wedding dress of the Duchess of Cambridge has attracted a record number of visitors to Buckingham Palace this summer.

Princess Beatrice of York has graduated today from the Goldsmiths College, University of London, with a 2:1 degree in history and the history of ideas. Her proud parents the Duke and Duchess of York attended the graduation ceremony. Beatrice will now start a series of internships to develop her experience, particularly in business and philanthropy. According to Buckingham Palace these internships will help to “complement” her position as a member of the British royal family.

September 12th

Princess Anita van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven is currently staying in the USA for a neurological examination. She and her husband, who accompanies her, therefore didn’t attend the Red Cross Gala in Amsterdam today, during which the Princess Margriet Foundation was presented.

Princess Annemarie de Bourbon de Parme, Duchess of Parma, presented her new book “De smaak van de macht. Gesprekken met oud-premiers”, today in The Hague, Netherlands. She interviewed the five surviving former Dutch prime ministers for the book about how they experienced their time as a prime minister. Princess Annemarie wrote the book under her maiden name Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel. She is parliamentary editor at the Dutch NOS television.

September 13th

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands received members of the honorary board of the International Paralympic Committee today at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn for their annual meeting. She was joined by among others Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Princess Astrid of Belgium.

September 14th

Children between 4 and 16 are encouraged to make their own self-portrait. The pictures will be posted on the Face Britain online gallery until the end of March 2012. Then they will be projected onto the front of Buckingham Palace to form a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The project was launched in connection to the Diamond Jubilee year of the Queen. All schools in Great Britain have received a registration pack.

September 15th

King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine of Sweden attended the yearly opening of parliament at the Storkyrkan and the Riksdag in Stockholm today. The family arrived at the Riksdag (Parliament) in horse-drawn carriages. In the evening the royals attended a concert at the Royal Swedish Opera. Royal Portraits: Opening Parliamentary Year

The Balearic Island Provisional Court has reopened an investigation into a rape case on the island of Ibiza, Spain, in August 2008 after an appeal by the victim. Last year the case was shelved because of lack of evidence. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, who is being accused of raping the young woman, says he hasn’t been at Ibiza for more than ten years.

September 16th

Vanessa de Serclans, a French literature teacher at the Humboldt University in Berlin, has found back a copy of an original erotic poem written by King Friedrich the Great of Prussia. She found the poem “La Jouissance”, written in France in July 1740, in a Berlin archive among some letters by the king.

September 17th

King Mohammed VI and Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco attended the first schoolday of their daughter Princess Lalla Khadija today at the princely school at the Royal Palace in Rabat, Morocco.

September 18th

St James’s Palace has confirmed that the Duchess of Cambridge is privately visiting charities. She will use the next few months to get to know several charitable and other causes better. The visits will help her to decide what her future role will be and which causes she wants to support as a royal patron.

September 19th

Paola Cecilia Laurentien ten Cate, daughter of Tjalling ten Cate and Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme, was christened yesterday at the catholic St Willibrordus Church in Wassenaar, The Netherlands. Her godparents were Paul Westermand, Paul Lodder and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. Among the guests were Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange and Princess Mäxima of the Netherlands with their daughters and Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands and their children. PPE Pictures: Christening of Paola

September 20th

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange, Princess Máxima, Prince Constantijn, Princess Laurentien, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven attended Prinsjesdag, the yearly opening of the Dutch parliament, at The Hague, the Netherlands. The Queen drove to the Knight’s Hall in the golden carriage to deliver the speech from the throne. Afterwards the royals drove back to Noordeinde Palace and shortly appeared on the balcony. Royal Portraits: Prinsjesdag 2011Royal Press Europe: Prinsjesdag 2011

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand has approved the design for the cremation of Princess Bejraratana Rajasuda who died on 27 July. The construction of the pyre will be started at the end of October. The cremation itself will take place at Sanam Luang on 9 April 2012.

Former King Michael of Romania will not be allowed to address the Romanian parliament on his 90th birthday, 25 October. The lawmakers have voted against it, saying he is not the head of state, although he was Romania’s King until 1947. Crown Princess Margarita said that it is a shame for the nation that they have missed an opportunity to let him speak.

September 22nd

Although he gave up his role as the global trade ambassador of Great Britain recently, the Duke of York has flown to Saudi Arabia earlier this week to meet with dignitaries and businessmen. He hired an estimated £150,000 private jet for his flight to Saudi Arabia, because he was too busy to catch the regular flight on Sunday morning, according to the Daily Mail newspaper. A spokesman for the Duke says that the programme for the visit was already agreed before the Duke stepped down from his function. The Royal Visits Committee had approved the visit. The Duke also used a private jet for the trip home after the three-day visit.

September 23rd

Although the lawmakers voted against a speech, the Parliament of Romania has invited former King Michael to attend a plenary meeting of the parliament on his birthday on 25 October. On the occasion of the King’s 90th birthday a concert will be held at the Romanian Athenaeum on 24 October and another concert at the National Opera in Bucharest on 25 October. There will also be a royal lunch organised at the National Bank of Romania headquarters. On Monday 203 members of parliament voted for an approval of the visit, while only three members voted against and three members didn’t vote. President Traian Basescu will not attend the meeting.

September 24th

In “Our Queen”, a new biography about Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain by journalist Robert Hardman, the Duke of Cambridge reveals that his family members thus far haven’t succeeded in letting her slow down. He said: “She’s so dedicated and really determined to finish everything she started.” He also said that his grandmother has been very helpful with the guestlist before his wedding to Catherine Middleton.

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway celebrated her 40th birthday today with a private dinner and party at the Royal Palace in Oslo. Close family, royals and friends from Norway and abroad attended the event. Among the guests were Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxemburg, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Princess Irene of the Netherlands with her four children and son-in-law and daughter-in-law, Princess Sumaya of Jordan and Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway didn’t attend. She was off on a long-planned trip to India. Princess Märtha Louise’s actual birthday was already on Thursday.

Oscar Magnuson, son of Princess Christina Mrs Magnuson (Sweden), married Emma Ledent today in a private chapel at Vence, France. Only about 55 guests attended. Among them were close relatives and friends of the couple. It is reported Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden attended the wedding.

Princess Theresa zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg married Jürgen Hayessen at the Wallfahrtskirche Dieburg today. Pictures at Royalty Guide

September 25th

The wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on April 29 wasn’t fully without mistakes. It has emerged that the Duke of Cambridge forgot to release the handbrake of the car when driving his bride from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House after the wedding. Luckily the public along the Mall applauded so loud, that nobody appears to have heard the engine’s noise. The newlywed Duke had borrowed the dark blue Aston Martin DB6 from his father, the Prince of Wales.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia has announced today that women will be given the right to vote and stand in elections. They will however not be able to vote already at the elections that will take place next week. The next elections will be in 2015. In Saudi Arabia there are only elections for half of the seats on municipal councils with few powers.

September 26th

In interviews to the French newspaper Le Monde and the TV-channel Europe 1 Princess Hélène of Yugoslavia has confirmed over the weekend that she separated from her husband Thierry Gaubert five years ago. They are not divorced yet. The French police have heard her as a witness in the so-called Karachi investigation, and they have only found documents proving illegal facts with her signature on it. She said she had signed some because she trusted her husband. Thierry Gaubert was advisor of the present French president Nicolas Sarkozy 1993-1995. Princess Hélène has confirmed her husband’s travels abroad and the bags and money he returned with. Hélène’s daughter Milena Gaubert says in the press that her mother gave evidence in the investigation only to have her revenge on Thierry Gaubert. She also told that her mother has been suffering from depression for a long time and has even attempted to commit suicide a few times. The daughters Milena and Nastasia live with Thierry Gaubert and are not on good terms with their mother.

September 27th

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will pay an official visit to the USA from 20 to 25 October. They will visit New York and Boston. During the visit they will be guests of honor at a gala dinner to mark the 100th anniversary of the American Scandinavian Foundation in the USA. Also the heads of state of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland will be present. The crown princely couple will also pay an official visit to Australia from 19 to 26 November and head a Danish export and culture promotion under the themen ‘State of Green-Join the Future’. They will visit Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

Since 19 September the Dutch royal house can also be followed mobile via the Koninklijk Huis app which can be downloaded for free via iTunes and Android Market.

Princess Anita van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven underwent a surgery of her back last week at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, USA. She suffered of a spontaneous leak of cerebrospinal fluid in her back. The complex operation had to be performed by a specialised doctor.

September 28th

Five pieces of costume jewellery that once belonged to the Duchess of Windsor will be auctioned by Dreweatts and Bloomsbury Auctions on 10 October. The auction will take place at The Cumberland Hotel in London, Great Britain The pieces were all designed by the American designer Alexis Kirk. The necklaces are expected to fetch prices from £1,500-to £3,000.

Princess Aiko of Japan went to and from school without the company of one of her parents for the first time since 1 1/2 year. She temporarily stayed away from school at the end of the second grade at Gakushuin Primary School early 2010 after the “rough behaviour” of some boys at her school had shocked her. She has began spending more time at school this year. Since late June she has taken part in the activities of the orchestral music club at her school all alone on Saturday.

Queen Margarita of Bulgaria underwent a hip operation at the USP Hospital San Camilo in Madrid last Thursday. She was discharged from hospital today and is now recovering at home. She got a full hip prosthesis.

Prince Davit Bagration-Mukhransky and his wife Princess Anna Bagration-Gruzinsky have become the parents of a son yesterday at 10.40pm at Madrid, Spain. The boy is called Prince Giorgi Bagration Bagrationi.

October 1st

Newlywed Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie of Prussia attended the Hohenzollern day at Hohenzollern Castle today. Princess Sophie received the rose that was named after her, and was planted in the garden of the castle also. Prince Georg Friedrich received a “Paul’s Scarlet” tree, which was also planted in the garden.

October 2nd

In a short interview to the Daily Telegraph yesterday at the Paris Fashion Week Princess Charlene of Monaco. She talked about fashion, and said that she knows what she likes. She also said there are certain protocols, and that she isn’t supposed to show too much. Charlene hasn’t been seen a lot since her wedding, and she said about it: “I have just taken a bit of a break. I think I need time to adjust. I just got married.” She is also busy learning the French language. She also reveals she will try to live a life as normal as possible and said “Do it my way”.

October 3rd

As only emerged during an inquest at the Coroner’s Court at Westminster, London, Great Britain, last week a tree surgeon uncovered the remains of the body of the American royalty- watcher Robert James Moore at the West Island in St James’s Park, London, on 15 March 2011. He might have died as many as three years ago. The man sent hundreds of letters to Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, including obscene photographs and huge letters of hundreds of pages. He moved to Great Britain in 2007. The place where he died is only about 100 yards from the entrance of Buckingham Palace.

October 4th

More than 600.000 people have seen the wedding dress of the Duchess of Cambridge during the 10-week Summer opening of Buckingham Palace, which ended on Monday. Most of the money raised will go to the Royal Collection. According to the wishes of the Duchess of Cambridge part of the money will go to charity.

King Harald V of Norway opened the 156th session of the Norwegian Parliament today by reading the speech from the throne. Naturally attention was given to the terrorist attacks on 22 July at the island of Utøya and the government offices in Oslo.

The Danish royal family attended the opening of the parliament at Christiansborg Slot. Only yesterday the new prime minister Mrs Helle Thorning-Schmidt presented her new cabinet to the Queen. She is the first female prime minister of Denmark. PPE Pictures

October 5th

The Duchess of Cambridge was formally acknowledges as a patron of The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry at a meeting of the board of trustees on 29 September, St James’s Palace has announced yesterday. The foundation was set up in 2009 to allow William and Harry to raise funds to support the charities they love most. The foundation might be renamed in the future.

The Kronprinseparrets Fonds, the foundation of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, and Universal Music will release a Christmas CD in November. It will be called “Vi tænder vore lygter”. Several known Norwegian musicians like Thomas Dybdahl, Katzenjammer, Ida Jenshus and Gunnhild Sundli have participated. The Crown Princely couple especially wished young musicians to take part in the project. The CD will raise money for young people who haven’t found their place within the system.

October 6th

Because of her work for the youth Queen Paola of the Belgians today was honoured with her own poststamp. The stamp will be on sale from 17 October.

October 7th

Prince Harry of Wales has arrived in the USA on Thursday evening to undertake the final training exercise of his Apache helicopter Conversion to Role Course. He will take part in Exercise Crimson Eagle, which is split between Naval Air Facility El Centro in California and Gila Bend Auxiliary Air Force Base in Arizona and will last approximately two months. Upon completion of Exercise Crimson Eagle Prince Harry will return to Great Britain as a fully trained Apache Pilot and will be assigned to one of the Apache Squadrons within 16 Air Assault Brigade. Until the Prince completes his Apache training, he formally remains a Lieutenant in the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) on attachment to the Army Air Corps.

October 10th

The first diamond jubilee souvenirs for 2012 have come on the market. Today the official range of commemorative china went on sale. The design is based on a dinner service first used by Queen Victoria of Great Britain, and shows the national symbols of rose, daffodil and thistle. The centre shows the coat of arms of King William IV of Great Britain. The china can be bought at the Royal Collection shops at the royal palaces and online.

In a letter to the French president Nicolas Sarkozy Luis Alfonso de Borbón y Martínez-Bordiú, Duke of Anjou, has written that the embalmed head of King Henri IV of France should be reunited with the rest of his body. The head was identified by forensic scientists in December. The King’s body is buried in the Basilica of Saint Denis near Paris.

October 11th

On 30 April 2012 Queen’s Day will be celebrated in Rhenen and Veenendaal in the province of Utrecht, The Netherlands.

October 12th

The British Prime Minister David Cameron has started the process to allow a first born daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to accede to the throne. In a letter to the sixteen prime ministers of the Commonwealth he refers to two rules on the succession to the throne that should be changed. He wrote: “The first is the rule which says that an elder daughter should take a place in the line of succession behind a younger son. We espouse gender equality in all other aspects of life, and it is an anomaly that in the rules relating to the highest public office we continue to enshrine male superiority.” He also hopes that in the future members of the royal family can marry a Roman Catholic without loosing their succession rights. He also thinks that only the first six in line to the throne should have to ask for the Monarch’s consent before they marry, instead of all descendants of King George II of Great Britain.

The Spanish royal family celebrated national day today. As usual a military parade took place at the Plaza de Neptuno in Madrid. Afterwards a reception was being held at the Royal Palace.

Jetsun Pema, the bride of the King of Bhutan, was escorted from her home in Langjophakha, Thimphu, to the Tencholing royal cottage at Wangduephodrang. There she spend the last night before her wedding. On her way she visited the Chang Gangka Ihakhang.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia is to undergo back surgery for the third time in a year. The operation to stabilize a vertebra in his spine will take place in Riyadh in the coming days. The King recently complained of pain in the lower back.

October 13th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has cancelled an appointment at the British Museum today. She was to visit an exhibition about Australia. Because the event was to be held partly outdoors and the Queen is suffering from a cold it was decided to cancel her presence. She has to be fit for a long trip next week and an overseas visit afterwards. It was only the third time in five years that she had to cancel an event because of ill health. In April she cancelled her presence at a service for the Royal Victorian Order at Windsor Castle because of a nosebleed. In 2006 she didn’t attend an investiture ceremony because of back pain. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will pay an official visit to Australia from 19 to 29 October.

31-Year-old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan married 21-year-old Jetsun Pema this morning in a solemn traditional religious ceremony in the Punakha Dzong. The bride was escorted into the dzong in a ceremonial chipdrel procession. His Holyness the Je Khenpo performed the purification ceremony before proceeding to the sacred Machcen Ihakhang. During that ceremony the prayers were conducted. The King then received the Dar Na Nga, an arrangement of silk scarves in the five colours representing the five elements, and bestowed these on his bride. Then the sacred marriage ceremony took place at the Kuenra (congregation hall) where the bride offered the King the Golden Bumpa filled with ambrosia of eternal life. The King symbolically offered the amrbosia to the Triple gem and to the guardian deities. After the wedding the bride was crowned by the King and thus became the Druk Gyal-tsueng (Queen of Bhutan). The brocade-embroidered crown depicted two phoenixes that symbolise the wedding between the royal couple, and are also a symbol of inseparability in method and wisdom. Afterwards having received gifts and congratulations bride and groom posed for the press. They also attended the celebrations of the people and watched the cultural programme. They will return to Thimphu tomorrow, where they will celebrate their wedding on Saturday.

October 14th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain already received the best Diamond Jubilee present she could have wished for. Her grandson Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn are expecting their second child in March 2012, Buckingham Palace announced today. Their daughter Savannah was born in December 2010. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are delighted at the news.

Yesterday King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway started a ten-day official visit to the USA. They visited Iowa on their first day, and moved on to Minnesota today. In both states they will visit Norwegian-American communities and institutions. They will move on to New York on 20 October. The visit is part of the commemorative activities marking the centennial anniversary of the American-Scandinavian Foundation in New York, which will be celebrated on 21 October.

It has taken King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan and his new wife Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck more than twelve hours to drive from the old capital Punakha to the new capital of Bhutan, Thimphu. Usually the drive would take about three hours. They stopped along the way all the time to meet people.

The lower court in Kuwait has sentenced to death Sheikh Faisal Abdullah Al-Sabah, a member of the royal family of Kuwait. He was found guilty of shooting Sheikh Basel Salem Al-Sabah at his palace in June 2010 after a dispute on a board membership in a sports club. Before the verdict can become final, it must be upheld by the appeals and supreme courts.

The Russian Orthodox Church has still not discussed the identity of the remains of Czarevich Alexej and Grand Duchess Maria of Russia that were found in 2007 near Yekaterinburg. The church hasn’t even set up a commission for the identification. Yesterday members of the Imperial family of Russia said they want to ask the Russian authorities to set up a commission for the reburial of the remains.

October 15th

The celebrations to celebrate the wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema ended today at the sports stadium in the country’s capital. In the stadium a cultural programme with traditional Bhutanese dancing and music was shown. Also the newlywed couple was present and was the main attraction for many visitors. To the huge enthusiasm of the audience the King kissed his bride standing in the middle of the stadium.

October 17th

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia underwent a successful back operation in Riyadh today. He arrived at the King Abdulaziz Medical city yesterday. The operation was meant to tighten the ligaments around his third vertebra.

October 18th

Princess Theodora of Greece will make her television debute as an actress on 5 December on the American TV-channel CBS. She will appear as Alison, a personal secretary to publishing baddie Bill Spencer, in “The Bold and the Beautiful”. She also has a role in the new western film “The Big Valley”.

October 20th

The Belgian royal palace has released new pictures on the occasion of the 10th birthday of Princess Elisabeth on 25 October. The pictures were taken in the greenhouses of the Laken Palace. One picture shows the Princess alone, another one shows her with her father, and the last one shows her with her parents. The Princess is the eldest child of Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium.

Empress Michiko of Japan answered several questions by the press on the occasion of her 77th birthday. As usual the written answers were presented at a press conference.

October 21st

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson of Iceland and his wife Dorrit Moussaieff, president Tarja Halonen of Finland as well as Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Princess Madeleine of Sweden attended a gala dinner at the Hilton Hotel in New York this evening to mark the centenial celebrations of the American-Scandinavian Foundation. Apart from Princess Madeleine the royals also laid flowers at the foot of the Survivor Tree at the Memorial Plaza where the Twin Towers once stood. Yesterday the royals already opened the exhibition “Luminous Modernism: Nordic Art in America” at the Scandinavia House.

October 22nd

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway concluded their ten-day official visit to the USA with a service at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in New York.

Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia died of colon cancer at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York, USA, early today, aged 80. He was crown prince since 2005 and had been in the USA since mid-June for medical treatment. The funeral service is to take place in Riyadh on Tuesday.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia left the King Abdulaziz Medical City this evening and returned to his palace. He is recovering from an operation on his back on Monday and will undergo further treatment at a royal clinic.

October 24th

Prince Daniel of Sweden started a visit to the USA today. He visited the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC, visited the Arlington National Cemetery, the Martin Luther King Memorial and the Newseum. The coming days he will have several appointments in Washington DC.

Princess Mako of Japan celebrated her 20th birthday today and has now formally come of age. She has become the 19th adult member of the imperial family. Shge paid a birthday visit to her grandparents, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, at the imperial palace on Tokyo, dressed in a long dress with white gloves and a tiara. At a pre-birthday news conference she said: “I would like to try to conduct myself appropriately as an adult. I would like to take part in various events, including official ones.” The Princess is currently studying at the International Christian University in Tokyo.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan and his new wife started their first official foreign trip together today. They arrived in India for high-level talks and a bit of sight-seeing in New Delhi. Afterwards they will travel to Rajasthan.

October 25th

In the Daily Mail the Duchess of Cornwall for the first time wrote about the death of her mother Rosalind Shand, who died from osteoporosis in 1994, aged 72. Also Sonia Keppel, the maternal grandmother of the Duchess, died of the disease. She wrote: “Seeing someone you love die slowly, in agony, and knowing nothing about the disease that killed them is heart-breaking. My family and I watched in horror as my mother quite literally shrank in front of our eyes. She lost about eight inches in height and became so bent that she was unable to digest her food properly, leaving her with no appetite at all.” The Duchess is the president of the National Osteoporosis Society.

The body of the late Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia arrived at Riyadh Airbase yesterday. His halfbrother King Abdullah performed the funeral prayers today at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh. The funeral prayers were also attended by the Emir of Qatar, the Emir of Kuwait and Prince Moulay Rashid of Morocco. The Crown Prince was buried at the Al-‘Awd cemetery in Riyadh.

October 26th

For the first time since he was forced to abdicate in 1947 former King Michael of Romania has addressed the Romanian parliament in Bucharest yesterday. In his speech he called on politicians to strengthen democracy in Romania and restore the country’s dignity. Although he received a standing ovation several ministers and president Traian Basescu didn’t attend the event. King Michael celebrated his 90th birthday today and had invited royals for a birthday party. A gala concert was held yesterday evening at the National Opera in Bucharest, followed by a dinner. Today there was a brunch at the Elisabeta Palaceand in the evening guests could attend a theatre play called “Royal Fashion”. Among the guests were Queen Sofia of Spain, Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxemburg, Princess Mouna al Hussein of Jordan, Prince El Hassan and Princess Sarvath of Jordan and Princess Rym Ali of Jordan, Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein, Princess Lea of Belgium, Countess Madeleine Bernadotte and members of the houses of Austria, France, Prussia, Baden, Schaumburg-Lippe, Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Lobkowicz, Ligne, Schwarzenberg, Radziwill, Württemberg, Bavaria, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Portugal, Russia and Serbia. Prince Radu: The Speech at the ParliamentPrince Radu: The Gala ConcertPrince Radu: Brunch and Royal Fashion

October 27th

The Duchess of Cambridge carried out her first official solo engagement last night. She attended a private dinner in aid of In Kind Direct at Clarence House, London. She stood in for her father-in-law, The Prince of Wales, who had travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to present the family’s condolences to the royal family of Saudi Arabia following the death of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. In Kind Direct is one of the Prince of Wales’s charities. The reception and dinner were attended by about 30 guests. A spokesperson of St James’s Palace said: “The Duchess had a little bit of time beforehand to prepare for the engagement – it all went very well. She was so pleased that her first solo engagement was for The Prince of Wales, who has shown her so much support over the years.”

As expected Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud this evening was appointed the new Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior. He was chosen after King Abdullah took his choice to the Allegiance Council, which was set up in 2006 to make the process of succession in the country easier. The new Crown Prince was born in Taif around 1933.

Several royals arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this week to offer their condolences upon the death of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. Yesterday the Prince of Wales, the Prince of Asturias, Prince Henrik of Denmark, the Crown Prince of Kuwait, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden. The Crown Prince of Qatar already arrived on Tuesday. The King of Bahrain arrived today.

Today the Russian Investigative Committee has confirmed that the remains buried at the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg in 1998 are indeed these of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. They also say that the bodies discovered in 2007 and thought to be the bodies of the Tsar’s children Grand Duke Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria, are authentic. Forensic tests, including DNA tests, have been conducted by a dozen of organisations in Russia and abroad. Investigator Vladimir Solovyov said: “The conclusion is based on summarized data including court documents, genetic analysis, and historical and other materials.” According to him there was no evidence found to proof that Lenin or any other high-ranked Bolsheviik had ordered the execution of the family. The lawyer of the imperial family, German Lukyanov, has said that they are planning to publish the investigation materials that were handed over to them by the Investigative Committee, when the Commitee approves publication.

October 28th

During a Commonwealth summit in Perth, Australia, the leaders of 16 Commonwealth countries have agreed to a change of the British succession rules. Preparations are on its way to coordinate the legislation that is necessary to change the laws. If the law is changed the British monarch remains the head of the Church of England. The eldest child will succeed, regardless whether the child is a boy or a girl. Royals in line to the throne will also no longer be barred to marry a Roman Catholic.

Queen Beatrix, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands and the Prince of Orange have started a ten-day visit to the six Dutch Caribbean islands. They received a warm welcome at the island of Aruba, where they will stay for two days. The Sunday will be spent in private. On Monday they will continue their visit at Bonaire, followed by two days at Curacao, a day at Sint Maarten and a day at Sint Eustatius. Next Saturday will be spent on the island of Saba. The royals will leave for the Netherlands again on Sunday 6 November. The Queen last visited the islands in 2006.

According to a new book by Tor Bomann-Larsen about King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway King Olav V of Norway, when still a Crown Prince, at first didn’t want to leave Norway when the Germans invaded the country. In 1935 he wrote a letter to the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) in which he suggested Great Britain should negotiate with Adolf Hitler. At that time Olav thought that the Soviet Union was a greater threat than Germany. All information was found at the British royal archives in letters written by Olav, who became King in 1957, in the 1930s.

October 29th

The Swedish police is investigating the origins of a data stick with material stolen from the hard drive of investigative journalist Nuri Kino. The material is coming from a forthcoming documentary about the allegiations that King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden attended sex parties organised by a Serbian gangster. The King’s friend Anders Lettström received the material by email on Monday and handed it over to the police on Wednesday.

October 30th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh returned home after an eleven-day tour of Australia. More than 150.000 people turned up for the Great Aussie Barbecue on the banks of the Swan River in Perth, which was the couple’s final engagement. The Queen said to feel overwhelmed by the kindness and support she and her husband received on the tour, and said they have enjoyed the visit immensely. It was the couple’s 16th official visit to Australia.

On Sunday Cambodia celebrated the 20th anniversary of the return of former King Norodom Sihanouk to the country (on 14 November 1991) after having been in exile since 1970. The former king, who turns 89 tomorrow, returned home on Thursday after having spent almost three months in Beijing, China, for medical treatment. In 2004 he abdicated in favour of his son NOrodom Sihamoni. Norodom Sihanouk said today in a rare public appearance that he will never leave his homeland again.

October 31st

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge received 60.000 cards and letters on the occasion of their wedding in April. A team is working on answering them all.

The Duke of Edinburgh has cancelled his attendance at a meeting of an invironmental organisation in Assisi, Italy, today, because of a cold. A spokesperson of Buckingham Palace however said that the 90-year-old Duke is expected to undertake his engagements later this week.

Today Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck of Bhutan launched a coffee-table book called “Bhutan: Through the lens of the King”. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck took the more than 160 pictures himself. The pictures show Bhutan, its people, wildlife, monasterie and everyday life, and even a portrait of the new Queen taken before her marriage.

November 2nd

A pair of bloomers of Queen Victoria of Great Britain have been sold at auction at Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh, Scotland, for £9,375, which was more than three times the prize that was estimated. Also an oil painting of the Queen and her servant John Brown and more than 500 other royal paintings, letters and furniture were sold. The sale of the collection of the Old Battersea House made more than £3 million.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travelled to Denmark today to learn more about the work of Unicef in East Africa. They visited the emergency supply centre in Copenhagen. They were joined by Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.

Princess Aiko of Japan was admitted to hospital yesterday after beginning to run a fever at the weekend. Today the royal palace said: “Princess Aiko still has a high fever and cough, and doctors diagnosed her as suffering from mild pneumonia. She continues to require medical treatment and needs to remain in hospital.” Crown Princess Masako stayed with her daughter at hospital last night.

A two-meter bronze statue of Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, wife of Tsar Alexander II, was unveiled at Mariehamn, Finland today. The town was founded by Alexander II in 1861 and named after his wife. The statue shows the tsarina in a ballgown and is a gift from Russia for the 150th anniversary of the town.

November 3rd

Princess Charlene of Monaco said in the US show “Today” that she thinks the suggestions that she didn’t want to marry Prince Albert II are “hilarious”. She has tried to ignore reports that she had tried to run away just before the wedding. She said: “Why would we go to all this effort, to have this fantastic couple of days, and have our most intimate and dearest friends come and join us, for us to be reluctant. You know, for me, it just sounded hilarious.” Prince Albert himself said that he hopes the rumours will never return and think they were a result of jealousy. Yesterday evening the couple opened an exhibition about Albert’s mother Princess Grace at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Canada.

The imperial family today held ceremonies to celebrate the growth of 5-year-old Prince Hisahito of Japan. The ceremonies are called “chakko no gi” and “fukasogi no gi”. The last ceremony is only for boys and hadn’t been held by the family since 1970, when they were celebrated for the prince’s father Prince Akishino. After the ceremonies the little prince visited his grandparents Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace. In the Spring the ceremonies had to be postponed because of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan.

November 4th

Pictures of the Prince of Wales and the late Diana Princess of Wales during their 1981 honeymoon on the Royal Yacht Britannia have come to light in the BBC TV-programme Antiques Roadshow. The owner was a member of the crew of the yacht. The pictures were taken by the official photographer of the Britannia. The edition of the Antiques Roadshow is to be broadcasted on Sunday.

November 5th

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has become the oldest reigning monarch of the Netherlands today. Her great-grandfather King Willem III died in 1890 aged 73 years and 277 days, an age Queen Beatrix reached yesterday.

Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia was appointed the new defense minister today.

November 6th

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will make Kensington Palace their permanent residence in London from mid to late 2013, it was announced today. At the moment they live in a smaller property at the palace as their temporary residence. Their new residence was an apartment last lived in by the late Princess Margaret. At the moment the apartment is being used by the Historic Royal Palaces as offices, classrooms and storage. A part of the apartment will be in use as an exhibition area until September 2012. Also the offices of the couple will move from St. James’s Palace to Kensington Palace.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cambridge have made several private visits to the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, London, together. They have been watching opera and ballet productions. The Prince of Wales is a patron of the Royal Opera and president of the Royal Ballet, of which Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is the patron. It is understood the Prince is encouraging the interest of his daughter-in-law in both forms of art.

Prince Pieter-Christiaan van Oranje-Nassau van Vollenhoven was the quickest royal in the New York Marathon today. Also Prince Lorenz, Prince Amedeo and Princess Astrid of Belgium ran the marathon. For Princess Astrid it was the first time ever to take part in a marathon.

Emperor Akihito of Japan was admitted to the University of Tokyo Hospital this evening. He has a persistent fever and has started to show symptoms of bronchitis, the Imperial Household Agency said. He was accompanied to hospital by his wife Empress Michiko. The Emperor’s granddaughter Princess Aiko had just been discharged from the same hospital on Saturday.

November 8th

According to his daughter Princess Chulabhorn King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand fell ill last week because he was so concerned for flood victims in his country. His condition however has improved again.

November 9th

A Spanish court is probing the Instituto Noos for alleged corruption. The company was run by Iñaki Urdangarín, husband of Infanta Cristina of Spain, from 2004 to 2006. The premises of the Instituto Noos were searched on Monday. An payment of 2.3 million euros to Instituto Noos for organising the Balearic Islands Forum in 2005 and 2006 is being investigated. The public prosecutor thinks the money might have ended up in private companies run by Urdangarín and his successor.

November 10th

The British Ministry of Defence has announced that the Duke of Cambridge will be posted as a fly search and rescue helicopter pilot with the RAF in the Falkland Islands for six weeks from February to March 2012. The Duchess of Cambridge will stay in Great Britain during these weeks.

King Harald V, Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, as well as Queen Silvia of Sweden attended the opening of the exhibition “Under Pressure-Master prints from Atelje Larsen” at the Dunkers Kulturhus in Helsingborg, Sweden. The exhibition shows graphic work by several Norwegian, including Queen Sonja of Norway. She collaborated with the artists Kjell Nupen, Ørnulf Opdahl and Ole Larsen on a project entitled Tre reiser – tre landskap (“Three journeys – three landscapes”), which resulted in a collection of 24 original copper and polymer plate prints. The prints of Queen Sonja are based on photographs from her trip to Svalbard in 2006.

November 11th

Mike Tindall, the husband of Zara Phillips (granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain), has been removed from the England rugby squad for his behaviour during the Rugby World Cup. He also has been fined £25,000 by the Rugby Football Union. Tindall was pictured on CCTV camera at Queenstown, New Zealand, on the night of Sunday 11 September, during the night of heavy drinking embraching a former girlfriend.

Emperor Akihito has to stay in hospital at least a day longer than expected. He was to be discharged today, but the fever returned. He was taken to hospital on Sunday with a bronchial infection.

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxemburg celebrated his 30th birthday today. On this occasion he gave interviews to a group of eight journalists as well as television channels. He spoke about the monarchy, his work and his private life. He takes his parents as an example, as well as Kofi Annan. He is very much involved in the youth and economy. He had a happy and pretty normal childhood. Since about half a year Guillaume has a girlfriend from abroad, but a wedding is not to be expected soon. Monarchie.lu: picturesMonarchie.lu: videos

November 12th

Princess Máxima of the Netherlands and her daughters Amalia, Alexia and Ariane attended the entry of Saint Nicholas in the Netherlands in Scheveningen this morning. Royal Press Europe: Sinterklaas arrives at Scheveningen

November 13th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and her family attended a service in Whitehall, London, on Rememberance Day, the day the Commonwealth pays tribute to the soldiers who died for their country. The Queen also laid a wreath at the Cenotaph monument. She was among others accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Kent. The Duchess of Cambridge attended the ceremony for the first time and watched the ceremony from the Foreign and Commonwealth balcony accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, the Countess of Wessex and Timothy Lawrence.

In an interview in the BBC-programme Antiques Roadshow the Duke of York has spoken about the time he served in the Falklands War in 1982. He was filmed at the National Memorial Arobretum, on which the names of militaries who have lost their lives in war are noted. Looking at the memorial he said: “It brings back the sort of thoughts that one was going through at the time. There was huge anxiety at were we doing the right thing? It’s still very fresh as a memory and I always think about the people I was serving with.”

November 14th

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark will celebrate her 40th jubilee as a Queen from 13 to 15 January 2012. Her father, King Frederik IX died on 14 January 1972, and the next day Margrethe was officially proclaimed the new Queen at the balcony of the Christiansborg Palace. The programme will start on 13 January with a reception at the parliament. On 14 January the Queen drive from Amalienborg Palace to the town hall of Copenhagen by carriage, where an official reception will take place. In the evening there will be a performance at the Koncerthus in Copenhagen. On 15 January a council of state will take place at the Christiansborg Palace. The royal family will appear on the balcony of Amalienborg at noon. In the afternoon a church service will take place at the palace church of Christiansborg. In the evening a gala dinner will take place at Christiansborg, also with foreign guests and family. Special exhibitions will be held at Frederiksborg Palace and Amalienborg.

Emperor Akihito of Japan has to stay at the University of Tokyo Hospital a little bit longer, the Imperial Household Agency said today. His temperature rose during the weekend and he is still coughing. He will not be able to attend the state visit from Bhutan this week.

Bishop Meshack Mabuza, the leading Anglican cleric of Swaziland, has called on King Mswati III of Swaziland to give up his political power. He called for a democratic government, because the present archaic system of government has led to a financial and economic crisis in the country.

November 15th

The cybercrime unit of Scotland Yard has successfully helped protecting the British royal website in April. On 10 October a 16-year-old has been detained in relation to “a suspected attempt to encourage others to commit a distributed denial-of-service attack.” The teenager hasn’t been charged yet and is out on bail. About 15 million hits were received by the royal website on the occasion of the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on 29 April.

Holders of royal warrants will be given a chance to rent rooms at St James’s Palace in London, Great Britain, as party venues during the Olympic Games in London next year.

Queen Fabiola, Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde, Princess Astrid, Prince Lorenz, Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium attended the Te Deum at the cathedral of Brussels on the occasion of the King’s Feast. Traditionally King Albert II and Queen Paola didn’t attend. Apart from Queen Fabiola the royals also attended an official ceremony at the federal parliament in the late afternoon. It was the first time since February Prince Laurent attended an event with his family members. Royal Portraits: King’s Feast

The Liechtenstein Palace in Vienna, Austria, will not have regular opening times anymore as off January 2012. The museum will focus on events and booked tours through the exhibitions of the princely collection. The palace received about 45.000 visitors a year at the moment, which reigning prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein said in a press conference, is much less than expected. At the moment the other family palace in Vienna, the city Palace (Stadtpalais) is being renovated and is to open its doors for exclusive events in 2013.

The Imperial Household Agency announced that Emperor Akihito of Japan will cancel all his official duties for November. Other members of the family will partly take over his activities. The Emperor was hospitalised ten days ago with bronchitis and has a fever of nearly 39 C. At the moment doctors treat him with several kinds of antibiotics.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan have started a six-day visit to Japan. They will among others visit the north-eastern region that was struck by an earthquake and tsunami on 11 March. The King has donated 1 million dollars for the victims.

November 16th

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands reopened the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands. In the new exhibition wing she visited the exhibition “The Golden Age of China” showing art from the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia has resigned as a member of the Allegiance Council that oversees the succession in the country. The Prince didn’t give a reason for his decision, but has informed his half-brother King Abdullah about it. He is however known to be an opponent of the new Crown Prince Nayef.

November 17th

King Albert II of the Belgians underwent an operation this morning at the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc in Brussels to treat a basocellular epithelioma on the nose. He returned home later today and will soon start working again.

November 18th

Just before the start of the official visit to Australia the Danish royal court issued a new picture of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark with their four children Christian, Isabella, Vincent and Josephine. The picture was taken by Steen Evald at Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg, Copenhagen.

Two royal families have opened their own site on Facebook. The Swedish site was launched on 17 November. The princely palace of Monaco followed their example only a day later.

According to the Imperial Household Agency Emperor Akihito of Japan is suffering from a mild bronchial pneumonia. The fever has dropped since yesterday. It is unknown when he will be able to leave hospital.

November 19th

In Monaco the princely family celebrated national day by attending a Te Deum in the cathedral of Monaco. They also watched a parade in the cour d’honneur of the palace. In the evening the family attended a gala concert at the Grimaldi Forum. Royal Portraits: National DayRoyal Portraits: Grimaldi Forum

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and her youngest children Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine have arrived in Sydney, Australia, early this morning. Crown Prince Frederik arrived on a separate flight later today. The elder children Prince Christian and Princess Isabella don’t accompany their parents and siblings. The official visit starts tomorrow and will end on 26 November. The visit include stops at Canberra, Melbourne, western Victoria and New South Wales (Broken Hill). Afterwards the family is expected to head for Tasmania, where the family of the Crown Princess lives.

November 20th

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway inaugurated the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Miami, Florida, USA, today. The new church has received the name Sjømannskirken H.K.H. Kronprinsesse Mette-Marit kirke, Scandinavian Church and Center.

November 21st

The 12th wive of King Mswati III of Swaziland said yesterday she has been kicked out of the royal palace a week ago. Inkhosikati LaDube says the reason was that she had pepper- sprayed a security guard after he had refused to let her out of the palace to take her two-year-old child to hospital, because he had a deep wound. The 23-year-old wive of the King has been under house arrest since her affair with the minister of Justice last year. The incident was reported to the Queen Mother, who decided that the disrespectful woman had to leave the palace. She had to leave her three little children behind. She would be the third wive to leave the palace since 2004. However today a senior Swazi royal official denied the reports and said she was visiting her grandmother.

November 22nd

King Juan Carlos of Spain is walking around with a black eye and a damaged nose. He accidentally walked into a door this morning, when he was opening the door while one of his aids wanted to open it from the other side. Despite of the incident he carried out his official duties today.

Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg underwent an arthroscopic knee surgery today at the Clinique d’Eich in Luxemburg. He had a damaged meniscus in the right knee. After the operation he was able to return to Berg Castle.

November 23rd

Today Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has formally presented her husband the Duke of Edinburgh with the title and office of Lord High Admiral of the Navy. He already was given the post on his 90th birthday in June, but now has also received the letters patent as the holder of the title.

November 24th

The Swedish royal court confirmed that Princess Madeleine will not attend the Nobel festivities in Stockholm this year. She has been invited to take part in an event to commemorate women in science through the years in New York, USA, on the Noble day.

Emperor Akihito of Japan has left hospital today after having been treated for a mild pneumonia for 18 days. He was accompanied by Empress Michiko. The Imperial Household Agency said that the fever and coughing had almost disappeared on Wednesday. Doctors have told him to rest at least until the end of the month.

Chief executive Martyn Thomas heard the pleas of Mike Tindall against a £25,000 fine issued by the Rugby Football Union today. The outcome will not be known until next week. Tindall is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain’s granddaughter Zara Phillips. He was fined and thrown out off the English rugby team recently.

November 26th

The Japanese government will soon be discussing the reform of the Imperial Household. The chief of the IMperial Household Agency has recently informed Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda that reforms are necessary soon. Many female members of the imperial family are nearing the marriageable age. The household exists of 23 members, including eight unmarried female members, of which two are not yet adults. At the moment female members of the imperial family must leave the Imperial Household when they marry commoners. The government is considering introducing houses for female members so that they can keep their imperial status even after marriage. It is feared that the number of members of the family will otherwise decrease.

November 27th

The Norwegian TV-channel NRK aired a documentary about Crown Princess Mette-Marit this Sunday and a week ago. Family and friends were being interviewed for the documentary. In the documentary King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway spoke for the first time about the terrible attack at Utøya and Oslo on July 22. Queen Sonja said: “It was a big shock. I also almost felt angry.” The day after the attacks they met victims and their families. King Harald V said: “I don’t think I have ever hugged that many people that I don’t know.” Queen Sonja said: “We tried to help out where we felt that it was important, and that it was the right thing to do.” About his daughter-in-law Crown Princess Mette-Marit King Harald said: “She is incredibly good at connecting with people, that is something that I envy in her. I am much more reserved.”

November 28th

After a busy visit to Australia Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark started an official visit to Vietnam yesterday. He will stay in Vietnam until December 1. His wife Crown Princess Mary and their twins Vincent and Josephine stayed in Australia.

November 29th

Prince Harry of Wales has returned to Great Britain on Sunday after having spent almost two months for military training in California, USA. A spokesman of the Naval Air Facility in El Centro said that the Prince has completed his training.

Yesterday evening Chief executive Martyn Thomas decided that the £25,000 fine to Mike Tindall by the Rugby Football Union had to be reduced by £10,000. Tindall, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain’s granddaughter Zara Phillips, was also reinstated to the England rugby squad. Tindall afterwards apologised for drinking too much after the team had won during the Rugby World Cup in September, and said he absolutely accepts his share of responsibility. He said to think that the fine is still too high and said also: “I am deeply disappointed by the way the RFU has chosen to handle the situation. I have felt throughout the disciplinary process that my case was made unnecessarily political and public by the RFU and I ended up being made a scapegoat.”

Emperor Akihito of Japan has resumed his official duties today. He will attend a memorial service in Tokyo for firefighters who died in the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March together with his wife Empress Michiko.

November 30th

In an interview on the occasion of his 46th birthday Prince Akishino said that it might become necessary to set a retirement age for Japanese emperors. He thinks after a certain age people find it more difficult to do various things. He called for more discussion about the topic.

King Leka Zogu of the Albanians died early today at the Mother Teresa Hospital in Tirana, Albania. He was 72 years old and had been in hospital since 15 November with heart and lung problems. He suffered a cardiac arrest on 25 November. Leka’s father Zog I was the first and last King of the Albanians from 1928 to 1939. Leka was born on 5 April 1939, only two days before the family had to fly the country, as the only child of King Zog I and his wife Queen Geraldine. After the death of his father in 1961 the Albanian community in exile crowned Leka as new King of the Albanians. In 1975 Leka married Susan Cullen-Ward, who died in 2004. They had one son, also called Leka. In 2002 the family returned to Albania.

December 1st

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry of Wales have become official Team GB and Paralympics GB 2012 Ambassadors in the lead up to, and during, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They will join a group of 27 of inspirational and accomplished British Olympians. The royals will play a leading role in encouraging and inspiring the British public to rally behind the athletes who will compete for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the Olympics, that will be held in London.

In a documentary by Belgian broadcaster RTBF broadcasted yesterday evening and in newspapers earlier this week his former girlfriend Diane de Schaetzen confirms that she had a relationship with Prince Laurent of Belgium halfway the 1990s. She says when the relationship ended he hit her. She says he likes animals better than women. Laurent is also being portrayed as a miser.

Princess Aiko of Japan has celebrated her 10th birthday toay. She is in the fourth grade at Gakushuin Primary School. She is attending almost all classes since about two months, after having had problems at school more than a year ago. She takes care of her dog Yuri and a cat. She also plays the cello in the school’s orchestra club. She spent some days in hospital in November with mycoplasma pneumonia and at the end of her stay said to the doctors and nurses: “It was an interesting experience.”

December 2nd

The Royal Family will give a huge private party at the KwaKhethomthandayo Palace in Nongoma this weekend at the start of a month-long celebration of the 40th throne jubileum of Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini. He was installed as the Zulu King on 3 December 1971, aged 23. The main event will take place later this month and will be attended by royal families from across Africa as well as former president. An exact place and date have however not been confirmed yet.

December 3rd

In transcripts of tape recordings published by the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet Anders Lettström says that his friend King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was well aware of Lettström’s attempts to silence the scandals as described in a book several months ago. Lettström says he tried to buy the alleged scandalous pictures of among others him and the King at the sex club of a known criminal. Although the King stated a few months ago that he didn’t know about Lettström’s contacts with the criminal underworld in Stockholm, Lettström now says that he informed the King about his ongoings.

The funeral of King Leka Zogu, pretender to the Albanian throne, took place in Tirana, Albania, today. Flags flew half-mast and the Albanian television played solemn music. The Albanian government had proclaimed a national day of mourning. Several hundred people attended the funeral.

December 5th

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand left hospital today for a short time to address his people on the occasion of his 84th birthday. He left hospital in a wheelchair and was driven to the Grand Palace in Bangkok. He held a speech from the balcony of the palace. The King was admitted to hospital in September 2009.

December 6th

King Albert II of the Belgians today finally has sworn in a new Belgian government. The elections already took place in June 2010. The new prime minister of Belgium is Elio Di Rupo.

Prince Laurent of Belgium today launched the newest project of the Prince Laurent Foundation. Until February 2012 homeless people with animals can find a shelter in four containers in Brussels. The Prince came together with his wife Claire. Laurent said to hope that the project will show who he really he. He says he loves both animals and women. Princess Claire asked the press to stop insinuating about her husband, and said the stories told lately are not true.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and their twins Vincent and Josephine have arrived at Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, today for a private holiday with the Crown Princess’s family. It is not known how long they will stay.

December 7th

According to a new poll by Novus Opinion 35% of the Swedes have little or very little faith in King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Only 30% still supports him after the publication of the controversial book “Carl XVI Gustaf-the relucant monarch” in November 2010. In the book was written that he visited porn clubs and had an affair during his marriage. 32% of the people questioned would like Crown Princess Victoria to take over the throne.

December 8th

55-year-old Lerpong Wichaikhammat was jailed for two-and-a-half years today for insulting the monarchy of Thailand. The man was born in Thailand, but became a US citizen under the name of Joe Wichai Commart Gordon. He was arrested during a visit to Thailand in May. In October he pleaded guilty to using the Internet for insulting the monarchy on his blog.

December 9th

Tests carried out on bodies exhumed from the tomb believed to be the grave of the Swedish King Magnus Ladulåss, say that the nine skeletons in the grave were at least 200 years too young to be the 13th century King and his family. The tomb was placed on the grave at the Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm by King Johan III of Sweden in the 1570s. It is assumed that the King however has been buried in this church, according to his wishes. The search for the grave will be continued.

December 10th

King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel and Prince Carl Philip attended the Nobel Prize ceremony at the Concert Hall in Stockholm. The King presented the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Literature. Also Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa were in attendance. Royalcourt.se: King presents 2011 Nobel Prize

King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway attended the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at the city hall in Oslo today. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and peace activists Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen were awarded the prize for their non-violent struggle to promote the safety of women and the right of women to participate fully in peace-building work. In the morning Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the three laureates attended the Save the Children’s Peace Prize Party at the Nobel Peace Center. Prior to the ceremony the three laureates were received by the royal family at the Royal Palace. In the evening the traditional Nobel Banquet took place at the Grand Hotel in Oslo. Royal Portraits: Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony

December 11th

The traditional Noble Banquet took place this evening in Karl XI’s Gallery at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden attended, as well as Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg, Princess Christina Mrs Magnuson and Tord Magnuson, Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg and Philipp Haug. Royalcourt.se: Nobel Banquet

Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, as well as Ari Behn, attended the Nobel Peace Prize Concert at the Oslo Spektrum this evening. Also the three Nobel Peace Prize winners were in attendance. Many Norwegian and international stars performed during the concert. Hosts this year were the actresses Helen Mirren and Rosario Dawson.

December 12th

Rafael Spottorno, head of the royal household of the King of Spain, said today that Iñaki Urdangarín, Duke of Palma de Mallorca has been excluded from official royal activities. The reason is that his behaviour “doesn’t seem to be exemplary”. Iñaki Urdangarín is married to Infanta Cristina, youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain. Currently he is involved in a corruption scandal related to his business activities. In a statement issued on Saturday Urdangarín said that he regrets the harm the scandal is doing to the image of the Spanish royal family. He says the palace has nothing to do with his private activities.

A farewell ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur for King Sultan Mizan and Queen Nur Zahirah of Malaysia. The ceremony marked the end of the five-year term of Mizan Zainal Abidin, Sultan of Terengganu as the 13th King of Malaysia. After the ceremony at the Parliament Square the royal couple flew back from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, in the north of Malaysia. In a Conference of Rulers Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, Sultan of Kedah, has been chosen the 14th Yang-di-Pertuan Agong. He will begin his five-year term after he has been sworn in on Tuesday.

December 13th

King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians paid a visit to the town of Liège after a tragedy earlier today. In the early afternoon a man threw hand grenades and opened fire on people near the Christmas market at the Place St. Lambert. Several people were killed and tens of others wounded. The royal couple visited the crisis centre at the town hall in the late afternoon.

84-year-old Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah of Kedah was installed today as the 14th Yang-di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia today. He is the first person to hold the position twice, as he was also elected the fifth King of Malaysia for a five-year term in 1970. He was sworn in during a ceremony full of traditions in Kuala Lumpur.

December 14th

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh will mark the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen in 2012 with a series of regional visits and engagements throughout the country. Other members of the British royal family will visit every Realm as well as the Commonwealth countries, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, while the Prince of Wales will visit the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man alone. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Malaysia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas can look forward to a visit by Prince Harry of Wales, while the Duke of York will visit India. The Earl and Countess of Wessex will head for Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Gibraltar, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago. Mozambique and Zambia will see the Princess Royal coming, while the Duke of Gloucester will visit the British Virgin Islands and Malta. Last but not least the Duke of Kent will visit the Falkland Islands and Uganda.

Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium skipped this year’s Christmas concert at the Royal Palace in Brussels. Instead they headed to Liège to pay a visit to people in a hospital, who were wounded in the tragedy on Tuesday. They also signed the book of condolences at the town hall. The Christmas concert is traditionally attended by most members of the Belgian royal family. This year only King Albert II and Queen Paola attended, as well as Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz.

Reigning Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco received the children of the principality of Monaco today outside the palace for the annual Christmas tree ceremony. The children were given presents also.

December 15th

For the first time a Christmas concert was held at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway. The concert was organised in cooperation with The Crown Prince and Crown Princess’ Fund. King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Marius Borg Høiby, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Princess Märtha Louise attended the concert in the Great Hall. Young Norwegian artists performed traditional Christmas songs as well as recently composed tunes. The concert will be aired on the Norwegian TV-channel NRK1 on 17 December.

New pictures of Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium and their children Elisabeth, Gabriel, Emmanuel and Eléonore were released.

Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxemburg attended a memorial service for the late Duchess Elisabeth von Hohenberg née Princess of Luxemburg today at the Saint-Michel Church in Luxemburg. Also the Duchess’s two daughters and their families attended the service, as well as other family members and friends. Monarchie.lu: Memorial service

December 16th

The Swedish newspaper Expressen today published a picture released by former strip club owner and criminal Mille Markovic. The picture says to show King Carl XVI Gustaf sitting back and watching undressed women. Three independent experts however said later today that the pictures could well be fake, and the face of the man in the picture could well have been switched. Bertil Ternert, head of information of the Royal Court, said: “We are happy that a serious investigation of the images have been carried out.”

The Spanish royal family released their Christmas cards for this year.

The late Prince Paul of Yugoslavia has officially been rehabilitated by the supreme court in Belgrado, Serbia, following a request of his daughter Princess Elizabeth. In September 1945 the Prince was declared a criminal by the communist regime. They said that he had been “breaching the constitution and contributing to the aggressive war”.

December 17th

A spokesperson for the royal family confirmed last night that the apartment of the late Diana Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace will be used for receptions and offices by her sons Prince William and Prince Harry in the future. William and Harry didn’t want to move into the old apartment again.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark have left Tasmania after a ten-day visit to her family there. In November the couple paid an official visit to Australia, and had taken their youngest children Vincent and Josephine with them. The elder children Christian and Isabella joined their parents and siblings in Tasmania.

Princess Charlene of Monaco attended the “Ein Herz für Kinder” Gala (a heart for children) in Berlin, Germany.

December 18th

According to an official of the Spanish royal court King Juan Carlos of Spain urged his son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarín in 2006 to stop his activities for the Noos Institute. The King said he’d better work overseas. Urdangarín did follow his advice and nowadays works for Telefonica in Washington, USA.

December 19th

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia has bought a stake in Twitter for $300 million after months of negotiations.

December 20th

The Norwegian royal family published their annual Christmas pictures. They were taken yesterday in the Red Parlour at the Royal Palace in Oslo, where Queen Sonja read a fairy tale to her grandchildren.

December 21st

Philipp von Lattorff and his wife Tatjana née Princess von und zu Liechtenstein had their seventh child, a son called Maximilian, at Goldgeben/Hausleiten, Austria, on 17 December. The couple already had: Lukas (2000), Elisabeth (2002), Marie (2004), Camilla (2005), Anna (2007) and Sophie (2009). Maximilian is the 15th grandchild of Reigning Prince Hans Adam II and Princess Marie of Liechtenstein.

December 22nd

Andrea Casiraghi, the eldest son of Princess Caroline of Monaco, has lost his driver’s license for five months. He was caught speeding 200 kilometers an hour between Chalon and Macon in France. He had to continue his travel by train.

December 23rd

Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg, Prince Philippe of Belgium and the Prince of Orange were among the many prominents attending the state funeral of former Czech president Vaclav Havel in Prague, Czechia, today.

In a message on the occasion of his 78th birthday Emperor Akihito of Japan he remembered the tsunami in March in which 20.000 people were killed. He also spoke about his health and said: “I would like to express my gratitude to all the people for their concern and compassion regarding my health when I was hospitalized last month for mycoplasma infection.” He said that he has regained his physical condition.

December 24th

The Duke of Edinburgh was rushed to the cardiothoracic unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge by helicopter yesterday evening after complaining about chest pains. He had travelled to Sandringham on Monday to celebrate Christmas with his family. After examinations he was treated for a blocked coronary artery and had a successful “invasive procedure of coronary stenting”. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said today that the Duke had a good night. He is expected to stay in hospital for a few days. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex visited the Duke today. No changes to the family’s Christmas celebrations are being planned. A spokeswoman of Buckingham Palace said later today that the Duke had a good night and is in good spirits. He is however eager to leave hospital soon.

In his Christmas message broadcasted on Christmas Eve King Juan Carlos of Spain has indirectly spoken about the corruption case his son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarín is involved in. He said that justice is the same for everyone. He also spoke about the financial crisis and about the ETA, saying it is time for them to hand in their arms. He also showed his appreciation for the work of his son, the Prince of Asturias, and thanked him for the rigour and accuracy he accompanies him with.

In his Christmas speech King Albert II of the Belgians first mentioned the wounded, the families of the victims and the people who helped during the tragedy in Liège earlier this month. He also shared his joy that Belgium finally has a new government. Monarchie.be: Christmas speech (video)

December 25th

The British royal family attended the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham this morning. For the first time the Duchess of Cambridge and Mike Tindall were present. About 3000 people were waiting outside to see the family at church. Later today the six elder grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh visited their grandfather in Papworth Hospital.

Today also the annual Christmas speech of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, recorded at Buckingham Palace on 9 December, was broadcasted. This year’s theme was the strenght of family, friends and the community working together. The Queen said that the royal family had been inspired by the courage shown in Great Britain, the Commonwealth and the world this year. Of course there was some footage of the weddings this year of the Queen’s grandchildren the Duke of Cambridge and Zara Phillips.

In her Christmas speech Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands today asked for attention for environmental issues. She said: “Selfishness and a tendency towards excess makes one blind to the damage to our natural environment and undermine communities. She finds it positive that initiatives to change that often come from younger people.

Also Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg talked about environmental issues, and even called his people to make it “the priority”. He said: “My parents and grandparents showed me the joy nature gives us, a feeling the Grand Duchess and I, like many people, pass on to our children.” Monarchie.lu: Discours de Noël

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden also held his yearly Christmas speech today.

December 26th

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said that the Duke of Edinburgh is making good progress, but that he remains in hospital under observation. He is in good spirits.

December 27th

The Duke of Edinburgh has left hospital today and has returned to the Sandringham estate. He was admitted to Papworth Hospital in Cambridge on Friday. On departure he thanked the staff at the hospital for their excellent care. Buckingham Palace said: “He is very much looking forward to rejoining his family.” It is not known when the Duke will resume his public duties. He is advised by the doctors to rest, but later today joined a shooting party at Sandringham.

Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina of Spain didn’t attend this year’s opening of parliament in Madrid today. It was the first time since 1979 that they didn’t attend the opening. It was denied that the affair around Iñaki Urdangarín was the reason not to come. According to the royal court they had different reasons for not accepting the invitation.

December 28th

For the first time the Spanish royal court has published details of the income of the Spanish royal family. King Juan Carlos received an income of 140.519 Euros, supplemented by 152.233 Euros for expenses in 2011. The Prince of Asturias received an income of 70.260 Euros, and got 76.117 Euros to cover his expenses. Queen Sofia, the Princess of Asturias, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina don’t recieve a fixed sum, but reiceved expenses for official duties. The global maximum for 2011 for them was 375.000 Euros. It was confirmed that the top salaries, including the income of the royal family, were cut by 15% in 2010 and frozen in 2011. The overall royal budget for 2011 was 8,43 million Euros.

December 29th

In an interview that was broadcasted on Sveriges Television (SVT) today Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden have spoken about the royal scandals this year. King Carl XVI Gustaf was involved in a nightclub scandal with criminal contacts. Queen Silvia had to face an inquest into the alleged Nazi-past of her father Walter Sommerlath. Crown Princess Victoria admitted: “It has been a very rough year. It hurts very much to see your parents written about in the harsh way that has actually been occurring.” Queen Silvia said: “I actually don’t want to talk about it. It is incredibly hurtful. It is a situation in which you are completely powerless. Someone else always has the last word.” Victoria however also said: “It is also something that has strengthened our ties as a family.”

Iñaki Urdangarín, son-in-law of King Juan Carlos of Spain, has officially been charged in a fraud case today. The court in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, has ordered him to testify in an investigation into the alleged misuse of public funds at the Noos Institute on 6 February 2012.

December 30th

Prince Sultan bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, has announced that the palaces of the late King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia will be made into cultural centers. They will be places where the people will be able to relive the history of the king and his unification efforts.

Princess Angelika, daughter of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Tonga, graduated from the National University College of Business & Economics in Canberra, Australia, with a Master of Business degree, on 15 December. Her family attended the ceremony. She already obtained a Master’s degree in Management from the university in December 2010. In 2004 she already graduated at the International University of Geneva, Switzerland, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

December 31st

In her annual speech on New Year’s Eve Queen Margrethe II of Denmark said: “The global economic crisis is evident to all, not least here in Europe, where we face very serious problems that affect all parts of society.” She also talked about the unemployment problem in Denmark. She also talked about the EU presidency of Denmark, that starts tomorrow, and will place “great demands” on the country.

Traditionally also King Harald V of Norway held a speech on New Year’s Eve. Of course he looked back at the terror attacks at Oslo and Utøya in July. He said that 2011 hadn’t only be a dramatic year for Norway, but for example also for Japan and the Arab countries. He also talked about the fight against racism in Norway.

The court in Palma de Mallorca has postponed the appearance of Iñaki Urdangarín to 25 February 2012. The postponement will give lawyers, including Urdangarín’s lawyer Mario Pascual Vives, time to study the files in the corruption case against the son-in-law of King Juan Carlos of Spain.

63-year-old Prince Katsura has left the University of Tokyo Hospital yesterday. The cousin of Emperor Akihito underwent surgery to narrow his throat to prevent the inhalation of saliva on 17 December. The Prince has suffered from aspiration pneumonia already several times.