Royal News January 2022

Last modified: 6 February 2022

1 January

In his New Year’s greeting Emperor Naruhito of Japan offered prayers for the people who have died during the Covid-19 pandemic. He also praised doctors and health care workers for their work, and spoke about his concern for countries lacking access to vaccines and adequate hospital systems. He also mentioned the 10th anniversary of the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster in the north of Japan and the Olympic Games in Tokyo, calling the games a spot of “courage and hope”. The public gatherings at the palace were again cancelled because of the pandemic, so the greetings of the Emperor were once again recorded on video. He was accompanied by his wife Empress Masako. At the end of the video she said: “May this year be a gentle and fruitful year for us all.” Also new photos and a video of the family were released. Princess Aiko of Japan made her debute at the New Year’s reception of the Japanese Imperial Family.

The Sultan of Brunei in his New Year’s “titah” on Friday night mentioned the Covid-19 pandemic, and expressed the global concern about the Omicron variant.

On Friday night also King Maha Vajiralongkorn expressed his wishes of happiness and goodwill to the people of Thailand, and said the New Year is a good time for people to do so. He also said that people must work together with unity, love, patience and an understanding of issues to face challenges. He also issued a greeting card that showed him with his wife Queen Suthida.

The New Year’s interview of Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein with Radio Liechtenstein.

The Queen has appointed her daughter-in-law The Duchess of Cornwall to Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter, it was announced on Friday evening.

The Swedish newspaper “Svenska Dagbladet” published a long report about Crown Princess Victoria and her interest in culture. 2021 they have followed the Crown Princess for several months to various cultural events. They also visited her at home in Haga Palace.

There is a new desktop calendar from Bhutan for January 2022 showing the King and Queen of Bhutan with their children in the snow. The photo was taken on 29 December 2021.

4 January

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden have tested positive for Covid-19 last night. They have been fully vaccinated and have mild symptoms. They are doing well under the circumstances and isolate at home.

Also Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg has tested positive for Covid-19. He has mild symptoms.

During a hearing in New York in a sexual abuse lawsuit the lawyers of the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre have been questioned by Judge Lewis Kaplan. The main question is whether the trial should be allowed to proceed. Virginia Giuffre alleges that she was forced to have sex with the Duke of York at the age of 17.

5 January

The Associated Newspapers has decided not to appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court. They will pay the Duchess of Sussex just £1 in damages for invading her privacy by publishing a private letter she had sent to her father, Thomas Markle. They will also pay an unspecified sum of money for a separate case of infringement of her copyright. The newspaper Mail on Sunday will also have to cover a substantial part of the legal costs of the Duchess.

In an interview with You-magazine Archduke Ferdinand of Austria has talked about being young and being a Catholic. He said it is possible to combine these, but says it isn’t always easy to combine with his carreer as a race driver.

6 January

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark gave a huge interview to the Danish magazine Billed Bladet.

In Spain the traditional New Year’s wishes to the Spanish army, the Pascua Militar, took place in presence of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain. There was a short ceremony outside and a reception inside the Royal Palace in Madrid.

7 January

Because of Covid-19 the gala banquet at Rosenborg Palace on 4 February on the occassion of the 50th birthday of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has been cancelled. The birthday celebration of the Mary Foundation has also been postponed. She will now celebrate her birthday in private.

8 January

The Danish twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine celebrated their 11th birthday.

Also Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden has tested positive for Covid-19. She is fully vaccinated and has cold symptoms. She is doing well. She has been isolated with her family at the Haga Palace.

Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia and her daughter Souhoud Al Sharif after nearly three years have been released from their arbitrary imprisonment by the Saudi authorities. They have not been charged their legal advisor Henri Estramant said. They returned home to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 6 January. The Princess is doing fine but will be seeking medical expertise, as she is worn out.

9 January

On the occasion of the 40th birthday of the Duchess of Cambridge three beautiful photos by photographer Paolo Roversi were released. Photo 1, photo 2, photo 3

Just one day after his wife also Prince Daniel of Sweden tested positive for Covid-19. He has very mild symptoms. Like his wife he is fully vaccinated and doing well.

10 January

The cancelled events to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s accession to the throne will now be held on 10 and 11 September 2022. They include a celebration at the City Hall in Copenhagen, a command performance at the Royal Danish Theatre’s Old Stage, a celebratory church service in the Cathedral of Copenhagen and a gala banquet at Christiansborg Palace. There will also be a grand changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace Square. The program will be announced later this year.

Queen Elizabeth II will be on the throne for 70 years on 6 February, the first British monarch to reach this milestone. Buckingham Palace has unveiled the full line-up of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. As already known there will be a four-day bank holiday in the United Kingdom from 2-5 June 2022. Announced is also the “platinum pudding” competition.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has received and taken the oath of the new Dutch cabinet.

Archduchess Margherita of Austria-Este, née Princess of Savoy-Aosta died aged 91. She married Archduke Robert, the second son of the last Emperor and Empress of Austria and had five children. She was the mother of Prince Lorenz, married to Princess Astrid of Belgium.

Tessy Antony de Nassau’s Zoom O’Clock with Princess Märtha Louise of Norway.

11 January

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg has tested positive for Covid-19 and has gone into self-isolation. He doesn’t have symptoms.

King Tupou VI of Tonga has opened the 2022 session of parliament in Nuku’alofa this morning. He said that Tonga must prioritise its development goals as there are not enough resources for all the needs of the country. They for example import fuel and food.

12 January

Judge Lewis Kaplan has ruled that the Duke of York is to face a civil case in the USA over allegiations that he had sex with Virginia Giuffre in 2001 when she was 17 years old. The Duke has denied the claims.

Former Queen Anne-Marie of Greece had to cancel her trip to Denmark in connection with the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne of her sister Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. Her husband, former King Constantine II of Greece this weekend was diagnosed with Covid-19. He was taken to hospital in Athens with mild symptoms.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan has handed over the report of an expert government panel on imperial succession to the speaker of the Lower House Hiroyuki Hosoda, and the president of the Upper House Akiko Santo. It is expected to divide lawmakers. No concrete proposal for the future has been presented.

13 January

Buckingham Palace has announced that the military affiliations and Royal patronages of the Duke of York (Prince Andrew), with the approval and agreement of the Queen, have been returned to the Queen. The Duke will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen. Furthermore it was reported that he also will stop using the prefix His Royal Highness.

In a video message King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands announced that the Golden Coach on Prinsjesdag “will only be able to ride again when the Netherlands is ready for it”. He says that is not the case now. He said: “All citizens of this country must be able to feel that they are equal and are given fair chances. Everyone should be able to feel part of what our country has built up and be proud of it. Also the Dutch with ancestors who were not free in the East or West.”

Dom Antonio de Orleans e Bragança, of the Brazilian Imperial Family, is still in hospital in Rio de Janeiro because of respiratory problems. He is however showing improvement every day and is expected to leave the hospital within a few days. His wife Princess Christine visits him daily and keeps in touch with the family.

Princess Lilly zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg is one of the contestants of “Let’s Dance” 2022. The RTL-show will start on 18 February.

14 January

The adapted program for the 50th anniversary of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s accession to the throne was held today. The day started with a council of state at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, also attended by Crown Prince Frederik. Afterwards the Queen, the Crown Princely Couple, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie and Princess Benedikte attended the official celebration at the Danish Parliament. At noon they all took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid at Roskilde Cathedral.
The Council of State
Celebration in the Danish Parliament (also video)
Wreath-laying ceremony in Roskilde (also video)
Reception of the Court’s Ladies and Gentlemen
Private family dinner
Family photo at the dinner
Commemorative coin
Commemorative medal
New poststamps from the Faroe Islands and Greenland
The Jubilee Jewelry of Georg Jensen
Official portraits over the years

In connection with the Jubilee of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark the Hermitage Pavillions and the Royal Bridge in Fredensborg Palace Gardens will be restored. The work on the bridge is to be completed at the end of 2022, the pavillions at the beginning of 2024. The bridge was a present for the 60th birthday of Prince Henrik in 1994. The A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation for General Purposes have donated 24 million DKK. The restoration will mark the completion of many years of work on recreating the baroque garden in Fredensborg.

Princess Christina and her husband Tord Magnuson have confirmed that they tested positive for Covid-19 early this year and have spent a week in quarantine.

In the new ITV-reality show “Keeping up with the Aristocrats” the lives of four noble couples from their respective mansions is being followed: Lord Gerald and Lady Fitzalan-Howard (son of the late 17th Duke of Norfolk), Princess Olga Romanoff, Lord Ivar Mountbatten and his husband James Coyle, Alexandra Sitwell and her husband Rick. The three-part series will start on 17 January, 9pm.

15 January

The Amsterdam Museum has opened the inner court of the museum as off today to give people the possibility to have a look at the Golden Coach, that is exhibited there. The entrance is free for as long the museum is closed because of Covid-19.

16 January

After a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga on Friday and Saturday King Tupou VI was evacuated from the Royal Palace by a convoy of police and military forces. A tsunami wave crashed into the gate of the Heilala Tangitangi royal palace in ‘Eua island.

The Duke of Sussex has applied for a judicial review after the Home Office in the United Kingdom has refused to allow him the personally pay for police protection when in the country. His own private security team does not have enough jurisdiction abroad. He says that if he wants to travel to the UK with his family he needs to ensure their safety. He himself inherited a security risk at birth, for life. The Duke’s car was chased in July 2021 in London after he left a charity event.

17 January

A New Year’s reception for the Corps Diplomatique was held at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain.

18 January

New photos of Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway have been released. They were taken in her new office at the Royal Palace in Oslo.

All Swedish royals have recovered from Covid-19.

The Japanese imperial court released the yearly Waka Poems by Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko. Also a poem by Princess Aiko was recited at the annual poetry ceremony.

19 January

The TextielMuseum in Tilburg has announced that their TextielLab will create new curtains for the Chinese Room in Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, The Netherlands. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands herself will help embroidering the design of Liesbeth Stinissen. The curtains will be on display from 15 October 2022 to 10 April 2023 at the TextielMuseum.

20 January

In connection with her 18th birthday Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway visited the Storting (Parliament), the Government and the Supreme Court. The visits were focused on the separation of powers at the highest level of government into three independent branches (legislative, executive and judicial).
The visits

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark visited the Koldinghus in Kolding to see the preparations for the exhibition “Mary & Kronprinsesserne” (Mary and the Crown Princesses), that will be open on 31 January on the occasion of her 50th birthday.

In a video in which he addressed the nation after the vulcanic eruption this weekend King Tupou VI of Tonga has offered sympathy and prayers to all those who lost relatives in the disaster or are still waiting for news about their families. He said to be asthonished and grateful that the death toll was at a minimum. But the damage to the environment is huge. He told the people of Tonga: “In the aftermath of the disaster, we have to all stand up and work. It is our nation and the place where we grew up and it is only you and me who would treasure that.”
Video of his speech

The public greetings on the birthday of Emperor Naruhito of Japan on 23 February have been cancelled for the third time in a row to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

It appears the marriage of Infanta Cristina of Spain and Iñaki Urdangarin is over after nearly 25 years. The magazine Lecturas on Wednesday published photos showing Iñaki walking holding hands along the beach with a co-worker called Ainhoa Armentia. Iñaki reacted to the media on Thursday saying: “Things happen and we are going to manage it in the best possible way.” It is not clear if Cristina knew about the affair.

21 January

Today Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway celebrated her 18th birthday. The Princess, as an observer, attended her first Council of State. The meeting was presided by King Harald V of Norway. Also Crown Prince Haakon was in attendance. In presence of her parents Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit she also received congratulatory deputations from Norwegian officials in the Small Ballroom at the Royal Palace in Oslo. She received several presents. From the Akershus Fortress and other Armed Forces fortresses and ships military salutes were fired. King Harald V has awarded his granddaughter with the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav and the King Harald V’s House Order. They were handed out to her in private today. She has also given interviews to the newspaper “VG” and the TV-channel “NRK”.
Gratulasjonsprotokoll (here you can congratulate her)
The Council of State
The reception
The interview with NRK

The Danish royal family announced that Crown Prince Frederik has sent his congratulations to Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway. Crown Prince Frederik was one of her sponsors at her baptism in 2004. Queen Margrethe II has created the official monogram for the Princess in 2004.

At the Amalienborg Museum in Copenhagen the exhibition “En Dronnings Smykkeskrin” (A Queen’s Jewellery Box) was opened. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark herself attended the opening, accompanied by Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Princess Benedikte, Count Ingolf and Countess Sussie af Rosenborg.
See the opening here
Photos at Kongehuset.dk

In a documentary for the Belgian TV-channel RTBF, that is to be aired soon, Queen Paola of Belgium admits she has “been very unhappy for ten years”, referring to the 1970s. Several quotes have been released in an article in the Belgian magazine “Paris Match”.

22 January

Jacques Boël, who for a long time was regarded the father of Princess Delphine of Belgium, has died on 21 January aged 92.

Hilarion, the Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church, has announced that the investigations by the Church Council has left no doubt about the authenticity of the remains of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family, that were found near Yekaterinburg years ago. Alexander Zakatov, director of the Chancellery of the Russian Imperial House has said: “As soon as the conciliar definition of the Church is expressed, the Imperial House will accept it with joy.” See the statements here.

24 January

A statement was issued announcing the separation of Infanta Cristina of Spain and Iñaki Urdangarin. The statement said: “By mutual agreement, we have decided to put our marriage on hold. Our commitment to our children remains intact. Since it is a private decision, we ask for the utmost respect from all those around us. Cristina de Borbón and Iñaki Urdangarin.”

Princess Athena of Denmark celebrated her 10th birthday. New Photos here.

25 January

In Monaco 2023 will mark the centenary of Sovereign Prince Rainier III, who was born on 31 May 1923. The Prince Rainier III’s Commemorative Committee will be responsible for planning and organising the events. The committee is being chaired by Princess Stéphanie. Also other members of the family will be involved in their activities.

After ten days of celebrations the wedding of Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah, daughter of the Sultan of Brunei, and Abdullah Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi has come to an end. The first important ceremony, the Majlis Berbadak blessing ceremony took place on 19 January at the Istana Nurul Iman Palace. The actual wedding, the akad nikah, took place on 20 January, while the official reception (Bersanding ceremony) took place at the palace on 23 January with hundreds of guests.

26 January

In a lawsuit against the Italian state the Italian royal family is seeking to have the treasures of the family returned to them “within 10 days”. The jewels have been kept in a bank vault in Rome, Italy, since 1946, when the monarchy was abolished and the family had to go into exile. Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Princess Maria Pia, Princess Maria Gabriella and Princess Maria Beatrice say: “”Those jewels are ours and, as personal assets, we have the right to have them back.” They had initially organised a mediation meeting on Tuesday, via their lawyer Sergio Orlandi, but the state rejected. According to the family the jewels were just given to the central bank for safekeeping, and that they were never confiscated by the Italian Republic, and thus not their property. The jewelry, compromising 6,732 diamonds and 2,000 pearls are said to be worth up to 300 million euros.

Princess Mafalda of Bulgaria will marry her long-time boyfriend Marc Abousleiman in May 2022 at the Spanish island of Mallorca, the Spanish magazine Hola! wrote. They say that the couple wants a small civil wedding with family and friends.

27 January

The Princely Family of Monaco celebrated the patron saint of Monaco, Sainte-Dévote. On Wednesday evening were the ceremony of the Salutation of the Blessed Sacrament in the Sainte Dévote Church, and the burning of the boat. Today there was a mass in the cathedral and a procession. Also the relics were presented to the family. Taking part in the celebrations were Sovereign Prince Albert II, Princess Caroline, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.

In a new statement about the health of Princess Charlène the Princely Palace in Monaco has stated that the “convalescence of Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene is currently continuing in a satisfying and very encouraging way”. Her recovery and dental treatment will take several more weeks.

A new and intimate documentary by Nicolas Delvaulx about the life of Queen Paola of Belgium will be aired on Belgian television on 18 (RTBF) and 20 (Één) February. Also her husband King Albert II, her children and some grandchildren have participated. According to the Belgian magazine “Paris Match” the Queen has confessed that she wasn’t very happy in the 1970s and that she and Albert were close to getting divorced. She was also lonely and feeling sad. At one point Albert told her that he had always loved her, and the relationship got better again. She regrets that one can’t change history.

28 January

King Harald V of Norway is on sick leave with cold-like symptoms. Yesterday he met with foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt, who later that day tested positive for Covid-19. Although the king was tested, he was said not to have Covid-19.

30 January

On the occasion of his 60th birthday King Abdullah II of Jordan has published a letter to the Jordanian people, highlighting his aspirations for the future of his country.

31 January

On the occasion of the upcoming 50th birthday of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark new official portraits of her and Crown Prince Frederik have been released.

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark opened the special 50th birthday exhibition “Mary & The Crown Princesses” at the Koldinghus in Kolding, Denmark. She was accompanied by Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Benedikte, as well as by Count Ingolf and Countess Sussie of Rosenborg. See the opening.

According to the new Dutch documentary “Een Porseleinen Huwelijk” that the road to the altar of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands hasn’t been smooth. Early 2001, in the months before their engagement was announced, the situation was difficult. The government had said that Máxima’s father couldn’t come to the wedding and during the discussions in January and February 2001 Willem-Alexander even was ready to give up the throne to marry Máxima, the Reverend Carel ter Linden, who married the couple in 2002, has said.