Last modified: 19 June 2022
2 May
New pictures were released upon the 7th birthday of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. It was also revealed that the family’s new black cocker spaniel is called Orla.
The coronation of Zulu King Misuzulu, that was supposed to take place on 28 May, has been indefinitely postponed, as KwaZulu-Natal is still mourning the more than 400 people that died during the recent floods. It has emerged that the King’s uncle, Prince Mbonisi Zulu, hasn’t given up his fight to halt the coronation of his nephew either. His lawyers have written a letter to the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on 19 April to ask to postpone the coronation ceremony pending the final determination of the review of his recognition decision by a court of law.
3 May
Investigations by the British Army are on its way after an intruder, pretending to be a priest, manage to talk his way into the Victoria Barracks near Windsor Castle and on 26 April spent a night there. He claimed to be a friend of the Coldstream Guards’ military chaplain and didn’t have to show his identification. In the evening he ate and drank with senior officers. As his stories became stranger he was reported to the Thames Valley Police the next morning and removed from the barracks without further action.
The Sex Pistols are going to re-release their controversial single “God Save the Queen” that was issued during the 1977 Silver Jubilee. The song among others compares the UK to “a fascist regime” and calls the Queen “not a human being”.
4 May
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians paid a three-day state visit to Greece at the invitation of the Greek president Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The visit started on Monday with official engagements including a wreath laying ceremony and a meeting with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The day ended with a state banquet. Yesterday the royal couple visited the ANTAMA social cooperative enterprise, the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounio, the archaeological site of Thorikos in Lavrio in southeast Attica, and ended the day with a concert at the Acropolis Museum. On their last day they paid a visit to the Revithoussa Liquid Natural Gas Terminal.
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway were on a three-day official visit to Sweden, hosted by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden. In his first speech Crown Prince Haakon stated: “I would claim that Sweden and Norway are the world’s best neighbours.” On the first day the Norwegian crown princely couple also had lunch with King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia. Day 2 was all about business issues, the health of the oceans, young people, entrepreneurship and digital culture, and of course the cooperation between the two countries. On the last day Crown Princess Mette-Marit had to withdraw, while the other continued their travel in Gothenburg and focused on green mobility.
New photos were released for the 13th birthday of Prince Henrik of Denmark.
5 May
Danish television today aired a documentary about the Herlufsholm boarding school, that is attended by Prince Christian of Denmark, and after the summer also by his sister Princess Isabella. It reports about about bullying cases, outright violence and sexual abuse. In a statement the crown princely couple said: “As parents of a child who attends Herlufsholm, we are deeply shocked by the testimonies that are emerging in the current documentary about the school. It’s heartbreaking to hear about systematic bullying and the culture of abuse and violence that many have been part of. It’s totally unacceptable. As parents we expect the school to effectively ensure a culture where everyone is safe and monitor the changes that are clearly needed in the coming period.”
Two days of remembering and celebrating in the Netherlands. On 4 May the death of World War II and armed conflicts afterwards were remembered in presence of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. On 5 May, Liberation Day, the royal couple attended the traditional concert in Amsterdam.
Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, his wife Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie and their son Prince Charles have visited the Parc Merveilleux recently. Photos and video.
6 May
Buckingham Palace has announced that the balcony appearance at Trooping the Colour on 2 June is “limited to Her Majesty and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen”. An exception is being made for her son-in-law Sir Timothy Laurence and her two youngest grandchildren Lady Louise and Viscount Severn (James). The Gold State Coach will be part of the Platinum Pageant for Queen Elizabeth II on 5 June, 20 years after its last appearence. More about the Jubilee Weekend 2-5 June 2022.
After two years of covid pandemic the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway, will open its doors again this summer, starting on 25 June and closing mid-August. The tour also includes the newly renovated White Salon.
7 May
BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 29 May will broadcast a new documentary with unseen footage of Queen Elizabeth II, called “Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen”. The tv-channel has been granted special access to hundreds of private home movies shot by the Royal Family, making it possible that the Queen tells the viewers her own story.
Sovereign Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco attended the Saint Devota Rugby Tournament for under 12. The Princess Charlène of Monaco Foundation organised the Rugby for All activity in the afternoon.
9 May
The Duke of Parma has officially handed over the archive of the family to the Catholic Documentation Centre and Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The archive consists of approximately 140,000 pages of material, covers about 50 metres and includes photographs and correspondence with noble and royal families throughout Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, including papal letters.
10 May
For the first time Queen Elizabeth II was represented by the Prince of Wales at the State Opening of Parliament. The Buckingham Palace has said that episodic mobility problemsprevent her from attending events and might take the decision to attend events sometimes only on the day itself. Also the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke of Cambridge attended. For the Duke of Cambridge it was his first appearance at the event.
New pictures were released upon the 2nd birthday of Prince Charles of Luxembourg. For more photos see here.
Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia has addressed rumours in the Serbian media that he is seriously ill. On his Facebook he writes that he is healthy. He also admitted to have had surgery a few months ago, and that he is improving.
11 May
During her economic trade mission in the United Kingdom Princess Astrid of Belgium today met in Oxford with her niece Princess Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant. Elisabeth is currently studying History and Politics at Lincoln’s College, University of Oxford.
The Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge have visited Scotland to hear about early childhood and mental health initiatives.
The Countess of Wessex has been appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem by the Queen with effect from 14 April.
In a statement on social media the new Serbian Crown Prince Philip says that he takes over the duties, responsibility and obligations implied by the title of Crown Prince after the abdication of his elder brother Crown Prince Peter in April. He says to respect his brother’s decision, that he had been thinking about for a long time. Philip also writes: “I wish my brother the greatest happiness in life and I will respect and defend his desire for PERSONAL and private life. He remains a prince forever and will always be welcome.” He says he only makes his statement now, because he wanted to spend some time in silence and reflection, and to give family and others time to understand the decision. He is expressing his love and respect for his father, and says he will “continue to work on improving the reputation of the dynasty”. He also thanks his mother for “the sacrifice and love she gives to us, her sons”, and the branches of Prince Tomislav and Prince Andrej for their trust and support. Philip declares he will continue living in Belgrade with his wife Princess Danica and his son Prince Stefan. He ends with the words: “I commit myself to live and fight for the happiness and progress of Serbia and all those who respect the Karadjordjevic dynasty.”
12 May
This summer special displays at the Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh will mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The displays explore a historic occasion in her reign – the accession in 1952, the coronation in 1953, previous jubilees – through photographs, paintings, works of art, clothing and jewelry. After three years the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open again this summer. There official portraits of the Queen taken in 1952 will be shown, as well as jewelry worn for the portrait sittings, including the Diamond Diadem and the Delhi Durbar necklace. At Windsor Castle the coronation dress and robe of estate can be seen, as well as a variety of brooches representing emblems of the Commonwealth. The Palace of Holyroodhouse shows outfits worn by the Queen at the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees, as well as gifts presented to the Queen during visits to Scotland.
Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg paid a two-day state visit to Portugal on invitation of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. They already arrived in Lisbon on 10 May, starting the visit officially on 11 May. They were accompanied by an economic delegation to strenghten the bilateral ties in the key sectors: economy, digital, space, tourism and finance. The visit also reflects the historical friendship and understanding between the two nations and the heads of state. The highlight of the second day was a visit to the exhibition “Portugal and Luxembourg” in Cascais and the Casa Santa Maria, the temporary home of the grand-ducal family in 1940 at the start of World War II.
Sarah, Duchess of York has signed a 22-book deal with Australian publishers Serenity Press. The deal includes three new young adult novels, in which she will write about some of her own struggles with mental health and eating disorders in her teenage years. In a statement she said: “I wanted to share my story of growing up with anxiety and an eating disorder, along with witnessing firsthand the effects of generational trauma. For me, it is always present and it all started at the loss of my mother.” The first book, Demon’s Land, will be released in June 2022.
13 May
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates, died aged 73. He ruled since November 2004. After a stroke in 2014 he largely left the running of the country to his half-brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Funeral prayers were held at the Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed the First Mosque in Abu Dhabi, attended by family members. His remains were afterwards taken to the Al Bateen Cemetery in Abu Dhabi.
The Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge marked Mental Health Awareness Week by addressing the nation during the Mental Health Minute 2022 played on over 500 UK radio stations.
Sources close to the princely family of Monaco have denied that Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco is paying his wife Princess Charlène millions of euros to stay with him. French tabloids have recently reported that he pays her 12 Million Euros a year to stay at his side at royal events.
14 May
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi has unanimously been elected the new president of the United Arab Emirates by the Federal Supreme Council, made up of rulers of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. He succeeds his half-brother who died yesterday.
The Imperial Household Agency has announced that there are plans on its way to open a cafe on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. The cafe, a shop and a roof terrace will be constructed in the East Gardens. Building work is planned from 2024 to 2026. The facilities are planned to open by March 2026.
15 May
After attending the Royal Windsor Horse Show watching her own horses perfom on Friday, the Queen on Sunday also watched the horse show “A Gallop Through History”, featuring more than 500 horses and 1,000 performers including the Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor. Upon her arrival she received a standing ovation. Also other members of the royal family have attended events during the course of four days.
King Salman of Saudi Arabia left hospital after his colonoscopy at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah a week ago. He was admited to the hospital on 7 May to undergo some medical tests. The results were fine, but the doctors decided that the King should stay at the hospital to rest for some time.
16 May
According to a survey by YouGov for Times Radio 34% of the Britons think Queen Elizabeth should retire, while 49% thinkgs she should continue working at 96. 80% things the Queen has done a good job throughout her 70-year reign. 36% thinks the Prince of Wales will make a good king.
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and her husband Pieter van Vollenhoven have paid an official visit to Ottawa, Canada. The visit took place to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. The visit had to be postponed in 2020. They met with the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon as well as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other dignitaries. They also spoke with veterans who took part in the liberation 1944-1945. The couple on 12 May planted tulips at Stornoway, the house where the Dutch royal family stayed during World War II. Margriet was born in Ottawa 1943.
17 May
The Norwegian royal family attended the celebrations of the National Day, which after two years without many traditions could take place again. A total of about 30.000 children from a record breaking 130 schools in Oslo joined the 17 May parade in front of the Royal Palace in Oslo. The royal family greeted them from the palace balcony. Earlier the crown princely family had greeted the Asker municipality children’s parade outside Skaugumg Estate. For more photos see here.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain received Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, on the occasion of his two-day state visit to Spain. He is accompanied by the First Lady, his first wife Sheikha Jawaher, for whom it was her first official overseas trip. After the official welcome at the Royal Palace in Madrid there was a private meeting and lunch at the Zarzuela Palace. In the evening a gala dinner was being held at the Royal Palace in Madrid. The Emir will also visit Germany, the United Kingdom, Slovenia and Switzerland, where he will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The Queen and the Earl of Wessex paid a visit to the Paddington Elizabeth Line station, that will be open to passengers on 24 May. The Queen unveiled a plaque to celebrate the completion of the Elizabeth Line, that was named in her honour. The Earl of Wessex travelled on the railway from Paddington to Tottenham Court Road.
After having been on display at the New Church in Amsterdam, the wedding dress of Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has returned to the Royal Collections. It was a good opportunity to take new pictures of the gown in the Orange Hall of Palace Huis ten Bosch.
The Danish Kongelige Livgarde doesn’t only guard the palaces. Yesterday they escorted a small family of ducks, that had taken temporary residence in the garden behind Amalienborg in Copenhagen, back to the harbour. See the cute video.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark celebrated the 300th anniversary of Fredensborg Palace. The construction of the Palace began in 1719, and the main building was inaugurated in 1722.
18 May
The Finnish president Sauli Niinistö and his wife Jenni Haukio arrived in Sweden yesterday for a two-day state visit, confirming the good relations between Finland and Sweden and to highlight the extensive collaborations between both countries. For photos see here.
The line up for the Platinum Party At The Palace of the BBC on 4 June 2022 in London has been revealed. With the party the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II is celebrated. Among the artists performing are Queen + Adam Lambert, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Elton John, Sir Rod Stewart, Sam Ryder (2nd place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022), Andrea Bocelli, Duran Duran, Alicia Keys and Diana Ross. Also the casts of The Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton, The Lion King and other musicals as wel as the Royal Ballet will perform. The show can be watched live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer and can be heard at BBC Radio 2. Stars from the stage and screen and the sporting world will also appear at the two-and-a-half hour event, both on film and live. Kirsty Young and Roman Kemp will host the show. 10,000 tickets were allocated in a public ballot, while over 7,500 tickets went to key workers, members of the Armed Forces, volunteers, and charities. There will be three stages, two of them sit immediately in front of Buckingham Palace, while the third one is in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial facing the crowds in The Mall.
At the Jubilee exhibition “Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras” at Sotheby’s London from 28 May to 15 June 2022 among others the Kent Fringe Tiara and the Spencer Tiara will be on public display. The exhibition draws together over 40 outstanding tiaras with British and European royal provenance, that are seldom on public display. There is an option to purchase tiaras from a new generation of British designers.
The New York Post says that they have heard from Hollywood insiders that there will be a new Netflix-docuseries, in a “at-home with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex” style. The timing however is still being discussed. Early this month it was announced that Netflix had cancelled the development of Meghan’s animated series “Pearl” in its move to cut costs.
19 May
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall paid a three-day visit to Canada to mark the Platinum Jubilee of the Queen. In a speech at the Confederation Building in St John’s on Tuesday the Prince addressed the mistreatment of Indigenous people, especially children, in Canada. He said: “We must find new ways to come to terms with darker and more difficult aspects of the past.” He said he had also spoken with the Governor-General about the vital process of reconciliation. During the tour there were several meetings with representants of Indigenous people. They spent their first day in Canada in St. John’s, headed to Ottawa on the second day, and on the final day were in Yellowknife and Dettah.
Zara Tindall has launched her own website, created by Equimi after the granddaughter of the Queen had become a brand ambassador for the company. The website is all about her sports carreer, and doesn’t mention her royal connection.
King Abdullah II of Jordan published a letter to explain a royal decree that approves the recommendation of the council formed under the Royal Family Law to restrict the communications, place of residence and movenemens of Prince Hamzah of Jordan.
King Juan Carlos of Spain has returned to Spain for his first visit in nearly 22 months. He will be spending time in Sanxenxo, Galicia, for a regatta, and on Monday will meet his family at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid. Afterwards he will return to Abu Dhabi, where he resides since August 2020.
20 May
Together Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands celebrated 500 years Dutch presence in Denmark and 100 years Amager Museum. See here and here. 501 years ago King Christian II invited a number of Dutch farmers to Amager, where they settled in Store Magleby. They have developed the specialized Amager farming and still Dutch culture and customs are part of the local community.
Crown Prince Haakon of Norway has embarked on a journey across the Greenland ice sheet yesterday. he is part of an expedition by UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø aiming to disseminate knowledge about polar history and the critical scientific research taking place in the Arctic. He will take part in the first part of the expedition, that started near Ilulissat.
21 May
The 50th anniversary on the throne of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was marked at Tivoli in Copenhagen. She arrived there at noon and viewed the Jubilee exhibition “The Queen’s Costumes in the Tivoli Gardens” with samples of her artistic work over the years. She afterwards attended a performance at the Pantomime Theatre. She also met with musicians and the tailor of Tivoli Garden, and planted a dove-tree in the Parterre Garden near Tivoli to mark the anniversary of her reign. Also a special anniversary cake was presented. In the evening the royal family attended a ballet gala in the Tivoli Concert Hall, and afterwards there was a fireworks display.
Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece has finished his studies at Georgetown University, Washington. He studied English Literature at the Faculty of Arts.
Grand Duke George of Russia and his wife Princess Victoria Romanoff (Rebecca) are expecting their first child in the autumn of 2022. She is in excellent health and does not intend to cancel or postpone any current engagements.
22 May
For the first time in the 70 year of her reign Queen Elizabeth II will not take the royal salute at the Trooping the Colour on 2 June.
In Spain hundreds of people have demonstrated against King Juan Carlos I, who is on his first visit to Spain since August 2020. Both the people and the Spanish government still hopes for explanations of the king for his financial problems. In Sanxenxo, Galicia, however, people were loudly cheering him when he attended the regatta in the past days.
This weekend Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has celebrated her birthday in private at Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague. Several family members, including her three daughters and sister-in-law Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, were present.
23 May
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom has visited the Chelsea Flower Show in London using a buggy to tour the gardens and exhibitions, because of her ongoing mobility problems. The buggy was made by the Danish firm Garia.
At 10.05am King Juan Carlos of Spain arrived at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid for an eleven-hour visit to his family. Not much is known about the visit, but a discussion with his son King Felipe VI of Spain was included. King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Infanta Sofia, Queen Sofia, Infanta Elena, Felipe Juan and Victoria Federica de Marichalar, Infanta Margarita and Carlos Zurita were present at the family lunch. Queen Sofia however had to keep distance and wear a mask, as she tested positiv for Covid-19.
24 May
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will pay a state visit to Austria from 27 to 29 June. They will be in Vienna and Graz.
Upon attending the 10th Monte-Carlo Fashion Week together with her daughter Princess Gabriella – who presented the Emerging Designer Award to designer Abdul Al-Romaizan, patron Princess Charlène of Monaco shortly talked to the media. She said she is very happy to be back and that since she returned to Monaco she has concentrated her energy on her children, husband and health. She confessed that her health is still rather fragile. She also finds it sad that some media have spread rumours about her life and marriage.
Prince Robert of Luxembourg has auctioned 4.200 bottles of wine from his personal cellar and of relatives at Sotheby’s on 21 May. He raised 5,82 Million Euros for the PoIG Foundation for research into a cure for mitochondrial diseases. His own son Frederik is affected by a mitochondrial disease.
Jean-Emmanuel de Witt has been appointed as new head of operational management of football club AS Monaco. He is a grandson of Princess Clotilde Bonaparte.
25 May
The Jordanian royal family, including King Abdullah II, Queen Rania and Crown Prince Al Hussein, attended the 76th Independence Day celebrations at the Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman. The King bestowed royal medals.
The King’s address to the nation
26 May
The British royal Twitter account has introduced PJ the corgi as a their own Jubilee emoji. Furthermore PJ the corgi stickers were added to Instagram (only usable in Instagram stories).
27 May
The Jordanian royal court announced the death of the father of Queen Rania, Faisal Sedki Al-Yassin. King Abdullah II has ordered seven days of mourning.
28 May
A poll by Ipsos shows that Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom remains by far the most popular member of the British royal family, with 86% of the votes. She is followed by the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal. Also the Prince of Wales is doing well, as 65% of the people is satisfied with him. Almost seven in ten want the United Kingdom to remain a monarchy. Another poll by Redfield & Wilton Strategies shows that 43% of the Britons would support Charles becoming the King after his mother’s death, only a quarter are opposed to him becoming the King.
The father of the Duchess of Sussex, Thomas Markle, has been released from hospital. He was rushed to hospital in Chula Vista, California, by ambulance on Monday night with a stroke. He was released from hospital on 28 May and said to be luckly he is still alive.
(Prince) Nicholas Medforth-Mills of Romania was the guest of honour at the Tulips Ball in the Koepelkerk in Amsterdam. During the ball a charity auction was held to raise money for the Asociatia Principele Nicolae to fight deforestation in Romania: 10.000 Euros. Also present were Hereditary Duke Alexander of Mecklenburg and his fiancée Hande Macit, as well as Duke Michael of Mecklenburg.
29 May
Prince Joachim of Belgium has received his bull of Harvard University, one year after having graduated. The Prince did a master study in business administration.
The Princesses Luisa Irene and Cecilia Maria de Bourbon de Parme celebrated their first holy communion in the Holy Jacobus de Meerdere Church in The Hague, The Netherlands. They are the daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Parma. Also in attendance were Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme with his daughters Zita and Gloria, and other relatives. The girls’s grandmother Princess Irene was ill and couldn’t come.
30 May
It was announced that the Princess of Orange has decided to study Politics, Psychology, Law and Econmy at the University of Amsterdam. Amalia will start her studies in September and will live in Amsterdam, together with a few friends she will live in a rented house in the city.
Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau has finished his secondary school and received his international baccalaureate at Gordonstoun in Moray, Scotland.
Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank and her husband and her son August, it is reported, have moved to Portugal because of Jack’s new job. The family will split their time between the UK and Portugal.
The gown by Sir Norman Hartnell worn by Lady Moyra Campbell at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II has gone on display at Enniskillen Castle, Co. Fermanagh, including her long white gloves and headdress. Also the outfit worn by Lord Erne at the ceremony in 1953 has gone on display there. The late Lady Moyra was one of the six maids of honour of the Queen, the late Lord Erne was the First Page of Honour. Also the 1953 gown of maid of honour Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill was recently restored. The dress has gone on display at Blenheim Palace.
The Tower of London has unveiled its Superbloom floral tribute to the Queen’s Jubilee. Visitors can slide down from the entrance and for the first time visit the 13th century moat of the castle. 20 Million seeds of 29 different species have been planted.
31 May
The Gold State Coach, accompanied by British and Commonwealth soldiers, was riding through London early this morning, as the procession for the Platinum Pageant was rehearsing.
A man was arrested at Buckingham Palace on Sunday night for trespassing on the palace grounds. He had entered through the vehicle gate of the Royal Mews. It had been opened to let in an authorized vehicle. He told staff he wanted to see the Queen. The Queen was not in residence.