Last modified: 7 November 2021
1 October
Princess Beatrice of York and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have announced that their daughter has received the names Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi. Beatrice said that they’re all doing well.
For the 13th year Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden has agreed being the patron of the Pink Ribbon campaign of the Swedish Cancer Society, which runs during October.
It has been announced that Kei Komuro and Princess Mako of Akishino (Japan) are to get married on 26 October. There will not be any traditional ceremonies. They will hold a press conference after they have registered their marriage.The Imperial Household Agency said also that the psychological abuse of the couple and their families has caused a complex post-traumatic stress disorder for the Princess. Mako has requested not to receive a lump-sum payment.
2 October
The Luxembourg Fashion Week in Dudelange started with a show that included the label “Human Highness” of Tessy Antony-de Nassau.
3 October
In an interview with the British newspaper “Sunday Telegraph” Pauline Ducruet, the eldest daughter of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, has talked about her fashion label “Alter”, but also about her childhood in a circus.
4 October
On World Animal Day the Dutch royals shared a photo of the newest addition to their family: a cute dog called Mambo.
In the Pandora Papers leaked over the weekend several royals were mentioned including King Juan Carlos of Spain, Corinna Larsen (formerly Princess zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn), Princess Lalla Hasna of Morocco and King Abdullah II of Jordan. According to the papers he has used money from various offshore accounts to buy properties between 2003 and 2017. He purchased 14 houses and flats in the USA and the UK for more than 106 million dollar through 36 front companies registered in tax havens. Today the King of Jordan reacted and said there is a campaing against Jordan. In a statement by the royal court it said that the properties were not purchased with money from the state treasures or by foreign grants or loans. It also said: “It is no secret that His Majesty owns a number of apartments and residences in the United States and the United Kingdom. This is not unusual nor improper. His Majesty uses these properties during official visits and hosts officials and foreign dignitaries there. The King and his family members also stay in some of these properties during private visits.”
5 October
The Duchess of Cambridge has visited the University College London that studies how the covid-19 pandemic affects the life of children born during this period. Once again Catherine highlighted the importance of children’s early years and said: “Our early childhoods shape our adult lives. Knowing more about what impacts this critical time is fundamental to understanding what we as a society can do to improve our future health and happiness.” She also revealed she is researching her own family tree to learn more about how her ancestors lived.
6 October
The Danish royal court has revealed that Queen Margrethe II of Denmark will celebrate her 50th jubilee as a queen with a full program between 10 January and 16 January 2022. There will also be interviews, TV documentaries and book releases. In connection with the jubilee, an official logo has been released.
In France the book “Mon Roi déchu. Juan Carlos d’Espagne by Laurence Debray has been published, in which the king tells the journalist and author about his life and feelings. A Spanish version is to be expected in April 2022. He states that some people are very happy he has gone.
The High Court in London has ruled that the Ruler of Dubai has “breached the British domestic criminal law” by ordering the phones of his former wife Princess Haya of Jordan, her solicitors Baroness Fiona Shackleton and Nick Manners and several other people to be hacked with Pegasus software during the divorce custody case. Haya stated that this has made her feel “hunted and haunted”. Her ex-husband denies he knew anything about it and says the evidence has not been disclosed to him. The court says that servants or agents of the Sheikh have carried out the surveillance with his authority.
The court of Nyon, Switzerland, has today decided that Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills had the right to see his grandfather, King Michael of Romania, on his deathbed in 2017. His aunt Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown called the police when Nicholas tried to visit early November 2017. He was arrested for home invasion and assault. Nicholas Medforth-Mills attended the court case himself in presence of his lawyers.
8 October
Princess Charlène of Monaco underwent another operation under general anaesthetic in South Africa, linked to the ear, nose and throat infection that have kept her in the country for the last few months. According to the palace this will be her last operation and it went very well.
9 October
In Monaco Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince Jean-Christophe and Princess Olympia Napoléon unveiled the bust of Empress Eugénie, the wife of Emperor Napoléon III, upon her 100th death anniversary 2020. The bust in the Rocher Gardens, designed by Georges Diébolt, looks at Cape Martin, where the winter residence of the Empress, Villa Cyrnos, was located. In the afternoon a series of academic conferences about the Empress were held at the Salle Garnier Opera House. The Empress was a close friend of Sovereign Prince Albert I of Monaco.
Francisco de Borbón has married Sophie Elizabeth Karoly at the Capilla Real of the cathedral of Sevilla. After the wedding ceremony the couple celebrated with their guests at the Marbella Club. Their son Francisco was born in 2017.
10 October
Princess Delphine of Belgium opened the art exhibition “Delphine van Saksen-Coburg” at the Guy Pieters Art Gallery in Knokke-Heist, Belgium.
11 October
King Harald V of Norway has opened the Parliament and held his yearly speech to the throne for the 31st time. Also Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon were present.
12 October
Of course it is a theoretical situation, but the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands has answered to a written question in parliament, and has made clear that there are no objections against a Dutch monarch or heir to the throne marrying a person of the same sex. He says however it is not known yet what would happen to the succession if there were children born from the marriage via adoption or a sperm donor.
The national day in Spain took place today in presence of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. Also Infanta Sofia attended the military parade. Her sister Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, however has remained in Wales, where she attends the UWC Atlantic College since late August. After the parade the King and Queen received guests at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has paid a visit to Greenland between 8 and 12 October.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
13 October
The documentary film “Alick and Albert” premiered at the 23rd Festival des Antipodes in Saint-Tropez. The film tells the story about the meeting of and friendship between Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Australian artist Alick Tipoti, who first met in 2016 in Monaco at the exhibition “Taba Naba” at the Oceanographic Museum. Albert visited the artist on the island of Badu, in the Torres Strait in 2018. They share a personal committment to nature. The official trailer.
Pierre Casiraghi has been appointed as the new ambassador for Dior Men. He is the second son of Princess Caroline of Hannover. The new men’s tailoring collection has been designed by Kim Jones.
14 October
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended the opening of the Sixth Senedd (Welsh Parliament) in Cardiff, Wales. In her speech the Queen praised the spirit of the people of Wales during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her arrival in Cardiff was marked by a 21-gun salute in Cardiff Bay. She already opened the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on 2 October, also accompanied by her eldest son and daughter-in-law.
In an interview to BBC’s Newscast ahead of the first Earthshot Prize the Duke of Cambridge has been criticizing space tourism and said: “We need some of the world’s greatest brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.” He also warned about the “rise in climate anxiety” among the younger generations, whose “futures are basically threatened the whole time”.
15 October
Several foreign trips of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands have recently been revealed. They will visit the World Expo 2020 in Dubai (2-3 November), go on a state visit to Norway (9-11 November) and Greece (13-15 December).
Prince Christian of Denmark celebrates his 16th birthday. Several photos were released.
The 83-year-old head of the Brazilian imperial family, Prince Dom Luiz de Orleans e Bragança was admitted to hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, last week after experiencing health problems. He was to undergo examinations and remained under observation of the doctors. It was announced today that his health is improving.
Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown has granted several scholarships, patronages, royal warrants and royal medals on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of the late King Michael of Romania. One of the Royal Medals for Loyalty went to historian and genealogist Marlene A. Eilers Koenig, of the blog Royal Musings.
16 October
Vera Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga – granddaughter of the late Duke of Aosta – has married Briano Martinoni Caleppio at the Chiesa di San Pantalon in Venice, Italy. Afterwards a reception was being held at the Palazzo Papadopoli. The bride wore a Prada wedding gown. Wedding report.
17 October
The first Earthshot Prize, which aims to find solutions to protect the planet, were awarded tonight at the Alexandra Palace in London. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were present. The Duke of Cambridge was involved in creating the Prize. The five winners received £1 million each. Guests had been asked to “consider the environment when choosing their outfit”. The Duchess therefore wore a ten-year-old evening gown, while the trousers of the Duke were apparently even about 30 years old. They arrived in a fully electric Audi.
18 October
Kei Komuro has visited his future parents-in-law at their residence, the Akasaka Estate, today. As far as known it was also the first time he saw his fiancée Princess Mako since he left for the USA three years ago. Mako will move out of the estate on the day of her marriage. On 22 October the Princess is scheduled to visit Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, while she will visit her grandparents Emperor emeritus Akihito and Empress emerita Michiko on 25 October.
Princess Benedikte of Denmark has visited the exhibition “Daisy – Crown Princess Margareta, 1882-1920” about her great-grandmother at the royal palace in Stockholm, Sweden. She was accompanied by Queen Silvia, Princess Christina Mrs Magnuson and Princess Désirée Baroness Silfverschiöld.
19 October
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has refused The Oldie of the Year award because she “believes you are as old as you feel” and doesn’t think she meets the criteria.
In the Channel 5-documentary “1,000 Years A Slave” the British actor David Harewood has explored the past of his family in Barbados, where they worked on the plantations. He met the 8th Earl of Harewood, David Lascelles, at Harewood House, that was built with the profits made from slavery. The Earl explained that he doesn’t feel guilty about his family’s past in a personal way, as he wasn’t involved in it himself. But he does feel ‘accountable’ to make his family name a force for good today. However the past can’t be changed.
After a restoration the tomb of Duke Charles of Guelders (Karel van Gelre), who died in 1538, can be admired again in the Eusebius Church in Arnehm. For years the tomb was hidden in the south ambulatory. Now it is back in the center of the choir of the church, where it could be found until 1944. The church board in 1964 decided that the grave of a political figure like the Duke should not be in such an important place in the church. The church is now an official museum and tells the story of parts of the Battle of Arnhem 1944 and the importance of Guelders in the Middle Ages. The vaults of the church will be open to the public in July 2022. 2018 the Duke was chosen the “Greatest Gelderlander of all time”.
20 October
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden have visited Italy in the past three days and led the Swedish trade mission to Rome and Turin.
Empress Michiko of Japan celebrated her 87th birthday. In a written statement she has said she will miss her granddaughter Princess Mako, who is to marry later this month and will leave the family. See photos.
King Harald V of Norway has opened the ninth Sametinget (Sami Parliament) at Karasjok in presence of Crown Prince Haakon.
21 October
The Duchess of Sussex has written a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the USA Congress to advocate for a national paid leave program for new parents. She describes her own experiences growing up and becoming a mother.
A letter written by the later King Edward VIII of Great Britain to his mistress Freda Dudley Ward in 1919 has fetched £7,117 at Cheffins auctioneers in Cambridge. The buyer was a UK-based telephone bidder. The letter shows his feelings about his work at the age of 25.
22 October
The British Queen has spent Wednesday night in hospital it has been announced after newspaper reports. Buckingham Palace said she stayed in hospital for preliminary medical checks and returned to Windsor on Thursday at lunchtime. She is said to be in good spirits and already working at home again. She cancelled a visit to Northern Ireland on Wednesday, when the palace had only announced that doctors had advised her to rest for a few days.
It has been confirmed that King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will pay a state visit to Sweden 24-25 November.
Leah Isadora Behn, the middle daughter of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, has won the “Beauty Blogger of the Year” award during the Vixen Awards 2021 in Oslo yesterday.
An exhibition of historical photos by Agerpress has opened at the Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest, Romania, dedicated to the 100th birth anniversary of the late King Michael of Romania. Two of the daughters of the king, Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown, and Princess Elena were present.
23 October
The Princess of Asturias (Leonor), her parents King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, her sister Infanta Sofia, as well as Queen Sofia of Spain on Friday attended the award ceremony of the Princess of Asturias Prizes in Oviedo, Spain. For the first time Leonor and Sofia also attended the concert on the evening before the award ceremony. On Saturday they visited, without Queen Sofia, the exemplary town of Santa María del Puerto.
The religious wedding of Prince Philippos of Greece and Nina Flohr took place in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Greece, today. Among the around 100 guests were the families of both bride and groom, as well as friends. Among the guests were Queen Sofia of Spain, Infanta Elena of Spain, Princess Benedikte of Denmark and her daughter Alexandra with her husband, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie of York with their husbands, as well as Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo, Prince Ernst August and Prince Christian of Hannover with their wifes and mother.
For more photos see here.
24 October
Princess Mako of Akishino has turned 30. On the occasion several new photos were released.
Princess Geraldine of Albania has celebrated her first birthday on 22 October.
25 October
Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, the Duchess of Brabant, celebrated her 20th birthday in Oxford, Great Britain, where she studies.
A former top Saudi intelligence official has said in an interview with “CBS” that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia has suggested to his cousin Prince Mohammed bin Nayef in 2014 that he wanted to have the late King Abdullah killed to make it possible that his father King Salman would take over the throne.
26 October
Princess Mako of Akishino and Kei Komuro have finally married. An official working for the crown princely couple of Japan has submitted the marriage certificate on behalf of the couple to a local government office, without a ceremony. Shortly afterwards, at 10am, Mako Komuro left the house of her parents and said goodbye to them and her sister Princess Kako. Afterwards she and her husband gave a short press conference at a hotel in Tokyo. The written responses to five questions received beforehand were distributed. The Imperial Household Agency has said that the Princess was shocked about some of the questions she received, that she considers being based on falsehoods. She and Kei have moved into a condominium in Tokyo and they will fly to New York as soon as Mako has a passport. Photos of the wedding day.
In an interview with the French magazine “Point de Vue” Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco has said that his wife Princess Charlène is doing well. He also said she will arrive back in Monaco before the National Day, 19 November. Charlène herself is still in South Africa and mourned the death of one of her dogs last night, when she was run over.
The Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, with their son Prince Charles, have once again visited old people’s homes to ensure the well-being of the elderly and to thank the staff for their support now the daily life is marked by Covid-19.
Emma Behn, the youngest daughter of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, has become the Norwegian Indoor Champion with her horse Fetoucha. In the Summer she already won the bronze medal at the outdoor championships.
In an interview with “universul.net” Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills has said that he doesn’t need a title and a position within the Romanian royal family to do what he wants to do to benefit the Romanian society. He also believes the Romanian royal family has to be modernized and needs all generations for that.
27 October
Bot Sentinel has researched how just a few tens of Twitter hate accounts have been targeting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. For the full document see here.
A video has been released of the Duchess of Sussex reading her children’s book “The Bench”.
A ten-day hearing has started today at High Court in London, connected to the divorce of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, and Princess Haya of Jordan. The couple divorced in 2019. The High Court has to determine the pay-out for the Princess and their two children. It is speculated the settlement could break the current record of a £450 million award. Princess Haya is being represented by Baroness Shackleton.
Prince Dom Luiz de Orleans e Bragança, head of the Imperial Family of Brazil, has been released from hospital in São Paulo after three weeks.
28 October
During the yearly dinner with the Storting (parliament) at the royal palace today, King Harald V of Norway confessed: “If there is one thing we have really learned since March last year, it is the importance of modern computer technology to be able to get in touch with each other. Great was therefore the joy in the family when I got a mobile phone. It only took me 40 years.”
The Imperial Household Agency has requested that the privacy of Mako Komuro is being respected, as she is now a private citizen.
29 October
Her Doctors have advised Queen Elizabeth II of Great britain to take a further two weeks of rest. During this period she will not have any public engagements, but will undertake light duties at her desk. The statement of Buckingham Palace informs: “It remains The Queen’s firm intention to be present for the National Service of Remembrance on Remembrance Sunday, on 14th November.”
Sarah, Duchess of York and her publisher Mills & Boon are launching a Historical Romance Book Club. The duchess has written her first fictional novel of this kind, “Heart For A Compass” in August 2021. She says she is very excited and says “too oftne, women’s lives can be overlooked by history”.
30 October
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has paid a three-day visit to Burkina Faso from 27 to 29 October together with the Danish minister for development cooperation. She visited projects of the ministry focusing on the health and rights of girls and women. She last visited the country five years ago.
31 October
Kei Komuro has failed the New York State bar examination. He is expected to retake the exam early next year. He is working as a law clerk at a legal firm in New York. He graduated from Fordham University’s law school with a Juris Doctor degree in May 2021.