ROYAL NEWS: APRIL 2002

Last updated: April 30th, 2002.

April 1st
For the first time since her family left the country in October 1959 Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg returned to Cuba, the country where she was born in 1956. She and her sons Felix and Louis arrived last Friday for a private visit. They are staying at a Havanna hotel and plan to stay until next week, relatives at Cuba said. Last weekend they visited the historical centre of Havanna.

April 2nd
At a press conference with Crown Prince Naruhito, held after several traditional ceremonies for the new-born princess Aiko were completed late last month, Crown Princess Masako said she was overwhelmed by the people's response to the birth of her first child and was deeply grateful for their good wishes. She said she had been overwhelmed with gratitude when her daughter was born on Dec 1. "I felt so relieved when I was able to deliver safely," Masako said. "At the same time, when I saw my newborn baby brought close to my chest, I was filled with appreciation for her being born. I can still see the scene right in front of my eyes", she said before beginning to shed tears. After she began to cry, Naruhito reached over to comfort her, placing his hand on her back. Amid the tears, she managed an embarrassed laugh in response to the gesture. It is extremely rare for members of the imperial family, whose public appearances are tightly scripted, to display such emotion in public. She also said: "A tiny life starts inside a womb, grows and when the time is ready it is born with all the might it has. Then it starts its own life in this world. I felt so strongly how miraculous and wonderful it is." In response to a question, Naruhito told the press that he calls his daughter "Ai-chan," using an affectionate, informal diminutive placed after the first syllable of her name.

April 3rd
An unofficial guestlist for the wedding of Märtha Louise Princess of Norway and Ari Behn on May 24th has been published by the newspaper Verdens Gang. The newspaper says to count 40 invited princes and princesses, and further various counts, countesses, dukes and duchesses. Further several Norwegian celebrities are said to be invited. On the guestlist are the Prince of Asturias, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of The Netherlands, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Hereditary Prince Albert of Monaco, Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Maria of Greece, Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde, Princess Astrid, Prince Lorenz and Prince Laurent of Belgium, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Princess Madeleine and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Princess Christina Mrs Magnuson, the Duke and Duchess of Lugo, the Count and Countess of Palma de Mallorca, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, Princess Alexia of Greece and Carlos Morales Quintana, Prince Johan Friso, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène van Oranje-Nassau van Vollenhoven, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, Prince Gustav, Princess Alexandra and Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Count Jefferson-Friedrich von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth, Prince Ali al-Hussein, Princess Haya al-Hussein and Princess Sumaya al-Hassan of Jordan, Princess Alexandra zu Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Wallerstein and Prince Philipp von Hessen. The only reigning monarchs that are officially invited are King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark with consorts, although on the list in VG also Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg are listed.

Prince Claus has left the coronary care unit of the AMC hospital in Amsterdam and is now in a normal sick-room. It is still unknown when he will be able to go home.

April 4th
The legal inquiry after the car accident in which Diana Princess of Wales died, has been definitely closed. The Court of Cassation in Paris, France, has rejected all accusations against the nine photographers and the motorcyclist who haunted the car of the princess. According to the judge the accident was caused by the extreme speed and the fact that the driver of the car, Henri Paul, had been drinking. The court rejected the ultimate appeal of Mohammed Al-Fayed, father of Princess Diana's friend Dodi - who also died in the crash - and the family of Mr. Paul. In a separate case, however, the nine photographers remain under investigation on charges of invasion of privacy for taking pictures of the victims in their car after the crash.

April 5th
A week after the gruesome murder of the Dagbon king Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II in northern Ghana, no arrangements have yet been made for his funeral. Police have still not found his head and arm, which were hacked off from his body after he was shot. The region's inhabitants are still in shock and nobody is even thinking about who might succeed him - for fear of reigniting the bloody dispute between rival clans which led to the killing of the king and 27 others. Even now, some people do not accept his death, despite the daily reminder of the fighting. But the truth is that the Lion of Dagbon, as he was known, is no more after a reign of 28 years. The 50-year-old king - a former schoolteacher - was the second most important regent in Ghana after the ruler of the country's Ashanti ethnic group. Soldiers and police are patrolling the streets and the state of emergency and curfew have been extended for another six weeks. The Ministry of Information has announced the arrest of two persons in connection with the March 2 killings at Yendi, assuring that nobody will be shielded in the search for the perpetrators of the criminal acts.

After a 3-month baby-leave Archduchess Katharina of Austria née Katharina (Tita) Countess von Hardenberg, will start hosting her tv-show 'Polylux' at the German television again on April 8th. Since 1999 she is married to Archduke Ferdinand. Their son Jakob Maximilian was born on January 22nd in Berlin.

Prince Claus of the Netherlands is slowly recovering at hospital. It was announced today he is a walking patient now.

April 7th
Most people believe Prince Charles should marry Camilla Parker Bowles, according to polls. Since the death of the Queen Mother, the Prince's popularity has soared, and two surveys show that the population favours Charles marrying his partner. A poll for the Sunday People, found that 57% of the public said the couple should wed and a poll for the Sunday Mirror 69% also backed marriage for the couple, or agreed they should carry on living together. Of the 1,000 people polled for the Sunday People by FDS International, 16% said that Camilla and Charles should get married this year while 20% believe they should wed within the next five years. Some 31% were against the idea and 12% were undecided. Their research also found that 37% of people thought the Queen should step down to make way for her son and heir.

According to the new Sunday Times Rich List the Duke of Westminster retained his place as Great Britain's richest person. The Duke's wealth is thought to lie in his vast land estate, which includes 300 acres of prestige property in London's Mayfair and Belgravia. His personal wealth swelled from £4.4 billion in 2001 to £4.7 billion this year. The list of the 1000 richest people in Great Britain and Ireland contained 140 aristocrates, among them 1 monarch, 9 dukes, 7 marquesses, 16 earls, 6 viscounts, 25 lords, 1 baroness, 8 baronets, 57 knights, 4 dames and 6 ladies. Queen Elizabeth II, whose fortune was estimated at £275m, is in 125th place. See for the complete list: Rich List.

28-year-old jockey Richard Johnson finished second in the famous Grand National horsing-race at Aintree with his horse What's Up Boys just being outstayed by the winner. He said: "My horse has run a terrific race and he's given me everything he had." Since two years Richard Johnson is the boyfriend of Zara Phillips, daughter of the Princess Royal, and the couple lives together in a house in the Cotswolds.

Two days ago Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and fiancé Ari Behn admitted they are looking forward to the real thing as they completed two days of intensive wedding preparations in Trondheim. Queen Sonja also took part in the flurry of pre-nuptial activities and was as satisfied as the wedding couple. Princess Märtha Louise admits that there is still a lot to do. "We have accomplished a lot these last days. You can say that we have control but that we are nowhere near being ready yet," Märtha Louise said. The couple has spent much time in Nidaros Cathedral studying how the ceremony will take place. "Entering the cathedral was fantastic. Feeling the special atmosphere in there was almost magical," said Ari Behn. Märtha Louise and Ari Behn have also sampled the menu at the Britannia Hotel and examined the accommodations at Stiftsgården, where the wedding party will be held. On Friday the program for the Royal Variety will be unveiled. The concert is a wedding gift from Trondheim Council. All performers are said to be Norwegian, with an emphasis on those from the Trondheim region.

Yesterday a convention of about 1,000 members of Bulgarians ruling National Movement Simeon II (NDSV) adopted the decision to register the movement as a political party under the same name. The founding members included NDSV ministers and lawmakers, as well as prominent figures. The convention adopted a declaration of party values, which described the new formation as a conservative party that will seek consensus on all important issues, and expressed its readiness to cooperate with all political organizations. The assembly also adopted a party constitution regulating the organizational structure of the NDSV. As an "electoral party," the NDSV will be the only large political party in Bulgaria that does not have permanent structures at local levels -- such structures are to be activated only during election campaigns. The convention also unanimously elected Prime Minister Simeon Saxecoburggotski, former King Simeon II of Bulgaria, as the party's chairman. At the abortive founding convention of 29 January 2002, Saxecoburggotski ruled out running for the party leadership, but later changed his mind. In a short speech, Saxecoburggotski underscored the necessity for further reforms in Bulgaria. In his new capacity as party chairman, Saxecoburggotski will also be a member and the chairman of the party's Political Council and its National Council. The party will also have a Control Council.

April 8th
In Norway a seven-part series focusing on life at Oslo's Royal Palace will be broadcasted soon. The documentary will focus on the staff that works for the royal family, many of whom have been in service for years. "We just wondered who really works at the palace, what they do and what kind of personalities they have," said Stig Andersen, director and photographer for Nordisk Film, which has made the series in cooperation with TV2. They agreed to let the palace approve what will be aired. The documentary will offer glimpses of the royals themselves, but they're not the stars for a change. The 130 workers at the palace are. The documentary was shot last year and goes on air on the next seven Wednesday evenings. It follows the behind-the-scenes preparations for both the state visit of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and the wedding of Crown Prince Haakon to Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby.

Support for the monarchy has risen following the Queen Mother's death says a NOP survey for The Independent newspaper. It found that 54% of people want the monarchy left as it is now, while 30% feels it should be retained but radically reformed. A year ago, a similar poll found that 34% wanted to scrap the monarchy - an all-time high - and people were evenly divided on whether the country would be better off without the royals. The poll questioned 1,000 people between last Friday and Sunday. The poll reveals strong support among young people for the monarchy. Only 14% of those in the 15-24 age group want to see the monarchy abolished, with 20% favouring radical reform and 58% wanting it left as it is. Backing for the monarchy is strongest among older people, with 64% of those aged 65 and older supporting the no change option and just 10% favouring abolition. The Independent's survey found anti-Royal sentiment strongest in Scotland, where 21% favour abolition and a minority of 48% opt for no change. In Wales, just 9% endorse abolition and 65% want things left as they are now. The biggest royalists are people in East Anglia, where 65% of those quizzed want the monarchy untouched.

April 9th
The 46-year-old Charles James Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford, the heir to the Duke of Marlborough, was banned from driving for six months yesterday and fined £500 for speeding at more than 100mph. He was sentenced in his absence after citing Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's funeral as the reason for his failure to appear in person. He had been ordered to appear personally because of the likelihood that he would be banned, but Sheriff Craig Caldwell dealt with the case in his absence. He should have been sentenced in Perth sheriff court last month but he was on honeymoon. He had previously admitted by letter to driving at 103mph on the A9 between Perth and Inverness on Sept 24, 2000. The first time the case was called, Blandford, who has more than 20 previous convictions for offences including theft and drug abuse, claimed he was too ill to appear. He was jailed for a month in 1991 for driving while banned.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco has postponed this month’s festivities celebrating his nuptials to 24-year-old computer engineer Salma Bennani, citing the crisis in the Middle East. Originally the festivities were planned for this Friday in Marrakech, but now the three-day celebrations to honour the couple’s will be rescheduled sometime for the future, said a palace spokesman. The main event - a gala celebration attended by Moroccan and foreign dignitaries - is on hold, but the more traditional and private ceremonies may still take place. In these, the bride, her hands and feet tattooed with henna, will accompany private guests and women of the court, who present gifts from the groom. Afterwards, on the second day, she will don a kaftan and precious jewels to rejoin her husband and the royal family. The postponement amended the king’s announcement early Monday that the event would be cancelled completely due to the crisis in Palestine.

The Prince of Wales flew to Scotland only hours after the funeral of his grandmother and is to spend time at Birkhall, her Balmoral residence where they spent many happy days together. Camilla Parker Bowles is expected to be at Birkhall for at least part of his stay which is likely to be for about a week. Charles and Camilla spend time at Birkhall each year during the spring and the Prince is determined not to miss his nostalgic visit.

April 10th
Today the Lower House in Italy said agreed with the return of the Italian royal family and the ending of the exile of male members of the family since 1946. 375 members agreed, while 54 were against and 48 abstained from voting. The Senate already voted in favour of the ending of the royal exile on February 5th. For an official changing of the constitution it is necessary that the Senate and the Lower House vote again, three months after the first voting. The Italian Constitution from 1946 states that 'the former kings of Savoye, their consorts and their male descendants are not allowed to enter or to stay on Italian territory. In Geneva, where they live in exile, Prince Vittorio Emanuele, his wife Marina and their son Emanuele Filiberto received the news of the votation with great happinness. "Everything went well. It´s fantastic and we are extremely happy. We are celebrating but not too much, as it is not definite yet."

The Yellow Emperor, Huangdi, who reigned from 2697 to 2587 BC and is regarded as the founder of the Middle Kingdom, was buried under the impact of a meteorite, Chinise scientists said yesterday. They believe that a 3ft-long meteorite fragment found near the Emperor's mausoleum in the city of Xian, in north central China, verifies an ancient legend according to which Huangdi 'died when the land was shattered' and was 'broken up by nine dragons'. The discovery of the meteorite hs great significance in answering questions about the beginning of China's 5000-year-old civilisation a Chinese newspaper added.

April 11th
"According to the present opinions there is no doubt that Máxima will be called queen in the future." Prime Minister WIm Kok said in the Second Chamber today during the discussion about the settlement of the membership of the Royal House. He also said not to have any objections against Máxima using the title of Princess of Orange, which she could do as she is married to the Prince of Orange and according to social use a wife is allowed to use the title of her husband. But he also pointed out that there is only one head of state and that person bears the functional title of king. The title of queen will only be a way to address Máxima, as her husband will be the real king. According to Kok the law only is about functional titles and not how to address people, so it will not be necessary to make a new law about it. The Chamber agreed with the words of the prime minister.

The Prince of Orange has written a contribution for the Accra Water Conference in Ghana that will be held from 14-17 April in which he states that half the world population lacks adequate sanitation, and more than two million people die each year from water-related diseases. The Prince, who is an adviser of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, wrote: "The world is in a water crisis, with perhaps the problem most acute in Africa." In the 40 most water-famished countries in the world, some people are forced to live on just two gallons of water a day. Others have to make do with an average of eight gallons. The UN has set a minimum level of 13.2 gallons per person per day to meet all water needs.

April 12th
The Postal Service in Ghana will issue 6 poststamps with the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands on it, on the occasion of the 300-year-old relations between Ghana and the Netherlands. The princely couple will be heading for Ghana on Sunday for the celebrations.

The Second Chamber has given it's consent to a new act on the membership of the Royal House of the Netherlands. According to this new act in principle only relatives and in-laws in two degrees of consanguity from the King will be member of the Royal House. The act still needs the consent of the First Chamber (Senate).

April 14th
Princess Marie of Liechtenstein celebrated her 62nd birthday today at Vaduz Castle together with her family. Two days ago she received among others representants of the parliament, members of the government and Archbishop Wolfgang Haas for a birthday reception at Vaduz Castle.

Thousands more people joined the queues at Windsor Castle today to pay their respects to the Queen Mother on the busiest day so far. Staff said that more than 5,000 people visited her tomb in St George's Chapel - 1,000 more than yesterday. The queue is stretching back 250 yards with well-wishers waiting more than two-and-a-half hours to get into the chapel. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said that the chapel would once again be kept open past the official closing time of 4pm in order to accommodate people who had been queuing for hours.

April 15th
Yesterday evening the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands arrived in Accra, Ghana, for the Princess's first foreign state visit, on the occasion of 300-year relations between The Netherlands and Ghana. They were welcomed with traditional Ghanese ceremony. Afterwards President John Agyekum Kufuor received them in his residence Christian Borg Castle, formerly a Danish castle, in Accra. Today the crown princely couple attended the opening of the international conference on water management 'Water and Sustainable Development in Africa: Stakeholder's Conference for Priority Setting', in Accra, which is a preparation to the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August. The prince and princess afterwards flew to Elmina to visit the former Dutch fortress Elmina. In a speech the Prince of Orange mentioned slavery saying: "Many Africans were shipped to America and were to meet a grim future in slavery. Now we look back with remorse to this dark period of human relations and commemorate the victims of this inhuman trade." The Prince and Princess Máxima afterwards made a walking tour through some of the principal streets, the Dutch cemetery and the beach. They also attended the opening of the Elmina City Counseling Meeting - on development plans for the city and its surroundings - and enjoyed a dinner at the resort Coconut Grove. The couple was later in the evening, treated to a musical concert at the castle.

April 16th
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark celebrated her 62nd birthday. For the first time also 2-year-old Prince Nikolai joined his grandmother on the balcony of Amalienborg at noon, enjoying it a lot. Also Prince Henrik, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra joined them. For a while the Queen held her grandson on her arm, while Nikolai took the hand of his uncle Frederik when he was standing on the balcony again. The Royal Life Guards played "Happy Birthday". About 5000 Danes were on the palace square to cheer their Queen loudly despite of the rain.

The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands paid a courtesy visit to the Ashantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. The rich culture and wealth of the Asante Kingdom were in full display at a colourful durbar of chiefs held in honour of the visiting couple. As the Asantehene, paramount chiefs and chiefs of the Kumasi Traditional Council, dressed in Kente cloths and adorned with gold ornaments sat under big umbrellas of different shapes and colours, the "Fontomfrom and Atumpan" drums throbbed. The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima were presented a keg of fresh palm-wine and a carton of paramount schnapps by the Asantehene in line with Asante custom, to welcome them to Manhyia. Speaking at the durbar, the Prince of Orange said Ghana and the Netherlands should look forward to a common future. He noted that on the global level, peoples of the two countries shared common responsibilities and said the environment has one example. He hoped his visit would inspire people in Ghana and Netherlands, both young and old to take interest in each other. "We hope they will learn by modern methods like the Internet and seek inspiration for their personal development". He extended an invitation to the Asantehene to visit the Netherlands later this year, saying, the people would be happy to welcome him. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II plans to pay a visit to The Netherlands from 18 to 25 June 2002. The Ashantehene expressed satisfaction with the closer relationship that had existed between the two countries for a period spanning three centuries. He said the Asante-Dutch relations dated back to the beginning of the 18th century when David Nyendael was sent to Kumasi in 1701 and managed to begin a trade, largely in gold and ivory. He wished the Crown Prince and Princess a blessed and blissful marriage, exchanged gifts with them and later held private discussions with the Prince. In the evening a state banquet - with among others an Indonesian rice-table - took place in Accra, which was hosted by the vice-president of Ghana, during which fragments of the theatre production The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi were performed by the National Dance Company, Accra, and also entertained with melodious tunes from the Winneba Youth Choir.

Prince Claus of the Netherlands was said to have had a good night after having been transfered to the Intensive Care again yesterday. His condition is still the same as before, but they moved him to the IC so the doctors were able to observe him better.

The exhibition "Ja, ik wil (Yes, I do)" at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, attracted 206.600 visitors. Two weeks after being opened there the wedding dress of Princess Máxima went on display there too.

April 17th
In the morning the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands attended the prize-giving ceremony of The Lasting Impact - a competition organised by the Ghana Netherlands Business Association - and had a meeting with the African Women's Development Fund, both in the National Theatre, Accra. In the afternoon they attended the presentation of the results of the conference on water management, followed by a reception at the Dutch Embassy. They ended their four-day visit to Ghana with a farewell call on President John Agyekum Kufuor at his office at the Castle, Osu, in Accra. At a press conference at the end of the visit the Prince of Orange talked about a successfull visit.

April 18th
Mohammad Zaher Shah, former king of Afghanistan, has returned to Afghanistan after a 29-year exile. He arrived at Bagram airbase outside Kabul from Rome shortly before noon on an Italian military aircraft accompanied by Afghanistan's interim leader Mr Hamid Karzai and six Afghan Cabinet ministers, who travelled to Rome to take him back to Afghanistan. He was received by a crowd of dignitaries and an honour guard. The honour guard stood on either side of a red carpet. Dozens of tribal leaders in traditional tunics and turbans waited at the airport as women in brightly coloured outfits waved pictures of the king. About two dozen International Security Assistance Force troops also kept watch, but with binoculars from the airport's control tower. Well-armed international peacekeepers and Afghan troops lined the road into Kabul, while tanks and other armoured vehicles stood by at the ready. Thousands of Afghans lined the streets to welcome him. Mohammed Zaher Shah waved and grinned as he shook hands with tribal leaders before heading to his newly refurbished home. "His majesty said it was a great day for Afghanistan, and he is very happy to be back," Karzai's chief spokesman said. He added: "He is a little bit tired, because it was a long trip, but otherwise he is joyous." Mohammed Zaher Shah has said he has no plans to restore the monarchy, but many Afghans believe he will serve as a unifying and stabilising figure for a country devastated by 23 years of war, poverty, and tribal and ethnic divisions. "It's a significant day," Mr Karzai said. "His presence there I'm sure will add to stability and peace in Afghanistan." In June, the former monarch is to preside over a grand national assembly of tribal leaders and other Afghan representatives, a "Loya Jirga", who will select a transitional government that will rule Afghanistan until elections. Zaher Shah was dethroned in 1973 by a cousin, Mohammed Daoud, while on holiday in Italy and has lived there ever since. In an interview with last month, Zaher Shah said he wanted to spend his last years in Afghanistan serving his people and did not fear for his safety. However, as a precaution, a personal bodyguard corps has been trained in Kabul by Swedish peacekeepers, and security for the two-story villa in Kabul where he will live has been reinforced, with the streets around it blocked off.

Prince Claus of the Netherlands moved again into a normal room at the hospital in Amsterdam, where he is staying since March 11th.

April 19th
A 50-minute memorial service has taken place for Princess Margaret of Great Britain at Westminister Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain was joined by about 25 British royals in the service of thanksgiving for her sister who died on February 9th. The Abbey was filled with people among them family, friends, dignitaries, foreign royals and people from charities and organisations, who were gathered to pay their respects. The Princess's ex-husband the Earl of Snowdon and her ex-boyfriend Roddy LLewellyn attended. Among the foreign royals attending were King Constantine II and Queen Anne Marie of Greece, Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josépine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia, Doña Margarita Duchess of Hernani and Soria with her husband Carlos Zurita y Delgado, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven, Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Prince Karim Aga Khan and Begum Inaara and Prince Amyn Aga Khan. Among the 1900 people attending were 580 members of the public who asked to attend the service and were selected by ballot. Outside, about 400 members of the public waited to catch a glimpse of the royals, though the service was not relayed to them. There were no eulogies to the late Princess. Instead, in accordance with her wishes, the service was set around Faure's Requiem. Opera stars Dame Felicity Lott and Bryn Terfel were soloists, while actress Felicity Kendal - a friend of Princess Margaret - and her son, Viscount Linley, gave readings. At the Princess's request the service was sung by the choirs of Westminster Abbey, King's College, Cambridge, St George's Chapel, Windsor, and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, London. Before the service, led by Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr Wesley Carr, an orchestra played a selection of the Princess's favourite music, including Tchaikovsky's "Awakening" pas de deux from the ballet, Sleeping Beauty, and compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. Official court mourning, for both Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, came to an end after the memorial service.

April 20th
British forces have received reports that assassins posing as journalists could be trying to kill Afghanistan's former king, Mohammad Zaher Shah. Since arriving he has been surrounded by specially trained Afghan bodyguards, as well as international peacekeepers and Italian Carabineri paramilitary police. "There is a threat against the king," a British Royal Marines spokesman told reporters at Bagram air base. "They could pose as media to get close enough to him to do it." He would give no further details, other than to say there were "many factions" that would like to kill former king Mohammad Zaher Shah. Thus far Mohammed Zaher Shah has visited the tomb of his father, Nadir Shah, who was assassinated before his eyes in 1933.

At an auction at Christies in New York the Fabergé Winter-egg, that Tsar Nikolai II of Russia presented to his mother at Easter 1913, was sold for 10,8 million Euro.

The 'Koninklijke Serres' at Laeken Castle, Belgium are open for the public until May 5th. Also the Church of Our Lady in Laeken is decorated with flowers for the occasion. The royal family vault at the church is open on Sunday from 14:00 to 17:00.

April 21st
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain celebrated her 76th birthday at Windsor Castle reviewing a Scout's parade. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, she received some 550 Queen's Scouts who gained the movement's top award for personal achievement. Specially invited were 60 Venture Scouts who carried out ceremonial duties at Westminster for the Queen Mother's funeral. To reflect the Queen's Golden Jubilee, scouts from Commonwealth countries were also on parade. The Queen chatted to many of the scouts present at the colourful ceremony. Several thousand well-wishers and tourists, as well as the scouts and their families, lined the courtyard. They broke into spontaneous clapping, cheering and whistling when the Band of the Irish Guards played "Happy Birthday" for the Queen at the end of the parade as a surprise. The Queen spent the rest of the day privately at Windsor with family and friends. Royal gun salutes will be fired tomorrow in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and York.

April 22nd
The Norwegian royal court has published a provisional guestlist for the wedding of Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn on May 24th. Next to the father of the bride, only one monarch will attend: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. From Denmark further Count Flemming and Countess Ruth af Rosenborg will come. From Sweden will arrive Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine, while also Madeleine Kogevinas née Bernadotte with her husband Nicolas, daughters Astrid (with husband) and Sophie will come. Princess Astrid, Prince Lorenz and Prince Laurent will represent the Belgian royal family, while the Prince of Orange, Princess Máxima, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien will represent the Dutch. The Earl and Countess of Wessex come from Great Britain, the Prince of Asturias from Spain and Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan of Jordan and her husband Nasser Judeh from Jordan. Luxembourg will be represented by Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla. For the Greek royal family Princess Alexia, Carlos Morales Quintana and Prince Nikolaos come to Trondheim.

The present Count of Paris has gone to court to find out how his father frittered away one of Europe's great fortunes, leaving him and his 10 siblings with a far from royal inheritance. He has uncovered a sorry mess, and claims that it is proof of his father's determination to put an end to his family's royal pretentions by destroying its fortune. After the Second World War the Orleans family was the largest landowner in France. But the late count of Paris sold castles, houses, paintings and other family heirlooms, often for knockdown prices. The duke claims that his family grew up believing they were heirs to a great fortune. Then they found their father's estate was worth only £7 million, a fraction of what they anticipated.

April 23rd
Princess Máxima of the Netherlands denies being guilty or responsible for the accident she had last October near Palace Huis ten Bosch, a spokesman for Mr van den Bent, who was hurt in the accident, said. The princess has to appear in court in The Hague on May 3rd to give evidence, together with her bodyguards, two policemen and other persons concerned.

An 800-year-old silk-painting by Emperor Sung Hui Tsung (1082-1135), from the Sung dynasty, was sold on Beijing, China, for about 3,4 million Euro. It was bought by a Japanese collector. Only about 19 works of the Emperor are known.

April 24th
Prince Laurent of Belgium gave a speech about the World Water Manifest as the first unchosen guest-speaker in the Flemish parliament. Only 1/3 of the members of the parliament attended the informal meeting, while three political parties didn't attend. When Prince Laurent arrived the leaders of those parties waited for him outside to explain why they wouldn't attend. The leader of the Vlaams Blok (extreme right) explained they find the monarchy not democratic. Prince Laurent agreed to meet him in the future for a discussion.

April 25th
Today Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail was inaugurated as King of Malaysia in a splendid ceremony. The 58-year-old king is the 12th monarch since the country became independant in 1957 and got a circulating kingship. As the ceremony dictates the new king kissed the royal golden dagger only the monarch is allowed to touch. The new king and queen will live in the palace in Kuala Lumpur for the next five years until a new monarch is chosen.

April 26th
Starting this year the Dutch flag will also wave on public buildings on May 17, the birthday of Princess Máxima of the Netherlands.

April 27th
Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza died at around 1am this morning at his home in Sant Feliu de Guixols, in Gerona, Spain. He died as a result of cardiorespiratory failure , the Thyssen Museum in Madrid said. His Spanish wife Carmen Cervera was with him when he died. He will be buried in the family mausoleum at Schloss Landsberg, a castle near Essen in Germany. The baron was born in The Hague, The Netherlands, on April 2, 1921, having a German father and a mother of Hungarian origin. He held a Swiss passport. The billionaire industrialist had one of the world’s largest private collection of art. His collection featured some 1,500 paintings, sculptures and other works of art. A third of it had been acquired by his father Heinrich, who started collecting art at the end of the 1920s. From five marriages he had three sons. His daughter Francesca married Archduke Karl of Austria. He also adopted the son of his fifth wife Carmen Cervera.

April 29th
Princess Marilène and Prince Maurits van Oranje-Nassau Van Vollenhoven expect their second child at the end of October. Their daughter Anna was born on April 15, 2001.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh along with four previous prime ministers - John Major, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, Sir Edward Heath and Lord Callaghan - have enjoyed a Golden Jubilee dinner at present Prime Minister Tony Blair's house, Downing Street 10. The relatives of five other Prime Ministers to have served during the Queen's 50 year reign, but who have since died, were also in attendance. Tony Blair is the 10th Prime Minister during the Queen's long reign, which began in 1952 with Churchill as Premier. The specially-prepared menu included rare ports, fine clarets, duck breasts and seasonal vegetables.

April 30th
Infanta Cristina of Spain Duchess of Palma de Mallorca gave birth to her third son at the Clínica Teknon in Barcelona at 7:15 this morning. Miguel weighs 3950 grammes and is 52 cm tall. Iñaki Urdangarín said they were immense happy with their third child. Miguel's godparents will be the Prince of Asturias and Lucía Urdangarín. In the afternoon King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, together with Infanta Elena and Princess Irene of Greece, visited their fifth grandchild. Even earlier Princess Alexia of Greece with husband Carlos Morales Quintana and daughter Arrietta visited mother and son.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain addressed a joint session of the Parliament for only the fifth time during her reign. The Queen has paid tribute to the work of the Houses of Parliament. She said the "Mother of Parliaments" has played an essential part in guiding the kingdom through the changing times of the past 50 years. She said it was right that the first major event of her Golden Jubilee should be in the Palace of Westminster. The full speech.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her family celebrated Queen's Day in Hoogeveen and Meppel. They were surprised with lots of dance and music and a tour on the canals of rainy Meppel, during which a young man jumped in the water and handed over a bouquet of flowers to the Queen. In Meppel Prince Constantijn and Prince Pieter-Christiaan shortly played soccer with a team of people with a handicap, and Princess Laurentien and Princess Marilène had to console a little ballet dancing girl who fell off the stage during the performance of her ballet group for the royals. At the end of the visit to Meppel Queen Beatrix thanked everyone for organising Queen's Day for the second time after the foot-and-mouth disease crisis in 2001 stopped the celebrations. Afterwards the royal family left for Palace Soestdijk where they visited Princess Juliana, who celebrated her 93rd birthday. Queen Beatrix then left for Amsterdam to visit her husband in hospital. Prince Claus followed the festivities on television in hospital. Today it was announced he will be able to leave hospital at the end of the week.


Royal News: March 2002. Last updated: April 7th, 2002.