ROYAL NEWS: AUGUST 2001

Last updated: September 2nd, 2001.

August 1st
The Queen Mother was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital in London where she had a blood transfusion for anaemia.

Yesterday Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich Franz von Mecklenburg-Schwerin died in Hamburg-Blankenese. He will be buried in Glücksburg. Friedrich Franz was born at Schwerin Castle on April 22nd, 1910. He and his wife Karin-Elisabeth von Schaper didn't have children. With him the Mecklenburg-Schwering family became extinct in male line. His younger brother Christian Ludwig, who died five years ago, left two daughters. Also a far cousin Woizlawa Feodora, born in 1918, who married Heinrich I prince Reuss, is still alive.

August 2nd
The Queen Mother has left hospital in the afternoon and will spend the night at Clarence House recovering. She is due to celebrate her 101st birthday on Saturday and to travel to Scotland next week for her annual stay. She hopes to be able to take part in a public appearance on Saturday to acknowledge her well-wishers.

August 3rd
The Prince of Wales had an accident during a charity polo match in Cirencester in which he was playing alongside his two sons. There was a skirmish around the goal area and the prince fell of hs horse, hitting the ground awkwardly. He was unconscious for a short while. He has been taken to a local hospital and from there by ambulance to the Cheltenham Hospital, where he will stay the night.

Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme and her husband Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn will celebrate their religious wedding at the 15th-century Sainte-Marie Cathedral in Auch, France, on September 22nd. In the beginning of July the couple bought Bartas Castle in Saint-Georges, that once belonged to the poet Saluste-du-Bartas. The couple already married civilly on June 19th in the Hotel The Grand in Amsterdam.

August 4th
Security surrounding the Queen Mother's birthday celebrations were stepped up following a car bomb attack in Ealing yesterday that is being blamed on dissident Irish republican groups. Dedicated fans who spent the night outside Clarence House were among the first to celebrate the Queen Mother's 101st birthday. In the morning the Queen Mother greeted around 7000 well-wishers outside Clarence House. She walked out using two sticks and was followed by her corgies. The Band of the Grenadier Guards marched past playing Happy Birthday. Tens of children presented balloons, drawings and flowers to the Queen Mother, before she was driven in a buggy to meet her well-wishers gathered outside. At noon the Queen Mother returned home while the Royal Horse Artillery fired a 41-gun salute. Later the Queen Mother came outside again to see the march-past by the King's troops, and was joined by several members of the family, including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret (in a wheelchair), Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew with his daughters, Princess Anne with Tim Laurence and her children Peter and Zara, Lady Sarah Chatto with husband and children, and the Prince of Wales. The last one had been discharged from hospital early in the morning and said that everything was allright with him. At night the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret visited a ballet at the Royal Opera House in London, watching a performance of "The Dream and A Month in the Country". A crowd cheered and sang Happy Birthday as the Queen Mother stepped out of her car in front of the Royal Opera House. Tomorrow Queen Elizabeth II will travel to Balmoral for her summer holidays. The Queen Mother will leave for her castle in Scotland on Monday.

The British government announced that the Queen Mother will be commemorated with awards for care for the elderly. People who work with elderly people, like doctors and nurses, will be chosen for Queen Mother Awards for efforts to help pensioners return home after a time in hospital. The first cash awards will be made to teams in July 2002.

August 8th
The Prince of Oranje surprised the people in Sneek by taking his fiancee Máxima Zorreguieta with him on an official visit, something that had only been officially told to the authorities in Sneek the day before, despite rumours. The couple arrived at 11:00 in the morning on the royal yacht De Groene Draeck with Willem-Alexander steering, and were welcomed at the Kolmeersland S - an island in a lake near Sneek - by burgomaster Hartkamp and the provincial governor. Willem-Alexander and Máxima visited the sportscentre of the 150 year old Royal Watersports Union Sneek. Afterwards they sailed to the startship with the Frisian States yacht "Friso" followed by tens of small and big boats. Unfortunately because of the heavy wind the Prince of Oranje wasn't able to start the annual races on the final day of the Sneekweek. After the lunch on the startship the couple made an extra trip passing the thousands of people on the side of the water.

August 11th
The assets of Prince Gefri Bolkiah of Brunei are being sold to pay off his creditors. He has been accused of appropriating billions from the public purse. The sale includes 8.500 slabs of marble, a jumbo jet simulator, two fire engines, hundreds of chandeliers, two gold-plated toilet paper holders, Louis XIV chairs and forklift trucks.

August 13th
The Countess of Paris celebrated her 90th birthday at Eu Castle surrounded by almost all of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Also Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg attended the mass and the party.

August 14th
Prince Claus of the Netherlands has been admitted to the Amsterdam Medical Centre today. His right kidney doesn't function well, which has led to a worsening physical condition. In May the left kidney of the prince has been removed. The admission at the AMC aims to keep the right kidney functioning.

August 15th
in his speech on the National Feastday of Liechtenstein Prince Hans Adam II said that after almost 10 years the struggle about the new constitution finally has come to an end. The Princely House agrees with the newest Constitution Proposal of March 1st, 2001, after many negotiations with the government and members of the Parliament. Now the Parliament needs to give his approval, and also the people of Liechtenstein will be able to vote in a referendum. The Prince also said that a rejection of the Constitution could lead to a huge internal political crisis.

During excavations for the enlargement of the museum Tower of David in Jerusalem the Israelian archeologist John Seligman has found walls that might belong to the Palace of King Herodes. The palace was destroyed by the Romans more than 2000 years ago. Now the stones will be examined by researchers.

August 16th
American archeologists have found a huge burial monument in Mongolia. The walls are more than 3 kilometers long and four meters high. In the complex the graves of Mongol nobles were found. It is thought it might be the burial place of Dzenghis Khan, the 13th century founder of the Mongol Empire. He conquered a huge area that stretched out from Eastern Europe to China. After his death in 1227 he was buried on a secret place and all workmen were killed after the burial.

August 17th
Paul Burrell, the Princess of Wales's former butler, appeared before the Magistrates in Central London today. He was charged with three accounts of theft of articles belonging to the Princess, the Prince of Wales and Prince William. He is accused of stealing 342 items including letters, photographs, nightwear, CDs and a writing desk, that were allegedly stolen on or before June 30th, 1998 from Kensington Palace. Paul Burrell has denied stealing things and said they were given to him. He was told to return to court again in October.

August 19th
Prince William of Great Britain's decision to study at St Andrews University has resulted in every place being filled for the first time in 20 years. Prince William is due to arrive there next month to begin his History of Art course.

Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby celebrated her 28th birthday. After a service at the chapel of the Royal Palace, she and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway celebrated the birthday at home. Family and friends came to congratulate Mette-Marit, among them Princess Märtha Louise and her boyfriend Ari Behn.

August 22nd
According to a poll by ICM for the newspaper the Guardian about 43 % of the British public want the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles to marry. 32 % is against a marriage. ICM interviewed 1004 adults, aged 18 and over, across the country.

August 25th
The fairytale wedding in Norway between Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby.

August 27th
After four years of speculations about an eventual relationship between Felipe Prince of Asturias and Norwegian model Eva Sannum the Spanish Government Information Service made an announcement saying: "It is normal that two friends appear in public together and let themselves being photographed on a wedding". The announcement came after Felipe and Eva were photographed together on the wedding ball of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby last Saturday.

August 28th
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway weren't on board of the royal yacht K/S Norge when it arrived in Denmark the day after the wedding. Today it was found out where they stayed yesterday. Haakon and Mette-Marit were spotted at the Steigenberger Park Allee Hotel in Düsseldorf, Germany, where they spent the night in a doubleroom, as there was no suite available for them. They have flown to New York now.

August 29th
Prince Claus of the Netherlands left hospital this morning. The doctors are satisfied about his health. However the Prince will not be present at Prince's Day on the third Tuesday of September.

August 30th
From today on the website of the Dutch Royal Family a virtual tour throught Palace Huis ten Bosch is possible. You can view the official rooms. The start coincides with the opening of the Orange Hall by Queen Beatrix this afternoon.

The Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure writes that Princess Lilian of Belgium, widow of King Leopold III, is very ill and suffers from an incurable heart disease. The newspapers quotes court circles. It is said her health got worse quickly over the past few days and an American cardiologist should have been called to Argenteuil Castle. Princess Lilian hasn't been seen in public anymore recently.

One of the most valuable jewelry collections of the world can be seen in New Delhi since yesterday. It is the first time the 18th to the 20th century jewelry of the Indian princely dynasty of Nizam can be seen. It exists of about 200 items among them rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. The most valuable item in the collection is a more than 184 carat diamond, one of the biggest in the world.

Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway were spotted eating at a French bistro in New York. It is said they only stayed one night in New York at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and then flew to the Caribean.


Royal News: July 2001. Last updated: August 1st, 2001.