ROYAL NEWS: AUGUST 2004

Last updated: September 5th, 2004.

August 1st
Cabinet minister Tessa Jowell says litter and paddling dogs are blighting the newly unveiled memorial fountain to the late Princess Diana of Wales and are partly to blame for its closure two weeks after it opened. "Irresponsible" people who throw garbage into the water, including diapers, are not paying the tribute the respect it deserves." In the Sunday Telegraph Mrs Jowell says: "We accept there are problems that the Royal Parks have got to sort out. Once they are sorted, people have got to be responsible in the way they let their children play in the fountain. The critical issue is that this is a memorial. I don't think any responsible person would want to see people allowing their dogs in it." The late Princess's brother Charles Spencer told BBC on Sunday there needed to be a balance between making the fountain accessible to the public and ensuring it gets the respect it deserves: "I am not an expert on plumbing and fountains and how they work, but the general point that it is a memorial is definitely true."

August 2nd
The number of people allowed to visit the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Fountain may be restricted. The fountain has remained closed since 22 July. After an inquiry the Royal Parks published recommendations including reducing visitors, increasing attendants and introducing "clear rules of behaviour". Other options include roughening of certain areas of the fountain and replacing grass around the edge of the memorial with some form of hard standing to avoid slipping. The report will be discussed in detail with the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport and other stakeholders.

August 4th
Countess Bettina Bernadotte surprisingly married her longtime 31-year-old boyfriend Philipp Haug in Mariefred near Gripsholm Castle, Sweden, on August 2. Bettina is the eldest daughter of Count Lennart and Countess Sonja Bernadotte.

August 6th
Princess Kikuko, aunt of Emperor Akihito of Japan, was taken to St Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo with breathing problems today. A spokesman of the Imperial Household Agency said she was in stable condition.

Count Johannes Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau died yesterday evening after a short but serious illness at the age of 67. He was born in Prague on March 22, 1937. Since 1964 he was married to Countess Eleonore von und zu Trauttmansdorff, who survives him, as do their four children and nine grandchildren. Count Johannes was an elder brother of Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein.

August 8th
Jean André Guillaume Marie-Gabriel Marc d'Aviano, the fourth child of Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxemburg who was born on July 13, was christened yesterday at the church of Contern, Luxemburg. The ceremony was led by Archbishop Fernand Franck together with court chaplain Georges Vuillermoz and Priest Claude Bache. The organist was Philippe Dehoux. The baby's godparents were André Correa do Lago and Countess Marie Gabriele von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg. Among the guests were tens of familymembers of both parents, including Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte. Photo gallery.

August 10th
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria died last Friday at hospital in Ulm, Germany. He was recovering from hip replacement surgery. During the convalescence he suffered an embolism and death came to him within two hours. He will be buried in private at the Toerring-Jettenbach family crypt on Saturday. Archduke Ferdinand was the eldest of the two sons of Archduke Maximilian - younger brother of Emperor Karl of Austria - and Princess Franziska zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst. In 1956 he married Countess Helene zu Toerring-Jettenbach. The couple had three children: Elisabeth (who died in 1983), Sophie and Maximilian. Archduchess Sophie and her husband Prince Mariano Hugo zu Windisch-Graetz have two sons and one daughter.

Princess Haya bint Al-Hussein will not take part in the horse-jumping event for Jordan at the Olympic Games in Athens. Her horse is injured. Princess Haya said to be very unhappy that she can't compete, but she is happy that Jordan is competing without her also. Her place will be taken by Hani Bisharat.

A £1 million diamond necklace worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales at one of her final official engagements has gone on sale in the United States. The owner put the necklace up for sale at Hollis Reh and Shariff near New York. The late princess wore the necklace, which contains 50 carats of diamonds, for a performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in June 1997. It was crafted by the royal jewellers Garrard.

August 11th
Luis Alfonso de Borbón y Martínez-Bordiú and Maria Margarita Vargas de Santaella became officially engaged some days ago. They celebrated it with a family dinner in El Pazo de Meirás near La Coruña. Among the about 60 guests were family members and friends. The marriage is said to take place in Palm Beach, Florida, early November.

August 12th
Belgian newspapers report that Princess Louise of Belgium, daughter of Prince Laurent and Princess Claire, will be christened in a private ceremony in September by Father Guy Gilbert. The godmother of the baby might be her mother's sister Joanna Coombs-Grant. It is reported Prince Reza Pahlavi will be the godfather, but as he is a Muslim, the catholic church will not recognise him officially as godfather.

The Diana Princess of Wales memorial fountain flows again three weeks after it was turned off because of safety reasons. It reopens to the public on August 20th. New safety guidelines are drawn up to manage the number of visitors. Running will be banned although people can still paddle and sit on the side. Fences have been put up to help manage the numbers of people using the fountain and six staff trained in crowd control and first aid will supervise the site in the summer.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria gets a statue in the Dutch seaside place Zandvoort. It will be unveiled on August 28. Zandvoort exists 700 years this year and among others celebrates with a Sisi-event. The Empress will look out over the beach and the sea from her place at the Boulevard de Favauge. The statue was made by Austrian sculptor Hans Annerl, is 180 cm high and shows the Empress at the age of 46. 120 years ago the Empress and 15 people of her staff spent three weeks at Hotel Kaufmann in Zandvoort, one year later she spent four weeks at Villa Paula. Both times she was in the Netherlands for physiotherapy by Dr Mezger in Amsterdam. She liked to walk and ride horse along the beach. Also at August 28 two exhibitions about Empress Elisabeth will start in Zandvoort.

August 13th
The opening of the Olympic Games in Athens was attended by several royals among them the whole Greek royal family, Queen Sofia of Spain, Infantas Elena and Cristina of Spain with their husbands, King Albert II of Belgium, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg with several of their children, the Prince of Orange, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, the Princess Royal, Prince Albert of Monaco, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia, Prince Faisal and Princess Alia of Jordan, as well as former King Simeon of Bulgaria and his wife Margarita.

Last week a bag with personal and very private information about the Dutch royal family was stolen from the car of Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme which was parked in Amsterdam. The bag contained the private notebook of the Princess with private contactinformation of members of the royal family among others Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. It is also said to contain some private correspondence between the Princess and her husband Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn. In the meantime the bag has been offered for sale to several Dutch magazines for 12.000 Euros. The thiefs say that their children found the bag in the bushes. This evening Mr G.J. Kemper, lawyer of Princess Margarita, confirmed in a statement that Princess Margarita is taking steps to come to an end of her wedding to Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn and that next to that her financial situation is worrying. The statement also says that the Princess regrets having violated the intimate character of her family life recently. She now hopes to get the rest to build up a new existence. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands let know this evening via the Government Information Service that she hopes that Margarita 'Receives the rest to build up a new existence'.

Jewellery which once belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette of France was stolen from a house in Notting Hill, London in the night on June 14. The owner says the jewellery is priceless and has been in the family for more than 200 years. The crystal and enamel locket encrusted with diamonds was taken from the house, as well as a pair of earrings and a laptop. Police said a male youth has been charged in connection with the theft, but they are still looking for more information.

August 14th
The bag of Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme was found in a house in Amsterdam last night. The police arrested a man and a woman and searched two houses in the city. Only the princess's passport and her mobile phone are still missing. The princess will receive her bag back as soon as possible. Furthermore reports in the newspapers reveal that the lawsuit of the Princess against the Dutch state has not come to an end.

Sotheby's in Amsterdam will auction items of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family on September 7th and 8th. Items are being offered for sale that have been in the possession of the family for centuries. Among the items are family portraits, 19th century paintings and historical postcards. The items are at lowest valued between 1.000 and 80.000 Euros. See the items on sale.

August 15th
This morning Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein has handed over his political power to his eldest son Hereditary Prince Alois. However he says he has no intention of abdicating for at least another 20 years and he will formally remain the head of state. After the traditional mass on the occasion of the national feastday the head of the Prime Minister as well as for the first time Hereditary Prince Alois held a speech. In his speech the hereditary prince said: "A large responsibility has come to me today. But I have the luxury that my father has included me in many important decisions and so I am well prepared." About Liechtenstein he said: "The crisis in the financial centre as well as the crisis in many European states show us how dangerous it can be if necessary, but perhaps unpleasant, reforms are not tackled promptly." Afterwards people were invited for a drink and something to eat in the castle gardens of Vaduz Castle. This year national feastday was attended by Prince Hans Adam II, Princess Marie, Hereditary Prince Alois with his wife Sophie and their four children, Prince Maximilian and Princess Angela with their son Alfons, Princess Tatiana with her husband Philipp von Lattorff and their two eldest children, as well as Prince Constantin and his wife Marie with their son Moritz. Some Photos.

August 16th
Lawyer Gabriël Meyers in name of his client Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn today confirmed that it is also his client's intention to end his marriage to Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme, and that his client also hopes that both of them will be able to continue their lives in peace. The divorce however will not stop him from pursuing a claim against the Dutch state for invasion of privacy and damaging his business interests.

Princess Märtha Louise of Nroway and her husband Ari Behn have confirmed they will move to New York City in October. They had originally planned to move there already last October, but the birth of Princess Ingrid Alexandra and King Harald V's illness postponed the move.

August 17th
The first medal at the Olympic Games ever won by the United Arab Emirates was won by 40-year-old Sheikh Ahmed Al-Maktoum, member of the ruling family of Dubai, who won the gold medal today at the men's double trap shooting event. He won with a score of 189pts. The Sheikh was delighted and said: "I can't even explain, I've worked so hard for four years. I've been practicing day and evening seven days a week, so yes I'm very happy." The Sheikh only took up the sport six years ago towards the end of a 15-year reign as the Gulf region's top squash player.

Yesterday the Imperial Household Agency of Japan said that a foreign trip is being considered for Crown Princess Masako to help her cope with a mental disorder brought on by rigid palace life. Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan recently was invited for the wedding of the Crown Prince of Brunei on September 9. The Crown Princess's "attendance is now under consideration," a spokesman for the agency said.

The Serbian parliament has approved a new national emblem and anthem. The coat-of-arms that was last used in the 19th century and dates back to the Middle Ages and features a crown on top of a double-headed white eagle. The new flag adds this crest to the upper left corner of the red, blue and white tricolour. The new anthem 'Boze Pravde'(God of Justice), was sung by pro-democracy protesters who helped oust former President Slobodan Milosevic in 2000 and socialists describe the new anthem as 'monarchist'. Lawmakers in Belgrade voted 183-0 to change the national symbols. Delegates from the Socialist Party boycotted the vote.

August 18th
So far there are about 20 candidates that are interested in buying the former royal domain of Argenteuil, Belgium. It will be auctioned at the end of September. The candidates are private persons as well as companies. They are not only Belgian but also from foreign countries as the United Arab Emirates.

The Duke and Duchess of Calabria expect their second child in December. They already have a daughter.

August 19th
On his website King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia yesterday announced that he and his wife have decided to return home from Beijing, China, late September before the Pchum Ben Festival without any condition.

August 20th
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain has reopened to the public today. Extra staff will be on hand and the numbers of people visiting the memorial will be controlled. In addition the public will only be allowed to put their hands and feet in the water.

In several interviews he gave to the press during the past days former King Constantine of Greece says that he and his family are looking for a place to live in Greece, "because being back in Greece, the Greek smell of the sea, seeing the mountains, and being with Greek people again is paramount. I don't care if I'm the head of state, if I'm the king of the country or just a simple citizen – [it] is just being with Greek people and be in my own country that counts most of all." he said in an interview to the MSNBC.

Prince Armin zur Lippe celebrated his 80th birthday last Wednesday. On his birthday a private reception for members of the family was being held. On Friday evening there was a reception for friends and other people who wanted to congratulate him. Due to the good weather the biggest part of the reception could be held outside in the garden. See report of the reception on Friday.

August 21st
A perfect copy of the BBC-website on Friday evening reported the murder on King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during the Olympic Games while he was on his way to his hotel in Athens after the quarter final of a Swedish table-tennis player. Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg, spokeswoman for the Swedish royal house says that the joke "passes all bounds."

Yesterday the Imperial Household Agency reported that Crown Princess Masako of Japan's condition is not good enough to travel. She thus will not attend the wedding of the Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam next month. Crown Prince Naruhito will attend the wedding alone. "The couple came to this decision based on advice from doctors that (the Crown Princess) should still refrain from making overseas trips," it was said.

August 23rd
Only one day after the reopening of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, another accident happened, when a tourist slipped in the mud on Saturday. Heavy rain at the weekend had turned the fountain site into a mudbath. A Royal Parks spokesman said: "The heavy rain saturated the ground. The fountain did not overflow. A remote-control system, which reduces water levels if there is a heavy downpour, prevents the fountain from flooding. We really do believe that the incident at the weekend, when a woman slipped over, was simply an unfortunate accident and a one-off."

August 24th
An intruder managed to come within 20 yards of the Earl of Wessex. The prince was out riding when the man managed to pass the art detection systems surrounding Balmoral. He was spotted only when he walked into a riverbank garden less than 300 yards from the castle. The man was arrested by the police but it turned out that he was only a hillwalker who had accidentally taken a wrong turn. At the time of the incident Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the Countess of Wessex and her daughter Louise were inside the castle.

A former member of the staff of the Prince of Wales is accusing his household of sex discrimination it was said by the Prince's office: "The former employee has filed a complaint alleging unfair dismissal, sex discrimination and victimisation on the grounds of sex." The Prince's office intends to contest the complaint vigorously. The former member of the staff is said to be Elaine Day, who worked as a personal assistant in the prince's staff for five years before leaving earlier this year.

August 25th
Yesterday the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam attended the Istiadat Bersuruh Pengantin Diraja ceremony at the Baitur Rahmah of Istana Nurul Iman for the royal wedding between Crown Prince Pg Muda Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah and Yang Mulia DayangKu Sarah binti Pengiran Salleh Ab Rahaman. The ceremony was also attended by some other Bruneian princes. During the ceremony the Sultan instructed a high court official to lead the delegation for the Bersuruh Diraja ceremony to the residence of the bride-to-be and to convey his wish to ask for her hand in marriage with the Crown Prince. Then the delegation left for the Darusha'adah at Kampong Beribi, the residence of the bride. There the bride's father, Yang Mulia Pengiran Salleh Ab Rahaman, conferred with the leader of the delegation to make known the acceptance of the marriage proposal on his daughter's behalf. After that the delegation went back to Istana Nurul Iman to make the outcome of the marriage proposal known. The ceremony precedes the custom of the 'Gendang Jaga-Jaga' opening, which denotes the beginning of a period of royal ceremonies. In the next two weeks several ceremonial ceremonies will be held. Other ceremonies will follow such as the Istiadat Menghantar Tanda Pengantin Diraja (where the groom's delegation will bring articles to the bride's house) Istiadat Pertunangan Diraja, Istiadat Akad Nikah (solemnisation), Istiadat Berbedak Diraja (application of powder paste to the hand), Istiadat Berinai (application of henna paste) and Istiadat Bersanding (the climax of the whole wedding ceremony, which will see both the bride and groom seated on a special dais.). Then comes the 'Istiadat Pengantin Diraja Muleh Tiga Hari,' which is performed three days after the 'bersanding' ceremony. The intention is to allow the groom to visit his parents. And lastly, there is the 'Istiadat Membaca Doa Selamat' and 'Menutup Gendang Jaga-Jaga' or thanksgiving and closing ceremony. The ceremonies, customs and rules of the royal wedding have been inherited from generations, becoming the basis of a Brunei-Malay wedding.

Emir Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah of Kuwait travelled to New York City today for routine medical tests.

August 26th
Four new sporters were chosen to represent sporters at the International Olympic Committee. Princess Haya of Jordan received 888 votes, which meant she ended up in eight place and wasn't chosen.

August 27th
Yesterday the opening of the 'Gendang Jaga-Jaga' - performance of the royal court musicians - at the Lapau ceremonial hall officially marked the beginning of the two-week long ceremonial period of the wedding of the crown prince of Brunei Darussalam. The ceremony was attended by Prince Mohamed Bolkiah. During the ceremony a 21 gunsalute rang out outside the Lapau. After the ceremony the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam was informed that the 'Gendang Jaga-Jaga' had been completed. On August 31 the Istiadat Menghantar and Menerima Tanda Diraja - where the groom's delegation brings articles to hand over to the bride's delegation - will be held. The Istiadat Menghantar and Menerima Pertunangan Diraja - held to formally certify the betrothal of the groom to the bride - will be on September 1 and the Istiadat Akad Nikah Pengantin Diraja - solemnisation - will be on September 4. On September 5 the Istiadat Berbedak Pengantin Diraja - applying powder paste - will be held, followed by the Istiadat Berinai Pengantin Diraja - applying henna leaves paste - on September 8 and the Istiadat Bersanding Pengantin Diraja - which is the climax of the Royal Wedding - and parade on September 9. It will be followed by the Istiadat Persantapan Diraja - Royal Banquet - on September 10, the Istiadat Pengantin Diraja Muleh Tiga Hari on September 12 and finally the Istiadat Membaca Doa Selamat and Menutup Gendang Jaga-Jaga - thanksgiving and closing ceremony - on September 13.

August 28th
The Istiadat Berjaga-Jaga or nightly vigil at the Istana Nurul Iman began last night. The ceremony was highlighted with a dikir presentation. A similar nightly vigil for women was held on the other part of Istana Nurul Iman in presence of several princesses from the family. At the ceremony, a dikir presentation was performed by several dikir bodies from various women associations in the country. The ceremony also highlighted various traditional indoor games such as congkak and pasang.

August 29th
Last Friday The Daily Mirror named King Mswati III of Swaziland as one of the world's 10 worst dictators in a report made in collaboration with rights groups. Today in the Times of Swaziland Prince Masitsela, palace advisor and elder brother of the King, said: "It is a typical example of a monkey who thinks it knows how domesticated animals such as goats live. We have had enough of bad reporting, it really destroys our image as a nation and that of our king."

August 30th
The Jordanian royal court today announced that Queen Rania of Jordan is expecting her fourth child. The birth is expected during the winter.

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, who will celebrate her 3rd birthday in October, will start school on September 1. Her parents registered her at the Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege, a Flemish catholic school in Brussels that has both a Kindergarten, primary and secondary school.

Gilles Dormion and Jean-Yves Verd'hurt, two French amateur archaeologists, claim to have located the secret burial chamber of the Pyramid of Cheops near Cairo, Egypt. Researchers are already investigating the site for decades, but the secret chamber has never been found. However the French researchers are being denied access to the pyramid to test their theory that the secret chamber lies underneath the pyramids so-called Queen's chamber. They suggest there is a corridor leading to a further chamber in the belly of the pyramid, which could be the elusive sepulchral room.

August 31st
From October 1st the Swedish royal court will have a new department - HRH Crown Princess Victoria's Household - which will be responsible for the coordination and implementation of the work of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine. Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg will lead the department.

Prince Ali of Jordan and his bride Rym Al-Brahimi have expressed their wish not to hold a reception on the occasion of their marriage. Instead King Abdullah II has ordered that food and livelihood provisions have to be distributed to 1000 poor Jordanian families over the next six months. Distribution has started today in the governorates and Palestinian refugee camps. The wedding will be held at King Abdullah II's residence 'Bayt Al-Urdon' in presence of the King, members of the royal family, Mr Al-Akhdar Al-Brahimi and other family members on September 7. On September 5th a lunch banquet for tribal leaders, refugee camp representatives, senior Jordanian officials and members of the diplomatic corps on the occasion of the wedding will be hosted by King Abdullah II on the grounds of Bani Hashem. The couple celebrated their engagement last April at the Parisian home of the bride's father.


Royal News: July 2004. Last updated: August 10th, 2004.