Last updated: December 31st, 2004.
December 1st
Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands died at the Universitair Medisch Centrum in Utrecht at 18:50 this evening. He was taken to hospital in the late afternoon after his situation got worse. After discussing it with Prince Bernhard no further measures were taken to keep him alive. The wish of the prince was respected. Among the family members who were at his side when he died were Queen Beatrix, Princess Irene, Princess Margriet and Pieter van Vollenhoven. Later this evening Prince Bernhard's body was taken back to Palace Soestdijk. People started already to bring flowers to the palace and to light candles. Prince Bernhard was born in Jena on June 29, 1911, as the eldest son of Prince Bernhard zur Lippe and Baroness Armgard von Sierstorpff-Cramm. In 1937 he married Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, who died earlier this year. Earlier today Queen Beatrix, her sons and daughters-in-law had attended the Prince Claus Prize ceremony at the Palace at the Dam Square in Amsterdam.
King Letsie III of Lesotho and his wife had their second daughter on November 20. The yet unnamed daughter was born at 11:00 at the Maseru Private Hospital. The couple already has a four-year-old daughter, Princess Senate. King Letsie III was thrown water at as he arrived the hospital, an age-old tradition telling the new father that the new-born is a girl. It was said the birth of the Princess may spark a new discussion over the Kingdom's order of succession, which currently only allows male heirs to the throne. The King's younger brother Prince Seeiso Seeiso - who has a one and a half year old son - remains next in line to the Basotho throne.
The engagement of Princess Sayako of Japan and Yoshiki Kuroda is to be announced officially on December 18 the Imperial Household Agency said yesterday. The announcement will be made by Toshio Yuasa, the agency's head, followed by a news conference by the couple the same day. The time and other details of the announcement will be decided on later.
Princess Aiko of Japan celebrated her 3rd birthday today. She was taken to the Imperial Palace to spend 40 minutes with her grandparents, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, along with her father Crown Prince Naruhito. Crown Princess Masako didn't accompany as she is in mourning for her grandmother who died November 19. After returning home Princess Aiko received a birthday celebration from Imperial Household Agency officials. According to the Agency the little princess has grown to 96 cm and loves to climb trees. She can now brush her own teeth and change clothes by herself. She also enjoys origami, singing and twice-weekly play sessions with other children at the palace.
The Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun said today that the Japanese government has launched discussion on revision of the Imperial House Law to allow female members of the Imperial Family to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The government is also considering whether to make changes to laws to allow female members of the Imperial family to retain their Imperial status even after they marry commoners. The Cabinet's secretariat, the Cabinet Legislation Bureau and the Imperial Household Agency plan to produce a preliminary report together on the issue and submit a bill to the Diet for approval within the next few yars following discussion with experts. The report did not cite sources. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda, the government's top spokesman said he was unaware of such movements. "I think we have to continue to look at public opinion and see how the situation develops. But I don't think it's the appropriate moment yet."
The Prince of Wales has commissioned a piece of classical music to commemorate his late grandmother, the Queen Mother. The piece, by British composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, is a 27-minute work for cello and orchestra called Reflections On a Scottish Folk song. It will be premiered by cellist Paul Watkins and the Philharmonia Orchestra, of which Prince Charles is patron. Sir Richard and his publisher, Gill Graham, visited Highgrove, the prince's home in Gloucestershire, to discuss the work and the Queen Mother. The composer said: "We talked about his grandmother a lot. I wanted to know whether she had any favourite Scottish folk songs. There weren't any in particular, but it turned out that she loved Edwardian music hall songs. She used to sing them to her grandchildren as she tucked them up in bed at night." The final work is based on the folk song Ca' the Yowes (Call the Ewes), the words to which exist in several versions by Robert Burns. Reflections On a Scottish Folksong will be premiered in early 2006, but the prince will get a preview next year at Clarence House, his London home, with Watkins playing the cello, and the composer filling in the orchestral parts at the piano.
Leanne Wood has become the first to be ordered out of the Welsh assembly chamber after calling Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain "Mrs Windsor". She said: "We are more at risk now than we have ever, ever been before and the measures outlined in Mrs Windsor's speech will not address this risk." She refused to withdraw the remark, made during a debate on the British government's proposals for Wales from the Queen's Speech. Presiding Office Lord Elis-Thomas then told her to "withdraw" for the rest of the day, and she left, accompanied by some other members of the assembly. Later she said she was treated unfairly and the expulsion was unnecessary and that "I called her that because that's her name."
December 2nd
The funeral of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands will take place on December 11 at the New Church in Delft. He will wear a uniform of the Royal Air Force. The mortal remains will be brought from The Hague to Delft on a gun-carriage. The Rev. Carel ter Linden will lead the funeral service. On his request the Prince will not be embalmed. The royal family will have court mourning until the day of the funeral. Until Christmas there will be family mourning.
In an extra edition of the Staatscourant the death of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands is announced by Queen Beatrix: "With lots of sadness I give notice that my beloved father has died. He died peacefully yesterday. My family and I feel strenghtened by the thoughts that many share this huge sadness with us. Beatrix."
Yesterday Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands had wanted to thank the Dutch for the many tokens of sympathy he received during his illness. Because of the fact that his condition quickly worsened he wasn't able to do it anymore.
In an interview with the magazine Story on his recent trip to China Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium has accused Flanders' far right political party the Vlaams Belang (formerly Vlaams Blok) of "trying to destroy our country." He said: "In our country there are people, parties such as the Vlaams Belang, which are against Belgium, and want to destroy. I can assure you that they will have to deal with me." His remarks were followed by a rebuke from Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, who reminded the prince that his constitutional role was not to get involved in the country's politics. "Even if I can imagine the prince is against certain parties that want to split the country, that does not correspond to the current and above all future constitutional role of the prince in our country," the Prime Minister said in a statement. "This role requires a certain reserve in comments, particularly about political parties, even if these parties do not want good for the future of our country." The newspapers La Derniere Heure and Het Laatste Nieuws report today that 80% of the Belgians think that the royal family is entitled to freedom of speech. 45% agreed with Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt that the prince as a member of the royal family shouldn't criticise political parties, but another 46% said he had every right to comment on individual parties. Some 55% of those polled supported the prince's views, compared to 30% who disagreed with him.
December 3rd
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said yesterday that he reiterated his belief that the public would support a woman succeeding to the Chrysanthemum throne, amid signs that the government may begin paving the way for this possibility. "Reigning empresses existed in Japan in the past. I think the public will welcome (a reigning) empress in the present day. I don't think there will be many objections," Koizumi told reporters at his official residence.
December 5th
At noon the mortal remains of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands were transferred from Palace Soestdijk to Palace Noordeinde in The Hague. He was accompanied by Queen Beatrix, Princess Irene, Princess Margriet and Pieter van Vollenhoven and Princess Christina. At noon the coffin was placed in a motor-hearse at the back of the castle. At the front of the palace the family - almost all grandchildren with partners and several great-grandchildren - stood on the steps to say goodbye and some of them cried when the car left. In front of the steps members of the staff of the palace paid their last respect to the prince. A group of eight horn-blowers blew the signal 'End of the Hunt'. In the garden honorary guards were formed by veteran soldiers and scouts. Outside the palace grounds hundreds of people waited to say goodbye. On the way to The Hague hundreds of people watched the procession. At 13:40 the procession arrived at Palace Noordeinde in The Hague. Also there hundreds of people stood outside. The coffin with the prince was wrapped in a Dutch flag and on top was a single white carnation. Tomorrow dignitaries will have the opportunity to pay their respect to the Prince. In the afternoon Pieter van Vollenhoven, the Prince of Orange, Prince Maurits and Prince Pieter-Christiaan van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven held the first vigil of half an hour at the chapelle ardente at Palace Noordeinde, wearing their uniforms. 14 of the prince's orders are placed on three cushions in front of the coffin. Left of the coffin is a wreath of the grandchildren, on the right one of the great-grandchildren. In front is a wreath of the prince's four daughters and his son-in-law. From Tuesday to Thursday the public can pay their respect at Palace Noordeinde.
Prince Harry of Wales's girlfriend Chelsy Davey has talked to the magazine The Newsoftheworld. About their recent trip to Argentina she said: "I sort of got seen at the beginning of the trip when I arrived there, but we weren't seen again after that. Harry was pretty pleased about that." The couple is preparing for a holiday together with some close friends on an island off the coast of Mozambique. "I hope we'll be able to give everyone the slip. But I doubt we'll be able to pull it off." Afterwards Chelsy and Harry hope to spend private time together before Christmas. Chelsy also said to the magazine: "It's very difficult for him to have any kind of normal relationship with anyone."
December 6th
A grey Rolls-Royce - a 40/50 horsepower Phantom II Sedanca de Ville built in 1929-30 - used by the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma was sold at auction at auction house Bonhams today for £69,700. The telephone bidder remained anonymous. The car will be taken to a European museum. Earl Mountbatten used the car to be transported from his home, Broadlands, in Romsey, Hampshire, to London.
Prince Sultan bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia died yesterday at the age of 52 following a long illness. Funeral payers were performed today after Noon prayers at Iman Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.
December 7th
Today about 11.000 people said goodbye to Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands at Palace Noordeinde in The Hague. The last people left the palace around midnight.
In a news conference yesterday Shingo Haketa, vice grand steward of the Imperial Household said about Prince Akishino's recent comments in his birthday interview: "He did not speak with any special intention; he was talking about the attitudes of members of the Imperial Family, offering constructive thoughts." Mr Haketa rejected the view that was spread in the Japanese and foreign media last week that there were spats and criticism within the Imperial Household Agency. He described the reports as "wanting something to be there even if it wasn't, and even making something up if there was nothing."
December 8th
More than 17.000 people paid their respect to Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands at Palace Noordeinde today. Like yesterday the last people passed the coffin around midnight. Sometimes the waiting time was more than 2 1/2 hour.
A Bill to allow the eldest child of a future British Sovereign to succeed to the throne, regardless of the child’s gender, was introduced in the Lords today. The bill was launched by former Labour minister Lord Dubs. The bill would also repeal the historic bar on the heir to the throne marrying a Roman Catholic.
Former royal butler Paul Burrell is ready to bury his image as Princess Diana's "rock". He is ready to reinvent himself after appearing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!. Mr Burrell told the Mirror that he was now able to move on from being seen only as the Princess' "dutiful butler. I can't erase the magical memories of life with the princess but I feel I can move on and let go now. I discovered the real me in the jungle, lost the butler and dealt with some demons. Viewers saw the real Paul Burrell." But he added that it would not be until after the British inquest into Diana's death next year that he would be able to close the door finally.
On Monday NBC TV in the USA showed a second extract from tapes made by the late Diana Princess of Wales with her voice coach Peter Settelen during the period when she was separating from the Prince of Wales. She spoke about being in love with her former police bodyguard Barry Mannakee, who was removed from royal duties two years before he was killed while riding pillion on a motorcycle. She didn't mention his name, but she spoke of falling "deeply in love with someone who worked in this environment" and added that she considered moving away from the Prince of Wales to live with him. She said she suspected that he had been "bumped off". "I was quite happy to give all this up ... I just, you know, wore my heart on my sleeve. I was only happy when he was around." Princess Diana told that the Prince of Wales had told her of his death - "the biggest blow of my life" - just before they arrived for an engagement at the Cannes film festival. The BBC reported that Sir John Stevens, the commissioner of the Metropolitan police, who is reinvestigating the circumstances of the princess's death in the Paris car crash in 1997 before an inquest is held next year, will now also re-examine Mr Mannakee's death 10 years earlier. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "All relevant evidence is being carefully considered by the commissioner." On the tapes Princess Diana said she was devastated when her mother left her father. She also told how she pushed her 'ghastly' stepmother Raine Spencer - dubbed Acid Raine - down a flight of stairs in a fit of temper at her brother's wedding in 1989. Diana says: "My father and stepmother refused to even say hello to my mother. And it got me so angry, the behaviour of these grown-ups, that I ploughed in and screamed at my stepmother and my father. I said it was very bad manners. They were just indulging themselves and this was Charles's day and Victoria's. Do we have to live in the past every time mummy walks in the house? My stepmother and I ended up having this row. And I pushed her down the stairs. Which gave me enormous satisfaction. My father didn't speak to me for six months. I had to go back and say, you know... I love you daddy, etc, etc. I was so angry. I wanted to throttle that stepmother of mine because she brought such grief."
Prince Ernst August of Hannover is mounting an appeal against his conviction last month for assault, his lawyer announced today. Since the deadline for an appeal has passed already on December 2nd, the prince is seeking special leave to go to the next highest court. On November 25 the prince was fined EUR 455,000 by a state court for causing grievous bodily harm.
The memoirs of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France and a draft copy of his unpublished were sold in Paris yesterday. The 84-page memoir recounts his early military campaigns that brought much of Europe under French rule. The Emperor wrote his memoirs between 1817 and 1820 on St Helena. The memoirs were sold to an unidentified Swiss buyer for EUR 250.000. The will was sold for EUR 110,000 to a French collector, the auction house said. The will was only recently discovered, and is believed to have never been published. The memoirs are said to contain remarkable day-to-day detail written in a vivacious style as well as numerous corrections and spelling mistakes. They were published in 1823, two years after his death.
December 9th
Infanta Cristina of Spain and her husband Iñaki Urdangarín expect their fourth child in late Spring. The couple already has three sons.
In a ceremony at the crypt of the Église de la Compassion in Paris Prince Charles-Philippe d'Orléans yesterday evening received the title of Duke of Anjou from his uncle the Count of Paris. The ceremony among others was attended by the Count and Countess of Paris, the Count and Countess of Evreux and Princess Adélaïde d'Orléans.
In a statement issued on the occassion of her 41st birthday Crown Princess Masako of Japan has talked about her illness. She said: "Over the last year there have been some rough periods, but thanks to the warm support from the Crown Prince and many other people, I feel my health is gradually improving. It will probably be some time before I can resume my official duties, but I will make every effort to recover as soon as a possible." Late 2003 the Imperial Household Agency said the Crown Princess is suffering from an 'adjustment disorder'. Doctors say she has now recovered enough strength to do simple things, although she still tires easily and has trouble sleeping.
December 10th
The Nobel prizes were handed over in Oslo and in Stockholm. The royal family of Norway attended the ceremony in Oslo without Crown Princess Mette-Marit who was ill. The Swedish royal family attended the ceremony in Sweden without Princess Madeleine who suffered from influenza.
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan plan to visit Norway and Ireland in May 2005 it was announced today. They'll visite Ireland from May 7 to May 10, and Norway from May 10 to May 14.
Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein has paid £19.045.250 for a cabinet at an auction at Christie's in London yesterday, which makes it the most expensive non-pictorial work of art ever sold at auction. The 12ft high Badminton Cabinet was made by Florentine craftsmen for the Duke of Beaufort in 1726. The cabinet will go on public display at the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna.
Prince Dimitry Romanov plans to accompany the remains of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna of Russia from Copenhagen to St. Petersburg in 2006. "I think someone from our family should accompany the remains of our relative," Romanov said Wednesday at a news conference. "I was the Romanov who escorted the remains of the last tsar's family from Yekaterinburg in 1997." Ivan Artsishevsky, head of the State Protocol Department in St. Petersburg, said the remains of the Empress may return to Russia on a navy vessel. "Princess Dagmar came to Russia on a Danish warship, and we want a reminder of that fact," he said. "Since the Danish part of the [handing over] ceremony will be performed by Danish authorities, the delivery of the remains may take place in international waters." Artsishevsky said preparations for the reburial have begun. "We work with reverence, having a clear understanding that we are touching the history of a great person, who left her country as a princess and went back as a great empress."
December 11th
At 9:40 the funeral procession of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands left Palace Noordeinde. The gun-carriage with the coffin was followed by a carriage with Prince Friso van Oranje-Nassau, Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, Prince Bernhard van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven and Bernardo Guillermo. Queen Beatrix, Princess Irene, Princess Margriet, Pieter van Vollenhoven and Princess Christina joined the procession in a carriage halfway the route. At the town hall the Prince of Orange, Princess Máxima, Pieter van Vollenhoven, Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène received family members, Dutch authorities and foreign royal guests. They all crossed the market square on foot around noon. The funeral procession arrived at the market square in Delft around 12:15. Just before the coffin was carried into the church three F-16 fighters and a Spitfire performed a Missing Man Formation above the Grand Market in Delft. At the door all grandchildren of the prince waited. The funeral service started at 12.30 and ended around 14:00. The ceremony was led by the Rev. Carel ter Linden. After the coffin was carried into the church grandchildren lit candles. By special request of the late Prince Bernhard his daughter Princess Christina sang the Mexican song 'La Golondrina'. While 'The Last Post' was being played the coffin was carried into the family vault followed by the prince's four daughters and his son-in-law. The funeral service ended with the 6th verse of the National Anthem. In the afternoon the royal family held a reception for royal guests and other invited people at Palace Noordeinde. Among the funeral guests were King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, Prince Henrik of Denmark, the Duke of Edinburgh, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg, King Albert II of the Belgians, Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein, King Constantine II of Greece, Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath of Jordan, Prince Moulay Abdullah of Morocco, Prince Kardam and Princess Miriam of Bulgaria, the Aga Khan, Duke Franz of Bavaria, Duke Max and Duchess Elizabeth in Bavaria, Landgrave Moritz von Hessen, the Duke of Parma, Prince Armin and Princess Traute as well as Prince Stephan zur Lippe, Stephan and Stephanie as well as Thilo von Watzdorf, Count Marcus and Countess Annabelle von Oeynhausen. Also Anita van Eijk and Aimée Söhngen, girlfriends of Prince Pieter-Christiaan and Prince Floris were present.
December 12th
According to the police 15.000 people lined the streets in The Hague, 14.000 people stood along the route from Palace Noordeinde to Delft, and 20.000 people were present in Delft to see the funeral of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. 3.606.000 people watched the funeral on television.
At least 17.500 people visited the New Church in Delft today to have a look at the decoration of the church for the funeral of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands that took place yesterday. Special is that the family vault hasn't been closed yet, although a curtain hides the vault itself for the people. The queues were long and sometimes people had to wait almost four hours to get inside.
December 13th
King Mswati of Swaziland has bought a luxury $500,000 Maybach 62 car with a television, DVD player, 21-speaker surround-sound system, fridge, cordless telephone and sterling silver champagne flutes. "We feel great that the king of Swaziland has chosen our product, this shows that our product has arrived. This kind of car is the super high end of the luxury segment," DaimlerChrysler South Africa's spokesperson Fanyana Shiburi told the Times of Swaziland. "Our customers are exclusive people, the super-rich, the kings and queens, oil-rich countries, North Africans and massive lottery winners." Pro-democracy organisations in Swaziland have called on the international community to apply small sanctions against the royal family. They say it is unacceptable for the monarch of a country with 70% of the population living below the poverty line to spend so much money on a vehicle.
December 14th
The Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant today published a series of interviews with the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands conducted between 2001 and 2004. The interview was only to be published after the death of the prince. In the interview the prince admits that he had two out-of-wedlock daughters: Alexia from France and Alicia from the USA. He said that his wife Queen Juliana met this two daughters and found them 'terribly sweet'. In the interview he also talks about the Greet Hofmans affair and the Lockheed affair. Questioned about his love for Queen Juliana, the prince said there was a definite percentage of love and a definite percentage of attraction. "It was a challenge to make something of it," he said.
Prince Carl Philip of Sweden was appointed lieutenant today at Karlbergs Palace.
December 15th
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende today said that the interview with the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in de Volkskrant yesterday came as a complete surprise, also for Queen Beatrix. In a debat this afternoon the Prime Minister rejected calls of members of parliament to ease the restrictions on members of the Dutch royal family making public statements. He said that the royal family already has enough room within the existing rules governing ministerial responsibility to issue statements outlining their private opinions. He asserted further that this responsibility was not a "straight jacket". Balkenende said he would not comment on the interviews further because he did not have the authority to discuss the contents of the interviews. According to a poll by View/Ture 78% of the Dutch think it was a good decision of Prince Bernhard to tell so openly about his life with the journalists of De Volkskrant. About 10% of the people find it wrong and painful for the royal family. 86% of the people say the press shouldn't search for more illegitimate children of Prince Bernhard. About 50% of the people think that the prince hasn't told everything yet. 57% says that they value the prince still the same, 32% even says that they value him more now.
New evidence suggesting Queen Victoria did have a love affair with her Highland servant John Brown is published today. A letter written by Victoria to Viscount Cranbrook on March 30, 1883, after Brown’s death likens the Queen’s feelings to becoming a widow for the second time. Victoria wrote of "her present unbounded grief for the loss of the best, most devoted of servants and truest and dearest friends". She further wrote: "Perhaps never in history was there so strong and true an attachment, so warm and loving a friendship between the sovereign and servant as existed between her and her dear faithful Brown. Strength of character, as well as power of frame – the most fearful uprightness, kindness ... combined with a tender warm heart ... made him one of the most remarkable men who could be known ..." The letter adds: "And the Queen feels that life for the second time is become (correct) most trying and sad to bear deprived of all she so needs."
Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, a great-grandson of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, has won approval to buy back the Royal Porcelain Manufacture KPM in Berlin. The company was acquired by King Friedrich the Great of Prussia in 1763 and has been a state property since the Emperor abdicated in 1918. It has been put up for sale by the city as part of a bid to reduce the German's capital's crushing debt of over EUR 50 billion. Also KPM is in big financial trouble. The tabloid Bild says the Prince plans to build a hotel on the KPM site and transform the manufacture of fine porcelain into a tourist attraction.
December 16th
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark will once again take part in an Arctic dog sled expedition in northern Greenland. In March 2005 he will join the last two weeks of a seven-week expedition that will re-enact a similar expedition nearly a century ago. The trek is being organized by the Danish Broadcasting Corp., which is making a documentary about the event. The expedition will follow the 900-kilometre trail that the Denmark Expedition left when it crossed northern Greenland in 1906-07. The 28-member party used dogs sleds as they mapped the region and three people were killed. "Our mission is not to solve the mystery about the three men's death," producer Søren Lindbjerg said. The documentary, to be aired in 2006, is "to tell the story of the Denmark Expedition."
December 17th
Former royal butler Paul Burrell says he is 'gutted' after hearing his dad sold letters from Princess Diana and Prince Charles on internet auction site eBay for up to £1,000. The notes from the Prince and Princess were written to the Burrell family in 1995 after the death of Paul's mother, Beryl. His father sold the letters on the net as he 'did not want them hanging around the house any more'. Yesterday, Paul Burrell told The Chronicle: 'It saddens me enormously that my father has, without even consulting me, placed for sale items which I thought were precious to him and of sentimental worth, not just in terms of the Princess but in terms of my late mother.' Burrell's spokesman Steve Dennis said: 'Paul is not backing his dad at all. We understand these letters were sold before he went to the jungle. The first Paul knew of this came only on Wednesday after a reporter from a national newspaper contacted him.'
The Duke of Gloucester was clocked on the A47 doing more than the 60mph limit in his Ford car on August 11 at Thorney near Peterborough. He was due to appear before Ely magistrates on Thursday but could not attend court because he had a prior arrangement to attend a memorial to his mother, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. The case will now be heard on Thursday, December 23.
December 18th
Princess Takamatsu died of blood poisoning today at 4:24am at St. Luke's International Hospital in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, at the age of 92, after having been in and out of hospital since February. She was born on December 26, 1911 in Tokyo as Kikuko Tokugawa, daughter of Prince Yoshihisa Tokugawa and a princess Arisugawa. She was a granddaughter of Yoshinobu Tokugawa, the last shogun of Japan. She married in 1928 Prince Takamatsu, a younger brother of Emperor Hirohito. The couple didn't have children. A vehicle carrying the late Princess Takamatsu's body left hospital in the morning escorted by police cars. She was taken to her home in Minato Ward. All members of the Imperial family - Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako, Prince Akishino, Princess Kiko and Princess Nori - later visited the home. The Emperor and other Imperial family members will be in mourning for five days. A funeral will be held Dec. 26 at the Toshimagaoka cemetery in Bunkyo Ward.
Princess Sayako of Japan who was set to announce her engagement today postponed the announcement until a later date due to the death of her great-aunt Princess Takamatsu, the Imperial Household Agency said.
A slice of the 1981 wedding cake of the Prince of Wales and Princess Diana as well as a rare Cuvee Dom Perignon 1961 magnum of champagne from the same event, were sold at auction. The champagne bottle fetched 1,050 pounds, while the slice of royal cake only managed 234 pounds. The cake was snapped up by a collector of Princess Diana items. The champagne bottle was bought by a collector of royal memorabilia.
December 20th
The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands cancelled a meeting with Dutch royalty journalists after reports about a new pregnancy of the princess in the newspaper De Telegraaf yesterday. The couple is angry at the newspaper and doesn't want to answer questions about the subject.
December 21st
Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg, Lord of the flower-island Mainau in Lake Constance, died peacefully today at Mainau Castle surrounded by his family. Count Lennart was 95 years old. He was born at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on May 8, 1909, as the only child of Prince Wilhelm of Sweden and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. A spokesman said: "The family is deeply moved and at the same time thankful that they have been able to have their patriarch around for so long. A fulfilled life full of success has come to an end." He is survived by his second wife Sonja, eight children, 13 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
December 23rd
The newspaper Trouw today reveals that Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands wrote two letters to Adolf Hitler days before his wedding to Princess Juliana of the Netherlands. In the letters he denied rumours about him being a traitor of his country Germany. He also asked to give back passports to German wedding guests so that they could attend the wedding.
The Duke of Gloucester has been banned from driving for six months for speeding. He also was fined £60 and ordered to pay £35 costs. He admitted doing 70mph in a 60mph zone in August on the A47 at Thorney, Cambridgeshire. The court clerk told magistrates that the offence was the Duke's fourth in three years. She said three points had been added to his licence for speeding in November 2001, three for speeding in December 2002 and three for speeding in January 2003.
Emperor Akihito of Japan has used his traditional birthday address to speak about the illness of his daughter-in-law Crown Princess Masako. About the Crown Prince's remarks earlier this year he said: "It was the first time for me also to hear it. The crown prince's words sparked speculation not based on facts and there were often days when I was downcast." He said: "It is regrettable if our respect for the independence of the crown prince and crown princess, who maintain their own independent household, has proved to be the cause of our failure to notice these various problems." He added: "I sincerely hope that in frankly conveying the hopes that they now have, the crown prince and crown princess will be able to move towards the realisation of these hopes and that this will bring them stability and brightness in their life together." Some 14.000 people had gathered in the Chowa Pavillion to hear the emperor's speech.
December 24th
Thirty-seven years after he was forced to flee Greece, former King Constantine II of Greece was received yesterday at the Irodou Atticou St. presidential palace in Athens that for some six decades served as the royal palace. The visit was only confirmed in the afternoon by President Costis Stephanopoulos’s press office. "President Stephanopoulos accepted a plea by former King Constantine to visit the presidential palace, accompanied by his wife and family members," a statement said. "During the visit, the president met the former king." Presidential sources said Stephanopoulos had agreed on 'humanitarian' grounds, and that no formalities had been observed.
December 26th
The Right Hon Sir Angus Ogilvy, husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, died today at Kingston Hospital, south west London after a long illness. He had been battled with cancer and recently suffered pneumonia. He was born on September 14, 1928 in London, as a son of the 12th Earl of Airlie and Lady Bridget Coke. In 1963 he married Princess Alexandra of Kent. The couple has two children: James and Marina. They also have two granddaughters and two grandsons. Buckingham Palace said that Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain expressed "great sorrow" when she learned of his death on Boxing Day morning. The Rev Jonathan Riviere, rector of Sandringham, said prayers for him during a service attended by the royal family at St Mary Magdalen Church on the royal Norfolk estate near Kings Lynn. No further details of his death or funeral arrangements are expected until Monday.
Princess Takamatsu was buried today at the Toshimagaoka Cemetery in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward. Some 560 people attended, including Crown Prince Naruhito and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. A hearse carrying the casket with the body of the princess left her home in Tokyo's Minato Ward shortly after 9 a.m., and passed the Imperial Palace before arriving at the cemetery.
December 27th
Bhumi Jensen, the only son of Princess Ubolratana of Thailand and Peter Jensen - the eldest daughter of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit of Thailand - died in the tsunami disaster yesterday morning. His body was found this afternoon beneath a part of ruined walls of a hotel in Phuket where he was staying. He was reportedly swept by a huge tide of tsunami to the part of the hotel building, where the walls collapsed. Princess Ubolratana herself and her youngest daughter Sirikitiya were reportedly safe. A royal private plane was flown to Phuket this afternoon by Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn to take the body of 21-year-old Bhumi Jensen back to Bangkok. The body was taken to the Grand Palace. His Majesty the King has presented a Royal coffin to his late grandson, and has accepted his grandson's funeral service under his Royal patronage for seven days.
Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg was buried in the family vault at the Schlosskirche St. Marien at Mainau during the Christmas days. The funeral was private and only attended by close family members. On January 21st the count will be remembered by the town of Konstanz with a festive ceremony at the city theater. Mainau plans a commemoration concert in Spring.
December 28th
On behalf of her parents the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands announced today: "I am very happy that now I can say to you all that in the middle of July 2005 I hope to welcome a little brother or sister. My parents are very grateful for it and happy about it. I wanted to take this opportunity also to thank for all cards and presents I received from many people from the country for my first birthday. I had a great day!"
December 29th
In an interview at Borombhimarn Hall in the Grand Palace Princess Ubolratana of Thailand told that she had never thought she was about to lose her son Bhumi Jensen as she saw him running in front of her as the waves struck. She said she was inside the Flora Hotel in Phangnga and was told to flee because of the giant waves. She ran out of the hotel along with her daughter Sirikitiya and some members of her entourage. After the waves disappeared she was asked to go to safety in Phuket. As both police escorts of her son were safe she assumed at the time that her son was allright. After hearing her son was missing she returned to Phangnga where she was joined by her brother Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn. Rescuers found her son's body finally on Monday morning. The funeral rite is being held at the Sahathai Samakom Pavilion in the Grand Palace. With tears in her eyes, Princess Ubolratana said she clipped off a lock of her son's hair to remember him by during the bathing rite. Princess Ubolratana said she felt a tragic loss. She told she had made Christmas special for her son this year by giving him one gift each day, starting on December 22. On Christmas Day he sent an SMS to her mobile phone saying he was so glad to have received a Nintendo game as a gift from his mother. The princess said that she still had one more gift left for her son and had intended to give it to him on Dec 26, the day the giant waves took his life. She said her son had been her constant companion recently. Now he was no longer by her side she would devote herself more to work. Many members of the general public turned up at Sahathai Samakom Pavilion yesterday to pay their last respects to Bhumi Jensen. Condolence books were open for signing on week days.
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial will fully reopen on May 1, 2005, ten months after it was first officially opened, The Royal Parks has announced. It will be preceded by a four-month project - due to begin on January 10 - which will include improving wheelchair access to the fountain's three bridges. Other alterations consist of replacing the existing 12mm turf around the memorial with a more robust, 35mm, wear-resistant rye grass turf. Drainage at the Hyde Park site will be also enhanced, with the installation of "rootzone slits" to enable the area to cope with extreme wet weather, and metal bars will be placed underneath the bridges to prevent anything getting trapped.
December 30th
The Imperial Household Agency today formally announced the engagement of Princess Sayako of Japan and Yoshiki Kuroda. The marriage is likely to take place after the summer of 2005. A news conference was being held after approval was given by Emperor Akihito of Japan. Imperial Household Grand Steward Toshio Yuasa said that the relationship between the Princess and Mr Kuroda had deepened since they met again in January 2003 at Prince Akishino's. However they already know each other from a young age. Following the announcement the engaged couple held a press conference. When asked about his proposal to Princess Sayako, Kuroda said he asked her to marry him this year. Princess Sayako said that her parents were happy about it when she told them: "They smiled and expressed their happiness, saying, 'Congratulations'" She also said that she and her fiance shared many values: "In terms of hobbies and interests, we are both different and don't have too many things in common, but in terms of what we value, there are many things for which we share sympathy. I think this is also one of the reasons we can feel at ease when we are together." The couple said that they want a 'quiet home' that allows them to feel at ease at as they respected each other's thoughts. After the wedding Princess Sayako is to leave the Imperial Family and become a commoner in accordance with the Imperial House Law. Commenting on the engagement Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan said: "We feel very confident about the decision of these two young people to share their lives togethre after two years of courtship."
Richard Abel Smith, son of Sir Henry Abel Smith and Lady May Cambridge (only daughter of the 1st Earl of Athlone and Princess Alice of Albany) died after a stroke on December 23 at the age of 71. He is survived by his wife Marcia, daughter Katherine and his grandchildren Amelia, George, Richard and Michael. The funeral service will take place at Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire on January 18, 2005.
Royal News: November 2004. Last updated: December 5th, 2004.