ROYAL NEWS: FEBRUARY 2006

Last updated: March 2nd, 2006.

February 1st
Buckingham Palace and the BBC today launched details of a special Garden Party for children at Buckingham Palace on June 25th as part of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain's 80th birthday events. The "Children's Party at the Palace" will celebrate British children's literature by inviting children, grandparents, parents or guardians, along with characters from Britain's favourite storybooks, to a tea party and unique entertainment show at Buckingham Palace. Characters including Tracy Beaker, Paddington Bear, Mowgli, Winnie the Pooh and the Gruffalo will be joining guests in the garden. At 6pm, Sophie Dahl, granddaughter of Roald Dahl, will appear on stage to introduce a specially written show for all the nation to watch live on the BBC. Mary Poppins, the White Rabbit and Captain Hook will also be starring along with the Royal Ballet who will create a Beatrix Potter vignette. All children living in Great Britain aged between 4 and 14 are invited to apply from today through a national ballot by logging on to http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc. 2,000 children and 1,000 adults (parents/grandparents or guardians) will then be selected to attend the party.

About 40 Japanese lawmakers have joined a rally in Tokyo to protest against government plans to allow women to ascend to the throne. Some 1200 people attended. Former Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma told supporters that the move could dilute the imperial line. "If Aiko becomes the reigning empress, and gets involved with a blue-eyed foreigner while studying abroad and marries him, their child may be the emperor," he told the rally at a Tokyo hall. "We should get united and prevent the Cabinet from submitting legislation to parliament," he said. "We'll do our best to preserve the authentic tradition and culture and protect our nation." Prince Tomihito repeated his misgivings today in the Sankei Shimbun: "It would be troublesome to make a decision by going down to the level of recognizing that 'Princess Aiko is adorable' or 'Princess Masako would be freed from the pressure to produce an heir.'"

King Gyanendra of Nepal has refused to give up his year-old direct rule of the country as demanded by the seven-party opposition alliance and has reiterated that elections will be conducted to all representative bodies in the country by mid-April 2007. In his address to the nation this morning the king said there has been significant improvement in the security and governance situation in the country over the last year. In his address King Gyanendra said, "We are confident that a road-map of consensus will forever end all possibilities of resurgence of violence and terrorism in our motherland, which will otherwise put at risk the universally acclaimed multiparty democracy and hurt the self-respect of Nepal and the Nepalese people."

Today's Bild had an article on the engagement of 35-year-old Duchess Rixa von Oldenburg and 23-year-old Philipp Medow. The engagement took place already in November 2005. The couple met at a wedding in Hamburg about one year ago, and met again at a pizzeria in Hamburg in September 2005. At the moment they live together.

February 2nd
The programme for the two-day celebration of the 60th birthday of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has been announced. The festivities begin already on April 28, when 100 youngsters from Fryshuset, a Stockholm-based youth foundation, take part in a workshop with the king in the Bernadotte Library at the Royal Palace. On April 30 the celebration starts with the King and Queen attending a service in the palace chapel. Between 12.30pm and 1pm children will have the opportunity to meet the king before he steps out onto the Lion Terrace to be congratulated by the crowd on Norrbro, the bridge linking the palace to Gustav Adolf square. Thousands of well-wishers are expected to gather to hear the military music and choir singing which will be performed for the king. Afterwards the King and Queen will travel in a horse-drawn carriage to the city hall for a late lunch with members of parliament. In the evening there will be a concert in Rikssalen, the State Room, with 300 guests, among them royals. After the concert, the whole audience will join the king for dinner.

King Albert II of the Belgians underwent an eye operation at the Antwerp University Hospital today. The operation was successful and the king has since returned to Belvédère Castle. The royal palace said King Albert underwent a cataract operation and that it was a relatively minor procedure.

February 3rd
Prince Sverre Magnus has been in hospital last week. According to the magazine Se og Hør he was brought to hospital because of dehydration. The royal palace confirmed that he has been in hospital, but said there was nothing dramatical.

February 4th
According to several Japanese weekly magazines Crown Princess Masako of Japan is so weighed down by depression and the demands of Imperial life that she wants a divorce. They say that after 13 unhappy years in the Imperial Palace the Crown Princess has had enough and is looking for a way out of her marriage to Crown Prince Naruhito. The Imperial Household dismisses the speculation. "There are very few people who actually say the words divorce but they think it,"said Yagi Hidetsugu, an associate professor at Takasaki Keizai University in a weekly magazine article this week. "Her withdrawal from the imperial family would certainly solve a lot of problems."

On Wednesday relatives and friends of Carol Mircea Hohenzollern, eldest son of King Carol II of Romania, said goodbye. Among the people attending were his wife Antonia, his sons Paul and Alexander, as well as his daughter-in-law Lia. The funeral service took place in the Romanian orthodox church, hosted in an Anglican church on Fleet Street, and it was conducted in both Romanian and English. The casket was open during the ceremony, according to the Orthodox tradition. It is still unclear where in Romania he will be buried, according to his last whishes, as talks with the authorities are ongoing. This is a complicated issue.

King Leka I of Albania has declared that he would withdraw from public life and stay out of politics, Albanian Daily News reported yesterday. "Considering the political situation in Albania, I withdraw from the public life, and stay out of politics, like as the other European royal families do," he said through a press release. "It is in the great interest of the Albanian state and its people. And it will serve the country and the people well."

February 5th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain marked the 54th year of her reign and the anniversary of the death of her father King George VI by attending the Sunday service at a Sandringham church. The Duke of Edinburgh accompanied her. During the morning service the Queen presented 17 Sunday school pupils with awards for good attendance.

According to the Sunday Mirror 23-year-old Prince William of Wales is expected to propose to his girlfriend 24-year-old Kate Middleton this spring and Kate has indicated she will accept. A formal announcement will be made by Buckingham Palace shortly afterwards. Prince William has already asked that Kate have her own protection officer - something she would normally get only after their engagement. Courtiers are also planning to ease Kate into royal life by arranging a series of engagements where the couple will appear side by side. One said: "Wills has spoken privately to the Queen about his feelings. She's been very impressed by Kate and is looking at the possibility of giving them a joint royal engagement to see how she copes. It's a matter of finding the right one." Family friends say the young couple, who have been dating since the end of 2003, have discussed the subject together and with their parents. It is believed both Prince Charles and William have also raised the issue with Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Princess Beatrice of York is to celebrate her 18th birthday with a glittering Pride And Prejudice-themed party at Windsor Castle. The British royal family traditionally wait until their 21st birthdays for a major celebration. But because of Beatrice's unusual birthdate - she was born at 8.18pm on 8/8/1988 - her family has agreed to an 18th celebration instead. Guests, including Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the Prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry, will be expected to dress as characters from the Jane Austen novel. And Beatrice herself is likely to opt for the character of Austen's most-loved heroine, Elizabeth Bennet.

Felicia Juliana Bénedicte Barbara van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven, daughter of Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène van Oranje-Nassau, Van Vollenhoven, was christened today in private in the chapel of Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn. She was born on 31 May, 2005. Her godparents were Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, Prince Floris van Oranje-Nassau, Van Vollenhoven and Barbara Ruding. The service was led by The Rev. N.M.A. ter Linden and Father G.Th. Oostvogel.

February 6th
There are already bets that Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, who turns 80 this year, is going to retire this year. However a royal aide told The People newspaper: 'As far as the queen is concerned, abdication is not an option and never will be. She believes that her vows at the Coronation in 1953 tie her into the job for life - it is her constitutional duty to remain monarch until her death. With the queen's family history of long life that could mean Charles will be a very old man before he inherits the job for which he has been groomed all his life." David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, today called for for Parliament to curtail the ability of the Prime Minister to use the Royal Prerogative to declare war or sign international treaties without first consulting MPs. Royal Prerogatives are a series of powers officially held by the Queen that have been passed to the government of the day. They enable decisions to be taken without the backing of, or consultation with, Parliament. They range from the appointment and dismissal of ministers to the making of treaties and the accreditation of diplomats.

A twenty-one gun salute was fired this afternoon to mark the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain today. The commemoration took place on Edinburgh Castle's Mills Mount Battery at midday.

The Japanese Imperial Household Agency announced that Empress Michiko of Japan has cancelled a visit to an imperial villa in Hayama after feeling faint. She had been scheduled to visit Hayama with Emperor Akihito from Monday to Friday, according to the agency. She has experienced bouts of faintness since the end of last October, but regular checkups in late January showed no major health problems, it said. The agency added that she is expected to resume her regular duties mid February.

Former King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, their children Pavlos - with his wife Marie-Chantal - Alexia and Nikolaos arrived in Athens on Sunday. Princess Irene of Greece and Queen Sofia of Spain, with the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Infanta Elena, Infanta Cristina and her husband Iñaki Urdangarín arrived on Monday. They visited Athens to conduct a memorial service at the graves of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece at Tatoi, on the 25th death anniversary of Queen Frederica. Queen Frederica died on February 6, 1981. Some photos

The dream of 47-year-old Prince Hubertus zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg has ended. The Mexican Olympic Committee doesn't want to send him to the Olympic Winter Games in Turin that start next week. He would have been the only Mexican competitor. This ski-season he collected enough FIS-points to be allowed to compete in the Olympics. Prince Hubertus took already part in the Olympic Winter Games of 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1994. He missed the games in 2002 because he didn't have enough FIS-points. He said: "I have worked towards this event for three years, have all my qualification points and a few days before the games they announce, that they don't send me. That is irritating." As last hope he now sees a direct intervention of the International Olympic Committee.

February 7th
Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway was taken to hospital today, the royal court confirmed this evening. "He has a respiratory infection, but this is completely undramatic", Sven Gjeruldsen said. Prince Sverre Magnus was already taken to hospital a week ago ago because of dehydration.

A computer belonging to Lord Stevens, who leads the inquiry into the death of Diana Princess of Wales, has been stolen in a burglary. A source close to Lord Stevens confirmed computer equipment had been stolen, including a laptop and personal papers, in two raids within a week at his office in Gosforth, Newcastle. But the source said: "The Operation Paget inquiry has not been compromised."

Princess Kiko of Japan, wife of Prince Akishino, second son of Emperor Akihito, is pregnant with her third child, the Imperial Household Agency announced today. Agency chief Shingo Haketa announced that Princess Kiko has "shown signs of pregnancy." The baby is expected to be born around September or October. The couple already has two daughters: Mako (14) and Kako (11). When the baby is a boy, he will be third in line to the throne after Crown Prince Naruhito and Prince Akishino under the current law which allows only male heirs who have emperors on their fathers' side to reign. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said today he will make efforts to ensure a bill to allow females and their descendants to succeed to the imperial throne is enacted at the current ordinary Diet session. "I think it is anything but too early to enact the bill during the current session," Koizumi told a House of Representatives Budget Committee session. "I think we should allow females and their descendants to reign, for the sake of the imperial system, which is Japan's symbol, for a stable imperial succession," he said.

Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah of Kuwait today appointed his brother Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah as the new crown prince and heir. A nephew, Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah, was named the new prime minister. The latest move effectively does away with a long-held political tradition that the position of the emir and other top posts should rotate between the family's two wings. Sheikh Sabah, Sheikh Nawaf and Sheikh Nasser are all members of the Jaber clan of the Sabah dynasty.

February 8th
The Imperial Household Agency has begun preparation activities for Princess Kiko of Japan's childbirth, which is expected this fall, such as by installing a nursery at her palace in Tokyo. They also plan to select a nurse to attend the princess. The agency will formally announce her pregnancy possibly by the end of February after her doctor at Tokyo's Maternal & Child Health Center Aiiku Hospital confirms the development of the fetus.

A day after it was announced that Princess Kiko of Japan is pregnant Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan has indicated he may no longer speed a bill through parliament to allow female royal succession. "I want to proceed cautiously so as not to make this a political tool," Mr Koizumi said of the controversial bill. Mr Koizumi had earlier pledged to propose the bill to parliament by June.

Archeologists who have been digging for more than a year at the villa of Roman Emperor Hadrian in Tivoli, northeast of Rome, Italy, have unearthed a monumental staircase, a statue of an athlete and what appears to be a headless sphinx. The findings were presented yesterday by government officials. The discoveries are described as extremely important for understanding the layout of the ruins. The staircase is believed to be the original entrance to the villa, which was built for the Roman Emperor in the 2nd century AD. So far, 15 steps, each about eight metres wide, have been identified and archeologists did not rule out uncovering more.

February 9th
69-year-old Lebanese Mahmoud Fustok, brother-in-law of King Abdullah bin Abdul Azis al-Saud of Saudi Arabia was struck by a SUV on Wednesday afternoon around 12.45pm while jogging with a friend near the Pompano Beach Pier, Florida, USA. He died at North Broward Medical Center. Investigators with the Broward Sheriff's Office said the driver lost control of his truck and hit Mr Fustok and his friend and then crashed into the side of a fire station building. Mr Fustok was the owner of Buckram Oak Farm thoroughbred breeding and racing. His body was to be flown to Saudi Arabia by the family for burial.

A new constitution endorsing the autocratic rule of King Mswati III of Swaziland came into force in Swaziland yesterday by royal decree. The fundamental law took nine years to draft and preserves the king's sweeping powers and maintains a ban on opposition parties.

February 10th
The opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, tonight was attended by several royals. Among them were King Juan Carlos of Spain, King Harald V of Norway, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg with their daughter Alexandra, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, the Princess Royal, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, the Duke and Duchess of Savoy.

The 118th International Olympic Committee Session today voted to elect five new IOC members, one IOC Vice-President and two Executive Board members. Among the new IOC members was Prince Tunku Imran of Malaysia, President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan today indicated he has given up a plan to submit to the current Diet session a bill to allow women to succeed to the Chrysanthemum throne, following the news of Princess Kiko's pregnancy earlier this week. Asked if he still maintains the plan, Mr Koizumi told reporters at his official residence, "We can make a decision after closely examining" developments on the matter within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The remarks signal that revision of the Imperial House Law is no longer likely during Koizumi's administration, as the premier has reiterated he will stand down as premier in September, when his term as LDP president expires.

American archaeologists have made the first discovery of a tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings since that of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was uncovered in 1922, Egypt's antiquities chief announced. The 18th-dynasty tomb included five mummies in intact sarcophagi with coloured funeral masks along with more than 20 large storage jars, sealed with pharaonic seals, said Zahi Hawass, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The new tomb is a single chamber, meaning it was probably intended for a single mummy, he said. Other sarcophagi - or even all of them - may have been put in at a later time. Mr Hawass did not specify who was believed buried in the tomb. He was due to visit the site today to announce more details. A University of Memphis team found the tomb four metres below ground, five metres from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

February 11th
To celebrate the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, her gowns and gems are to go on display at Buckingham Palace from July 26 to September 24. The exhibition will include highly personal pieces. One of the major attractions will be the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara. The exhibition will include 80 evening gowns, worn by the Queen for official engagements and private events over seven decades, many designed by the British couturiers Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies. In a separate exhibition at Windsor Castle, photographs of the Queen's public and family life will be on display in the Drawings Gallery from April 3, 2006 to March 11, 2007. See: Glittering gowns and dazzling diamonds at Buckingham Palace this summer

The Prince of Wales's plans to prevent the reporting of sensitive evidence in his forthcoming court case against the Mail on Sunday would be like staging Hamlet without the prince, a High Court judge was told yesterday by Desmond Browne, representing various media organisations. Hugh Tomlinson, for the prince, said: "We are seeking very limited restraint over a small amount of confidential material." Mr Bolland's witness statement did not contain "explosive material". Lawyers for the prince are seeking to have part of the evidence from Mark Bolland, his former deputy private secretary, heard in private. Mr Bolland is to be a key witness for the newspaper. The main hearing is set for February 21.

The blond woman accompanying Prince Albert II of Monaco during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Wintergames yesterday evening was identified as 28-year-old South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock. She competed in the Olympic Summer Games of 2000.

Archduke Philipp of Austria married Mayasuni Heath today at 11.00am in Maria Plain near Salzburg, Austria.

February 12th
The Mainichi Daily news reports that English language documents offering recommendations on how Emperor Hirohito of Japan should behave in the early postwar period have been found in the Gakushin library together. Among the recommendations Allied Occupation authorities made to Emperor Hirohito were to come in direct contact with ordinary citizens, attend musical recitals and learn English. The papers listing GHQ's recommendations were found among other documents related to the Emperor's declaration that he was a human. He had been regarded as a living god in Japan until Jan. 1, 1946. It remains unknown whether the Allied proposals were followed. Nonetheless, actions undertaken by members of the Imperial Family around the time suggest they had taken note.

February 13th
The Althorp House estate - where Diana Princess of Wales is buried - has been opened up by her brother, Earl Spencer, for weddings, private parties and corporate events. Anyone with a budget of £50,000 will be able to tie the knot in the room where the Earl married his second wife Caroline, and then spend the night in the bedroom where Princess Diana once slept with her husband, the Prince of Wales.

Empress Michiko of Japan has returned to her official duties today after a one-week break due to dizzy spells. She had been suffering dizzy spells for unknown reasons since October when the decision was made last week to cancel her official duties. "Her majesty's condition has much improved, the dizzy spells are much lighter," said a spokeswoman for the Imperial Household Agency.

Prince Bernhard and Princess Stephanie von Baden had their third son on Sunday. The baby was born at the Elisabethen-Krankenhaus in Ravensburg at 10.40am. Prince Bernhard said: "I am very happy and am very thankful, that my wife and our child are healthy and doing well." Traditionally the name of the baby will only become known when he is baptised. His brothers were named Leopold and Friedrich.

February 14th
Sarah Forsyth, a former art teacher at Eton College who accused Prince Harry of Wales of cheating, and claimed she ghost-wrote his A-level course work, has been awarded £45,000 in damages.Last July she won her case for unfair dismissal against the school, during which she said she had written the text to accompany the paintings the prince submitted for his A-level art project. The employment tribunal investigating the claims found no evidence of cheating, but it accepted the prince had received help in preparing his A-level "expressive" project, which he needed to pass to secure his place at Sandhurst. Yesterday, the college released a statement, announcing the parties had reached an agreement and "proceedings between them are now concluded".

Prince Tomohito of Japan has developed cancer in the throat and will undergo surgery on Monday at the National Cancer Center in Tokyo, the Imperial Household Agency said today. He was diagnosed as having an early stage of cancer after signs of cancer in the upper part of the throat were found during a regular checkup at the center on February 7. The prince will enter the center Friday. He will cancel official duties for a while, the agency said. The prince had seven operations to remove tumors from his esophagus and tongue between 1991 and 2003. He has written a book about his cancer history.

February 15th
Robert Stansfield, a reporter for the Daily Mirror, has been arrested by police at Buckingham Palace on Friday evening after a job interview for the Royal Household. He has been released on bail until March. The Daily Mirror said he had been "engaged in a legitimate journalistic enterprise", testing staff recruitment procedures. A Daily Mirror spokeswoman said: "Following the paper's 2003 expose of security surrounding the Royal Family, [the reporter] was instructed to test the robustness of current procedures for staff recruitment by applying for a job as a member of the household. We're pleased to see that the palace has learned the lessons of our previous investigation and since tightened its security procedures." A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said it did not comment on security matters.

The Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi, India, has clarified that comments by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark about the Islam have been mistranslated. A British newspaper said that in a biography published in 2005 Queen Margrethe had said: "We must show our opposition to Islam." However what she actually had said was: "there should always be a counter-balance". It was also said that the sentence was brought in a context where Queen Margrethe voices concern about the rising influence of the totalitarian side of Islam and not Islam as such.

Doña Ana Maria de Mora y de Aragón Duchess of Lécera, sister of Queen Fabiola of Spain, died on 11 February in Madrid. Queen Fabiola attended the funeral on 12 February.

The Italian crown jewels, which have been in a vault since the last king Umberto II left the country in 1946 may soon be on public display. Mario Draghi, governor of the Bank of Italy, said that only a few legal questions have to be settled. King Umberto II deposited the Savoy Treasure at the bank when Italians voted to abolish the monarchy. Along with the chest, he left a note saying "To be returned to the rightful owner." The king did not say whether the rightful owner was his family or the Italian people. One of the King's daughters, Maria Gabriella, told the Corriere della Serra this week that she does not want the jewelry back. She hopes that her family treasure will become part of a permanent exhibit like the British crown jewels in the Tower of London.

February 16th
Crown Princess Masako of Japan made a rare appearance today to see bonsai trees. Together with her husband Crown Prince Naruhito she visited bonsai plum trees and other miniature potted plants at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. It was their first joint appearance since July last year when the royal couple attended the World Exposition.

Kyara van Ellinkhuizen, who expects a child with the Duke of Aosta, told the press that the baby will be a girl. She will call her Ginevra. Pre-birth examinations have shown that the girl has Down Syndrome.

February 17th
Lord Frederick Windsor will take part in a new kind of 'I'm a Celebrity' reality show. The three-part reality show will recreate the 10-day journey taken by the survivors of the 1972 crash in the Andes mountains. The tale inspired the hit 1993 film, Alive.

Prince Leopold zu Schaumburg-Lippe died on 25 January in Bad Waldsee. He was born in Nachod on 21 February 1910 as son of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm zu Schaumburg-Lippe and his second wife Princess Antoinette von Anhalt. He was unmarried.

February 18th
Jörg Sommerlath, elder brother of Queen Silvia of Sweden, died today of stomach cancer at a Hospital in Aachen, Germany. He was born on 3 February 1941. Queen Silvia had been with him in the past days and had cancelled a visit to the Olympic Wintergames in Turin, Italy. King Carl XVI Gustaf has left Turin and arrived in Aachen today. Jörg Sommerlath leaves behind his wife Simone and daughters Helena and Vivian.

The Royal Court of Jordan on Wednesday announced the birth of a baby boy named Arif to Princess Rahma bint Al Hassan of Jordan and her husband, Alaa Batayneh.

February 20th
A spokesman for the Romanov Family Association confirmed Monday that Russian prosecutors had refused to recognize Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family, executed by Bolsheviks in 1918, as victims of political repression. Alexander Zakatov said that in response to a request from Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna to exonerate Nicholas II, the Prosecutor General's Office claimed, "there is no credible evidence proving the existence of any official decisions by judicial or non-judicial bodies to exert politically-motivated repression" against Russia's last monarch and members of his inner circle. According to Zakatov, the lack of a reference to specific regulatory acts to substantiate the refusal suggests that the prosecutors' decision was "made based not on the law, but on some other considerations, unknown to us." The request from Maria Vladimirovna, a daughter of the last grand duke in the Romanov dynasty, has yet to be considered by a high court, the spokesman said.

February 22nd
The Prince of Wales cannot complain about his journals being published because he does not shy away from airing political views, Mark Warby QC, representing the Mail on Sunday told the High Court. Mr Warby told the court the publication of the prince's views were in the public interest. "This case is about politics, political opinion and the role of the heir to the throne in relation to these issues," he said. The prince, counsel said, was "not a person who has acted with discretion or reticence" in expressing views on political matters. "These journals are not what he did on his holidays," he added. "They are records of public events in which he engaged as a public servant. We say the nub is the prince's status and conduct. It is not open to him to complain when the public is told of the fact he is circulating political opinions and what his opinions are." Mr Warby said there was evidence the journals had been circulated to influence opinion and suggested they amounted to an expression of "political hostility". The remarks follow the release of a witness statement by Mark Bolland, former private secretary of the Prince of Wales. The statement contains revelations from the former private secretary about the prince's views. Mr Bolland said the Prince of Wales viewed himself as a "dissident" working against political opinion.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have reduced the price of their Gloucestershire home, Nether Lypiatt Manor, by £500,000 in an attempt to attract a buyer nine months after they began trying to sell the property. They put the manor on the market last May, asking for offers of more than £6 million.

The six ravens at the Tower of London have been taken inside as protection against the bird-flu virus spreading across Europe. Britain so far has been spared, but caretakers are taking no chances - legend holds that the British monarchy will fall if the ravens leave the tower.

Three photographers who chased Diana Princess of Wales on the journey in which she died have been fined one euro by a Paris appeals court. The appeals court fined them the symbolic 68p, split between the three of them, in a ruling last Friday, with the announcement of the ruling delayed for a few days. The court also ordered them to pay for the publication of announcements of the conviction in three newspapers or magazines. The one euro will be paid to Mohammed Al Fayed who filed the invasion of privacy complaint.

The 147 foot steel megayacht Zein, formerly owned by the late Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, is for sale through internet-based yacht brokerage Baja Yachts. The Zein was built by Camper & Nicholson, in 1928, as the Monica and has an interesting history, having served as a submarine hunter during World War II, before being acquired by Aristotle Onassis, who presented the yacht to the Prince and Princess of Monaco as a wedding present and, renamed Deo Juvante II. The yacht was used for their Mediterranean honeymoon cruise.

February 23rd
In a TV interview that is to be screened by CBS later this month, Mohammed Al-Fayed claims that security service MI6 engineered the car smash in Paris in which Diana Princess of Wales and his son Dodi died — then covered it up. He said chasing paparazzi photographer James Andanson, who was secretly working for MI6, deliberately crashed his car into their Mercedes. And he insisted the alleged operation was carried out on the orders of the Duke of Edinburgh — because he disapproved of the Princess's relationship with Dodi. In the interview he further claims the Duke of Edinburgh is a Nazi and a gangster, that Princess Diana was pregnant when she died, that the Duchess of Cornwall looks like a crocodile and that he lives in fear that MI6 agents will now kill him. He also said he has faith that Lord Stevens’s investigation will come to the right conclusion.

The Public Prosecutor Luxemburg announced yesterday that Prince Jean of Luxemburg is not guilty in the 'Bommeleeër' case. The Prince has voluntarily taken part in a DNA-test. The test didn't correspond with the traces found on the place of crime. Among the crimes of the supposed bombers are a dozen of explosive attacsk in Luxemburg between 1984 and 1986. No people were hurt. A witness, who was found by RTL Lëtzebuerg had accused Prince Jean. In a discussion with Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker he should have said that he had seen the car of the Prince on the day of the attack on the airport Findel at the place of crime. Prince Jean has proven that on the day of the attack he was a guest at a hunting-party in the French Department Loir et Cher by showing pictures and letters.

On the occasion of his 46th birthday Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan held a news conference. He said Crown Princess Masako was recovering from her illness steadily. He expressed hope for Crown Princess Masako's future activities, saying he thought it would be good if she could find something to do using her past experience. "Masako is making efforts in compliance with the course of treatment provided by doctors. I also plan to continue to support her," Crown Prince Naruhito said. The crown prince said that their daughter, Princess Aiko, had come to show consideration for those around her. When Crown Princess Masako was down with a cold on the evening of her birthday, he said Princess Aiko had brought a birthday cake into her bedroom. He added that Princess Aiko had taken an interest in sumo, and enjoyed playing around in sumo bouts with her parents. When asked how good Princess Aiko was at remembering the names of the sumo wrestlers, he said, "Frankly, I can't match her." Princess Aiko also likes watering vegetables everyday at the Crown Prince's residence, and gives some of the results to her grandparents. He said he thought Princess Aiko's training in her duties as a member of the Imperial household will begin "a little later," citing his own childhood experiences. He also said he was happy to hear of signs that Princess Kiko, the wife of his brother, Prince Akishino, was pregnant. "For us it's a very happy occasion." He said that when Prince Akishino had contacted him by telephone, he had told him, "That's great. Take care." He would not comment on a government panel proposal to revise the Imperial House Law so females can ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne. "As (Princess Aiko's) parent, I have various thoughts, but I would like to refrain from commenting further," he said.

February 24th
The Imperial Household Agency has now officially announced that Princess Kiko of Japan is three months pregnant and is expected to give birth in late September. They said she is in a stable health condition. The agency is planning to form a team of doctors to prepare for the birth of the baby. The agency urged media to exercise "good sense and restraint" in reporting about the princess.

Next week's christening of Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway has prompted a surprising number of European royals to make the trip to Oslo. More than 250 guests are expected, and among them will be more people with royal titles than ever before at a Norwegian christening, reports newspaper VG, noting that such a royal gathering hasn't been seen since Princess Martha Louise married Ari Behn four years ago. The royal guests will include Queen Margrethe, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, like Princess Maxima of The Netherlands. The entire Norwegian royal family will be in attendance, including Princess Ragnhild and Princess Astrid and their families.

February 25th
Letters from Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain to her first cousin Diana Bowes-Lyon, who died 20 years ago, written between 1942 and 1948 will be sold on March 8 by Dominic Winter Book Auctions in South Cerney, Gloucestershire. The letters have been in private ownership for 30 years and are estimated to sell for £10,000. In the correspondence she discusses family, friends and the hardships of the war. The letters also reveal the Queen's growing feelings for her present husband. The first reference is in a letter from Windsor Castle, dated November 30, 1943, when she was 17. “It’s such fun watching one’s friends getting engaged isn’t it? (not that I wish to get engaged myself! Oh! No!) I am now the proud possessor of a very large photograph of Philip, which stands on the mantelpiece and glowers at me. I had to go through a lot of ragging when it arrived, though I admit Mummy said, ‘He is a goodlooking boy’, at which I agreed!“

February 26th
This morning the Prince of Orange, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands and their daughters Amalia and Alexia posed during a photosession in Lech, Austria. They will stay in Lech for the next two weeks. Little Amalia stole the show. Although she is still too young to learn how to ski, she will surely be out in the snow a lot.

The inquiry into the Paris car crash that killed Diana Princess of Wales, headed by Lord Stevens, is trying to obtain the files about Henri Paul from the French secret service, after having heard he was working for the French secret service, but is being delayed by the reluctance of the authorities to hand them over. They want to see the files to establish whether Mr Paul was doing any work for the French intelligence on the night of the crash. Furthermore the inquiry has been told blood tests from Mr Paul were either faked or came from another dead man. Carbon monoxide (CO) levels apparently found in Mr Paul's blood must have come from a suicide victim killed by inhaling exhaust fumes. One source said: "There has been talk that the gas levels in the Paul blood sample would have incapacitated him. But they miss the point. They would have killed him."

February 27th
Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, a cousin of Emperor Akihito of Japan, had an operation on Tuesday to remove throat cancer at Kyorin University Hospital in western Tokyo, the Imperial Household Agency said. He had been diagnosed with exhibiting an early stage of throat cancer after signs of cancer were detected during a regular checkup on February 7. It was his seventh operation to remove cancer. In the past, the prince had tumors removed from his esophagus, tongue and throat.

German Lukyanov, lawyer of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, said: “We have repeatedly sent documents to the Prosecutor General’s office addressed to the Prosecutor General with the request to send the rehabilitation case [of Russia's last Tsar Nikolai II and his family] to court with a summary of the Prosecutor’s Office”. He cited an article of the law on rehabilitation of victims of political reprisals, according to which a rehabilitation case, if it is turned down, must be sent for a court review. Several members of the Imperial House of Russia appealed for rehabilitation of Nikolai II and members of his family, who were shot to death in Yekaterinburg in 1918, on December 1, 2005. On February 13, they got an answer denying the rehabilitation because of the absence of juridical reasons. “There is no accurate evidence of the existence of any official court or non-court decisions on using against the dead political repressions for political motives, as rehabilitation legislation requires, which does not allow us recognising the dead as victims of political repressions and making a decision on their rehabilitation,” the prosecutors answered. Meanwhile, the lawyer said that the answer from the Prosecutor General’s Office did not cite any law norms. “It is unknown for the modern society for what reasons the refusal has come”. He further said: “We also ask the Prosecutor-General to answer for what reasons the case has not been sent to court, as Russia is a democratic law-ruled state.”

February 28th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has switched to working a three-day week as she nears her 80th birthday. The move - which began last week - allows her to continue in the job she loves as Head of State, while at the same time taking account of her age. She will now work from Monday lunchtime to midday on Thursday and take extended weekends off at Windsor. The burden of many of her official duties has been taken on by other family members, including the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal. Senior regal sources insist the new arrangements are not a sign that the queen is preparing for 'semi-retirement' or to hand over power to Prince Charles. One source insisted: 'The move is not a sign of frailty but simply common sense and self preservation.' The queen will continue to carry out public engagements and will occasionally work on Fridays and Monday mornings. Her official spokesman admitted there is now 'flexibility' in the official schedule, but added: 'Her programme will continue to be produced in accordance with her age and commitments.'

The Royal Palace in Norway has announced that Prince Sverre Magnus will have seven godparenst. They are: Queen Sonja of Norway, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, Princess Rosario of Bulgaria, Espen Høiby, Bjørn Steinsland and Marianne Gjellestad.

In a letter to Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn's lawyer Mr Vos, Mr Kemper the lawyer of Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme demands that Margarita's (former) husband gives back the tape with a conversation between Margarita and her aunt Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. He also should never speak about the relationship between Margarita and her family again. He also should never write a book about Margaritagate. The publishing of confidential information from Margarita should be a violation of the personal sphere of life of the Princess, who also demands that Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn confirms that she never gave DNA-material to let it be examined. Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn is not impressed and says he wants to move to a country where the free word is better protected. Later today Princess Margarita said via her lawyer that she finds it 'afterwards improper' she made a recording of a conversation with her aunt Queen Beatrix and let it hear to others. She also said she never gave DNA-material.


Royal News: January 2006. Last updated: February 4th, 2006.