ROYAL NEWS: FEBRUARY 2007

Last updated: March 1st, 2007.

February 1st
The Golden Palace of Nero in Rome will partly reopen to visitors on February 6 it was said yesterday. Guided tours contain no more than 20 people and visitors are required to wear helmets. Archaeologist Irene Pignatelli said: "The aim of this type of visit is to show how the residence can be assaulted (by weather), how to intervene and what happens after the restoration."

February 2nd
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark will undergo surgery on her right knee on 8 February at Århus Hospital by Dr. Anders Odgaard. She had a surgery on her left knee there last June. She will thereafter return to Amalienborg. It is expected engagements in the next one to two months have to be cancelled or to be carried out by Prince Henrik or Crown Prince Frederik.

Archaeologists have uncovered Imperial Standards, lances, and glass spheres believed to be the lost treasure of the last pre-Christian emperor Maxentius at Palatine Hill in Rome.

February 3rd
Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau, daughter of Prince Friso and Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau was christened in private at Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague today. She was christened according to the order of service of the Amsterdam Student ecclesia by Huub Oosterhuis. Like her elder sister Luana she will not be registered at a church denomination as the parents will leave this important decision to Zaria. The godparents were the Prince of Orange, Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, Ruben Abeling, Nicoline Wisse Smit and Maria Lux Luano. See Photo 1 and Photo 2.

February 4th
The Duchess of York, will become the American Cancer Society's Mother of the Year this week. When she was asked whether she would like to receive the award, Ferguson said she first talked to her children, who told her that of course she should. "I can safely say one of the best things I've done is be a good mother,"the Duchess said.

Prince Hans Adam II and Princess Marie of Liechtenstein and their family were received by Pope Benedict XVI yesterday.

February 5th
Former King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia has called on members of the royal family not to oppose the ruling party in Cambodia and said that all members of the royal family should stay away from politics.

February 6th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain today marked the 55th anniversary of her accession to the throne in private on her Norfolk estate of Sandringham, where she arrived yesterday evening after having visited the Netherlands. The Queen visited the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Furthermore she and the Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, attended a special ceremony at the 400-year-old English Reformed Church at the Begijnhof in Amsterdam and afterwards visited an exhibition about the church at the Amsterdam Historical Museum.

Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands had surgery on his right knee this morning at the Haga Hospital in The Hague. The operation went well. The Prince left hospital this evening.

February 7th
Princess Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg will marry her 28-year-old boyfriend Martin Jørgensen on 3 March 2007, the Danish royal court confirmed today. The marriage will take place in private. Afterwards Alexandra won't be a member of the Danish royal family any longer and will carry the name Alexandra Christina Countess af Frederiksborg. She will keep her apanage, but without tax and VAT exemptions. The couple will live with Alexandra's sons Nikolai and Felix at the Villa of Alexandra in Østerbro.

Erika Ortiz Rocasolano, the 31-year-old youngest sister of the Princess of Asturias, died this morning at her house in Valdebernado, Madrid. Her body was transferred to the Forensic Institute for autopsy this afternoon. The family Ortiz has asked for prudence and respect. Nor the Spanish royal house nor the family wanted to say more about the circumstances in which she died. Newspaper El Pais says she took two days off from work at Globomedia production company and that she had been depressed for some time. Erika separated from her husband Antonio Vigo in May 2006. The couple had one daughter, Carla, who is six-years-old.

Clotilde, The Princess of Venice, this evening received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres during a ceremony at the Ministry of Culture in Paris.

February 8th
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark underwent successfull surgery this morning at Århus Hospital. She received an artificial right knee. She was operated by Anders Odgaard and Frank Madsen.

The cremation of Erika Ortiz Rocasolano took place in private at the crematorium de La Paz in Madrid this afternoon. The ceremony was attended by members of the family as well as members of the Spanish royal family. Telma Ortiz, the other sister of the Princess of Asturias, and Queen Sofia of Spain weren't able to attend as they had to travel home from Asia and couldn't make it in time for the cremation. The Princess of Asturias is said to be "absolutely destroyed". Today a very emotional Letizia talked to the media outside of the crematorium and thanked all people for expressing their sorrows upon the death of her sister.

February 9th
In the book 'En helt vanlig dag på jobben' former Se og Hør contributor Håvard Melnæs reveals how the weekly magazine got his news. He describes how informants within the police department, banks, credit card companies and the Royal Palace received payment for tips that resulted in stories. Mr Melnæs says he even was asked to buy hidden microphones and other equipment to be used for spying members of the royal family. The magazine editors deny that they did anything wrong and say they work the same way as other magazines.

February 10th
The funeral service took place this evening for Erika Ortiz Rocasolano at the Nuestra Señora la Anunciación Parish church in Madrid. The service was attended by members of the family. Telma Ortiz Rocasolano and Queen Sofia of Spain attended, as well as Princess Irene of Greece, Infanta Margarita of Spain and her husband and children and Bruno Gómez-Acebo.

Countess Sophie von Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee married Giovanni baron Malfatti di Montetretto at the St Gallus and Ulrich Church in Kisslegg today. Among the 250 guests were Fürst Hans Adam II and Fürstin Marie of Liechtenstein and their son Maximilian, the hereditary Countess of Waldburg-Zeil and the Duke and Duchess of Hohenberg.

February 11th
A photosession with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima with their two daughters was held at Lech, Austria this morning. As big surprise also Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands and their three children took part. Princess Alexia stole the show after crying loudly when falling into the snow with bare hands. Princess Maxima is not going to ski this year she said, but will try to learn her eldest daughter Amalia how to ski. She also said she and her husband just hope for a healthy third child and that they don't know yet if it will be a boy or a girl.

Photos Royal Portraits

Photos Royal Press Europe

February 12th
The new book by Håvard Melnæs, a former reporter of the magazine, says royal bank account statements were leaked to Se og Hør magazine. Assistant information chief Rune Sjøhelle of the Nordea Bank said that if the story is correct the bank will launch an internal investigation immediately before going to the police. The royal palace says they have chosen not to comment on the revelations.

The Duchess of Cornwall is to have a hysterectomy - a (partial) removal of the womb for medical reasons - at the beginning of March. She will spend several days in hospital and afterwards recover at home for six weeks. Clarence House says the surgery is a routine and the Duchess doesn't have cancer. The spokeswoman said: "It's something that's being done on advice of her doctor, but is something that's very common for women of her age." The surgery means she will have to cancel some planned engagegements during her recovery.

February 13th
Retired Colonel Noel Vaessen, former adviser of Prince Laurent of Belgium, was found guilty of forgery in the Navy corruption trial today. He received a 2 1/2 year sentence of which two years were suspended. The other six months don't have to be served.

February 14th
In an email to the newspapers Dagnes Næringsliv and Dagbladet Ari Behn, husband of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, says he was already aware in 2002 that his credit card use details were being leaked. He changed banks in 2004. He said that he and his wife went on their honeymoon with a suitcase full of money to keep their spending private. He claims that someone working at Defense leaked his military examination results, including physical tests, IQ tests and interviews, to the weekly magazine Se og Hør. A spokeswoman for Defense said they are trying to find out what has happened.

Duke Philipp and Duchess Marie Caroline von Württemberg had their fourth child and third daughter on February 1. She is named Anna.

February 15th
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was discharged from hospital after her knee-replacement surgery. According to Ove Ullerup she is doing fine and has started with her rehabilitation program.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond will join two royal genealogy experts in the prime-time ITV1 documentary Lost Royals. They hope to uncover details of the illegitimate children of British monarchs.

February 16th
Japanese publisher Kodansha Ltd. has decided not to publish a Japanese translation of the English-language book 'Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne' by Australian journalist Ben Hills. The book was released by Random House in December. In the past week the Japanese Imperial Household Agency and the Foreign Ministry demanded an apology from the author for 'disrespectful descriptions, distortions of facts and judgmental assertations with audacious conjectures and coarse logic.' Kodansha Ltd. denies it scraps the translation because of the protests, but says it was a response to the refusal of the author to acknowledge making factual errors during an interview with Japanese television on Friday. He had approved corrections in a translated draft by the publisher.

The motorcade of King Gyanendra of Nepal was stoned when the King was near the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu to celebrate a Hindu festival. The crowd also shouted: "Gyanendra thief, leave the country". The King remained unhurt and was driven back to the palace after having worshipped Shiva at the temple.

February 19th
For a new BBC TV-series called History Detectives archaeologists hope to find the missing French gold sent to Scotland to help fund a Jacobite Rebellion in 1746 buried under the beach at Arisaig. Mr Neil Oliver who is leading the hunt said that the original sum of money sent from France may today be worth £5m. History Detectives is to be broadcasted on BBC Two later this year.

In a speech on Democracy Day King Gyanendra of Nepal has defended his takeover on 1 February 2005. He says he was compelled to do so in accordance with the people's aspiration and to reacivate elected bodies by maintaining law and order. Members of the cabinet and leaders of political parties in Nepal have said that the statement of the King is against the spirit of the people's movement and the Interim Constitution. They say the message doesn't represent the official views of the government. Student and youth organisations protested at Ratna Park in Kathmandu against the message.

February 20th
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has issued a warrant on Friday to ask the national police of Cambodia to apprehend and escort Prince Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodia to court for questioning upon his return to Cambodia. The prince currently is in France. He twice failed to attend court to be questioned about an accusation that he pocketed the money from selling the headquarters of the co-ruling Funcinpec Party.

February 21st
The 70th birthday of King Harald V of Norway was celebrated today with a church service at the Trinity Church in Oslo. During the service a children's choir sang Happy Birthday for the King. A 21-gun salute was heard from the Akershus Fortress in Oslo. In the afternoon he unveiled a statue of his late mother, Crown Princess Märtha, at the palace park. In the evening the Norwegian government hosted a banquet at the Akershus Fortress for 160 guests. At the end of the banquet King Harald said that it is fun to be alive, at least most of the time. In an interview he recently said that he thought it was much more fun to turn 10, when he had his whole life ahead of him, than to turn 70. However he said he is highly satisfied with his life and has no plans to retire. For some pictures see here.

Screenwriter of the film The Queen Peter Morgan said in the American film magazine Fade In that he, director Stephen Frears and actress Dame Helen Mirren, who played the leading role in the film The Queen, have been invited by the private secretary of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain to have lunch at Buckingham Palace. Mr Morgan says he gathers that that means that the Queen might pop in.

The Nepalese Government wants to initiate action against King Gyanendra for his Democracy Day message in which he has defended his takeover of power on 1 February 2005. They are planning to take a decision after holding a meeting.

It is reported Princess Kalina of Bulgaria is to give birth to her first child at the private Japanese Tokuda Hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 12 March most likely by a Caesarean section. The last royal baby being born in Bulgaria was Kalina's father former King Simeon II. Princess Kalina and her husband Kitin Munoz have visited the hospital on 24 January. The hospital hasn't confirmed the news.

February 22nd
Clarence House and the Ministry of Defence today confirmed that Prince Harry of Wales will be deployed to Iraq later this year in command of a troop from a squadron of the Household Cavalry Regiment. The decision to send him has been a military one made by the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, in conjunction with Prince Harry's commanding officer. They have also consulted the Royal Household. The statement says that they won't precisely say where he will serve or what his exact role is and ask media to respect this matter of operational security in order that Prince Harry can undertake a normal tour of duty as he wishes.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands today installed the new government of the Netherlands.

February 23rd
Royal guests for the birthday party of King Harald V of Norway have arrived in Oslo today. Among them were Prince Henrik, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine of Sweden, the Prince of Orange, Princess Maxima, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Prince Friso and Princess Mabel of Oranje-Nassau, the Earl of Wessex, former King Constantin and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece. This evening there was a gala performance at the City Hall of Oslo hosted by Princess Märtha Louise of Norway.

Photos by Madeleine Glindorf

In his birthday interview Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan asked people to be patient with his wife Crown Princess Masako as she recovers from a stress-related illness. He said her health is slowly improving, but that she needs to regain her confidence before resuming her official duties. He didn't want to comment on the book about his wife written by Australian journalist Ben Hills, but only said he hadn't read it. The Imperial Household Agency released several photos as well as a video of the Crown Prince and his family.

Devyani Rana married Aishwarya Singh in India in a grand two-day ceremony yesterday and today attended by 5000 guests, including the prime minister of India. Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shot several family members and himself in 2001. It is believed the reason was that his parents didn't allow him to marry Devyani Rana.

February 24th
The guests for the 70th birthday party of King Harald V of Norway visited the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History today. They watched a cultural programme that included folk dance and crafts.They also joined outdoor activities. In the evening a ball was held at the Royal Palace in Oslo. Pictures were released of the attending heads of state and spouses, the crown princes and crown princesses and a all guests.

More photos by Madeleine Glindorf

February 25th
The Norwegian royal family and the remaining guests made a sledge ride through the snow at Sollihøgda. The grandchildren of King Harald V and Queen Sonja stole the show. Several guests left Oslo early today and missed the ride.

Photos by Madeleine Glindorf

February 26th
The Museum Gustavianum in Uppsala is celebrating the Tercentenary of the birth of Linnaeus by hosting the exhibition "A Glimpse of Paradise: Prince Carl Philip Interprets the Botanical Garden in Uppsala." Prince Carl Philip of Sweden presents a photographic portrait of the Botanical Garden under the guidance of photographer Mattias Klum. The pictures also form the basis of a book about the Botanical Garden that Uppsala University has taken the initiative for ahead of the 2007 Linnaeus Tercentenary. The book and the exhibition have been designed by the artist Michel Östlund, together with Prince Carl Philip. The exhibition can be seen from 30 May to 15 October 2007.

Last night's Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles had quite a royal/noble character. Dame Helen Mirren won the Oscar for best actress for her leading role in 'The Queen'. Forest Whitaker won the Oscar for best actor for his leading role in 'The Last King of Scotland', a film about Idi Amin. The Oscar for the best foreign language film went to 'The Lives of Others' from Germany, by director Count Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.

February 27th
The new business microsite dedicated to the role of the Duke of York as special representative for International Trade and Investment of Great Britain was launched at the website of the British royal family. The website aims to explain his role which he undertakes in addition to his other royal duties.

Princess Beatrice of York was named third most eligible bachelorette by FHM Magazine. Only Kimberly Stewart and Carmen Electra were ranked ahead of her.

Prince Zeid Ben Raad of Jordan, who recently was appointed ambassador of Jordan in the USA, presented his credentials to President George Bush today. The Prince has been the permanent representative of Jordan at the United Nations since 2000 and was one of the five candidates for the post of UN secretary general in 2006. The prince and his wife Sarah have a son and a daughter.

February 28th
King Mohammed VI of Morocco and his wife Princess Lalla Salma had their second child today at 20.00 at Rabat. The baby is called Lalla Khadija, after the late mother of Princess Lalla Salma. Mother and daughter are doing fine. The baby weighs 4160 grammes and is 49 centimeters tall. A salute of 21 cannon shots sounded in Rabat shortly after the birth. See here for pictures.


Royal News: January 2007. Last updated: February 7th, 2007.