ROYAL NEWS: FEBRUARY 2008

Last updated: March 1st, 2008.

February 1st
Queen Beatrix and Princess Margriet of the Netherlands celebrated their 70th and 65th birthday with a festive performance at the Royal Theatre Carré in Amsterdam late this afternoon. Among the about 1000 guests were no foreign royals. Almost the whole royal Dutch family with exception of the children of Princess Christina showed up. Also the Duke of Parma, former husband of Princess Irene, was present as well as Tjalling ten Cate, boyfriend of Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme. The royals arrived by boat and walked the about 200 metres to the entrance of the theatre cheered by tens of onlookers. Among 150 students from Dutch academies and conservatoria of the arts performed in a programm with highlights from dance, opera, orchestra and chambermusic, jazz and electronical art presented by Ivo Niehe. Of course the programme started with a birthday song. Played were compositions of Béla Bartok, Franz Liszt and Mozart, and a choreography of Jiri Kylian was danced. Also a bigband performed playing jazz. The show ended with six little violinists playing another birthday song. After the show Queen and Princess met with the students, before they headed for the reception. Queen Beatrix thanked them for the phantastic performance and the great feast.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, issued a decree today appointing his eldest son Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as Crown Prince of Dubai. The decree will go into effect immediately. By another decree of today Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum were named as Deputy Rules of Dubai.

On 1 April 2008 auction house Christie's in Amsterdam will sell 450 items from the art collection of the princes of Liechtenstein. The family has too little space to keep the art. Among the items are furniture, paintings, sculptures and watches from four centuries. One of the most valuable pieces is a pair of globes of Willem Janszoon Blaeu who worked for the Dutch East Indies Company.

February 3rd
The daughter of the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam and his second wife, who was born on 28 January 2008, was named Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah binti Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah. In a statement the parents and further family thanked everybody who send their congratulations upon the birth. Yesterday photos of the princess were issued.

Photos

February 5th
Prince Carl Philip of Sweden has registered to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup. He will make his debute on 20 April at Knutstorp.

February 6th
The magazine Party was fined €3000 for publishing photos of Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and her daughters Amalia and Alexia on the beach in Wassenaar in June 2007. The magazine also needs to pay the costs of the lawsuit. The court in Amsterdam judged that although the members of the royal family has to accept that their pictures are being taken in public, but that they don't have to accept that pictures taken during private activities are published in magazines.

A spokesman of the family announced today that the Duke of Parma has been diagnosed with 'a limited form' of cancer. He was already treated with medicines by professor Michael Marberger in Vienna, Austria, and by Professor José Baselga in Barcelona, Spain, which went very well. The second phase of the treatment - about 7 weeks of x-ray-treatment - will start this month at the Dutch Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital in Amsterdam.

About 30 Royalist parties have gathered today in Kathmandu, Nepal, to work out a strategy to reinstate King Gyanendra. They hope to run against the pro-republic alliance in the elections on 10 April. Present Home Affairs Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula however stated: "People now hate the monarchy and no one can defend the king. The handful of people who do so are merely putting their efforts into a futile job.”

February 7th
Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg received the Baillif Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Order of Malta in Rome today from Grand Commander Fra' Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg received the Dame Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion. Also Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria received orders.

Moroccan authorities arrested a 26-year-old Moroccan engineer from Casablanca today for steeling the identity of Prince Moulay Rachid on Facebook. Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. The arrested man posted the pictures of the prince and participated in chats in his name. A police source said that information about the activities of the royal family could only be obtained via the national news agency MAP, and that the family doesn't have a website or blog.

In an interview to Japanese journalists from the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper King Gyanendra of Nepal said that the decision to end the monarchy "doesn't reflect the majority view of the people. This isn't democracy." He told the journalists that it is only the people who have the right to choose the fate of the monarchy.

February 8th
Robert Brown, who claims to be the illegitimate son of the late Princess Margaret of Great Britain and Peter Townsend has won the right to apply to read the royal wills of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother. Judges said he was entitled to a hearing of his claim and that the family court should examine whether it was appropriate to block the wills.

The 78th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta Fra' Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie died in Rome yesterday. Grand Commander Baillif Fra' Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto has been sworn in as lieutenant ad interim of the Order of Malta. A new Grand Master will be elected later on.

Archduke Guntram of Austria (Tuscany branche) was involved in an accident while driving to his flying lessons at Jaguël airport in Uruguay on his motorcycle. He was seriously injured and taken to Cantegril Hospital in Maldonado where he underwent surgery. He is kept in a coma.

February 9th
The funeral service of 78th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta Fra'Andrew Bertie will take place in the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome, Italy on 16 February. After the ceremony he will be buried at the church of Santa Maria del Priorato. The state funeral will take place on 8 March. Until 16 February he will be lying in state at the chapel of Santa Maria del Priorato.

February 10th
The Dutch royal family arrived in Lech yesterday for their yearly skiing vacation. Today the traditional photosession was held. The family posed and answered some questions of the press. The children played in the snow merry-go-round and the eldest children showed that they could ski. Little princess Ariane didn't enjoy the photosession very much. According to Princess Maxima she caught a cold and slept bad. Princess Alexia started crying also because she thought it was too cold. According to Princess Maxima the family will puzzle and play games like any other families on vacation and she will cook herself. After the photosession Queen Beatrix and her friend Renée Smith Röell went skiing.

Photos Royal Portraits

February 11th
Louis Caron, an antiquarian from the Montreal-area in Canada, is set to auction a set of letters written by Queen Victoria of Great Britain at Windsor Castle to Lily Wellesley, wife of a former dean of Windsor, between 1866 and 1887. In one of the letters the Queen expresses her deep sorrow over the death of her Scottish aide John Brown. The letters are expected to sell for more than $20,000.

February 12th
It has emerged that more than £6m of public money has been spent investigating the death of the Princess of Wales since 2003. Lord Justice Scott Baker said that bills for the hearing are £3.7m while the previous Metropolitan Police investigation cost £3.7m.

During the inquest into the death of Diana Princess of Wales Lord Fellowes, former private secretary of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and brother-in-law of Princess Diana, denied that he could have played a part in arranging the car crash. He said he was at a talk in Norfolk that evening. Mohamed al-Fayed had stated that Lord Fellowes had co-ordinated a conspiracy by by commandeering a section of the British embassy in Paris to send messages to GCHQ shortly before their deaths on 31 August 1997. Lord Fellowes also said that the rooms of Queen Elizabeth II were regularly checked for bugging devices only to provide reassurance.

In an interview to the magazine Foraldrakraft Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden has told that she suffers from a condition that makes it difficult to recognise familiar faces. She said: "I find it very hard to remember names and faces, and that is a big drawback in my capacity. I really try to learn names and faces but they just do not stick." According to an expert the condition is known as prosopagnosia.

Prince Boris Petrovitch-Njegosh of Montenegro and his wife Véronique Canas da Silva had a daughter. Milena was born at Les Lilas near Paris on 11 February at 4am. Mother and daughter are doing fine. The family is very happy with the new addition.

February 14th
Nina Eldh, spokeswoman of the Swedish royal court said today that the royal family is sueing the German magazines Alles für die Frau, Schöne Woche and Neue Post for publishing fake pictures and stories about them. They will be represented by German lawyer Matthias Prinz. The lawsuits were filed in December 2007.

Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan has been urged by palace officials to visit his parents more often. Emperor Akihito complained in 2006 that he and his wife had few opportunities to meet their granddaughter Aiko. The Crown Prince said then he would try to arrange more visits. Shingo Haketa, the head of Japan's Imperial Household Agency, said yesterday: "I think the emperor and the empress are concerned as the number of visits to the Imperial Palace has not increased."

The coronation celebrations of King Georg V of Tonga will be held from 30 July to 3 August 2008. On 30 July will be a Taumafakava or a Royal Kava Ceremony at Pangai Lahi followed by fireworks. On 31 July a royal luncheon will be held followed by a government reception and by a dinner hosted by Crown Prince Tupouto'a Lavaka. The coronation ceremony itself follows in the morning of 1 August at the FWC Centenary Church in Salone. In the evening a coronation ball will be held, as well as a charity concert, block party and fireworks at Nuku'alofa. On 3 August there will be a combined church service at Pangai Lahai. The King has personally invited royal families in Europe and Asia, like Japan, Great Britain, Norway, The Netherlands, Monaco, Thailand and Bhutan, as well as the Maori King and representatives of other countries.

The Prince of Venice has apologised for seeking compensation from the Italian state for the 56 years of exile of the Italian royal family. The Prince asked for 90 million euros, while his father demanded 170 million euros. In an interview to ANSA the prince said: "I am sorry for the unpleasantness caused. Italians were right to react the way they did. Italy does not need this extra problem. I don't want to create a problem for Italy."

February 16th
The Prince of Orange has sold his house at the Noordeinde 66 in Den Haag. He lived there from 1995 to 2003.

February 18th
During the inquest into the death of Diana Princess of Wales Mohammed al-Fayed told that he believes that the princess and his son Dodi al-Fayed were murdered. Part of the conspiracy he says were prime minister Tony Blair, MI5, MI6 and the British ambassador to France. He claims that Princess Diana had told only him that she was pregnant and that the couple were engaged. The Sun newspaper said today they have a video tape on which Paul Burrell confesses he lied to the inquest. Lord Justice Scott Baker told the court: at the inquest: "This is something that's certainly being investigated."

A multilated body found buried in the garden of Hulton Abbey in Staffordshire, England during the 1970s has been identified as being Sir Hugh Despenser Jr who was executed as a traitor in 1326. He was rumoured to be the gay lover of King Edward II of England. Anthropologist Mary Lewis says she has uncovered compelling evidence of the true identity. The remains bear the hallmarks of having been hanged, drawn and quartered.

The Dutch royal court issued family photos of Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven with their three children. The photos were taken in the autumn of 2007 at the Vondelpark in Amsterdam by Frank van Beek. See under Prins Maurits, Prinses Marilène and Familiefoto's.

Photos

February 19th
During the inquest into the death of Diana Princess of Wales Melissa Henning, US assistant to Dodi al-Fayed said that the couple told her during a dinner weeks before they died that Princess Diana feared she would be killed. Ms Henning said: "She had felt the Royal Family did not want her around any more. She thought they felt she was a threat to them and they would prefer not to have her around. She felt it would be an accident and it would only happen when the boys were not with her because the boys would never be harmed." Ms Henning said she contacted Mohammed al-Fayed about the conversation after the crash.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended the premiere of the film The Other Boleyn Girl at the Odeon Cinema in London. Afterwards the couple met the cast of the film including Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson who play the sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn. They were excited to meet the couple. The film is based on the novel by Philippa Gregory, to whom the Duchess of Cornwall said she had read the book and had loved it.

The library at Lambeth Palace in London has obtained a copy of the execution warrant for Mary Queen of Scots for £72,485. The warrant was signed by Queen Elizabeth I of England. Mary Queen of Scots was executed in February 1567. The original warrant was lost shortly after the execution.

It was announced today that Princess Margarita de Bourbon will marry her boyfriend Tjalling ten Cate in a civil ceremony in May 2008. The couple expects their first child in August 2008.

February 20th
During the inquest into the death of Diana Princess of Wales Sir Richard Dearlove, former chief of MI6, gave evidence. He said that the allegations from Mohammed al-Fayed that MI6 was involved in the death of Princess Diana last week were personal and that he came to the inquest to deny them. He called Mr al-Fayed's allegations 'absurd'. He said that Mr al-Fayed's immigration status nor the Princess's interest in landmines in Angola had been of any interest at all for MI6. The Princess wasn't bugged nor eavesdropped. He also said that the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales have never been involved in MI6. He told that during his 38-year career at MI6 lethal force had never been authorised. Mr Dearlove was in the USA at the time of the accident, but had been in contact with his colleagues by phone. Other MI6 employees are due to give evidence from 26 March 2008 out of the view of the public.

February 21st
De Volkskrant newspaper today reports about a research by their journalist Anet Bleich about former prime minister Joop den Uyl. According to the research Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands was involved in a second bribery scandal in 1976 with US aircraft manufacturer Northrop. Mr Den Uyl covered up the scandal. By doing so he protected the position of Queen Juliana and kept Prince Bernhard out of jail. If the scandal had become public Queen Juliana might well have been forced to resign, which could have been the end of the Dutch monarchy as Queen Beatrix wouldn't have taken the throne under such circumstances. For her research Ms Bleich was allowed to use the personal archives of Mr Den Uyl.

February 22nd
King Albert II underwent a cataract-surgery on his right eye this morning at the University Hospital Antwerpen. The operation went very well. The King was allowed to go home in the afternoon.

Former royal butler Paul Burrell has been asked to return to the inquest into the death of Diana Princess of Wales. He is to explain discrepancies between his evidence given at the inquest recently and comments published by the Sun newspaper based on a video recording of Mr Burrell they obtained. In a statement from his lawyers Mr Burrell says he didn't conceal anything relevant or tell untruths during the inquest.

Fouad Mortada was sentenced to three years in prison by a Moroccan court for setting up a Facebook account in the name of Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco. Despite an appeal to the Prince for clemency the court found him guilty of falsifying data and imitating the prince without consent. He also was fined for 10.000 dirhams. Mr Mortada said he set up the account mid-January out of admiration for the prince. Mr Mortada's family said they would appeal.

February 23rd
Princess Madeleine of Sweden participated in the vasaloppet cross country ski race on Saturday and ended in about 900th place. She completed the 30 kilometer race in 2 hours 22 minutes and 19 seconds. Princess Madeleine said: "Conditions were good and I have had fun on the track." She was the third member of the royal family to complete the race after her father King Carl XVI Gustaf and her brother Prince Carl Philip.

In his birthday interview Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan has said he will try to visit his parents more often so they can see their granddaughter Princess Aiko more often. He said about his wife Crown Princess Masako: "She is slowly getting better but still needs treatment. She still has her ups and downs but is doing her best to participate in more activities." He said that his wife is helping him in various aspects and that he will firmly support her in the future also. About his daughter Princess Aiko he ssaid that she has grown physically and mentally at Kindergarten in the past two years. She will enter elementary school in April. He said she has become interested in kanji and writes various kinds of kanji.

February 25th
Japanese media today report that Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko might cut back their activities because they are both suffering from health problems. On Saturday Crown Prince Naruhito said: "I think it is necessary for those around them to consider making more time for them to rest and take it easy." The Imperial Household Agency declined to comment.

February 26th
During the inquest into the death of Diana Princess of Wales an MI6 manager told that MI6 didn't keep files on Princess Diana and of Dodi al-Fayed. She said that they kept a card on Mohammed al-Fayed created in the 1980s when he was subject of a Department of Trade inquiry into his takeover of the House of Fraser group. She had thoroughly searched the files of MI6 as part of the previous investigation by Lord Stevens. There were two messages in the system related to the crash but they were dated 5 november 1997, which was after the crash.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has worked on the production of a CD with hymns which will be released this week. The CD is called Sorgen og gleden (Sorrow and joy). The Crown Princess says she uses hymns to calm herself before travelling as she is not fond of flying. She chose the hymns herself and wrote liner notes to tell why she has chosen them. On the CD she also reads from the Old Testament. The CD was recorded at the old Kulturkirken Jacob in Oslo in January. Samples can be heard online (click on the button saying 'samples' below the picture of the CD).

CD: Sorgen og gleden

February 28th
It emerged that Prince Harry of Wales is working as Joint Terminal Attack Controller in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, since 14 December 2007. Details leaked out in the Australian magazine New Idea and picked up by other press after 10 weeks on the front line. Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff of the British Army said: "I am very disappointed that foreign websites have decided to run this story without consulting us". He says he now has to consider whether to pull Prince Harry out of Afghanistan immediately. He said that Prince Harry had been fully involved in operations and has run the same risk as everyone else in his battlegroup. UK media and a few overseas media had agreed with the army only to cover the story about Prince Harry in Afghanistan after his return. In exchange they would get photos and an interview. In the interview given before leaving for Afghanistan Prince Harry said he sometimes wished he was not a privileged well-known royal. He hoped that he would just be treated as 'a normal officer'. He told: "I think dressed in the same uniform as numerous other people, thousands of other people in Afghanistan will give me one of the best chances to be just a normal person. That will be massively important for me, it could be a turning point." He said to hope that his mother would have been proud of him serving in Afhganistan. He admitted that when he wasn't allowed to go to Iraq he had considered leaving the army. He said: "But yes, you know William and I have said numerous times that there's a lot of opportunities that we miss out on as well as we also got a lot of chances - for who we are."

February 29th
Prince Harry of Wales has been withdrawn from Afghanistan amid concerns for his safety after it leaked out that he had been serving in the army in Afghanistan since December 2007. A statement by the army says: "This decision has been taken primarily on the basis that the worldwide media coverage of Prince Harry in Afghanistan could impact on the security of those who are deployed there, as well as the risks to him as an individual soldier." The army had contingency plans ready for him in case his stay would leak out. Harry would normally have returned to Great Britain in a few weeks. Brigadier Andrew Mackay, Commander of Task Force Helmand, said Harry had been "deployed in the field, conducting operations against the Taleban" at the time of the decision. He has seen service both in the south of Helmand and in the north. More recently he took part in a major operation to disrupt Taleban lines of communication." During a visit to Windsor Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain said that she believed her grandson had done "a good job in a very difficult climate."


Royal News: January 2008. Last updated: February 1st, 2008.