ROYAL NEWS: JANUARY 2003

Last updated: February 1st, 2003.

January 1st
A survey of The Times says that the Duke of Edinburgh was the busiest member of the British royal family in 2002 carrying out 578 engagements, of which 487 were in Great Britain and 91 abroad. Queen Elizabeth II completed 545 engagements, of which 74 abroad. That the total of the Duke of Edinburgh is higher than his wife's is the first time in six years, although the score can be explained by his presence at celebrations marking the Golden Jubilee. They even worked harder than the Princess Royal, who has long enjoyed being the highest ranked member of the family.

At the Imperial Palace Emperor Akihito of Japan received New Year's greetings from government officials, saying: "I'm praying for this country's prosperity and people's happiness." Earlier, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko received Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, followed by Prince Akishino, his wife Princess Kiko and other members of the imperial family. However the Emperor had to cancel his attendance at some imperial rituals in the morning. In his New Year's greeting, released through the Imperial Household Agency, Emperor Akihito said he hopes 2003 will be a better year for the Japanese people, despite the difficulties they face. I can well imagine that there are various hardships and difficulties in people's lives, but I sincerely hope that this new year will be better, even if only a little, for each and every one." Tomorrow he will receive well-wishers from the public at the Imperial Palace. Later this month the Emperor will undergo an operation to remove a gland and he will rest at the Imperial Palace for more than one month. Crown Prince Naruhito is expected to take over the emperor's constitutional functions during his father's absence.

The weekly Moroccan magazine Tel Quel has chosen Princess Lalla Salma, wife of King Mohammed VI, as 'person of the year 2002' because of 'appearing in public, her common origine and her character'. The magazine also mentioned that the King and the Princess will have their first child in March, although nothing has been officially announced so far.

January 3rd
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her family will celebrate Queen's Day on April 30 in Deventer and Wijhe in the province of Overijssel.

January 4th
Princess Fadia of Egypt died on December 28th in Lausanne, Switzerland, of natural causes, according to Swiss medical records. She was born on December 15, 1943. Today she was buried at the El-Rifai Mosque in Cairo, Egypt, next to her father King Farouk and her grandfather King Fouad I. Princess Fadia's brother Fouad, the last king of Egypt who was deposed in 1953, her sister Princess Ferial, as well as Fadia's husband Pierre Orloff and their two sons Michel and Alexandre accompanied the coffin to Egypt.

The 18th century French castle of Lunéville, similar to Versailles Palace and therefore also called 'little Versailles', was almost completely destroyed by a fire on Thursday night. The fire broke out at the roof of the chapel of the castle. Despite the hard work of 150 firefighters, who only had the fire under control after six hours, the original interior and a valuable porcelain collection couldn't be rescued. Most likely the fire was caused by current failure. The castle is situated near Lunéville in the north east of France, in Lorraine. It was once occupied by the deposed Polish king Stanislas.

January 7th
Princess Michael of Kent has revealed that she has been diagnosed with skin cancer. "People tend to panic at the mention of the word cancer, but I wasn't upset or frightened when the doctor told me," she said in an interview. "I've always covered up in the sun and it seemed so ridiculous that I developed cancer despite taking precautions." She said: "This cancer isn't life-threatening so I consider myself to be very fortunate. In the course of my charity work I meet so many people who have suffered terribly - what I've got really isn't an issue." When the Princess first noticed a spot of red skin on her face she simply covered it up with make-up, thinking it was just a sign of age. Another patch developed on her right leg, however, and when she discovered a third on her right arm she decided to consult a doctor. "The patches I had were like mini-craters: raised dark pink circles with a dip in them." The mark of a scar on her nose is barely noticeable thanks to the work of a renowned New York surgeon. "I have a little scar but I can conceal it with make-up and now I'm happy as a clam!"

The Princess Royal has been named one of 2002's Worst Dressed Women by designer Mr Blackwell. She takes the fifth place behind Anna Nicole Smith, Kelly Osbourne, Shakira and Cameron Diaz. Mr Blackwell says that the Princess Royal is "dreary, drab and dour." He adds: "Wake up Anne, you're getting worse by the hour!" On the list of the Best Dressed Women, lead by Reese Witherspoon, another princess, Princess Firyal of Jordan - former wife of Prince Mohammed bin Talal, a brother of the late King Hussein - takes the sixth place.

January 8th
The Imperial Household Agency announced that Emperor Akihito of Japan will undergo a prostate cancer operation on January 18th. He will be admitted to the University of Tokyo Hospital in the morning at January 16th to prepare for the operation. He will remain hospitalized for about one month and will rest at home afterwards.

On January 21st Christie's in Amsterdam will auction a painting of a Norwegian mountain landscape (Evening at the Bygdin Lake, Norway) by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, painted around 1932 during a vacation in Norway. It is 40 x 59 cm big and is valued at 4000 to 6000 Euro, although it could catch much more because the painter is so well-known.

January 9th
Prince Hridayendra of Nepal (Nava Yubaraj Hridayendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev) made his first public appearance during a Hindu ritual in which he was fed solid food for the first time by his parents at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Kathmandu. The prince, son of Crown Prince Paras and Crown Princess Himani, was born almost six months ago and Hindu tradition in Nepal requires that babies will be fed rice in a ceremony (Annaprasan) days before they reach their sixth month. Following the ceremony he was taken around the city in a horse-drawn carriage on his first trip outside the royal palace, visiting holy sites in the old town. Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand officiated as the "guardian" carrying the baby royal to the Maru Ganesh and other temples near Hanuman Dhoka. Thousands of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the little prince. Later, Queen Mother Ratna gave a reception for select invitees at the Narayanhity Royal palace, that was also attended by King Gyanendra and Queen Komal and the parents of the baby, as well as other members of the royal family.

James Hewitt, former lover of the late Princess Diana of Wales, told Larry King at CNN that he is prepared to sell his love letters from the late princess. He has already been offered £4 million for 10 of the 64 intimate handwritten letters composed during their affair. He said ideally the intimate correspondence, written between 1989 and 1991, would go to a private collector or a museum. "I think it's important to understand that they are or will become important historical documents." And he said selling the letters is better than leaving them to sit and "rot in a safe". "I think it might be irresponsible not to sell them and to generate something one can do some good with." He added that "They are extremely well written, loving and nothing to be ashamed of." Meanwhile the British Library has said they would like to house the letters in its collection saying that it will respect the privacy concerns of the late Princess's family by "restricting or prohibiting access for a period of reservation to anyone other than heirs". The Library's collection of royal and aristocratic correspondence since the 16th Century. The Library hoped that the letters would be donated to it by a wealthy benefactor as there is no way the British Library would be able to afford some of the sums that have been mentioned.

January 13th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has undergone a successful 45-minutes operation to remove a torn cartilage from her right knee at the King Edward VII Hospital in London after having been admitted to hospital last night. The minor operation took place under general anaesthetic. The operation follows a scan on the knee last week at King's Lynn Hospital, near Sandringham. She is due to remain in hospital until tomorrow. The Queen is expected to be fully active again within a few weeks. She will rest at Sandringham over the next two weeks. The operation was necessary after the Queen wrenched her knee walking on uneven ground during a private visit to Newmarket on the Friday before Christmas.

January 14th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has left hospital after yesterday's surgery. Walking with the aid of a stick, she smiled as she was helped into a Range Rover that took her back to Sandringham. Unusually for the Queen, she wore a grey trouser suit, which covered her bandaged knee. She is facing daily physiotherapy now.

January 15th
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was admitted to Århus Kommunehospital yesterday. Today she had a four-and-a-half-hour surgery on her spinal column. She will remain hospitalized for a week, but the full recovery will take months. Because of pain in her back she had been forced to sit receiving traditional News Year's wishes from the diplomats on January 6th. The Palace said she is recovering in good condition. Prince Joachim took over the regency as Crown Prince Frederik is sailing at Tasmania.

January 16th
Today Archduchess Maria of Austria, wife of Archduke Simeon, gave birth to their fourth child and second daughter, Carlota Adelaïde Teresa Maria. She was born in Grabs, Switzerland.

Emperor Akihito of Japan was admitted to the University of Tokyo Hospital this morning where he is to undergo a prostatectomy on Saturday. Empress Michiko accompanied the emperor when he was admitted to the hospital and is expected to stay overnight. The emperor is scheduled to undergo a few additional checkups Thursday and Friday before the operation to remove the entire prostrate gland on Saturday morning. It will be the first time for a Japanese emperor to undergo surgery outside the Hospital of the Imperial Household. He will stay in a special room designed to accomodate top dignitaries. The emperor is expected to remain hospitalized for about one month, and after being released, is to recuperate at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and temporarily refrain from public duties. Earlier today, books for signing get-well messages for the emperor opened in front of the palace's Sakashitamon Gate. As of noon, 541 people had signed the books. Crown Prince Naruhito will take over his father's constitutional duties during his father's absence the Japanese government decided on Tuesday.

January 17th
In a private swayambar ceremony at the Narayanhiti Royal palace in Kathmandu this afternoon 24-year-old Princess Prerna of Nepal, only daughter of King Gyanendra and Queen Komal, became engaged to 29-year-old Nepalese Raj Bahadur Singh after exchanging garlands and gold rings with him. The chief royal priest chanted vedic hymns. King Gyanendra, Queen Komal, Crown Prince Paras and other family members attended the ceremony. The King conferred the title of 'Kumar' or Prince on the bridegroom, raising his position to that of a royal family member. The ceremony was the first of a series of ceremonies taking place before the wedding. The two-day wedding ceremony is to begin on Wednesday when the groom is expected at the bride's home and spend the night there undergoing lengthy ceremonies. On Thursday, when the wedding is to be solemnised at the Narayanhiti Palace, the groom and his bride leave in a horse-drawn carriage, the bride dressed in red and wrapped in gold jewelry. On Friday the princess will be taken to the bridegroom's residence in a procession followed by the Prime Minister, other ministers and high-ranking military officials. The marriage was arranged by both sets of parents, a common tradition in Nepal, said a palace official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Though the engagement had already been announced, in Hindu tradition couples do not officially become engaged until a formal ceremony is held, usually shortly before the wedding date. Meanwhile Nepal is preparing for the first royal wedding since 1997, when Princess Shruti - one of the members of the family who was killed in the massacre on June 1, 2001 - married. The wedding 'is a time to rejoice for the royal family and the Nepalese people, who have been hearing nothing but bad news,' said royal family expert Nischal Nath Pandey. 'It will be a good break from sorrow and despair.' The royal palace is being painted light blue while workers pitch tents for the reception and prepare the ceremonial grounds for hundreds of guests, the streets and sidewalks around the royal palace are being repaved and workers paint the perimeter walls, while craftsmen are carving new tables and chairs for the bride, a gift from her parents.

January 18th
A team of six surgeons successfully removed Emperor Akihito of Japan's cancerous prostate gland at the University of Tokyo Hospital during a 3 hours and 40 minutes operation. After awaking from the anesthetic he was returned to his room. "There were no visible signs of cancer having spread, but to be certain, we will make an announcement after a pathological check has been conducted," the medical supervisor of the Imperial Household said on a press conference in the afternoon. The Emperor is fine and spoke with his wife and daughter after waking up. Today 4,893 well-wishers went to the Sakashitamon Gate of the palace to leave get-well messages.

Today Crown Prince John Barigye of Ankole, one of Uganda's monarchies, gave blessings to his daughter Princess Caroline to marry the Irish dairy farmer Eamonn Ryan. Mr Ryan is the first European in the more than 600-year-old history of Ankole who has been allowed to take a bride from the royal family. Prince Edward Kiraaka said it was vital for the royal family to adjust to changes. The cultural ceremony (okuhingira=give away) was held at the Muhabura Kariro Palace and was attended by over 2500 guests. The groom and his party arrived at the palace around 2:40pm wearing traditional clothing, much to the amusement of local people, as the traditional clothes are usually not worn by white people. After the lunch had been served the Crown Prince and other important guests took their seats. The veiled bride then slowly walked to the reception area led by a Rwandese dancing group. Prayers were led by the Archbishop of Mbarara after which the ceremony began. The bride was given away by her two younger brothers, who presented a set of milk containers to the groom. The wedding is scheduled to take place next Saturday in Kampala.

On Thursday the Romanian government decided that the remains of King Carol II of Romania and his third wife Elena Lupescu will be repatriated to Romania. Their remains will be transported from Estoril in Portugal and will be reburied at the Monastry Curtea de Arges on February 13 during an official ceremony. Former king Michael and the royal family have given their consent for the transfer and reburial.

January 19th
Recently Duchess Fleur von Württemberg became engaged to Count Moritz Louis von Goëss. Fleur is the daughter of Duke Carl von Württemberg and his wife Diane, born Princess of France. Moritz is the son of the late Count Ernst Friedrich von Goëss (1932-1999) and the late Countess Gabrielle zu Salm-Reifferscheidt-Krautheim und Dyck (1941-1985). He was born in Klagenfurt, Austria, on June 5, 1966. The wedding is said to take place this summer.

January 20th
Police said assailants opened fire this morning near Ulundi, about 270 miles southeast of Johannesburg, South Africa, on a Mercedes car belonging to Prince Gideon Zulu, a leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party and social welfare minister in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The car carried princess Madlamini Zulu and her 38-year-old son Prince Mazwi. A car drove up next to their car and assailants opened fire. They wounded Prince Mazwi and the family chauffeur Mdlalose, who lost control of the car when the shooting began, drove up an embankment whereafter the car overturned. Princess Madlamini was treated for injuries she sustained when the car overturned. Prince Mazwi is in critical condition with gunshot wounds to torso and head and were taken to a nearby hospital. The prince later was airlifted to a hospital in Durban for emergency surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his skull. Police said they did not know why the car was attacked. Zulu's spokesman, Mike Gumede said: "At this very moment it is difficult to associate it with a robbers, as much as it is difficult to think of a political assassination." Meanwhile the police has launched a manhunt for the suspected robbers.

Emperor Akihito of Japan is recovering from Saturday's operation. He has been talking to his wife and daughter on Sunday. After waking up at around 6am he was able to shift his body slightly while in bed, the chamberlain of the Emperor said, adding that newspapers reporting the success of the operation were delivered to the Emperor's room. The Emperor was still restricted from meals but is scheduled to start eating small portions of thin rice porridge today and is also scheduled to begin attempting to stand and walk around his bed. The total number of well-wishers who signed the books exceeded 20,000.

The new BBC1 costume drama 'The Lost Prince', about the life of Prince John (1905-1919), the hidden son of King George V and Queen Mary of Great Britain, attracted nearly 8 million viewers on Sunday evening. The second part of the drama will be shown next Sunday. Now the two-part drama is heading for a USA release and it is thought that the BBC might sign a deal with a USA distributor to release the drama in re-edited form in American cinemas.

January 21st
Prince Mazwi Zulu died at the St Augustine's hospital in Durban, South Africa, today just before 3pm after being shot in the head during a drive-by attack yesterday. He had been connected to a life support system and died without being disconnected from the machine. He was already brain dead earlier today. Prince Gideon Zulu and his wife Princess Madlamini were at the hospital when their son died. The funeral will take place on Sunday at the royal residence near Nongoma. The Zulu-led Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) said it was shocked at Mazwi's death. "It is indeed a very tragic death ... He was in the prime of his life," said IFP national organiser Albert Mncwango. Police would not comment on motives behind the killing, but said they were questioning four men. A bag carried by Prince Mazwi containing cheques was missing from the scene.

The Earl of Wessex’s 11-part royalty documentary 'The A-Z of Royalty' will be shown on E! this Sunday, which will be the first showing in Great Britain. It was already broadcasted in the USA. 'The A-Z of Royalty' sparked outrage last summer following the filming of Prince William at university - without his permission.

As part of her training to become a queen, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will spend three weeks at Swedint, the international arm of the Swedish military, beginning on March 3rd. The military camp is based in Almnaes, south of Stockholm, where Swedish troops undergo training ahead of international peacekeeping missions. Brigadier General Claes-Göran Heden said today that she will be treated just like any other recruit. She will live with other recruits in the barracks, learn to handle weapons and practice survival skills. A spokeswoman of the royal family said that when she finishes the course she will head for Washington to study conflict resolution.

January 22nd
Tonight Priests performed pre-marriage rites of Princess Prerna of Nepal and Raj Bahadur Singh on a giant flower-festooned dais set up on the lawn in front of the pagoda-style Narayanhiti Royal Palace, whose red and blue walls were freshly painted. They chanted hymns and offered prayers to oil lamps, water-filled jars and images of the elephant deity Ganesh, the god revered for removing obstacles. Five pipe bands accompanied Raj Bahadur Singh, wearing a traditional Nepali dress, when he entered the palace grounds where he was received by King Gyanendra and Queen Komal. The king placed garlands of marigolds around the groom's neck upon arrival. During the ride from the groom's house in Chhauni to the palace (bar-yatra=wedding procession) he was cheared by thousands of people who lined the streets. Afterwards at 19:31 they tied the nuptial knot in a colourful ceremony in accordance with the Vedic Hindu tradition at the heavily guarded Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Kathmandu. The ceremony was attended by relatives and royal guests, as well as other distinguished guests. The bride, dressed in a gold embroidered red sari and veil, was given away by her parents in 'Kanyadaan', a Vedic ritual in which the parents and relatives of the bride also wash the feet of the groom. On Thursday, the king and queen will bid a ceremonial farewell to their daughter who will be taken in a horse-drawn coach to the home of her husband, before another marriage ceremony will take place. Also a grand feast is being organised at the palace tomorrow for special invitees, which include members of the royal family.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has applied for an AOW-pension (for people over 65) previous to her 65th birthday at the end of this month. She has said that the complete amount of money will be donated to charities, like her husband the late Prince Claus did also in the past.

28.680 Euros was paid for a painting by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, painted around 1932 at the Bygdin lake in Norway. The buyer is a private person who will give the painting on loan to the museum Palace Het Loo.

January 23th
Thousands of people lined the streets of Kathmandu to cheer Princess Prerna of Nepal and her husband Raj Bahadur Singh as they rode through the city in a black carriage pulled by four white horses decked with flowers. Pipers played traditional Nepali music. Bride and groom waved during the 7 kilometres ride from the Narayanhiti Royal Palace to the house of the groom, which was a wedding present of King Gyanendra. Earlier King Gyanendra had accompanied his daughter, who was dressed in a bright red sari weaved with gold thread, when she was carried from the palace to the carriage in a palanquin studded with yellow stars. Photos.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was released from hospital today. She was driven back home to Amalienborg by ambulance. She will need a few months to recover from her back operation.

Emperor Akihito of Japan took a walk of about 100 metres in the corridor at hospital on Wednesday morning as well as around noon and in the evening, the Imperial Household Agency said. His intravenous drips for nutrition have also been removed and he has started having normal food since lunch Wednesday. Today the Emperor was visited by Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, as well as Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko.

January 27th
The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands visited Leeuwarden today. First they visited the Tresoar where the first copy of the inventory of the archives of the Frisian Nassaus was handed over to the couple in presence of among others people who had attended the congress about the Nassaus earlier that day (among them myself). After a push on a button an antique bookcase, once belonging to stadtholder Johan Willem Friso, showed up with in it the copy. Afterwards the at the same time opened website of the Tresoar was shown, on which the archives also can be searched. The Prince of Orange could have a look at the letter the private secretary of his mother wrote in 1985 on his behalf to ask if he could become a member of the Eleven Towns Association. When they walked out of the room, the Prince and Princess could have a look at the original of the letter as well as the skates he skated the 11-town race on in 1986. After a short walk the couple arrived at the Museum Het Princessehof where they opened the double exhibition about the Frisian Nassaus (the other part is in the Fries Museum, also in Leeuwarden).

January 28th
Erling Lorentzen, husband of Princess Ragnhild Mrs Lorentzen celebrated his 80th birthday with a big party at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway. Among the 122 guests were King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn, as well as Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner and Johan Martin Ferner.

January 29th
Confidential documents related to the abdication of King Edward VIII, his exile and marriage, released by the Public Record Office after an initial 100-year secrecy order was overturned, reveal that Wallis Simpson cheated on both her then husband Ernest Simpson and the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) with the married car salesman Guy Trundle. The romance was discovered by Special Branch officers who reported on July 3, 1935: "The identity of Mrs Simpson's secret love has been definitely ascertained. He is Guy Marcus Trundle." He is described as a very charming adventurer, very good looking, well bred and an excellent dancer. He met Wallis Simpson quite openly at informal social gatherings as a personal friends, but they also had secret meetings. She paid him money and bought him expensive presents. It is not clear where the liaisons took place. Furthermore they tell about a private one-time meeting in early 1936 between King Edward VIII and Ernest Simpson during which the King "broke down" after telling Simpson that he was "in love with his wife and that he wanted to marry her". The note in the documents says: "Simpson told the King that he must be mad to entertain such an idea, that he must realise that she was already married and, even if she were divorced, it would be impossible for him to marry a woman who had been twice divorced. He had a long talk with the King on this aspect of the matter, pointing out the position held in the State and the traditions of the Royal Family with regard to family life."

The released documents on the Abdication Crisis in Great Britain in 1936 reveal that the late Queen Mother was instrumental in preventing the Duke and Duchess of Windsor from returning to Great Britain in the wake of the crisis. She told her husband, King George VI, she had no wish to meet the Duchess of Windsor. In a hand-written letter, dated December 14, 1938, to the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, George VI said: "I think you know that neither the Queen nor Queen Mary have any desire to meet the Duchess of Windsor, and therefore any visit made for the purpose of introducing her to members of the Royal Family obviously becomes impossible." Letters from the Duke of Windsor show that he was very angry that he was not allowed to return to his homeland.

The released documents on the Abdication Crisis say that the British government prevented King Edward VIII from making a radio broadcast appealing for public support during an impassioned speech in the hope of marrying Wallis Simpson and still retaining his throne. However Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin blocked the idea and the King was confined to making a farewell address. The speech can be found among the released documents. In it he speaks of his love for Mrs Simpson and hints at the possibility of a morganatic marriage whereby she would not have been Queen. It says: "I could not go on bearing the heavy burdens that constantly rest on me as King, unless I could be strengthened in the task by a happy married life; and so I am firmly resolved to marry the woman I love, when she is free to marry me. Neither Mrs Simpson nor I have ever sought to insist that she should be Queen. Now that I have at last been able to take you so fully into my confidence, I feel it is best to go away for awhile, so that you may reflect calmly and quietly, but without undue delay, on what I have said."


Royal News: December 2002. Last updated: December 29th, 2002.