ROYAL NEWS: JULY 2008

Last updated: August 8th, 2008.

July 1st
Crown Prince Paras Shah of Nepal has left Nepal today, and flew to Singapore. He didn't want to comment whether he would return to Nepal. According to the newspaper Naya Patrika his wife and children are to join him after two weeks, when he has found a home and a school for the children. But the newspaper says he will return to Nepal afterwards.

Princess Caroline of Hannover (Monaco) has lost a case against the German magazine 7 Tage at the Bundesgerichtshof in Karlsruhe. The court allowed the publication of a photo of Caroline and her husband Prince Ernst August in Kenya, because it was part of an article that could lead to a discussion of public interest.

A replica of the golden gate to the Versailles Palace, France, will be inaugurated on July 8 after two years of work. The original gate was built by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in the 1680s and was torn down during the French Revolution. President of the palace monument, said that the gate provides an essential element of Versailles, historical identity. Private donors have contributed several millions of euros to rebuild the gate.

July 2nd
The police has taken 17 people from the luxurous Conrad Hotel in Brussels, Belgium, after a maid from the Philippines had escaped the hotel and had informed the police. It is alleged that they had been enslaved and had been held captive for eight months. The employer was the widow of a senior royal from the United Arab Emirates with her four daughters. The police said yesterday that they have been questioning several members of the royal party, but that no charges have been brought. The investigation will be continued. According to the Belgian media the servants had to work 24 hours a day for £80 a month, were not allowed to leave the hotel and had their passports taken away upon arrival in Belgium.

Sheikh Falah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, brother of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nayhan of the United Arab Emirates, has been convicted by a Swiss court for assaulting American Silvano Orsi with a steel-buckled belt in a luxury hotel bar in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr Orsi had declined a bottle of champagne in August 2003. Afterwards the sheikh had tried to kiss him. He was assaulted when he protested. According to the sheikh he had an argument with Mr Orsi after someone had called him gay. The Sheikh was found guilty of inflicting bodily harm with the use of a dangerous object. He was ordered to pay a fine of 10.000 Swiss francs. If he fails to pay he will have to spend 100 days in prison. If he is involved in another infraction in Switzerland during the next three years he might be fined for 540.000 Swiss francs. Testimonies from two former hotel employees were taken into account. According to his lawyer the sheikh might appeal.

Crown Prince Paras Shah of Nepal's relative Abhinesh Shah, told the press that the Crown Prince is not moving out of the country. He says that the Crown Prince is looking for a good school for his children. As guardians he and his wife will spend a lot of time in Singapor, but the children might return to good schools in Nepal when they get older. Mr Shah also said that the good medical facilities in Singapore would be useful for the Crown Prince, who suffered an heart attack some months ago.

July 4th
Prince Hashem bin Al Hussein and Princess Fahdah Hashem of Jordan had their second daughter today. The girl was named Rayet Al Noor.

July 5th
An auction of 700 lots of royal letters, photographs and artefacts from the former royal servant William Tallon at Reeman Dansie auctioneers in Colchester, Essex, Great Britain, fetched £444,634. That was about twice as much as expected. Mr Tallon had been in service of the royal family for 52 years and he kept every letter, card and invitation he ever received. Mr Tallon died last November. A note in which the Queen Mother asked her aide to pack gin and Dubonnet sold for £16,000. A minitiature portrait of the Queen Mother fetched the highest price of £30,000. A note from Diana Princess of Wales written after the birth of Prince William fetched £5,000, and a combination of seven letters of Princess Diana fetched £15,000.

The Information Department of the Prime Minister of Brunei Darussalam's office has officially launched the official website for the 62nd birthday of the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam. The website contains news and information on the celebration, a gallery of portraits, royal birthday songs and a greeting section. The celebrations will take place on 14 and 15 July.

Official web site: 62nd Royal Birthday

Archaeologists of the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities have uncovered something that could be a royal complex of 13 tombs of different shapes and sizes. The complex was found near Abydos in southern Egypt and could be dated back to 3000 BC. Inside they have found ancient wooden coffins with human bones inside, as well as ivory objects similar to pieces used for playing chess.

July 6th
This weekend King Mswati III of Swaziland attended the funeral of Princess Sibongile Promise Magongo of Swaziland. The 38-year-old princess was killed by a shot in the head outside her home in Louisville, Mpumalanga, Sout Africa, on 21 June. She was killed in front of her daughters aged 8 and 17. The princess was the chief wife of Prince Tikhontele Dlamini, Swaziland's representative in South Africa. The police thinks the execution could have been a professional hit. King Mswati III left today for a four-day state visit to Uganda.

July 7th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has hosted a dinner party at Buckingham Palace tonight in honour of the Aga Khan, The Aga Khan paid a seven-day visit to Great Britain on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his succession to the title of 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims last year.

July 8th
Prince Harry of Wales and 26 military colleagues of his Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals Regiment visit Lesotho to rebuild the Thuso Centre for severely disabled children. The work comes at the end of a southern African expedition of five weeks that the regiment has undertaken during recent weeks. Prince Harry joined the group for the final two weeks as they travelled through Botswana and Namibia before reaching Lesotho. The group will work on the centre over the next three weeks. Money for the work on the Thuso Centre was donated by the Burnaby Blue Foundation and by Prince Harry's foundation Sentebale.

July 10th
The private secretary of the Prince of Orange, Jaap Leeuwenburg, has confirmed that the prince and his wife Princess Maxima of the Netherlands plan to buy a bungalow at Mozambique. Plans, made together with some good friends, already exist for two years. Newspapers say the house is to be built on the island of Inhaca. The project is said to exist of a luxurious hotel, luxurious bungalows, supermarket, hospital and shops. The project is also aimed at helping the local people by taking care of sanitation and schools.

July 11th
A photo session with the Prince of Orange, Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and their three daughters took place at the Horsten estate in Wassenaar this morning. The family arrived by bicycle, after which photos were taken at the tea pavillion. On the press conference after the photo session the couple said Princess Amalia is doing well at school and likes to play with her friends. She starts to understand that she is different from other children. Princess Maxima helps at school herself, and little Princess Alexia also very much looks forward going to school herself. Prince Willem-Alexander mentioned to be very happy about the coming transparent costs of the royal house. The couple also talked about their plans to build a bungalow at Mozambique, but didn't want to reveal the location. The couple mentioned that they don't feel very safe in Argentina, as the behaviour of the argentinean press is very threatening, especially for the children.

Photos Royal Portraits

Photos PPE

During a press conference before leaving to Spain Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan mentioned the health of his wife Crown Princess Masako and said: "I ask you to understand that Masako is now making her utmost efforts (to recuperate) with help from people surrounding her, and to watch her with gentle patience." He also said to hope that they can visit a foreign country together in the future: "As Masako is still under medical treatment, a visit to a foreign country needs to be deliberated cautiously." Crown Prince Naruhito will be in Spain from 16 to 22 July and will visit Madrid, Toledo and the Expo 2008 at Zaragoza.

German Lukyanov, lawyer of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia today announced that he has lodged an appeal at the presidium of the Russian Sumpreme Court on behalf of the Grand Duchess. He said: "It raises the issue of overturning the ruling of the Russian Supreme Court's panel of judges dated November 8, 2006, and sending the case for the rehabilitation of the tsar's family back for a new trial."

July 13th
King Harald V of Norway won the world championship for classic eight-meter boats at Hankø, Norway, this weekend. He sailed a 1930s vessel called Sira, which was once owned by his father King Olav V.

July 14th
Prince Edzard zu Wied had to appear in court in München today for dealing drugs and possession of cocaine. According to his girlfriend Petra U. they were being blackmailed. When their blackmailer was arrested he told the police they could find drugs at the house of the prince. The police thereafter found 21 gramms of cocaine. The lawsuit continues.

July 15th
Kedah celebrated the golden jubilee of the reign of its Sultan, Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah today. The celebrations started yesterday with special prayers and reading of the Yasin followed by a thanksgiving feast at the Zahir Mosque. Today the jubilee celebration was declared and a jubilee parade was being held at the town square. The Sultan took part in the parade on a 'ship' escorted by three elephants, nine horses and three contingents comprising government officers and school bands. About 50.000 people lined the streets to see the procession. Commemorative stamps were issued to mark the event. A feast for the people will be held at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium on 19 July. On 22 July a special banquet will be held for which several royals have been invited, among them the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, and the monarchs of other Asian states. A water sports festival will be held at Tanjung Chali on 1 and 2 August, and on 8 August a float procession will take place. The programme will end on 25 August when there will be a tattoo performance and exhibition by the army at the Darul Aman Stadium.

July 16th
Countess Maria Josepha von Hardenberg was buried at the Städtischen Friedhof in Donaueschingen, Germany, yesterday. She had died at Baden-Baden on 7 July. She was born as daughter of Prince Max Egon zu Fürstenberg and his wife née Countess Wilhelmine von Schönburg-Glauchau on 23 April 1922. She is survived by her children and grandchildren. Her husband Count Günther von Hardenberg died in 1985. Just hours after having attended the funeral Princess Teresa zu Fürstenberg née Princess zur Lippe died suddenly at Werenwag Castle in Beuron, Germany. She was born at Vienna, Austria, on 21 July 1925. She is also survived by her children and grandchildren.

One day before the 90th anniversary of the assassination of Tsar Nikolai II of Russia and his family, it was announced by Vladimir Markin, spokesman of the Investigations Committee of the Russian prosecutor's office, that DNA tests have revealed that the bones found near Yekaterinburg on 29 July 2007 belong to Tsarevich Alexei and his sister Maria. He said: "The combination of anthropological and genetic evidence suggests that the remains of seven people [found in 1991 and 2007 near Staraya Koptyakovskaya road] are family." The remains have been examined by 22 experts from 12 different laboratories. Tests are still being continued and the DNA will be compared by forensic experts to the DNA taken from the shirt that the Tsar was wearing during a failed assasination attempt in Japan in 1890. Several related European royal families have agreed to provide DNA samples needed for the additional tests. Mr Markin said: "Results and a final conclusion will be got in the near time."

July 17th
Airport officials said today that Crown Princess Himani of Nepal and her three children Purnika, Kritika and Hridayendra have left Nepal by airplane this afternoon. They took a flight to Singapore. They were accompanied by a royal relative. Crown Prince Paras of Nepal already left Nepal two weeks ago to search for a house and schools for his children.

July 18th
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan signed the first copy of the country's first constitution today using a wooden pen dipped in golden ink. The event formally turns the absolute monarchy into a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy.

July 19th
Lady Rose Windsor married George Gilman this afternoon at the Queen's Chapel near St. James's Palace in London today. The bride wore a dress designed by Franka Couture and a tiara that belonged to Queen Mary of Great Britain. She was accompanied into church by her father, the Duke of Gloucester. Bridesmaids were the groom's nieces Lily (3) and Alice (9), and the pageboy was 5-year-old Jesse Grylls. The service was conducted by the Rev William Scott. Readings were held by Lady Rose's godparents the Earl of Wessex and Lady Sarah Chatto. Among the guests were the Princess Royal - wearing the same outfit as at the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Princess Diana in 1981 - and her husband Tim Laurence, Peter and Autumn Phillips, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Sarah Chatto with her husband, Lord Frederick Windsor, Lady Gabriella Windsor, and Kate Middleton.

Photos Getty Images

Prince Alfonso von Thurn und Taxis married Countess Anna von und zu Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg at Vienna, Austria, today.

July 20th
Prince Henrik of Denmark left hospital today. He was admitted to Aarhus hospital on Friday for a minor shoulder surgery. His shoulder had been painful already for some months.

Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and their children Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus posed during a photo session at Flatholmen island near Risør, Norway, where they bought a new summer house. Crown Prince Haakon celebrates his 35th birthday today.

Photos Aftenposten

July 21st
Not such a happy national day in Belgium this year, as a week ago the prime minister Yves Leterme sent in the resignation of his cabinet. On Thursday King Albert II of the Belgians let know he doesn't accept the resignation. He has appointed three politicians to try to find a solution. Yesterday evening the celebrations started with a concert at the Paleis voor Schone Kunsten in Brussels. This morning King Albert, Queen Paola, Queen Fabiola, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde attended the te deum at the St. Michael and St. Gudule Cathedral in Brussels. Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz attended the te deum at the St. Salvators Cathedral in Brugge, and Prince Laurent and Princess Claire at St. Aubain Cathedral in Namen. In the afternoon the whole family attended the military marchpast in front of the royal palace in Brussels. In the evening they seperately visited several activities around town.

Archaeologists believe they have found the walls of the lost abbey at Scone Palace. So far they have unearthed skeletons, bits of pottery, oyster shells and an old coin. Archaeologist Peter Yeoman told: "One of the most important things we have found so far is the outline of the abbey church and cloister. We have used ground- penetrating radar to produce an amazing outline of the abbey in the north transept trench. Individual pieces of buttresses and columns have been picked up on a plan, and we have tested it this year with limited excavations. Before the abbey was created, there was an older church on site." The team is also examining Moot Hill where the Scottish kings were crowned.

July 22nd
Prince Ferdinand-Joseph de Lobkowicz died at Brussels, Belgium, on 20 July. He was born at Ipamu, Belgian Congo, on 17 December 1955 as son of Prince Christian de Lobkowicz and his wife Marie-Thérèse née Countess von und zu Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg. The funeral will be held at the abbey church of Notre-Dame de la Cambre in Brussels on 25 July.

July 23rd
The coronation of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan is to take place on 6 November 2008, two years after his father abdicated. The coronation will be followed by two days of celebrations at the Changlingmithang stadium in Thimphu.

Nepalese soldier, Lal Bahadur Lamteri, claims in the Nepalese newspaper Naya Patrika to have been an eyewitness to the royal palace massacre in Nepal in 2001. He says that Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal didn't kill his family and even was killed before the rest of his family. He says that Crown Prince Paras arrived at the dinner party that night accompanied by a person wearing a Dipendra look-alike mask. He says that this person shot the family. The soldier was a junior army staff member at the Naryanhiti Palace in 2001.

July 24th
Princess Woizlawa-Feodora Reuss and the Freistaat Sachsen have reached a settlement in their fight about restitution of the real estate of the Reuss family that got lost in the expropriation after World War II. The princess, who has been fighting for years, will receive back Thallwitz Castle in Saxony, which used to be owned by Prince Heinrich XLV Reuss. It is unclear if the restitution includes the houses on the castlegrounds. Last June the Verwaltungsgericht in Gera dismissed a request of the princess to reopen the case about returning real estate in Gera. Reason was that the verdict of 2005 wouldn't have been different despite of newly found documents which are said to proof that Prince Heinrich XLV was a british citizen and couldn't have been expropriated by the Soviet occupation troops. The court had decided in 2005 that Prince Heinrich XLV was legitimately expropriated after World War II.

July 26th
Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark, as well as Princess Benedikte of Denmark with her eldest daughter with husband and children took part in the yearly photosession at Gråsten Castle today.

Photos Royal Portraits

In a statement released today by the Imperial Household Agency a team of physicians asks consideration for from the press when handling issues related to Crown Princess Masako of Japan's health. The statement says: "There is a possibility that repeated questioning on matters such as the reasons why Crown Princess Masako is not accompanying the crown prince on overseas visits will aggravate the medical condition of Crown Princess Masako." They say that such questions "not only undermine the efforts made by Crown Princess Masako but also could give the impression that she is being criticized for not making adequate efforts. Giving words of encouragement to those receiving treatment for a psychological condition should be avoided. It could not only delay recovery but also aggravate their medical condition." About her current condition they said: "She is trying her best while suffering from an illness. Compared with the period when the doctors commenced her treatment, the difference is amazing."

July 27th
The Ministry of Defence said that Prince William of Wales has been involved in a second drugs operation. He was on board a Lynx helicopter which chased a speedboat suspected of shipping cocaine from South America. No drugs were found and the crew was passed on to Colombian authorities. The prince was involved in a cocaine seizure earlier this month also. The prince is currently serving on the HMS Iron Duke in the Caribbean. He is spending five weeks on the frigate as part of his Navy placement aimed at preparing him for his future role as head of the armed forces.

July 26th
The Dutch royal court issued a new family photo of Prince Bernhard and Princess Annette van Oranje-Nassau, Van Vollenhoven with their children Isabella, Samuel and Benjamin. The photo was taken by Frank van Beek.

HQ Photo

July 29th
Yesterday evening a spokesman for King George Tupou V of Tonga announced that the king will relinguish many of his powers. This move will end a near-absolute monarchy. The statement said that the King, who sees himself as "an architect of change", "is voluntarily surrendering his powers to meet the democratic aspirations of many of his people." Furthermore it said: "His majesty wishes to ensure that the monarchy is fully prepared for elections in 2010 under a revised voting system granting the majority voice in parliament to the people." The King will be crowned later this week.

July 30th
Auctioneer Charles Hanson sold a 50-inch pair of bloomers, which once belonged to Queen Victoria of Great Britain, today for 4500 British pounds. The pair of pants were sold by a British family. The buyer was an anonymous Canadian. The Queen's 66-inch bust chemise was sold for 4000 pounds, and her nightdress for 5500 pounds.

The Supreme Court of Cambodia today announced that it has uphold the judgements of the Court of Appeal which sentenced Prince Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodia to 18 months in jail and a compensation of $ 150.000 to the Funcinpec Party over the case of breaching of trust. A spokesman of the Prince's party NRP said in a reaction that the court is biased and has injustice.

July 31st
Prince William of Wales is to undertake a final series of military secondments in the autumn to complete his year of familiarisation of the British armed forces. He will work with The Central Staff, including the Chief of Defence Staff, at the Ministry of Defence in London, Great Britain. Forthermore he will undertake a series of non-operational visits to Special Forces and a non-operational attachment to the Army Air Corps.

King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians, Queen Fabiola of Belgium and Princess Astrid of Belgium attended a commemoration service at the Church of Our Lady in Laken to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the death of King Baudouin of the Belgians.


Royal News: June 2008. Last updated: July 4th, 2008.