Last updated: July 5th, 2002.
June 1st
Princess Adélaïde d'Orléans married Pierre-Louis Dailly today at the Iglesia de Santa María Magdalena in Villamanrique de la Condesa. The bride wore a wedding dress designed by John Galliano. Present were among others King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain, the Prince of Asturias and Jaime de Marichalar.
Many people have enjoyed an evening of music, dance and fireworks in a classical concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain's 50th year on the throne. People came to watch a star-studded array of performers including Dame Kiri Ti Kanawa, Sir Thomas Allen and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. The evening reached a climax with a surprise appearance by the Queen outside the palace to greet the 40.000 well wishers who watched the evening on widescreens outside on The Mall . It was the first concert of its kind in the grounds of Buckingham Palace which was transformed into a giant arena for the 12,000 revellers who won tickets in a national ballot. Apart from the Queen eighteen members of the Royal Family were among the audience: the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal, Commodore Timothy Laurence, Viscount and Viscountess Linley, Daniel Chatto and Lady Sarah Chatto, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra Lady Ogilvy and the Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy. For the first time in front of the cameras pictured together with the Queen, Camilla Parker Bowles, companion of the Prince of Wales, joined the 125 guests seated in the Royal Box. The concert, which lasted for two hours took two years to prepare. The BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, under Conductor Laureate Sir Andrew Davis, filled the stage and began the evening's entertainment with Sir William Walton's Anniversary Fanfare. At the end the audience loudly sang Land of Hope and Glory and the concert ended with a reworked version of the national anthem greeted with applause and a chorus of singing for the Queen by all present, including the royal family.
June 2nd
Tonight a fire broke out in the loft of the West Terrace at Buckingham Palace. Fire engines arrived at the scene and the area was evacuated after smoke was seen coming from the roof of the East Gallery, which is a large corridor which leads from the ballroom to the state room. No members of the Royal Family were in residence at the time, but the Palace was busy with hundreds of people, including pop stars, TV crews and technicians preparing for tomorrow night's Golden Jubilee pop concert. They were gathered up in the corner of the garden of Buckingham Palace. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The Fire Brigade were called at 6.42 to reports of a fire in the roof void (loft) of the West Terrace of Buckingham Palace. "The palace has been evacuated as a precaution. London Fire Brigade are dealing with it." After more than one hour the fire was put out. Rehearsals for the popconcert started again on the stage at around 8.20pm. The palace roof has been damaged. The cause of the fire is not yet known. Happily the popconcert in the gardens of Buckingham Palace tomorrow will go ahead as planned.
The Duke of York has paid a personal tribute to the Queen on her Golden Jubilee weekend. Describing his mother as "the nation's embodiment", the Duke made clear his belief that she was determined to carry on serving her country as long as she could, saying: "There is no other way." He thanked the British people for the support they had shown the Queen following the death of the Queen Mother. The Duke praised his mother's dedication and resilience in the Golden Jubilee year. He summed up how his mother had won and retained the nation's affection over her 50 year reign: "It is her compassion and understanding for everyone and that she knows exactly what everybody wants from her." The Duke spoke of the special relationship he and his brothers and sister have with the Queen as her children: "The nation's embodiment is the monarch and the monarch happens to be my mother. It is a combination that is both fascinating and quite difficult and I would say probably impossible for anybody except the four of us to understand. I think the four of us children have a perspective that is unique. From our perspective she is the most fantastic mother - has been and always will be - and as our monarch we are completely devoted to her and to the service of her."
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain attended an ecumenical thanksgiving service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The crowd outside, through loudspeakers, heard the Dean of Windsor, the Right Rev David Conner, recall the Queen’s promise of lifetime service at her coronation 49 years ago to the day. "That unqualified promise has been given with continuing commitment, dedication, total loyalty and unstinting service to the Church, the nation and the Commonwealth," Dr Conner said in his sermon. Prayers were said by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, and the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor. There were readings from Anthony Burnham and Esme Beswick, ministers representing the Free Churches. Other members of the royal family attended Jubilee services around the country. Only the Duke of York travelled to Japan to see the match of the English football team to Sweden.
Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg won her first Danish championship in dressage in Vilhelmsborg today on her horse Fantast S. She received a bonus and a scooter. She also got the traditional bath in the water. At the press conference afterwards she said that her biggest aim this season is the World Championship in September where she wants to be one of the 25 best.
Prince Felix of Luxembourg, born on June 3rd, 1984, celebrated his 18th birthday today with an official press meeting at Colmar-Berg Castle, where the Grand Ducal family lives since one week. Felix studies in Switzerland at the moment.
June 3rd
The huge 3 1/2 hour popconcert in the gardens of Buckingham Palace had a royal start with Queen gitarist Brian May playing the national anthem from the roof of the palace. More than 12000 people joined the royal family in the garden, while more than 1.000.000 people gathered on The Mall to watch the giant screens. The Royals present at the start were: the Prince of Wales, Prince William, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Commodore Timothy Laurence, Peter Phillips, Zara Phillips, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra and Sir Angus Ogilvy, Viscount and Viscountess Linley, and Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto. Camilla Parker Bowles and her daughter Laura joined in halfway the concert. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived shortly before 10:00pm. and Dame Edna Everidge, who was performing at the time, greeted the Queen with the words: "The jubilee girl is here, possums." As the Queen took her seat, Dame Edna joked: "The show is a little loud. You may enjoy it more in Balmoral. Even Windsor would be too near." The programme included comedians and lots of music and was kicked off with Ricky Martin, followed by among others S Club 7, Annie Lennox, Ozzy Osbourne, Bryan Adams, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Cliff Richard, Brian Wilson, Emma Bunton, Dames Shirley Bassey, Atomic Kitten, Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Will Young, The Corrs and Paul McCartney. The Princes William and Harry laughed as comedian and compere Lenny Henry mimicked their father. The Prince of Wales went on stage at the end of the show to say the country feels proud and grateful for the 50 years of service of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Princes William and Harry had all been escorted on to the stage to meet the performers by Beatles producer George Martin. Prince Charles started his tribute saying: "Your Majesty... Mummy. Ladies and gentlemen, in my long experience of pop concerts, this has been something very special indeed." He said: "We feel proud of you - proud and grateful for everything you have done for your country and the Commonwealth over 50 extraordinary years," he said. The Duke of Edinburgh has supported her unfailingly throughout, the Prince added. "You have embodied something vital in our lives - continuity," he went on. "You have been a beacon of tradition and stability in the midst of profound, sometimes perilous, change." He finished by saying: "Fifty years ago, at nearly four years of age, I would probably have been playing in the sandpit in the garden just behind this stage. But now you have generously invited everyone in for a thoroughly memorable party... and we probably frightened the poor old geese into the bargain. So, Your Majesty, we are all deeply grateful to you and, in the words of the non-politically-correct second verse of the national anthem, you have defended our laws and certainly given us cause to shout with heartened voice, 'God Save the Queen'."
Soon afterwards the concert ended and then it was time for the Queen to light the final Golden Jubilee beacon in a chain 1,800-strong that stretches around the world. It triggered a spectacular firework display in the night sky above Buckingham Palace. Escorted by 300 children carrying lanterns in The Mall, the Queen ignited a rocket which flew by wire into the National Beacon on the Queen Victoria Memorial. As the flames in the beacon grew, jets of water, orchestrated to music, sprang from the memorial. The flames triggered a spectacular firework display and "Son et Lumiere" with colourful projections - psychedelic to heraldic - on the walls of the Palace. The night sky was lit up with four-and-half-tons of fireworks, choreographed to pop and classical music. The firework ended with "God Save the Queen" projected on to the Palace. The Jubilee beacon chain stretches throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Commonwealth and 14 other countries, from the Artic to the Antartic, and Mount Kenya to Nepal.
Last week King Mswati III of Swaziland married for the ninth time, one week after his eight marriage to Angel Dlamani. The King had to pay a cow to the family of his ninth wife, Nontsetselo Magongo, because he had made love to her before her 18th birthday. In Swaziland the king is allowed to have more wives.
June 4th
The Golden Jubilee celebrations were brought to an end today. The day began with pomp and pageantry, as Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh travelled from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral in the glittering State Gold Coach for a thanksgiving service. The coach was accompanied along its route by the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal on horseback, bands and rolling fanfares. The procession was led by senior royals in three open, horse-drawn carriages carrying the Duke of York, Princes William and Harry and Princess Beatrice. The second coach carried the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princess Eugenie. The third coach carried Commodore Timothy Laurence and Zara and Peter Phillips. It was the first time the State Gold Coach, which was built in 1762, had been used by the Queen since the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977. A huge crowd lined the route of the procession, many of them braved the cold and rain already overnight to ensure a good view. Inside the cathedral 47 members of the Royal Family joined a congregation of 2,400 for an hour-long service of thanksgiving. Attending were next to the members of the royal family mentioned above, Viscount and Viscountess Linley, Daniel and Lady Sarah Chatto, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Earl of Ulster (for the first time with his fiancée Claire Booth), Lady Davina and Lady Rose Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Earl and Countess of St Andrews, Lord Downpatrick, Lady Marina Charlotte Windsor, Lord Nicholas Windsor, Timothy and Lady Helen Taylor, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Lord Frederick Windsor, Lady Gabriella Windsor, Princess Alexandra Lady Ogilvy, the Hon. Sir Angus Ogilvy, James and Julia Ogilvy, Flora Ogilvy, Marina Ogilvy, the Earl and Countess of Harewood, Lady Saltoun, Mark Nicolson and the Hon. Mrs Katharine Fraser. Some foreign royals were present: former King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Princess Theodora of Greece and Prince Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath of Jordan. During the service Dr George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, said the jubilee celebrations showed that, unlike so much of the modern world, the relationship between sovereign and people had grown stronger and deeper with the passage of time. He said: "In your commitment to service we have seen not the denial of life but its rich and glorious affirmation." Quoting Queen Elizabeth I, he said: "You do indeed reign with our loves."
Queen Elizabeth II thanked the millions of people who celebrated the Jubilee all over the country and throughout the Commonwealth in a speech at Guildhall during a Jubilee lunch where Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute to her 50-year reign. "Gratitude, respect and pride," summed up her feelings, she said. She took the opportunity to mention the strength she had drawn from her own family. "The Duke of Edinburgh has made an invaluable contribution to my life over these past 50 years, as he has to so many charities and organisations with which he has been involved. I want to express my admiration for the Prince of Wales and for all he has achieved for this country. Our children, and all my family, have given me such love and unstinting help over the years, and especially in recent months," she said. The Queen added she had been "overwhelmed" and "deeply moved" by the public response to her Golden Jubilee. She said: "It has been a pretty remarkable 50 years by any standards. There have been ups and downs, but anyone who can remember what things were like after those six long years of war, appreciates what immense changes have been achieved since then."
20.000 people were involved in a huge carnival parade, with lots of singing and dancing. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and her family, among them the Prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry, were sitting in front of the Victoria monument at Buckingham Palace to watch the parade. At arrival the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were met at Admiralty Arch by 400 children who created a stream of gold with golden ribbons. Before they took their seats with the Queen and other members of the royal family the Prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry delighted the crowd by indulging in an impromptu 25-minute walkabout and mass hand-shaking session. At the end of the parade, just before 6:30pm a unique 27-aircraft flypast over Buckingham Palace took place, while the royal family watched from the balcony of the palace. 1.000.000 people were packed into The Mall and cheered at the final pass by a Concorde and a few Red Arrows. The planes released red, white and blue smoke as Land Of Hope And Glory was played at The Mall. The crowd became a sea of waving Union Jacks and they sang You’ll Never Walk Alone, We’ll Keep A Welcome In The Hillsides and, inevitably in a weekend of celebration that has seen a resurgence of patriotism and national unity, Land Of Hope and Glory. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh briefly reappeared on the balcony twice to an encore of Pomp and Circumstance and finally to the National Anthem.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, the minister in charge of the Jubilee celebrations in Jubilee minister wants equal rights of succession, told the Financial Times that women should be given equal rights of succession to the throne British. The 800-year-old tradition means the monarch's eldest son is always next in line to the throne, even if there is an older sister. Ms Jowell said: "There is now a general acceptance that daughters should be able to succeed to the throne, and not be overtaken by their younger brothers. If legislation were brought forward to give sons and daughters equal precedence I'd support it."
Prince Claus of the Netherlands has summoned the weekly Privé before court in Amsterdam. The prince is very angry about a story the magazine published on May 25. In that story it says that the prince has left Palace Huis ten Bosch and has fled to Germany where he would stay in a clinic for terminal patients. "The publication in Privé lacks each actual basis, is bad taste and infringes the personal life sphere of the prince", the Government Information Service added.
Prince Kubrat and Princess Carla of Bulgaria became the proud parents of a third son. Tirso was born at the Hospital de La Paz, Madrid, yesterday at 14:15. He weighs 2900 kilogrammes and is 48 cm tall.
Miguel, the son of Infanta Cristina of Spain and Iñaki Urdangarín, will be christened at the chapel of the Palacio de la Zarzuela on June 23rd 2002 at 11:00am.
June 6th
Ildiko, the second daughter of Archduke George of Austria and his wife Eilika, was born today at 11:38 in a private clinic near Budapest, Hungary. She weighs 3,4 kilograms and is 56 cm tall. Both daughter and mother are in good condition. The baby is the 21st grandchild of Dr Otto von Habsburg and his wife Regina.
Senior members of the Royal Family want concerts in the gardens of Buckingham Palace to be an annual event after the success of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee weekend. Senior officials at the Palace are considering staging concerts in August or September when the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are at Balmoral. One option is for a opera festival, complete with picnics in the grounds, spread over a week. The move to open the Palace gardens has won the support of the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal. The BBC would want to broadcast the events because of the prospect of multimillion-pound overseas sales. Sponsors will queue to be associated with the concerts because of the publicity that the unique setting would generate.
June 7th
Princess Lilian of Belgium, widow of King Leopold III of the Belgians, died aged 85 at Argenteuil Castle of cerebral hemorrhage at 13:00 this afternoon. She was the second wife of the King, and the stephmother of the present King Albert II.
During a visit to the Highgate Hill Murugan Temple in north London the Duke of Edinburgh has asked four Tamil high priests: "Are you Tigers?". The Hindu leaders said they had nothing to do with the Sri Lankan militant group, the Tamil Tigers. One of the priests said: "He was just joking. We weren't offended. He was being friendly."
June 8th
Little Isabella van Vollenhoven slept all the time during her first photosession together with both her mother and father. Her parents are Prince Bernhard van Oranje-Nassau van Vollenhoven and his wife Annette.
The Princely Family of Reuss have won the expropriation-fight at court in Gera and now want their properties in Köstritz - the castle (that was partly demolished in 1972), castle park and other properties - back. They lost those properties after the expropriation in 1945.
June 9th
Yesterday evening at 22:55 Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands gave birth to a daughter at the Bronovo Hospital in The Hague. Eloise Sophie Beatrix Laurence Countess van Oranje-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg, weighs 3715 grammes and is 51 centimetres tall. Prince Constantijn said: "Laurentien and the baby are doing very well. This is great. We feel intense happy and grateful, as undoubtedly all parents who have gone through the wonder of a birth". Eloise is fourth in line of succession. She is the first grandchild of Queen Beatrix. This morning around 10:30 mother and daughter returned to Palace Huis ten Bosch. Later today the first photos of Eloise were released.
The Belgian royal family has cancelled a few engagements out of respect for Princess Lilian who died on Friday. The 40th birthday party of Princess Astrid at the serres of the Laken Palace for which 1000 people were invited yesterday evening was cancelled. Also an engagement of Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde on Monday is cancelled.
June 10th
The Duke of Lugo left the hospital Gregorio Marañon in Madrid again where he was admitted on saturday after becoming ill on board of a plane during a flight from Madrid to Paris. He and his wife Infanta Elena of Spain were on their way to Paris to attend the tennis finals at Roland Garros. The plane returned to Madrid. The Duke had to undergo some tests at hospital. The doctors have said his current condition may not be related to the earlier illness.
Princess Lilian of Belgium will be buried on Friday June 14th at 11:00 in the royal vault at the Church of Our Lady in Laeken, in accordance with the wish of her late husband King Leopold III. The funeral will be private and will be attended by King Albert II of the Belgians and other members of the Belgian royal family.
Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands has officially given notice of the birth of his daughter Eloise at the Old Townhall in The Hague. He was accompanied by Prime Minister Wim Kok and vice-president of the State Council, Mr Herman Tjeenk Willink, who acted as witnesses because it concerned the birth of a member of the royal house of the Netherlands. The Prince was received by the mayor of the Hague, Mr Deetman, in one of the grand rooms of the townhall. Mr Deetman handed over a commemorative spoon for the baby to the prince. Prince Constantijn told the press he had found the delivery very difficult: "It is hard to see a loved one suffer so much. But if the baby finally is there, you quickly forget." He said that he had spend most of last night singing lullabies for Eloise. He also told that his mother, Queen Beatrix, had hesitated coming to hospital immediately after birth. She called Laurentien's mother to ask Laurentien if she was welcome. Of course she was. Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien will stay in The Hague the coming time, but will go back to London if the prince has to go to work again. But Eloise will get a Dutch upbringing. Prince Constantijn also told that the Sophie-part of Eloise's names is not historical, but that she was named after the best friend of Laurentien, Sophie van de Wouw, also her witness at their marriage.
The long-delayed inquest into the death of Princess Diana could be held in London next year. The breakthrough follows the appointment of a new coroner for the Royal Household, Michael Burgess. He would head the inquest into Diana's death, as well as the inquest into the death of Dodi Fayed. The hearing would allow the events leading up to the car crash in Paris to be explored in detail. It would be the first inquest into a fatal accident involving a member of the Royal Family to be held since 1972, when Prince William of Gloucester was killed in an air crash. British law insists an inquest should be carried out in every case where a body is returned to Britain following a death abroad. Lengthy police investigations and a series of legal complications have so far delayed an inquest into the fatal incident in 1997.
June 11th
A new Dutch law about the membership of the Royal House of the Netherlands was officially published and has taken effect today. The new law was created to gain a smaller circle of members. In the future only the king/queen, the previous king/queen, and relatives of the king/queen in two degrees of sanguity and their spouses will be members of the Royal House, although members of the family in third degree to the monarch are also in line for the throne. The position of the current members will be unchanged. By law the heir(ess) will be Prince(ss) of Oranje, but his/her spouse will not be allowed to use the title. The previous king/queen and the heir will be Prince(ss) of the Netherlands and Prince(ss) of Orange-Nassau with the prefix His/Her Royal Highness by law, as well as the other children of the king and the children of the heir to the throne and their spouses by Royal Decree. By royal decree, when leaving the Royal House the title can remain a personal title and the surname and noble titles can be set within three months after the membership of the Royal House ends. The titles of the children of Queen Juliana and Princess Margriet will not be effected by this change in law.
Police in Toensberg are investigating a disturbing break-in at the Norwegian royal family's summer house at Maageroe on the island of Tjøme, southwest of Oslo. Intruders vandalized the property but it was unclear if anything was stolen. Police in Tønsberg, the town nearest Tjøme, are seeking for witnesses who might have been in the area of the royal summer home on Saturday June 1st, the date they believe intruders approached the property from the sea. The intruders broke windows and flower pots and unleashed the contents of a fire extinguisher. They threw furniture and other items into King Harald's and Queen Sonja's private swimming pool, a Norwegian newspaper wrote. Palace officials declined further comment. No members of the royal family were present when the break-in occurred, but the king and queen generally spend time there in July.
June 12th
101-year-old Natalia Petrovna Bilikhodze, possessor of a 1-trillion-dollar fortune held a press conference in Moscow, at which she said she was the grand duchess Anastasia, the daughter of the last Russian Tsar Nikolai II, and survived the shooting of her family. According to her, Anastasia was not shot and has been living in Georgia under the name of Natalia Bilikhodze. In Georgia, she got married. Only in 1995, she started to bustle about returning to her the true name. Now, Russian citizen Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, despite her declining years, prepares herself for returning to Russia and for returning to Russia the great inheritance of her family. At the moment, the world knows about 30 grand duchesses Anastasia, and not only the living pseudo-Anastasias pretend being heirs of Russian throne, but also descendants of the late pseudo-Anastasias.
Young adults in Great Britain think Prince William should be the next head of state, according to a BBC poll. The Prince of Wales won the support of 47% of all those polled, with Prince William on 33% and an elected president on 14%. But among those aged 18-24, Prince William's support rose, with 35% believing he should ascend to the throne ahead of his father. The Prince of Wales polled 27% of votes amongst 18-24 year olds, the same number of young people who favoured an elected president. Of the 1000 adults questioned 63% did not think the monarchy was out of date while 32% believed it was. Among young people however opinion was fairly evenly split with 44% saying the monarchy was out of date and 45% saying it was not, with the remainder undecided. Asked if the Royal Family cost the taxpayer too much money, 51% of all those asked said Yes, 43% said No with 6% undecided. Among the young, the figures were more marked, with 62% agreeing, 30% disagreeing and 8% undecided.
An electric heater treating rot mould accidentally caused the fire at Buckingham Palace one week ago. The fire started in footmen's quarters, which were closed because of the dry rot. It damaged 10% of the second and third floors of a storage area in the East Gallery of the West Terrace. Most of the damage was caused by water from burst pipes and fighting the flames. Buckingham Palace isn't insured and the cost of repairs will be met by existing grants from the Government for the maintenance of royal palaces.
The Duchess of York is set to host a daily chat show in the USA in the 2003-2004 season. She has signed a development deal to make Fergie, a one-hour syndicated programme with Universal Television Enterprises. If the pilot is successful she will divide her time between New York, where the show will be made, and England with her daughters. The Duchess says she relishes the prospect of doing the show: "I enjoy being with people, so I'll feel in my element with a daily talk show. I am constantly inspired by the many people I meet and I would like to be part of an exciting television programme that celebrates life and the human spirit."
June 13th
After 63 years of exile in different countries of the world, the royal family of Albania will return to Albania from Johannesburg (South Africa) on June 28th. A special plane will land in the runway of Mother Teresa Airport, which will bring King Leka I, Queen Susan and Crown Prince Leka back to Tirana. The news about the return of the family to Albania was announced by the head of Legality Movement Party, Eqrem Spahia. According to him, "along with the return of the king, the hope for a better life, development, prosperity, integration and dignity in the European structures will come back". It is the third time King Leka I comes back to Albania, after the royal family's leaving on 6 April 1939, the day when Albania was invaded by Italy.
A group of English Members of Parliament have condemned the practice of minor royals living in Kensington Palace on a "peppercorn rent" as "an outrage". Those who live at the palace include Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The MPs are assessing the value for money of the palace, towards which taxpayers pay £15 million a year. It comes after reports that the Kents pay just £69 a week for their magnificent grace and favour apartment in the palace.
June 14th
Princess Lilian of Belgium was buried next to her late husband, King Leopold III, in the royal vault at the Church of Our Lady in Laeken. The private funeral was attended by the Belgian royal family, a delegation of the Belgian government, army veterans who fought under King Leopold III and friends. Among the mourners were also Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, his wife Marina, Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, Elisabeth de Balkany, Laetitia Spetchinsky and the Countess Esterházy. The funeral train left the Castle of Argenteuil, where Princess Lilian died one week ago, at 10:30 followed by two of her three children - Prince Alexander and Princess Marie-Esmeralda and their spouses, while Princess Marie-Christine stayed away - and her two surviving stephchildren King Albert II of the Belgians and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg with their spouses, and Queen Fabiola of Belgium, widow of the late King Baudouin. The service was held at the Church of Our Lady in Laeken from 11:00 to 12:15 and was led by Cardinal Danneeels in Dutch and French. He remembered Princess Lilian as 'a woman who followed her heart' and praised her for her work for her Cardiological Foundation. The service ended with the Belgian national anthem.
June 15th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has marked her official birthday with the traditional Trooping the Colour parade and march past. She took the salute and reviewed her troops as the Colour of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards was paraded. Large crowds gathered in the capital, outside Buckingham Palace, along The Mall and at Horse Guards, to see the pageantry and hear the massed bands.
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph Prince Michael of Kent has rejected the idea that he and his wife might voluntarily move out of their peppercorn-rent apartment at Kensington Palace. He hit back at criticism from MPs who said Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain should end the system that allows minor royals to live at the palace for a sum reported to be as low as £69-a-week. The prince conceded that he and Princess Michael did not carry out official royal duties but said they performed "a lot of public ones". He said: "The apartment is in the gift of the Queen so it isn't for me to speculate. We have not discussed it." Asked if the couple might pay a commercial rent - estimated to be up to 100 times higher than the current amount - he replied it was also a matter for the Queen. He defended the current state of affairs, saying: "People assume our lifestyle is paid for by someone else, but it's paid for by us. Except the house, clearly." He added: "We pull our weight for the family and the country. And we do it because we feel we are privileged, and privilege doesn't work without obligation." Prince Michael also said criticism in the press was difficult to take and said the public view of his family was "trivial and uninformed". He added: "We're under siege. But we're not quitters. When you see personal attacks in the papers, of course it's hurtful. But you have to carry on."
June 17th
King Harald V of Norway was officially installed as Knight of the Garter during a service at St George's Chapel, Windsor. He already had been presented with the insignia of the Order at a private ceremony in Oslo during the state visit of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain to Norway in June 2001. Before the service Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and joined by the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent lead the traditional procession of Garter knights from Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel. Among the knights walking in the procession were Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Eight thousand ticket holders filled the castle’s Lower Ward to watch the procession on foot down the steep hill from the State Apartments. Before the service a reception was held in the Grand Reception Room of Windsor Castle for the Garter Knights and a lunch for 80 guests took place in St George's Hall.
In the evening a dinner reception for European sovereigns was held in the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle to mark the Golden Jubilee. Those attending the dinner included King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians, Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg, Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxemburg, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Timothy Laurence, the Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent, Lady Gabriella Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra Lady Ogilvy and Sir Angus Ogilvy. No speeches were made at the dinner on which a brill and lobster roulade, baby chicken with asparagus, courgettes, croquette potatoes and salad, with a peach dessert were served.
June 18th
Eleven European Royals were guests of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain on the opening day of the Golden Jubilee Royal Ascot races. They all rode in the traditional Ascot carriage procession. In the leading carriage Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh were joined by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and King Harald V of Norway. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Silvia of Sweden followed in the second Ascot landau with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Sonja of Norway were accompanied by Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and the Earl of Wessex in the third carriage. Next came Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg with the Countess of Wessex, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Prince Henrik of Denmark. In the fifth and final carriage were Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, the Princess Royal with her son Peter Philips and Vice Admiral Tom Blackburn, Master of the Royal Household.
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima will pay a state visit to Argentina, Brazil and Chili in the Spring of 2003.
June 19th
Three watercolours of Balmoral, Ben Avon and Sandringham which were sold on Tuesday by auctioneers Fellows & Sons in Birmingham as paintings by Prince Charles have been exposed as fakes. The two collectors who between them paid more than £20,000 for the paintings have been given full refunds. An investigation by St James's Palace revealed the original paintings are still in the Prince of Wales's possession. Fierce bidding for the watercolours saw the guide price of £500 to £800 for each soar, with two going for £7,300 and one for £6,000. In a statement, the firm said: "Following conversations with St James' Palace, we now feel certain that these paintings are probably copies of original works." They added that efforts are being made to contact the collector who put the paintings up for sale and to verify the letter of provenance which accompanied them. The letter stated that the paintings had been bought at a Royal Variety Club charity auction in 1990. A spokeswoman for the Prince of Wales said: "The paintings sold at auction are not original watercolours by the Prince of Wales. We are looking into the matter and are considering all options." The Prince never sells his paintings, but has occasionally given away originals - though the Palace confirmed none of these were among the collection auctioned in Birmingham.
June 20th
Yesterday Count Flemming af Rosenborg died at hospital in Antibes, France, at the age of 80. After the wedding of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway on May 24th the count and his wife Ruth went back to France, where they live. On 29 May the count suffered a coronary thrombosis and underwent surgery at hospital in Antibes. Yesterday he then suffered a cardiac arrest leading to his death. The count was the youngest son of Prince Axel of Denmark and Princess Margaretha of Sweden. The funeral service will take place on July 3rd in Holmens Kirke, Copenhagen, and he will probably be interred in the Bernstorff Park next to his parents, brother and sister-in-law.
June 21st
Thousands of people waited patiently for their turn at signing one of four get-well books yesterday at Siriraj Hospital, where King Bhumibol of Thailand continued his recuperation following a hernia operation on Tuesday. The king's temperature, heartbeat, blood pressure and respiratory system were all found to be normal, the Royal Household said in a statement. He has slept and eaten well and is also able to walk around his hospital room and the surgical wound is healing satisfactorily.
June 22nd
The Earl of Ulster, son of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, married his long-term girlfriend Claire Alexandra Booth, daughter of Robert and Barbara Booth from Weston Turville, Aylesbury, at the Queen's Chapel, St James's Palace, London. The Earl who is a King's Royal Hussars captain is 18th in line to the British throne. The wedding ceremony was attended by 16 members of the Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester with their daughter Davina and Rose, the Princess Royal and Commander Tim Laurence, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra Mrs Ogilvy, Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto, Lord Frederick Windsor and Lady Gabriella Windsor. The bride was attended by Miss Lola Eid-Arimoku (fellow-student of the bride), Miss Bruna Carnevale, Russia and Tennessee Blackmore and Arabella Henderson. Mr Alexander Turner was best man. The service was officiated by Prebendary William Booth who was assisted by Canon David Cooper. Wearing an ivory silk dress with train and veil, by Vera Wong, the bride carried a bouquet of red roses. She was given away by her father. After the wedding the newlyweds walked under an arch of swords formed by a guard of honour of eight King's Royal Hussars officers outside the chapel. A reception was held in the State Apartments, St James's Palace. The Earl of Ulster and Claire Booth met at Barnwell, formerly the Gloucesters' country home, through Lady Davina Windsor, who went to school with Claire. The new Countess of Ulster is a 100-hours-a-week junior doctor at Frimley Park NHS Trust Hospital, near Sandhurst. She studied medicine at King's College, part of the University of London, where she graduated in 2001. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain officially gave her consent to the marriage on April 17, 2002, at Windsor Castle.
Dr Mangad Iqbal, who prescribed drugs to Princess Leila Pahlavi before she died of an overdose in the Leonard Hotel in Mayfair, London, in June 2001 was "overawed by her status", a disciplinary inquiry heard yesterday. His prescriptions to her were "irresponsible and inappropriate", the General Medical Council hearing in London was told. Princess Leila Pahlavi died after taking five times the lethal dose of quinalbarbitone, a barbiturate used to treat insomnia. The drug was described as "dangerous and addictive" at the professional conduct committee inquiry. Dr Iqbal said she was "so glamorous" he did not suspect she was a drug addict and accepted her need for tranquillisers and sleeping pills. The doctor admitted prescribing without ever having met or spoken to her, and without having first-hand information about her medical history. The inquiry was told that the princess swallowed 40 Rohypnol sleeping tablets every night, 20 times the limit, and 30 different tranquillisers during the day - 10 times the limit. Dr Iqbal was found guilty of serious professional misconduct. He escaped being struck off but had conditions imposed on his practice for 12 months.
June 23rd
Miguel de Todos los Santos Urdangarín y Borbón was baptised in the gardens of the Zarzuela Palace near Madrid. His godparents were the Prince of Asturias and Lucía Urdangarín.
June 24th
Journalists, invited by the Grand Ducal couple of Luxembourg for an 'off the record'-meeting on June 10th at the Grand Ducal Palace, were told by Grand Duchess Maria Teresa about the tense relationship between her and her mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte. "My mother-in-law is spreading false rumours about me. She is trying to ruin our marriage. Don't listen to her", the Grand Duchess added: "She could not stop the marriage, that's why she is trying for years to destroy it from inside out". Grand Duke Henri (47), who attented the meeting with the press, declared to support his wife for 100%. According to the Luxembourg media the relationship between the Grand Duke and his mother has been 'icey' for the last years. The latest rumours told that Grand Duke Henri should have an affair. The story was never meant to become public, but the newspaper 'Le Quotidien' decided to publish after all last Saturday.
June 25th
Princess Margaret of Great Britain left £7.6 million in her will. The estate will be divided between her children, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto once inheritance tax is paid and personal bequests made to friends and former members of staff. Lord Linley's spokeswoman confirmed that the Princess's estate was worth £7,700,176 gross and, after liabilities were paid, £7,603,596 net, on which inheritance tax was payable at 40%. Cash and property left after tax would amount to around £4.5 million.
Prince Harry of Wales has injured his right ankle again by playing Eton School's traditional Wall Game on Sunday. He has been forced back on to crutches. He inflamed an old injury from last November during a session of the game - often described as a cross between football and rugby - St James's Palace confirmed.
A photograph of Diana, Princess of Wales on her wedding day has fetched £4,500 at auction. The picture was taken by the photographer Patrick Lichfield and shows the Princess with her bridesmaids, and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain smiling over her shoulder. It is one of more than 100 photographs that went under the hammer at Christie's in aid of WellBeing, a health research charity for women and babies, and The LOOC Foundation, for parents who want to adopt babies from Chinese orphanages.
June 26th
The former queen Homaira of Afghanistan, wife of Mohammed Zahir Shah, died in Rome today at the age of 86, two days after being hospitalised for heart troubles, her family said. She had stayed in Italy after the former king returned from almost 30 years in exile to Afghanistan in April. The queen's body will be returned to Afghanistan on Sunday.
Over one hundred letters written by the Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the Princess of Wales and other royals are to be auctioned. The personal letters have been collected by American businesswoman Alicia Carroll. She has a vast collection of royal memorabilia including a slice of Charles and Diana's wedding cake. Most of the letters were bought from relatives and friends of the royals. Mrs Carroll says she will not be auctioning some of the more personal letters. It's thought the letters will be auctioned in New York later this year.
Only according to the Spanish television Princess Kalina of Bulgaria became engaged today to her long-time boyfriend Kitín Muñoz, whose official name is Antonio Muñoz Valcárcel. He was born in Sidi Ifni on November 19th, 1958. The rumours are not confirmed.
June 28th
Monarchists in Albania have welcomed the return of the exiled royal family. The return of King Leka was made possible by an amnesty granted this month for his part in unrest during a referendum five years ago on the future of the monarchy. He had fled the country amid rioting following the 1997 referendum and a court in the capital Tirana later found him guilty in absentia of organising an armed uprising. King Leka said: "I thank the Albanian people and the parliament for giving me a chance to return to my homeland." Fewer than 500 people turned out to greet him. His supporters had been hoping he would be greeted by a crowd of several thousand. He was accompanied by his mother, his wife Susan, his son Leka and two aunts. They waved at the crowd before entering a white limousine with windows covered with Albanian flags. The family plan to live in a villa in the capital close to government headquarters, a spokesman for them said. King Leka was only two days old when his family fled Albania during the Italian invasion in 1939 and has lived in South Africa for much of the past 20 years.
Police in Albania have found weapons in the suitcases of King Leka. An advisor to the king said that the weapons found by the police - which numbered almost 90 - were trophies and presents, and that the king was an arms collector. The police are still investigating, but said some fairly new grenades and a Kalashnikov rifle were among the weapons found. Two guns were also seized from Leka Zog's South African bodyguards. "Albanian police were not informed of the presence of arms in the luggage and carried out the necessary verifications," police chief Bilbil Mema told. The king could face up to five years in prison if found guilty of illegal arms possession.
New pictures of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan with their daughter Aiko were released. The photos, taken on June 19, show a very happy family. For more cute photos see: Imperial Household Agency (warning: site is in Japanese).
June 29th
A man has been arrested after being discovered within the grounds of the Prince of Wales's London residence, St James's Palace. A cleaner discovered the man at 6.15am on Wednesday in Lancaster House, Scotland Yard confirmed. Lancaster House is within the environs of St James's Palace and normally used for Government conferences and receptions. The Prince was in London on that night. A Scotland Yard spokesman said of the intruder: "He was arrested and taken to Charing Cross police station. He was later released with no further action taken."
June 30th
Arrietta, daughter of Princess Alexia of Greece and Carlos Morales Quintana, was christened today at 6:00pm at the Chapel of La Purisima Conception in Barcelona. The Greek Orthodox ceremony was officiated by His Eminence the Metropolitan of France, Jeremias. The godparents were princess Theodora of Greece, Infanta Cristina of Spain, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, Mrs Maria Teresa Morales Quintana, Philippos Stratos and Manuel Cabrera Cabreara. Among the guests were further Queen Sofia of Spain, the Prince of Asturias, Iñaki Urdangarín Duke of Palma de Mallorca, Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie Chantal of Greece, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, Prince Philippos of Greece and Princess Irene of Greece.
Today it became known that the daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley will be known as the Hon Margarita Elizabeth Alleyne Armstrong-Jones. She will be baptised in October.
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn arrived back in Norway after a five-week honeymoon. The royal court reported they have stayed somewhere in the Pacific. Furthermore the royal court announced that King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, Ari Behn, Princess Ragnhild Mrs Lorentzen, Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner and Johan Martin Ferner will attend the funeral of Count Flemming of Rosenborg in Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Royal News: May 2002. Last updated: June 11th, 2002.