ROYAL NEWS: JUNE 2003

> Last updated: July 1st, 2003.

June 1st
Princess Laetitia Maria of Belgium Archduchess of Austria-Este was christened at Stuyvenberg Castle today. Her godparents were her brother Prince Joachim and Princess Nora von und zu Liechtenstein.

June 2nd
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has attended a special service at 11:30am at Westminster Abbey in London to mark the 50th anniversary of her coronation. Among the people who attended the service were 16 members of the British royal family, among them the Prince of Wales and Prince William, politicians and 34 people born on Coronation Day in 1953. Also Camilla Parker Bowles attended. Queen Elizabeth II, dressed in light gold, arrived to a majestic fanfare of trumpets. The service was led by the Dean of Westminster, Dr Wesley Carr who said: "From Christmas Day 1066 until June 2, 1953, this Abbey has resounded to the acclamations of the people for their sovereigns. For here is held the ceremony of coronation, the anointing and crowning, as the monarch commits herself to lead and serve the nation." After the service the Queen opened the Golden Jubilee Mall Extension to the Jubilee Walkway in London's St James's Park, which now extends for 14 miles around London. After a private lunch, the Queen was presented with a replica of her coronation bouquet. It was presented to her by Louisa Harrington, a 9-year-old seriously ill schoolgirl, at 12.30pm - the exact moment the monarch was crowned 50 years' ago in Westminster Abbey.A relaxed Queen later held a tea party for more than 500 underprivileged children in the garden of Buckingham Palace that was for the occasion transformed into a fairground complete with clowns and a bouncy castle. At the end of the day the Prince of Wales hosted a celebration dinner at St James's Palace and Clarence House.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has appointed the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex Knights Commander and Prince Michael of Kent a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

In an apply for a rule nisi Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme has claimed about 74.000 Euro from the bank MeesPierson because they took $ 100.000 from her bankaccount in 1998 without her permission. She says her sister Carolina gave permission for the transfer of the money to their father's bankaccount. The lawyer of the bank said today at court in Amsterdam that Princess Margarita had given verbal permission for the transaction herself and that the bank considers such a permission as very safe.

June 3rd
A new public opinion poll by TNS Gallup for TV2 says that only 22% of the Norwegians think Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway will be a good future king and queen. 21,4% thinks they are not suited for the job. The rest of the people think they will do a fair job. However half of those asked said they supported a referendum on the future of the monarchy before 2014.

June 6th
Prince William of Wales will pay an official visit to Wales on June 19, two days before his 21st birthday, together with his father the Prince of Wales. He will visit a Food Fair in Anglesey and a project helping single homeless people in Newport. A St James's Palace spokeswoman said that "He wanted to highlight the importance of two issues - rural communities and the homeless - and he wanted to visit Wales, seeing as one day he will be the Prince of Wales."

June 7th
Hereditary Prince Heinrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn married Donna Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta in a civil ceremony at Sayn Castle in Bendorf-Sayn around 11:30am. After the wedding the couple appeared on the terrace of the castle for a short photosession. About 350 guests attended the reception afterwards, among them some royals, friends and locals. In the evening a party was held at the old Sayn Castle above the new castle. The religious wedding will take place in Bolgheri, Tuscany (Italy), on June 21.

June 8th
Today new pictures of Prince Harry of Wales were released by Buckingham Palace to mark his final week at Eton College. He will complete his final A-level exam in art on Thursday. The photos reveal that he has some photographs of his mother in his room and photographs of pin-up girls and sports stuff on his walls. Among the photos is one of the prince playing rugby, some in his room at Eton College, one of him with his own paintings (according to some people he is a talented painter) as well as one of the prince performing in the school's production of Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing'.

Yesterday unknown people have tried to steal the 1,50 metres broad and 1,70 metres high show-case with the coronation badges of King Friedrich I of Prussia and his wife Sophie Charlotte, with a value of about 28 million Euros. The thiefs came in as visitors of Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin and tried to break the glass of the show-case, but didn't succeed. When the alarm went off they fled.

June 9th
On the occasion of the 10th wedding anniversary of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan new photos of the couple and their daughter Princess Aiko were released by the Imperial Household Agency. The photos were taken on May 30 in the garden of their palace in Tokyo.

British Egyptologist Joann Fletcher from the University of York announced today that her team might have identified the mummy of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, wife and co-ruler of pharaoh Akhenaten. Queen Nefertiti is believed to be one of the three mummies discovered in a secret chamber of a tomb known as KV35 in the Valley of Kings in Luxor, originally located in 1898. She said that: "Although we can only suggest the identity as a strong possibility, the findings certainly have some wide-ranging implications for Egyptology." Dr Fletcher said she became interested in the mummy after identifying a wig, which had been found by the three mummies, as being a Nubian-style wig favoured by royal women in the 18th dynasty. Further examination of the mummy in the side room revealed the remains of the younger woman had a doubled-pierced ear lobe, shaved head, and the clear impression of the tight-fitting brow-band worn by royalty. The mummy also had an arm removed, which was found in its wrappings bent at the elbow, a possible sign that it had originally held a royal sceptre, Dr Fletcher said. The other two mummies, a teenage boy and an older woman, have not yet been identified. However, critics have expressed doubts that the remains could be that of the famous queen and say that without DNA evidence to verify the claims, it is unlikely to be the remains of the queen. Egyptologist Susan James says: "Physical evidence known and published prior to this expedition indicates the unlikelihood of it being the mummy of Nefertiti. Without any comparative DNA studies, statements of certainty are merely wishful thinking."

June 10th
47-year-old Sherif Ali Ibn Hussein, pretender to the Iraqi throne, arrived in Bagdad today after 45 years of exile. The Sherif is the son of Badiaa, a cousine of Ghazi - second king of Egypt, and is a banker living in London. After arrival he visited the royal cemetery of Azamiyah in the centre of Bagdad where the three Iraqi kings are buried.

The Duke of Edinburgh has celebrated his 82nd birthday with a visit to the Windsor theme park Legoland together with his wife Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. More than 2,000 excited children from Berkshire schools cheered and waved Union Flags as the Queen and Duke made their way through the crowd. The royal couple boarded the Legoland Hill Train which took them to Mini Land and among others saw a lifesize statue from Lego bricks of the Duke of Edinburgh himself, Buckingham Palace and St Paul's Cathedral, as well as the Crown Jewels. Several other members of the British royal family also paid visits nationwide aimed at boosting the flagging British tourism industry.

June 11th
Yesteray 26-year-old Princess Salote Lupepeu'u Tuita of Tonga, sevent in line to the Tongan throne, married Mata'i'ulua Fusitu'a in a Christian wedding service, followed today by a traditional ceremony at the royal palace. During the traditional ceremony the couple was heavily massaged with coconut oil and dressed in tapa or bark cloth and formally presented to royals and nobles while they received dozens of cooked pigs from villages and islands across the Pacific kingdom. The wedding feast will be followed by a major church conference and on July 4 by the 85th birthday of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga. The bride is his first granddaughter to get married and is Tonga's consul in Beijing, China. Her groom is of a noble family and has previously been married to the kingdom's beauty queen, but that marriage was annulled.

Some weeks before Christmas Hereditary Prince Philipp zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Saskia Binder became engaged. The wedding will take place on September 13.

June 12th
A St James's Palace spokesman announced Prince Harry of Wales wants to be a career soldier and will apply to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst after a gap year in which he might partly travel abroad. More details about the gap year will be announced in September. He will be assessed by the Army before going before the Regular Commissions Board. The Pre-RCB assessment will take place during his gap year and, if successful, Harry is expected to join the Army late next year. He hasn't chosen a regiment yet but speculation says he wants to join the Welsh Guards. It was also disclosed that Prince Harry took two A-levels during his final year at Eton College, in art and geography.

The Countess of Wessex is to become the new president of Girlguiding UK, a post previously held by the late Princess Margaret of Great Britain. The Countess will chairing the council, presenting members with the Queen's Guide Award and perform some informal duties. Last month the Countess was presented to the Chief Guide Jenny Leach and other members. Ms Leach said: "We are thrilled that the Countess of Wessex has agreed to be our President. Girlguiding UK, formerly known as the Guide Association, is Britain's largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women, with 620,000 members.

In the apply for a rule nisi the court of justice has decided that the bank MeesPierson is not responsible for the transfer of $ 100.000 from the private bankaccount of Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme to the bankaccount of her father, the Duke of Parma. Princess Margarita had demanded 74.000 Euro. The judge also questioned the fact that the princess must have known about the transaction at least by the end of 2000, but didn't complain until more than two years later.

June 14th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has marked her official birthday with a pompous and splendid ceremony. For the first time also Prince William and Prince Harry of Wales rode in a carriage to the pageant, together with the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Queen Elizabeth II took the salute and reviewed her troops as the Colours of the Grenadier guards was paraded in the ceremony. Thousands of people stood outside Buckingham Palace, The Mall and at Horse Guards to be able to see and hear something. After the ceremony the royal family gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where the Queen took an aerial salute from an RAF fly past of 11 different aircraft, flown by pilots from the Iraq war.

The 14th Duke of Bedford died yesterday at the age of 63. He was born at the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly on January 21, 1940 as Henry Robin Ian Russell. The Duke had only succeeded his father, the 13th Duke, last October. However already since 1974 he had been running the family estate Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire. Furthermore the Duke was a stockbroker in the City of London. The Duke is survived by his wife Henrietta and their three sons, the eldest of whom, Andrew Ian Henry Russell, born in 1962, will succeed to the Dukedom. He already took over the running of Woburn Abbey from his father last year.

With an exhibition about the Oranje dynasty Oranienbaum Palace near Dessau reopened its doors after more than 60 years. The main part of the building is yet to be restored, but the public will be enable to watch how the restoration is proceeding. The palace was built in Dutch baroque style by Princess Henriette Catharina of Oranje-Nassau, married to Prince Johann Georg II of Anhalt-Dessau. The exhibition ´Oranienbaum - House of Orange´ shows an insight in the Oranje dynasty from Prince Willem of Orange (1533-1584) to Queen Beatrix and her descendants.

June 17th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the Royal Ascot in an open top carriage. Also present on the first day of the horseraces were the Prince of Wales, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and her daughter Zara Phillips with boyfriend jockey Richard Johnson.

June 18th
Princess Máxima of the Netherlands is just over two months pregnant it was announced shortly after 17:00 in The Hague. The baby is expected halfway January 2004. The Princess and her husband The Prince of Orange announced the news themselves at a first meeting with the Union for Journalists of the Royal House. Until now the pregnancy is going very well and they can't wait until the baby is born. The most important is that the baby is healthy, and they don't want to know before the birth if it is a girl or a boy. Princess Máxima told that she could hardly believe it when she found out that she was pregnant. When she told her husband he gave her a huge hug. There has been a periode in which she didn't feel very well, but now Máxima is doing fine she says, but she likes to eat sweet things at the moment. She plans to continue her work and have maternity leave from four weeks before birth until ten weeks after, as all Dutch woman have. The Prince of Orange told he will try to support his wife as much as possible, and Máxima added that she hopes he will also do part of the work, including changing diapers. They have no idea how their life will look like after the baby is born, but they will see, they say. Máxima's parents were very happy, for her mother it is the first grandchild, and the Prince of Orange added that his mother was almost dancing around when she heard the news. The couple first wanted to have some time for themselves after the wedding. 'We have become pregnant very quickly', the Prince of Orange said, and Princess Máxima added that she might have felt the pressure of the media if she hadn't been pregnant that quick.

The meeting with the Union for Journalists of the Royal House at The Hague had already been planned at least one month ago, although not with the intention to announce the news of a pregnancy, but to talk about co-operation between press and royals. But today the Business News Radio, a commercial newschannel, made known the existence of an email in Spanish and English of Princess Máxima of the Netherlands to friends announcing the pregnancy. Princess Máxima acknowledged that the email was hers and said it was an email to inform closest friends about the pregnancy. She finds it a pity the email leaked out. In the email it among others says: 'All types of tips are welcome, where to buy pregnancy clothing (no tents please), larger shoes than EVER, trollies (small-medium-large, inside the car-out of the car), maternity nurses, nannies, yoga exercises, pre-birth rattlers, etc.' It also says the baby will be born in the beginning of January 2004.

June 19th
Prince William of Wales and the Prince of Wales paid an official visit to Wales. A Welsh choir of children from the Theatr Ieuenctid Mon sang Happy Birthday to Prince William in English and Welsh before the Prince blew out 21 candles on a cake iced with the message Penblwydd Hapus William. The prince and his father visited a Welsh Food Fair in Anglesey where they were offered brandy and ale, and also visited a project helping single homeless people in Newport.

Most political parties in the Second Chamber in the Netherlands say Jorge Zorreguieta, father of Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, is welcome at his grandchild's christening next year. They say a christening is a pure church and a private event.

During an official visit to the Norwegian school in London yesterday, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway said about the one-year-stay of himself, his wife and her son Marius: "It has been a very good year. We have had the opportunity to study and to experience some peace and quiet. It has been enjoyable being able to live in London. We have had a lot of visitors, which is very nice, and we have also met a lot of new people. And, maybe most importantly, we have become familiar with the British society and that is very useful." The Crown Prince will complete his exams of trade politics at the London School of Economics on Thursday and will then start writing his paper. Crown Princess Mette-Marit has finished her exams and thinks it went well. She will move back to Norway with her son, while Crown Prince Haakon will return when he has finished his paper, most likely in September.

June 20th
Almost 3000 pages of correspondence from King Edward VIII of Great Britain written to his five-year-long mistress Freda Dudley Ward between 1921 and 1923 will be auctioned at Sotheby's in New York and are expected to fetch £100,000. In a letter from 1922 he writes: "What I wouldn't give to chuck this P of W (Prince of Wales) job, I'm so fed up with it you know, and don't fit in.". This shows he hated the responsibilities of his royal role already long before he abdicated as a King after a short reign in 1936.

June 21st
In the first part of his 21st birthday interview held at St James's Palace Prince William of Wales says that his guiding principles in life are 'to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring'. "I'm not an over-dominant person," he said, "I don't go around and expect everyone to listen to me the whole time. But I like to be in control of my life because I have so many people around me, I can get pulled in one direction and then the other. If I don't have any say in it, then I end up just losing complete control and I don't like the idea of that. I could actually lose my identity." Prince William spoke about the love for his brother Harry, saying that they have a very good relationship and that they will always share that common bond, and about the influence on him of his mother the late Diana Princess of Wales. He said: "I was influenced by my visits to hostels with my mother when I was younger. I learned a lot from it, more so now than I did at the time. My mother used her position very well to help other people, as does my father, and I hope to do the same." About his father he says: "He does so many amazing things. I only wish people would see that more because he's had a very hard time and yet he's stuck it out and he's still very positive. And he's very happy and protective towards Harry and me as well." He also said that he his one of his father's biggest fans in the sense of rural issues like organic farming. "He's been given quite a hard time recently and I just wish that people would give him a break." Prince William shares his father's concern for the future of the countryside: "To me, one of the worrying things is the lack of affordable housing for the younger generation. If younger people leave, there's no future for the countryside. All the inherited skills you get passed down from farmers, for example, will be lost. But I know this is a problem, beyond the countryside, for young people who are just starting out." Prince William steps into the role of Counsellor of State with delegated powers to act on behalf of the Queen. In this he joins his father, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex. In taking up the high office, he replaces the Princess Royal.

Official 21st birthday photographs of Prince William of Wales by Mario Testino were issued today. They were made in Mr Testino's London studio and the prince posed in different settings, wearing a variety of outfits. Mr Testino says the prince oozes the same self confidence as his mother and says the prince was very relaxed and open and also very photogenic. The proceeds from the sale of the photos will be donated to homeless people (Newport Action for the Single Homeless) and hard-up farmers (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) in Wales. Prince William met representatives of both charities during his visit to Wales last Thursday. Furthermore poet Laureate Andrew Motion has released two poems on the occasion of the 21st birthday of Prince William of Wales today. One of them is in rap form. The tribute is called 'On The Record' and consists of a kind of rap and a sonnet. They reflect the prince as a new kind of royal figure. The form of the poem with an "A Side" and "B Side" was inspired by LPs and 45s. Yesterday also some footage of a relaxed Prince William, his father and brother Harry playing polo together was released.

Prince Heinrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn married Donna Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta in a religious ceremony at the church in Bolgheri, Tuscany (Italy) today. The bride arrived at church on foot accompanied by her father. In church were only about 80 places available, so the rest of the guests followed the wedding at the guesthouse 'Enoteca Tognoni'. The wedding was consecrated by Dr Johannes von und zu Eltz. The wedding was attended by many royals and nobles, among them Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and their daughter Lady Gabriella Windsor, Archduchess Francesca of Austria, Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and her son Albert, as well as Princess Maya von Schönburg-Glauchau. After the religious ceremony a reception took place, and in the evening a huge ball at Villa al Poggio, the house of the parents of the bride.

The Government Information Service announced today that the Dutch Royal House has founded a special foundation last January called 'Sigillis Regiis Praesidio' (To the protection of the Sovereign's Seal) to prevent abuse of the arms, emblems and other symbols of the House of Orange-Nassau. In case of abuse the foundation will act as juridicial owner of the arms, emblems and symbols on request of a member of the Royal House or on own initiative if it is in the interest of the Royal House and other members of the royal family. The Government Information Service protects portrait rights of members of the Royal House.

June 22nd
300 guests partied at Windsor Castle until the early hours this morning to celebrate the 21st birthday of Prince William of Wales. The strictly private party, attended by family and friends, had the theme 'Out of Africa' - the prince was inspired by his stay in Africa during his gap year - and the guests were all suitably dressed. Unfortunately it wasn't disclosed what the royals wore themselves. Among the guests attending were Camilla Parker Bowles, Rowan Atkinson, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Lady Helen Taylor. The Earl Spencer and his wife Caroline were dressed as Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. Others were dressed as witch doctor, a banana, a foreign legion member, Tarzan, a Biggles-esque pilot and even one in a furry lion suit topped with a gold crown. Inside, the castle's ancient rooms were transformed into scenes from the African bush, which include a life-sized elephant made out of papier mache. Outside crowds lined the streets of Windsor to greet and cheer arriving party guests and even some of them were appropriate dressed. Guests could dance on the music of the Botswanan band Shakarimba and another band chosen by the prince to play funk and soul hits. See for some photos here.

At 23:20 yesterday evening, during Prince William of Wales's birthday party, an unarmed man was arrested inside Windsor Castle. He is held at the Thames Valley police station. Nobody was injured, but a thorough review into all the circumstances surrounding the incident is under way. "We consider any breach of security to be a serious matter and a thorough review into all the circumstances surrounding the incident is under way. It would be inappropriate for us to discuss this matter any further at this time." A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said.

The second part of the 21st birthday interview of Prince William of Wales was released today. Prince William said: "All these questions about do you want to be King? It's not a question of wanting to be, it's something I was born into and it's my duty. Wanting is not the right word. But those stories about me not wanting to be King are all wrong. It's a very important role and it's one that I don't take lightly. It's all about helping people and dedication and loyalty which I hope I have - I know I have. Sometimes I do get anxious about it but I don't really worry a lot. I want to get through university and then maybe start thinking seriously about that in the future." He added: "I'll take each step as it comes and deal with it as best I can." He says he wants to wait undertaking solo royal engagements until the end of his education. During the interview the prince also praised his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, who is a huge role model for him: "You only have to look at my grandmother and see the amazing things she's done. That to me is a huge inspiration - the work she's done and the work my father's done and a lot of the family. The monarchy is something that needs to be there - I just feel it's very, very important - it's a form of stability and I hope to be able to continue that." Prince William also said he doesn't have a current girlfriend, but says that if he finds the right girl, he is ready to make his move. He realises the media scrutiny a girlfriend would be subjected to and is protective towards any potential date. He said: "There's been a lot of speculation about every single girl I'm with and it actually does quite irritate me after a while, more so because it's a complete pain for the girls. These poor girls, you know, who I've either just met and get photographed with, or they're friends of mine, suddenly get thrown into the limelight and their parents get rung up and so on. I think it's a little unfair on them really. I'm used to it because it happens quite a lot now. But it's very difficult for them and I don't like that at all." Prince William says he will always be a HRH, but out of personal choice he likes to be called William for now. Prince William thanked the media for giving him space while at St Andrews, and promised to treat them with maturity when he left university.

June 23rd
Yesterday British Home Secretary David Blunkett has ordered an urgent inquiry into the security breach at Prince William of Wales's 21st birthday party celebrations at Windsor Castle on Saturday evening, set up by Scotland Yard and to be led by Commander Frank Armstrong from City of London Police and royal security advisors. An initial report on events will be delivered to the Home Secretary today. More in-depth inquiry may be ordered depending on the outcome of the initial review of events. Scotland Yard today has apologised for the wholly unacceptable breach of security. The News of the World reported yesterday that the man came on the stage where Prince William was making a speech to thank the Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain for organising the party. He is said to have grabbed the microphone before security guards and police pulled him away and took him out of the Great Hall. Prince William was said to have attempted to lighten the mood by later reclaiming the microphone and joking: "I didn't know my brother could do an accent like that." Meanwhile the man was identified as the stand-up comedian Aaron Barschak who gatecrashes events dressed as Osama bin Laden,

The Municipality of Wassenaar might forbid people to photograph and film the estate Eikenhorst in Wassenaar to protect the privacy of the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands and their family. The couple has decided to move into the house very soon. People who break the rule could get three months in prison.

June 24th
King Juan Carlos of Spain announced today during a visit to Galicia that his eldest daughter Infanta Elena and her husband Don Jaime de Marichalar expect their third child. Infanta Elena is three months pregnant and the baby will be born at the end of December 2003. The baby will be the sixth grandchild of the King and Queen of Spain.

The Duke and Duchess of Calabria became the parents of a daughter, Maria Carolina Chantal Edoarda Beatrice Januaria. She was born in Rome on June 23. Mother and daughter are doing fine. Maria Carolina is the first Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies born on Italian soil since Prince Carlos on November 10, 1870.

36-year-old Aaron Barschak, who infiltrated Prince William of Wales's birthday party last Saturday evening dressed as Osama bin Laden told the Daily Mail he took the microphone from the prince and launched into his comedy routine, saying to the prince 'We love you'. He then kissed William on both cheeks before walking away to the sound of applause into a bar area and asking for champagne. The full inquiry into the failing security at Windsor Castle will be completed within four weeks. Home Secretary David Blunkett has offered his 'deep regret' to the Royal Family and said he intends to make public the inquiry. Mr Blunkett said: "Mr Barschak's actions have exposed an appalling failure in the security at Windsor Castle which simply should not have happened. I am determined that the lessons should be learned from this incident."

June 25th
Only one day after it was announced that she expected her third child Infanta Elena of Spain lost her baby. She was 14 weeks pregnant. During today's check-up at the Clínica Ruber Internacional in Madrid it was noticed that the baby wasn't alive anymore. Surgery was performed to remove the baby from the uterus. Infanta Elena's condition is satisfying, but she has to stay in hospital tonight. Don Jaime de Marichalar was in Pamplona when he heard the news and returned to Madrid immediately to be with his wife.

Yesterday Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn, husband of Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme, appeared in the newsprogramme NOVA on Dutch television. A letter of lawyers Peter Nicolai and Jurjen Pen was shown in which they said they didn't want to work with Edwin De Roy van Zuydewijn anymore. However they are still prepared to represent Princess Margarita. They refused to give any further comment. In NOVA Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn told that he and his wife were not satisfied with Mr Nicolai long before the letter arrived, but refused to give more details. The appearance in NOVA occured after it was made known that the newspaper De Telegraaf of today had a lead story claiming that the couple had split up, that Margarita had left Edwin and had returned to the Netherlands while the couple's French castle is empty and might be sold. Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn yesterday denied that they had split up: "In this case we stand together, as man and woman. There is a deep bond of love between us, which makes us going on." He also told that "for a lot of people all problems would have been solved when our marriage would end in a failure". Tonight bot Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn and Princess Margarita appeared on a commercial Dutch tv-channel denying everything De Telegraaf had published today.

Comic Aaron Barschak now says he regrets his appearance on Prince William of Wales's 21st birthday party last Saturday. He said: "I've gone too far and it won't happen again. I did it as a publicity stunt and it's all come crashing down."

Finally work has begun on the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain next to the Serpentine in Hyde Park, London. Work on the fountain involves skilled craftsmen and ground-breaking high-tech production techniques, previously used in the space industry. The long-lasting stone chosen to form the base of the memorial is De Lankgranite from Cornwall. The memorial is due to be completed in Summer 2004.

June 26th
In the monthly magazine 'Deng' Delphine Boël, most likely illegitimate daughter of King Albert II of the Belgians, for the first time speaks about the Belgian Royal House. 'Everyone knows Boël is not my real family name. I am just called so because I had to get a name', she says. According to her Queen Paola has raised Prince Philippe and Prince Laurent badly. 'Therefore they are unfit for this wild world.' Delphine Boël also says: 'The Royal Family lives in a prison. It is sad. I am the only survivor.'

Infanta Elena of Spain left the Clínica Ruber Internacional in Madrid around noon after staying a day in hospital.

Prince Harry of Wales will be the captain of the England Schools polo team that will play in an international match against France on Sunday June 29 at 1pm at the Dallas Burston Polo Grounds on the Stoneythorpe Estate in Southam, Warwickshire. He was picked from hundreds of young players around the country to lead the team on his debut. A spokeswoman for St James's Palace said: "He will obviously be delighted."

June 27th
The Norwegian royal court announced that Prince Carl Bernadotte died last night at hospital in Malaga, Spain. He lived at the Villa Capricornio in Benalmadena, Costa de Malaga, Spain, since 1960. The prince was born in Stockholm on January 10, 1911 as the only son of Prince Karl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. He had three sisters: Margaretha married Prince Axel of Denmark, Märtha married the later King Olav V of Norway, and Astrid married King Leopold III of the Belgians. Prince Carl renounced his Swedish titles and succession rights when he married Countess Elsa von Rosen in 1937, and was created Prince Bernadotte by King Leopold III of the Belgians. The marriage ended in a divorce in 1951. He married Anna Larsson in 1954, and divorced her in 1962. Since June 8, 1975 he was married to Norwegian born Kristine Rivelsrud, and they had their 25th wedding anniversary earlier this month. From his first marriage Prince Carl had one daughter, Madeleine, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Prince Carl was the last surviving grandchild of King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway, as well as the eldest living great-grandchild of King Christian IX of Denmark. Prince Carl was a businessman and later shareholder and member of the board of the hotel chain Rica owned by his brother-in-law Jan Rivelsrud. The last time he was seen in public was at the wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in August 2001. Uncle Mulle used to be a frequent guest at the Norwegian royal family's Christmas celebrations at Kongsseteren and attended many Norwegian royal celebrations. In Norway flags will fly half-mast at the private properties of the Norwegian royal family on June 27 and the day of the funeral. The programme of the Norwegian royal family will not change. The date of the funeral hasn't been made known yet.

June 28th
A water-colour by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands will be auctioned at Christie's in Amsterdam on Tuesday. The undated painting shows trees in a mountainous landscape.

June 29th
The Countess of Paris is gravely ill in a Paris hospital. She seems to suffer from heart disease and a semi-blocked aorta. Her children are gathered around her.

Prince Harry of Wales has scored as captain of the English Schools Polo team in his first international match. The team played against France at Dallas Burston Polo ground in Southam, Warwickshire. Prince Harry scored the lead after five minutes match. One of the spectators was the Prince of Wales.

June 30th
Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands became engaged to Mabel Wisse Smit today.

Prince Carl Bernadotte will be buried at the royal cemetery at Haga Castle on July 10th. A service will take place at 16:00 at Danderyd Church outside Stockholm. From Norway King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, Ari Behn, Princess Ragnhild Mrs Lorentzen, Erling Lorentzen, Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner and Johan Martin Ferner will be present at the funeral.

Personal items belonging to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, including her wedding dress, might be sent on a world tour to raise money for her charity. The items are currently on display at Althorp. Any overseas trip would have to fit in with the timing of the current exhibition at Althorp.

To protect their safety the Municipality of Wassenaar agreed forbidding photographing and filming through the fences of the Eikenhorst estate where the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands are going to live.

Last weekend several personal belongings of Emperor Napoleon I were auctioned publicly in Liège, Belgium. A private person sold the items for small prizes. Most of the buyers were American collectors. A packet of tobacco fetched 350 Euros, and the Emperor's death pillow 3300 Euros.


Royal News: May 2003. Last updated: June 2nd, 2003.