Last updated: August 2nd, 2005.
June 2nd
Almost 40 royals and royal descendants of the Bernadotte family gathered at Sofiero Castle in Helsingborg today for a family meeting. The meeting among others was attended by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden with their three children, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Prince Joachim of Denmark, Princess Benedikte of Denmark with husband and children, King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece with children, Princess Margaretha Mrs Ambler, Princss Désirée Baroness Silfverschiöld, Princess Christina Mrs Magnuson and Count Carl Johan Bernadotte af Wisborg. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Margrethe opened some new gardens at Sofiero. The day ended with a dinner at the royal yacht Dannebrog at the harbour of Helsingborg. The meeting took place almost exactly 100 years after the marriage of the later King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught. They received Sofiero as a wedding gift and it was Princess Margaret who turned Sofiero into a flower paradise.
During a visit to Rwanda King Mswati III of Swaziland claimed he is not an absolute monarch, insisting the southern African kingdom is moving towards democracy. He said: "I am not really an absolute monarch. I am a monarchy which normally takes decision after consultation with the people. The king does not take decisions on his own. He takes them after long consultation." About the recent new Constitution he said: "It is important that everything we do, whether on democracy or whatever it might be, the most important thing is that we start from the grassroots level. Before the constitution was sent to parliament, every Swazi was given an opportunity to participate. Parliament is only implementing what the whole of Swaziland has decided."
June 3rd
Prince Maurits van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven gave notice of the birth of his daughter Felicia at the registrar's office at Amsterdam Out-Zuid. He arrived at a carrier cycle. He said to the press that Felicia means 'the happy one', the name Juliana comes from his daughter's great-grandmother, but he didn't want to tell where the names Bénedicte and Barbara come from.
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands has broken her sacrum in a fall at home. It could take some weeks before she is recovered.
Fragments of the wedding dress of the late Diana Princess of Wales are being sold on internet auction house eBAY - for a staggering $2 million. The seller, Gavin Young, claims he was given the fabric pieces from his parents, who received the gown from London dress designers Elizabeth and David Emmanuel following the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Diana in 1981 wedding as a thank you gift, because their daughter Kerry had been their children's au pair for nine months. Mr Young has placed the five scraps of silk and lace in the higher-priced property section, but insists the remarkable price tag is negotiable. He says, "They are possibly the most exclusive and undoubtedly unique piece of royal memorabilia ever to come out of England. "Obviously, if the price is right, I'd be a fool not to sell. It depends who wants it."
June 4th
A French-Egyptian expedition working in the Karnak Temple complex in Luxor has discovered a life-size statue of a 13th Dynasty king that can provide insight into this period in history, Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities said today. "This is very important because we actually have very little to know about the 13th Dynasty. The statue shows a very high quality of craft and art," he said, adding it was discovered a few weeks ago. "It's one of the most beautiful statues." The limestone statue of King Neferhotep was unearthed in a niche below the foundation pit of an obelisk. The second half of the double statue remained buried in sand. It was unclear whether the statue belonged to King Neferhotep I or Neferhotep III, Hawass said. The unearthed part shows the king in the customary royal striding position, holding a mace, or sceptre, in his right hand. "The part already revealed suggests the two figures are holding hands and Neferhotep's cartouche (tablet containing the hieroglyphs of his name) is carved between their shoulders," the council said. "This discovery suggests the existence of an important installation in this zone before the New Kingdom." Hawass said the statue was now covered with water and cannot be dug out before the water receded in winter. He said he advised against digging it out at all for fear of damaging a wall or other monuments in the area. "We should leave the statue under the water and under the sand and make a small museum next to the statue," he said. "If we take it out, maybe we will damage the temple." A similar statue of Neferhotep was unearthed in 1904 and is now on display in the Egyptian Museum.
June 5th
Infanta Cristina of Spain gave birth to her fourth child and first daughter today at 15:55 at the Clínica Teknon in Barcelona. She weighed 3,685 grammes and measured 50 centimetres. The baby was named Irene. The proud father, Iñaki Urdangarín, said to the press: "If God gave us a daughter some day, we always thought about calling her Irene. We always liked it because of its meaning and beauty." Both mother and child are doing fine.
June 6th
Swedish National Day was opened in presence of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princes Madeleine at 10.00 in the morning at Slottsbacken, with the participation of the Swedish Army Drum Corps. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia arrived at Stockholm's famous open-air museum in a horse-drawn carriage while their daughters, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine both donned traditional costumes for the festivities. They were joined by thousands of well-wishers and royal watchers. The King and Queen later visited Mariefred to celebrate National Day and Mariefred's 400th anniversary.
June 7th
King Harald V of Norway has returned to work after heart surgery. His return coincides with the celebration of Norway's centennial today. People broke out in spontaneous applause as his open car rolled down Oslo's main street on the way to Parliament. The royal family sat in front at a special session of Parliament this morning. The session began promptly at 10:35am, the same time that the Parliament declared dissolution of the union with Sweden on June 7, 1905. The entire Norwegian royal family, including Princess Märtha Louise and the king's sisters, Princess Ragnhild and Pincess Astrid, and their families were present at a special Centennial performance in Oslo's Concert House this evening.
June 9th
Infanta Cristina of Spain and her newborn daughter Irene left hospital today. Together with husband and children she posed for the photographers who were waiting outside. Infanta Cristina told that Irene "is behaving well and eating well". She added that Irene's three brothers had taken to her quite well and are "calmer than we had hoped they'd be," alluding to the possibility of sibling rivalry. The princess, who gave birth on Sunday, said that "all the children behaved well at the hospital," adding that "we'll have to see how they behave at home." The proud parents said that, with her very blond hair, Irene resembles her brother Pablo.Some 250 people waited in the garden of the Teknon Hospital for the princess and her family to appear.
Unlike what was said before the religious wedding of Prince Pieter-Christiaan van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven and Anita van Eijk on August 27 will not take place in The Hague, but will take place at the Grote of St. Jeroenskerk in Noordwijk. The wedding will be led by the Rev. Henk Leegte from Amsterdam. The civil wedding will take place two days earlier at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn.
Three of four academics told a government panel on Imperial succession yesterday it would be acceptable to revise the current law to allow females to sit on the Chrysanthemum Throne, although two said males should be given preference. It was the second time the advisory panel heard expert opinions; the first was at the previous meeting on May 31. The panel has been discussing a proposal to revise the 1947 Imperial House Law, which stipulates that only a male heir with emperors on his father's side can assume the throne. The panel is discussing ways to ensure a stable Imperial succession, as the Imperial family is facing a difficult situation since no male heirs have been born since 1965. Japan had eight female monarchs between the sixth and 18th centuries with two of them reigning twice. But the throne always reverted to a male from the male line.
The palace will stop giving cigarettes away as gifts to its employees and volunteers in April 2007, the Imperial Household Agency announced. The palace said it was responding to a decline in smoking in the country, amid efforts to discourage the habit. The palace will not ban smoking and will continue to offer cigarettes to guests. The Imperial cigarettes, each imprinted with a gold chrysanthemum flower, are made by Japan Tobacco, and went into production in 1934. The number of such cigarettes the company produces has dropped from 280m in 1944 to 1.4m in 2003, said Japan Tobacco spokesman Kei Koro.
June 10th
Crown Prince Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah of Kuwait has been admitted to hospital. It was said that he has been suffering from a high level of blood glucose. He has been deputising for the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who is in the US recovering from medical treatment. In 1997, Sheikh Saad spent seven months abroad for treatment and recuperation from colonic bleeding. He became crown prince in 1978, and was prime minister until July 2003, when the Emir appointed Sheik Sabah as prime minister, breaking with a political tradition that crown princes also serving as heads of government. Like the emir, Sheik Saad has made few public appearances in recent years.
Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia Charles IV (1316-1378) was chosen the most prominent personality in Czech history in the Greatest Czech poll. He won 38.713 votes. In second came the first president of Czechoslovakia Tomas Garrigue Masaryk followed by former president Vaclav Havel. Charles IV is known among others for having founded the oldest university in central Europe and for having brought the impowerished country to unprecedented prosperity.
June 11th
Prince William of Wales has achieved a 2:1 honours in his geography MA degree from St Andrews University, where he studied for four years, Clarence House has announced. "William got an upper second class honours," a Clarence House spokesman said: "He's delighted. Everyone is absolutely delighted. His father's very proud." Prince William logged on to a secure internet site to find out his Master of Arts results on Saturday. He wrote his 10.000-word dissertation on the coral reefs of Rodrigues. The announcement was made as the prince attended the annual Trooping the Colour with other members of the Royal Family.
For the first time the Duchess of Cornwall joined the British royal family during the balcony scene at Buckingham Palace after taking part in the Trooping the Colour ceremony. She took her place between Prince Charles and stepson Prince William to watch an RAF flypast, spearheaded by two Typhoon Eurofighters. During Trooping the Colour she shared a carriage with Prince William, the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Some 1,220 troops took part and the Colour of the Irish Guards was paraded. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh rode in an open carriage, Queen Victoria's 1842 phaeton, along The Mall to the parade ground near Admiralty Arch. Also taking part in the procession were Prince Andrew, his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, and Timothy Laurence, the Princess Royal's husband. Prince Charles, the Princess Royal and Duke of Kent all rode on horseback.
June 13th
King Fahd of Saudi Arabia's health is improving more than two weeks after being taken to hospital. “The news is good and reassuring and his Majesty’s health is continuously improving and, God willing, his stay in hospital will not be long,” Interior Minister Prince Nayef said late on Sunday, without specifying when the monarch would be discharged. “I think now it is only about completing medical procedures.”
King Mswati III of Swaziland secretly married 18-year-old Nothando Dube on Saturday morning as his 12th wife, only weeks after his 11th marriage. She is now called Inkhosikati La Dube. She joined the royal family about a year ago when she was still in school, but had to drop-out because she is not allowed to mix with commoners.
Makobo Modjadji, the rain queen who led South Africa's Balobedu people, has died yesterday aged 27. It is not known what killed the rain queen, who was crowned in 2003 at the age of 25. She was the sixth and youngest queen in the history of the tribe, and the first to be formally educated. She was descended from a female royal line stretching back more than 200 years, and was said to have inherited magic rain-making powers. Makobo Modjadji followed her grandmother, Mokope, who died in 2001. She combined the traditions of the tribe with certain modern habits. The Modjadji Royal Council confirmed her death at Polokwane Medi-Clinic at the weekend, but did not say how she died. Medical staff declined to discuss her illness, but local rumours abound that her symptoms were those of the complications caused by the HIV/Aids virus which is ravaging much of South Africa. She is survived by her son, who is thought to be eight years old.
June 14th
The late Prince Bernhard left most of the more than thousand elephants he collected during his life to the World Wildlife Fund. The elephants will be auctioned by Sotheby's in October. From 29 June until early October the elephants will be shown at an exhibition at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn. This includes the elephants that were inherited by family and friends.
Later this year at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, a dispute between King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and one of his wives, will be aired in public. 57-year-old Janan George Harb is suing the King for increased maintenance from his £32 billion fortune. She says she needs the money to maintain a suitable lifestyle at her Knightsbridge home. She has lived in London for much of the past 30 years and is now a British citizen. She has pursued her claim despite attempts by the king’s lawyers to keep the case out of the public eye. Previous High Court hearings were cloaked in secrecy and were listed simply as Maple v Maple. Her claim is believed to be the first of its kind for the Saudi royal family. In March 2001 the King’s lawyers agreed to pay Mrs Harb “a very substantial sum” on condition that she entered into a binding agreement to reveal nothing of their relationship. Precise details of the maintenance settlement and Mrs Harb’s demands for more money remain unclear but wives of the Saudi royals are known to lead opulent lifestyles. At previous hearings the King had successfully argued that as a head of state he had sovereign immunity. Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, then President of the Family Division, upheld his argument in December last year. But Lord Justice Thorpe has ruled that Mrs Harb’s claim must be held in open court. The judge said: “I see no legitimate ground for imposing reporting restrictions that would thinly disguise the identity of the sovereign. The identity of the sovereign seems to me to be relevant to any public debate of the issues raised by the plea of immunity.”
June 15th
Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium have denied their marriage is on the rocks. The couple today opened a new ward of the Edith Cavel Hospital in Brussels. Renewed rumours were sparked when Prince Laurent was shielded from the media at a ceremony to open a training school for police dogs yesterday. One of the attending police officers later said Claire had left Laurent and the prince didn't want any difficult questions. A source told the newspaper "Het Nieuwsblad" that Princess Claire, fed up with recent arguments, had packed her bags and left for Chaumont-Gistoux, where her parents live. She was still with her parents on Tuesday night. However her mother denied Claire's marriage was over, stressing that her daughter visits two or three times each week with her daughter Louise. The denials were later repeated by Claire as well, who opened up the boot of her car at her parents house to show she simply had a black leather bag with a few clothes in it. "We three still form an excellent family," she said. Today Prince Laurent told the press: "I don't know any family that doesn't have problems: these take one hour or one and a half hour." He called the rumours all pure sensation.
The father of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Sven Høiby, and his wife Renathe Barsgaard, are to file for divorce after just three months of marriage. Mr Høiby told Se og Hør magazine that "the mutual confidence and respect" to continue the marriage were no longer there. His wife was more specific, saying she was "tired of this wild life" which she said centred on parties and pub crawls."When I got home, it was always me who would tidy up while he watched television," Barsgaard told. The marriage went rocky after just two months, she said.
King Bhumipol of Thailand today by royal command bestowed on the youngest daughter of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn Her Serene Highness Princess Siriwanwaree Mahidol the title of Her Royal Highness Princess, and made the crown prince's consort Mom Srirasmi Mahidol na Ayudhya a princess. He promoted HSH Princess Siriwanwaree Mahidol to the higher title of Her Royal Highness Princess as she is now a grown-up and her royal duties and academic performance had pleased him. He also appointed the crown prince's consort Mom Srirasmi Phrachaoworawongther Phra-ongchao Srirasmi Phraworachaya nai Somdej Phraborom Orasathiraj Siammakut Rajakumarn since she is the crown prince's wife and the mother of the prince's son.
The Crown Prince of Kuwait has recovered from hyperglycaemia and was discharged from hospital today. A statement said: "His Highness Deputy Emir and Crown Prince Sheikh Saad al-Abdulla al-Sabah left hospital today after God helped him recover from the illness he suffered."
June 16th
Leah Isadora Behn, daughter of Ari Behn and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, was christened at the Royal Palace chapel in Oslo today (photos). She was carried to the font by her grandmother and godmother Queen Sonja. The other godparents were Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Gry Brusletto, Katharina Salbu, Espen Bjørshol, Didrik Vigsnæs and Jon Andreas Håtun. In an interview with the newspaper Aftenposten Princess Märtha Louise said about the names of her second daughter: "I've always been a big fan of Star Wars – Princess Leia has always been the most beautiful in the whole world!" The second name, Isadora, was inspired by Ari Behn's fascination for Isadora Duncan. She also said her decision to give birth at home last spring wan't meant to criticize Norway's public health system. She says she simply found it natural.
A security review has been launched after a reporter of the newspaper The Sun gained access to Sandhurst military academy, where Prince Harry of Wales trains. The Sun said its journalist walked in the grounds of the academy for seven hours after posing as a student. Once inside, the reporter constructed a fake bomb in his car and took grainy video footage of the prince. Defence Secretary John Reid demanded a "quick investigation" into what he termed a "serious security breach". An MoD spokesman confirmed Sandhurst was conducting a security review. "We will be implementing any changes we feel are necessary," he said. The Sun said it had acted after being tipped off by a "concerned insider" worried about the state of security at the academy. Clarence House later today announced that video footage taken by The Sun at Sandhurst doesn't show Prince Harry. A Clarence House spokeswoman said: "Having reviewed the footage and spoken to those who were with Harry we are of the opinion that it is not him in the footage." But The Sun insisted the video did show the prince. A spokeswoman for the newspaper said: "The footage is Prince Harry. We stand by it 100%. The Clarence House denial is absurd."
June 17th
A royal ceremony was held to celebrate the Month and Getting into the Cradle for the newborn Thai prince this afternoon. King Bhumipol and Queen Sirikit of Thailand presided over the auspicious ceremony at the Ananta Samakhom Thrown Hall. During the welcoming ceremony the King poured holy water on the newborn Prince, cut his hair and anointed the baby Prince. The King and Queen each fastened a thread around the newborn Prince's wrist to welcome his good spirit. Ten Buddhist monks, led by Somdej Phra Phuttajarn from the Saket Temple, offered a prayer. This was followed by a drum beating and a Brahmin horn blowing. The new Prince was then be gently placed in his cradle's bedding, set by the chief Brahmin and the King with auspicious items, including a gold bar bearing the name of the newborn Prince. The chief Brahmin sang a lullaby, while the Chief Royal Astrologer beat a gong and blew a horn. The costume offiicial shook a two-faced drum, while celebratory music was played.The new Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Tipangkorn Rasmichoti, was born to Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and His Royal Consort, Mom Srirasmi Mahidol na Ayudhya on April 29. The event was attended by members of the Royal Family, the privy councillors, court officials, cabinet ministers, leading parliamentarians and senior government officials. The Crown Prince and his royal consort granted an audience to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin who offered gifts to the royal child. Interior Minister Chidchai Wannasathit also presented the royal couple with the baby prince's birth certificate.
The Countess of Wessex has begun sittings for her first official portrait. She is colonel-in-chief of Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, and the portrait will hang in their Surrey HQ. Richard Stone, who has painted many royals, has been given the commission. The countess has already posed several times at her Bagshot Park mansion in Surrey. Mr Stone said: "She is a very natural person and lovely to be with. We often chat during the sittings and I have found she is extremely interested in the arts." Sophie is wearing an evening dress for the threequarter-length portrait, with an embroidered jacket.
According to recently uncovered documents the late Emperor Hirohito of Jpan spent the remainder of his life strongly supporting close ties with the USA. Researchers said six documents dating from between 1953 and 1972 record conversations Hirohito had with US diplomats and military officers. Among the comments attributed to the late Emperor was his desire to see a continued US military troop presence in Japan. He also expressed his gratitude for US efforts to help Japan rebuild itself from the devastation of World War II. Past research has shown that the late Emperor had a strong personal interest in Japan-USA relations and national security during the Allied occupation. The latest discoveries show that he continued to make such comments long after the occupation was over. Koji Nakakita, professor of Japanese political history at Rikkyo University, found a document at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. The rest were tracked down at the National Archives and Records Administration by Kosuke Yoshitsugu, associate professor of diplomatic history at Okinawa International University. Mr Yoshitsugu said more work had to be done to determine what effect the emperor's words and deeds may have had on Japan's diplomacy. "The important point is that throughout the Cold War the emperor consistently placed extreme importance on the Japan-US Security Treaty and the continued presence of the US military in Japan. However, in order to more specifically determine what influence the emperor actually had on diplomacy and what changes occurred in his thinking and actions as the times changed, there will need to be more disclosure of historical documents from both the Japanese and US governments, and in particular from Japan." Narahiko Toyoshita, professor of international politics at Kwansei Gakuin University, said further disclosure of historical documents would allow for a more complete appraisal of the role the emperor played in politics.
Makobo Modjadji, the late Rain Queen, will be buried on Monday. This follows an agreement between the Modjadji Royal Council and the Bolobedu Tribal Authority. Earlier, the two groups had both claimed the right to bury the queen, but resolved the dispute after intervention by the Limpopo provincial government. The funeral service will start at 7am and the queen will be buried in the absence of her brother Mpapata. He left the area before the queen's death last Sunday, apparently on visit to another African country, and cannot be traced.
June 18th
Baron Carl Silfverschiöld, son of Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld and Princess Désirée of Sweden married Maria Fredrikson at Falsterbo Church in South Sweden this late afternoon. The 30-minute ceremony was set to start at 16.00. After the guests had left church they lined up outside so the bride and groom could walk out of church in their middle while the guests were throwing rice. In the evening a party took place at the local golf club in Falsterbo. There were many family members attending
Odysseas Kimon, son of Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and his wife Marie-Chantal was christened today at 11.00am at the Church of the Convent of St John the Baptist in Karea, Athens. The Godfathers were Prince Philippos, Mr Nassos Thanopolous, Mr Arki Busson and Mr Chris Thomsen. The Godmothers were Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Princess Olga of Greece and Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. A reception was held in the evening at the Yacht Club of Greece, Microlimano, Athens. The christening among others was attended by the parents and siblings of Crown Prince Pavlos, the parents of Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, the godparents, Queen Sofia of Spain, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and stepson Marius, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia, Princess Irene of Greece, Princess Victoria of Bourbon-Two Sicilies with husband Markos Nomikos, the Duke of Apulia and Tatiana Blatnik (girlfriend of Prince Nikolaos of Greece).
June 22nd
The Dutch Governement Information Service has issued a media code today. It is meant to protect the privacy of the members of the Dutch royal house as much as possible without affecting the freedom of speech and the freedom of press. Media who respects the code will be able to attend mediamoments around the royal house that belong to the personal sphere of life. On the other hand it is expected from the media that they respect the personal sphere of life of members of the royal house and don't make photos at moments they are not around on the occasion of their official engagements. The mediacode especially counts in case of the youngest members of the family as long as they follow education.
June 23rd
Luxemburg celebrated its national day. Yesterday afternoon Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa visited Ehnen, while Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume was present at the start of National Day in Esch-sur-Alzette. All three of them, as well as Princess Alexandra and Prince Sébastien in the evening were present at the torch-procession with fireworks in Luxemburg. Today the Grand Duke, Grand Duchess and Hereditary Grand Duke first attended a parade in Luxemburg. Afterwards the family attended a Te Deum at the cathedral in Luxemburg.
A farewell party was held yesterday evening at the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology in Tokyo for Princess Nori of Japan who will marry in November. According to sources the princess will quit her work as a part-time researcher at the Institute's laboratory. It was said that she has decided to quit because she has wrapped up her research at the facility.
June 24th
Princess Badiya bint El-Hassan of Jordan married Khaled Blair at Amman today. The wedding was attended by King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan, as well as many other family members including Queen Noor. Among the guests were also several European royals: Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Prince Maurits, Prince Bernhard, Prince Pieter-Christiaan and Prince Floris van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (the last two with fiancées), Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Prince Félix, Prince Jean, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxemburg, Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco, Prince Kardam and Princess Miriam of Bulgaria, the Aga Khan, Margrave Max von Baden with his wife Valerie, his sons Bernhard, Leopold and Michael, daughter-in-law Stephanie and several other family members.
Delphine Boel, illegitimate daughter of King Albert II of the Belgians was not welcome at a gala dinner of the Belgian employers association VBO on Thursday night. The dinner was attended by Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde. Delphine's mother, Sybille de Selys-Longchamps therefore gave an angry interview to the Belgian tv-channel RTBF. She was also critical of the fact one of her daughter's artworks had almost been banned from an exhibition to celebrate 175 years of Belgian independence in Brussels. Mrs De Selys-Longchamps said her daughter is being discriminated against and claimed it was not the first time either.
June 25th
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, accompanied by the Prince of Orange and some members of the Von Amsberg family including the sisters of the late Prince Claus, unveiled a double bronze bust of Prince Claus in his birthplace Hitzacker. The bust was made by Barbara Westphal. After the unveiling the Queen and Prince visited a photo exhibition at the Museum Das Alte Zollhaus. Some 2000 people had shown up to catch a glimpse of the Queen.
June 26th
Princess Máxima of the Netherlands gave birth to a healthy baby girl at 14.40 at the Bronovo Hospital in The Hague. The baby weighs 3490 grammes and is 50 cm tall. Prince Willem-Alexander was present at birth. Princess Máxima was furthermore supported by gynaecologist Maddy Smeets and children's doctor-neonatologist Mrs Kreijen-Meinesz, as well as a nurse. "We again have a beautiful and healthy daughter", it said in a statement. Princess Máxima was taken to the hospital this morning at 9.00. Shortly after the birth of the baby Máxima's parents arrived with Princess Amalia. Queen Beatrix was on her way from Germany to the Netherlands and only heard that she again had become a grandmother after the landing in the Netherlands. She immediately travelled to the hospital, before heading for Luxemburg to attend the opening of the concert hall Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte. Also Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien with their children came to visit.
At 16.30 there was a press conference at the Bronovo hospital in which Mrs Smeets and Mrs Kreijen-Meinesz answered some questions of the press. Afterwards the Prince of Orange proudly showed his newborn daughter to the press. According to Mrs Smeets Princess Máxima had a natural birth. A very happy Prince Willem-Alexander told that he and Princess Máxima aren't sure about the name of their daughter yet. He said to be very proud of his wife and said she had done fantastic again. He told that Princess Amalia wanted to go to the swimmingpool and that she didn't completely understood at first why she had to go to hospital with her maternal grandparents instead. Amalia at first didn't know what to do when she saw her little sister, but soon started stroking her.
June 27th
Princess Máxima of the Netherlands and her newborn daughter have left hospital early this morning. The Prince of Orange will officially give notice of the birth of his daughter tomorrow at 10.00 at the old townhall at The Hague.
Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium are very happy to announce the future birth of twins. The birth is foreseen in the course of January 2006.
Prince João de Orléans e Bragança has died at Rio de Janeiro yesterday. He was born at Boulogne on 15 October 1916 as son of Prince Pedro de Alcántara and Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky de Dobrzenicz. He is survived by his second wife Tereza, by his son from his first marriage Joãozinho, his daughter-in-law Stella and grandchildren João Filipe and Maria Cristina. The funeral will be held tomorrow.
The party of former King Simeon of Bulgaria was defeated by the socialist party in yesterday's Bulgarian elections. Four years ago the former king made a remarkable return to politics. The Socialists however failed to gain an overall majority at yesterday's elections and are battling to form a government that could lead Bulgaria into the European Union. Former King Simeon's governement was credited with gaining Nato membership and signing the treaty to make Bulgaria an EU member in 2007. But it was punished for failing to improve the economy.
The state attorney's office has appealed against the verdict for Prince Hamid bin Abdal Sani of Qatar, who was recently sentenced to two and a half years in prison for sex with 16 underage and juvenile girls. "We are convinced that the penalty is too lenient," state attorney Kamil Svec said, adding that he would demand roughly five years in prison. Also Prince Hamid bin Abdal Sani appealed the verdict on the spot and the case will now be dealt with by the Prague City Court, whose panel is to have the proceedings in the summer. The Qatari authorities have tried in vain to take over Sani's prosecution.
June 28th
The Prince of Orange officially gave notice of the birth of his second daughter at the old townhall in The Hague. Also present were Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, Vice-president of the state council mr. H.D. Tjeenk Willink as well as mayor drs. W.J. Deetman of The Hague. The Prince of Orange announced that his daughter will be called Alexia Juliana Marcela Laurentien. Her titles are Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau. The Prince received a ceramic statue by Jan Jaap Horstink as well as a wooden stork. The Prince of Orange said: "I have had the great honour that Máxima wanted to name our daughter after me. And the other three names, Juliana, Marcela and Laurentien - we wanted her from all generations above her - also three generations - to give three special women, from whom she hopefully will benefit."
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has been diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in her back, the Danish royal court announced today. In a press release it was said that the Queen had been suffering from pain in her knees and her back for some time, and that she had now been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a common disease caused by the breakdown of the cartilage that serves as a cushion between the bones of the joints. The Queen had been examined at the orthopaedic surgery at the University Hospital in Århus on Friday. The statement further said: 'Further treatment of the osteoarthritis in the Queen's knee was deemed unnecessary for the time being. The results of the back operation the Queen underwent a few years ago, are entirely satisfactory. The examination on Friday, however, revealed further osteoarthritis in her back, which will be treated with medicines.' Doctors advised the Queen to reduce some of her planned activities for the time being. The court plans to announce changes in her schedule in the near future.
June 29th
Prince Albert II of Monaco has won 50.000 Euros in damages against the French magazine Paris-Match for its recent 10-page spread and photos alleging he had a love child with a Togolese stewardess. The court in Nanterre found the prince's right to privacy had been violated by the magazine. Paris-Match also has to pay 4,000 euros in court costs and publish a front-page declaration of the verdict in its next issue. Prince Albert has said through his lawyer he plans to sue several European publications for reporting on the alleged affair with flight attendant Nicole Coste. His lawyer, Thierry Lacoste, said in May that suits were also to be filed against Britain's Daily Mail and the German weekly Bunte. Mr Lacoste told that Prince Albert is to issue a statement on the reports about the child on July 7, when the official period of mourning over Rainier's death comes to a close.
Royal News: May 2005. Last updated: July 31st, 2005.