Last updated: July 2nd, 2009.
June 1st
The Brazilian imperial family confirmed that 26-year-old Prince Pedro Luiz was on board of an airplane of Air France that is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. The airplane, carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members, is thought to have crashed between Brazil and the coast of Africa after hitting stormy weather four hours after the start of the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. Shortly afterwards, late on Sunday evening Brazilian time, an automatic message was sent reporting electrical faults. The airplane hasn't been found yet. The prince had been on vacation at his family in Brazil, and was on his way back to Luxemburg, where he worked at a bank.
17-year-old Manohara Odelia Pinot has returned to her parents in Indonesia. The former model says her husband, Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, a prince from Kelantan, Malaysia, treated her as a sex slave. She says he raped, tortured and abused her. The family says they will press charges against the prince. They will also blame the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia for trying to cover up the alleged abuse. Manohara Odelia Pinot managed to escape her husband's family this weekend when they were in Singapore, where her father-in-law underwent medical treatment. The Kelantan royal family hasn't commented. Manohara Odelia Pinot has filed for a divorce, her mother said.
June 3rd
Former King Constantine II of Greece has been discharged from the intensive care unit of the Wellington Hospital in London. He is recovering well from the cardiac surgery that took place on 29 May.
June 4th
Grand Duke Jean of Luxemburg was admitted to a hospital for a few days of observation. The Grand Duke has problems with the circulation of the blood.
Daniel Westling, fiance of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, was released from the Karolinska hospital last night. He was afterwards driven to the Drottningholm Palace. Doctors are very surprised how fast he recovered from his kidney transplantation surgery.
The constitutional court in Czechia has rejected a complaint by Princess Sophie von Hohenberg. The Princess among others claimed the return of the Konopiste Castle, which was owned by her great-grandfather Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, who was assassinated in 1914. Both the courts in Benesov and Prague, as well as the Supreme Court decided against the Princess. They said she didn't clearly specify what property she wanted back, as she listed land and real estate based on dates from the 1920s. The lawyer of Princess Sophie von Hohenberg, Jaroslav Broz, says that they are prepared to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.
June 5th
Only days after she took a cheap flight from Madrid to London to visit her brother former King Constantine II of Greece, Ryanair launched an advertising campaign in which Queen Sofia of Spain appeared with the slogan "Fly like a monarch" and "Queen Sofia flies low cost". The half-page advertisement was published in the Spanish press last week. Ryanair announced it would donate € 5000 to a charity of the Queen's choice, to show their gratitude. The Royal Palace in Madrid said to be annoyed and surprised, as Ryanair hadn't asked for permission to use the Queen's name. They say: "They are making improper use of the Queen's image. We are not going to get involved with this advert or any donation coming from the improper use of the image of Doña Sofia." A spokesman said today that the palace wants to take legal action. Ryanair stopped the campaign immediately. Ryanair says: "We apologise if this caused Queen Sofia any offence. We simply wanted to thank the queen for travelling with us. We didn't highlight it. We simply thanked her."
Professor Hisashi Owada, the father of Crown Princess Masako of Japan, received two honorary degrees, in art and in law, from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Professor Owada is president of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, The Netherlands. Professor Owada's wife, Mrs Yumiko Owada, was also present.
June 6th
At 10am Princess Madeleine of Sweden opened the south gates to the Royal Palace in Stockholm on the occasion of national feastday. This year's theme is the Bicentenary 1809, to mark the 200th anniversary of the separation of Finland from Sweden. Yesterday the exhibition about this theme at the palace was opened by King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. Crown Princess Victoria celebrated national feastday at Skänninge, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia visited Eskilstuna. In the evening the family attended celebrations at Skansen, Stockholm.
Today almost the whole Dutch royal family, apart from Prince Friso and Princess Aimée, visited the exhibition about Queen Juliana at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn. Queen Beatrix was to open the exhibition on 30 April, Queen's Day, but because of the attack on the family that day, the opening was cancelled. The family also received about hundred people who had been busy with the organisation of Queen's Day. Also this meeting would normally have taken on 30 April.
June 7th
Prince Edward Colombus Wambuzi was installed today as the new Kyabazinga of the Busoga Kingdom, Uganda. The ceremony took place at the headquarters of the kingdom in Bugembe. Seven of the eleven hereditary chiefs who choose the Kyabazinga didn't turn up for the ceremony. Prince Edward Colombus Wazumbi's election on 31 October was controversial. A legal battle is still going on.
June 8th
Yesterday a majority of the Danes voted "yes" in a referendum about a change of the succession law. They wish that the monarch's firstborn child, whether it is a boy or a girl, will become the heir to the throne. Changes to the law of succession must be passed by two successive parliaments, and confirmed by a referendum in which at least 40% of the electorate must vote. On Sunday about 59% of the electorate showed up. 45,8% of the electorate (85,4% of the real voters) voted in favour of a change of the succession law. 7,9% voted against, and 5% voted blank. 41,3% didn't vote at all.
Grand Duke Jean of Luxemburg has returned to Fischbach Castle after having spent several days in hospital. The doctors say the medical check-up was satisfactory.
June 9th
A forensic expert today said that a medical examination confirmed Manohara Odelia Pinot was physically abused. Manohara claims her husband Tengku Temenggong Tengku Mohammad Fakhry, prince of Kelantan, abused her during their marriage. Her lawyer said today: "The medical examination has been completed and the result confirmed that there is physical abuse all over her body. Her story has proven to be true." Manohara today formally lodged a written report on the abuse with the Indonesian police. Apart from her husband, she has named six others, including the Sultan of Kelantan and his wife, as accomplices.
Silvano Orsi has lost his court battle at the supreme court in Switzerland already on 26 May. Sheikh Falah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi was convicted in July 2008 for hitting Mr Orsi in the face with a belt after Mr Orsi declined a bottle of champagne the Sheikh offered him in a hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2003. A court of appeal in Geneva quashed the conviction of inflicting bodily harm in March 2009, because the belt was not a dangerous object. Mr Orsi afterwards appealed to the Federal Tribunal to reinstate the conviction, which was rejected today. Mr Orsi is ordered to pay 2000 Swiss francs in court costs. Mr Orsi now wants to bring the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
June 10th
King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan today celebrated the 10th anniversary of the King's accession to the throne. They drove through the streets of Amman today, cheered by thousands of Jordanians. The main ceremony took place in Amman Stadium. Queen Rania wore the same dress she had worn at the accession to the throne. 12.000 to 15.000 Jordanians attended the ceremony, as well as several members of the royal family. During the ceremony air shows took place over Amman, and a documentary was screened in the stadium.
China has announced it will start a new excavation near Xian on Saturday to find more terracotta warriors. It will be the third excavation in this pit since the first army of warriors and horses was found in 1974. China hopes to unravel the many unresolved mysteries of the pit.
June 11th
Prince Henrik of Denmark celebrated his 75th birthday today. Already yesterday he and Queen Margrethe II invited their guests for a lunch on board of the royal yacht Dannebrog. In the evening there was a concert of the DR Symfoniorkestret. Today, in the early morning, Prince Henrik and Queen Margrethe II greeted well-wishers from a window of the castle, wearing nightwear. Later on a parade with the Kongelige Livgardes Musikkorps, the Garderhusarregimentets Hesteskadron, the Prinsens Musikkorps and the Danske Soldaterforeningers Faner was held outside Fredensborg Castle. Birthday guests attended a lunch at the Orangery of Fredensborg Castle, and in the evening a gala dinner was held at the castle itself. Apart from members of the Danish royal family among others also Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Prince Philipp and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein, Prince Dimitri and Princess Dorrit Romanoff, the Duke and Duchess of Orléans, the Duke and Duchess of Castro, Prince Wilhelm and Princess Ilona zu Schaumburg-Lippe were present.
According to a poll by Rambøll for the newspaper Jyllands-Posten only 29,8% of the Danes think Prince Henrik of Denmark has done a good job as Prince Consort. 30,7% thinks he even has done a poor job. 44,6% thinks Prince Joachim of Denmark is doing a good job. According to the poll Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is the most popular royal. She received an approval of 81,3%. With 80,4% Crown Prince Frederik is a bit less popular than his wife Crown Princess Mary who got an approval of 82,2%. Princess Marie only scored 36,6%.
Former King Constantine II of Greece has left the Wellington Hospital in London today. He had cardiac surgery on 29 May. He is doing well, and looks forward to visit Greece again as soon as possible.
June 12th
The Prince of Wales has refused to appear in a BBC documentary to mark the 40th anniversary of the ceremony that invested him with the title Prince of Wales. Several family members will be interviewed for the documentary. The documentary will cover the two days before the investiture aas well as the event itself.
The sentence of Nasrah Al Shamery, who was given a two-year sentence in jail in April for insulting the Emir of Kuwait, has been suspended. She is to return to Australia, where she and her family live. Mrs Al Shamery had lodged an appeal in court only last week.
Tengku Temenggong Tengku Mohammad Fakhry, prince of Kelantan, Malaysia, denied that he has abused his wife Manohara Odelia Pinot, who returned to her native country Indonesia some weeks ago. She told media she had been abused by her husband. On Thursday the prince filed a police report against his wife and her mother for making false allegiations, his lawyer said today.
June 13th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain celebrated her official birthday today with the traditional Trooping the Colour parade in London. She took the salute during the military parade at the Horse Guards parade ground. Later on she and many family members watched the traditional flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
QUeen Beatrix of the Netherlands reopened the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. The palace underwent extensive renovation and restoration of the interior in the past 3 1/2 years. On Sunday the palace is open again to the public. After the renovation of the outside of the palace, it will also be used again for state visits. The palace will show a presentation of the activities.
June 15th
Prince Ernst August of Hannover appeared in court at Hildesheim, Germany, today. In a one-hour-long statement, read by his attorney Hans Wolfgang Euler, the prince says he did hit Kenyan hotel owner Josef Brunlehner, but he denies he used anything else but his hands. The prince himself had asked for a retrial in the hope to have the charge and sentence reduced. In 2004 he was convicted of causing serious bodily harm and fined € 445.000. The hotel owner said the prince had punched him with a metal ring and shouted abuse at him.
June 18th
Archduke Otto of Austria fell from the stairs at his home in Pöcking am Starnberger See, Germany last weekend. He was admitted to hospital in Murnau with head injuries. A spokesman says he is recovering well and is expected to leave hospital later this week.
June 19th
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Dimitri Medvedev, president of Russia, opened the new Hermitage museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The museum is a dependance of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Also the Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima of the Netherlands were present. Tomorrow the museum will be open for the public. The first exhibition is called "At the Russian Court. Palace and Protocol in the 19th Century". It displays more than 1800 items from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
Carlos Morales Quintana, the husband of Princess Alexia of Greece, was questioned today by a judge at the Canary Islands, Spain, a statement from the Canaries High Court said. He had to give evidence to the judge for five hours about influence-Peddling. Carlos Morales Quintana is an architect. So far 21 people, including politicians and businessmen, have been questioned this month at Lanzarote, Canary Islands, for alleged involvement in the corruption affair. Prosecutors say kickbacks were paid for municipal contracts.
June 21st
Today, on their national feastday, Greenland celebrated the expansion of its powers of self rule, after having been ruled by Denmark for 300 years. The celebration in the cathedral at the capital city of Nuuk was attended by Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who wore traditional Inuit costumes. Queen Margrethe II haded over the self-rule documents to Josef Motzfeldt, the chairman of the parliament of Greenland. In a referendum in November 2008 the Greenlanders made known their wish for more autonomy.
June 22nd
In a press conference in Washington, USA, Reza Pahlavi, shah-in-exile of Iran, today warned for the consequences for the Middle East and the rest of the world if the popular uprising in Iran is crushed. He urged media and Western governments to stand strongly alongside the protest movement in Iran. He said that the defeat of the protest movement would threaten global stability and could even lead to nuclear war. The movement protests against the outcome of the presidential elections 10 days ago.
June 23rd
On the occasion of National Feastday Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg has granted his daughter-in-law Tessy de Nassau the title Princess of Luxemburg with the style of Royal Highness. His grandsons Gabriel and Noah have become Prince of Nassau with the style of Royal Highness. The Grand Duke's 18-year-old daughter Alexandra has become chevalier in the Order of the Golden Lion of the House of Nassau.
In a letter published on his website former King Norodom Sihanouk says he has been treated successfully for cancer for the third time. Last December he announced he had cancer again, B-cell lymphoma. He was treated in China.
June 24th
Earl Spencer and his former wife Caroline were denied a blanket ban on publicity in the media about their battle for a divorce settlement at the High Court, Mr Justice Munby ruled yesterday. The hearing was expected to last all week, but today it became known that the couple and their lawyers have opted to settle the divorce out of court to avoid details of their lives being revealed in the press. The couple has already been granted a decree nisi in March 2007. The decree absolute hasn't been granted yet, because the couple so far hasn't agreed about the division of their assets.
June 25th
Australian Nasrah Al Shamery, who spent six months in jail in Kuwait for insulting the Emir of Kuwait, claims she was brutally beaten and starved during her imprisonment. She was sentenced to two years in jail, but was released from prison after she appealed to the ruling. She returned home to Australia last week. Mrs Al Shamery denies she has ever insulted the Emir.
June 26th
Amnesty International urged Thailand today to open the trial of Darunee Charnchoengsilpakul. The political campaigner and supporter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was charged with lese-majeste in July 2008. Judge Prommas Phoo-sang on Tuesday decided to ban media and public from attending the trial for reasons of national security. Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific director of Amnesty International, says: "When a judge closes the doors on a trial it significantly raises the risk of injustice taking place." The trial will resume on 28 July.
Chancellor Alexander Zakatov said at a press conference today that Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, her mother Grand Duchess Leonida and her son Grand Duke Georgi want to return to Russia. They wish to be able to take part in cultural and charity events, to strengthen the Russian civil society. They also want to work on the development of legal bodies.
June 29th
Princess Alexia of the Netherlands celebrated her 4th birthday on Friday. Today she started Kindergarten. Her parents the Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima broguht her to the Bloemcampschool in Wassenaar, together with Princess Amalia who already attends the school. As the summer vacation will already start in two weeks, Alexia will for now only attend two days to get used to school a bit.After the Summer vacation she will attend school regularly.
The Danish royal court has released several cute pictures of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie with their newborn son, and the princes Nikolai and Felix. They were taken by Steen Brogaard.
Accounts of Buckingham Palace show that the costs of the British royal family have increased from 66 to 69p per person in the financial year 2008/2009. The total costs of the monarchy have increased by £1.5 million to £41.5 million. The total costs of the Queen's Civil List were £13.9 million in 2008. The royals spent £6.5 million on travels. The most expensive journeys were the overseas tours of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Westminster Abbey in London will undergo its first major building work for 250 years. The £23m development is hoped to be completed by 2013, the year of the 60th coronation anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
Royal News: May 2009. Last updated: June 1st, 2009.