ROYAL NEWS: MARCH 2000

Last updated: April 1st, 2000

March 1st
Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium visited East-Flanders during their Happy Entrance tour. In Aalst they visited an education centre. In Gent the governor, mayor and thousands of people greeted them. In the afternoon the couple attended a disaster training in Sint-Niklaas. Rumours about an eventually pregnancy of Princess Mathilde, which followed after the release of photos in the press on which she hold her hand on her belly, were discussed by the people. But it is said that Princess Mathilde said: "People shouldn't believe everything".

A newspaper in Kiel, Germany, reports that the federal government of Schleswig-Holstein wants to sell the castle of Kiel and establish media business in the castle. Besides the castle should stay a place where cultural events take place.

The royal cabinet says King Mohammed VI of Morocco is planning to travel to Spain for a one-day private visit with King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

March 2nd
Queen Joanna of Bulgaria was buried in Estoril, Portugal. The ceremony was attended by her children and grandchildren, Vittorio Emanuele Prince of Savoy, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain, Infante Elena of Spain, Infante Cristina of Spain, Jaime de Marichalar, Infante Pilar of Spain, Infante Margarita of Spain, Dom Duarte de Bragança and his wife Isabel and Princess Alexia of Greece and some French royalty.

Prince Claus of the Netherlands has cancelled a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, because he is troubled by the after effects of the radiation for his prostate cancer one and a half year ago.

March 3rd
From May 23rd to May 26th Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan will pay a visit to the Netherlands during their 2-week European tour.

March 5th
Sultan Qaboos of Oman was awarded the Leadership for Peace Award on Saturday by the American Jewish Committee for promoting regional peace.

Mohamed al-Fayed's claim that Diana Princess of Wales and Dodi al-Fayed chose an engagement ring in Monte Carlo a week before they died, has been branded a 'myth' by their bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who survived the fatal car-crash in 1997. He has written that in his new book, serialised in the Daily Telegraph.

Children of a primary school expecting to meet Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain in the Australian outback town of Bourke are given a crash course about who she is, after the head teacher found out that many of his pupils hardly knew about their Head of State. The school is due to play host later this month.

The yearly carnival procession in Aalst, Belgium, showed several floats with the Belgian royal family as subject. There was attention for Philippe and Mathilde, but also for King Albert II and Prince Laurent.

March 6th
The mother of Emperor Akihito of Japan, Empress dowager Nagako, celebrated her 97th birthday privately with her family. She withdrew from public life in 1989 after the death of her late husband Emperor Hirohito.

A rare lizard has forced organisers of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain's visit to Australia to abandon plans to start the trip in the national capital Canberra. The endangered lizard lives near the airport and concern for it has delayed plans to widen runways to allow the Queen's airplane to land. There must be a 90-day consultation period before any changes can be made. The Queen will now start her trip in Sydney on March 17th.

Printed portraits of Princes of Mecklenburg, from the collection of the library of the University of Rostock in Germany, are shown in public for the first time. They are part of an exhibition of printed notebooks, which will be opened on Thursday at the Monastery of the Holy Cross. The about 50 most rare pieces are from the 16th and 17th century.

March 7th
It was announced by the Spanish royal court that Infante Elena and her husband Jaime de Marichalar expect their second child in September of this year.

Ritzen Koeriers, the company of which Prince Bernhard Jr. of the Netherlands is the joint founder and owner of, has affected an arrangement with the Public Prosecutor in Amsterdam. The courier company was suspected of fraud with social bonuses.

The Court of Justice of Magdeburg, Germany, since today hears the case of Prince Ernst August of Hanover who wants some 10.000 hectares of family property in Saxe-Anhalt back. The former property consists of land and wood and some buildings. The prince also wants to get back some works of art. An earlier bid for another court was turned down. The Prince however states that his grandfather's land was expropriated because of ground reforms and measures taken by the Soviet army, and that his grandfather didn't resign.

Mohamed al-Fayed has lost a legal bid to prevent the Daily Telegraph printing extracts from the book by Trevor Rees-Jones, princess Diana's former bodyguard.

March 8th
The Royal House of Liechtenstein launched a discussion platform in the Internet. Those interested are invited to proffer their suggestions and opinions concerning the discussion around the new Constitution at http://www.fuerstenhaus.li. It is also possible to put questions to Prince Hans-Adam II and Prince Alois, heir to the throne. Apart from the discussion rounds at the Vaduz Castle, the Royal House also seeks an on-line discussion with the population and therefore initiated a forum for discussions in the Internet. The first homepage of the Royal House allows making suggestions concerning the planned constitutional alterations, to raise topics concerning the future of Liechtenstein, to ask questions and to express opinions. Prince Hans-Adam II is the first Liechtenstein Head of State to use the Internet as a means of communication. At the website the population is invited to discuss his constitutional suggestions.

Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde were for their one but last Happy Entrance in the province of Namur. Although the weather was very rainy about 4000 people came to see them. The couple was received at the provincial house and even appeared on the balcony in the pouring rain. There also was a meeting with representatives of societies, women's organisations and handicapped people. There was also a reception at Namur Castle. Near Dinant they made a boat trip at the Meuse River.

March 10th
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands will become the patroness of the Special Olympics 2000 for mentally handicapped people, which will be held in Groningen, the Netherlands, from May 27th to June 4th.

March 11th
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and her husband Pieter van Vollenhoven at 14:00h officially announced the engagement of their second son Bernhard (30) with Annette Sekrève (28) in the Queen Wilhelminahall at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn. There were a lot of reporters and photographers gathered to get information and photos of the couple. Bernhard and Annette met in Groningen where he studied economics and she labour psychology. Since more than two years they live together on a houseboat on the Amstel River in Amsterdam. Annette Sekrève works as a staff consultant at the municipal taxes in Amsterdam. The civil wedding will take place on July 6th, and the religious ceremony on July 8th. The exact place will be revealed later. This evening the couple will celebrate their engagement with their family at home.

March 13th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain will be joined by the Prince of Wales, the Prime Minister and more than 1000 schoolchildren for a celebration on Commonwealth Day. Violinist Vanessa Mae will serenade the 2000-strong congregation at Westminster Abbey. Representatives of the 54-member states wearing traditional dress will carry flags of the Commonwealth.

March 14th
The Prince of Wales is meeting some of the 2.000 students attending the recruitment fair at the Wembley Arena in London, England, which marks the conclusion of the first year of the Army's ethnic minority recruitment campaign. The Prince will also see a photo exhibition of the historical contribution Caribbean, Asian and African soldiers have made.

Today Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands talked with fourteen Indian Dutchmen about the state visit of Emperor Akihito of Japan to the Netherlands at the end of May. Former victims of the Japanese occupation of Dutch India (now Indonesia) in World War II say that Japan has not made good enough the grieves they have. Last February the Japanese government spoke out their regrets about their behaviour in Dutch India in World War II. The former victims also find that the 400th anniversary of the relations with Japan has been celebrated too enthusiastic.

March 17th
The Second World Water Forum started today in the Congress Centre in The Hague, The Netherlands. Until Wednesday thousands of people from all over the world will discuss water problems. The openings speech was disturbed by six demonstrants, who came down from the balcony on ropes. They protested against the privatisation of water and the building of a weir in Spain. Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, chairman of the forum, asked them to express their arguments in a well-bred discussion. Thereafter the crown prince declared the forum open with an improvised speech.

World Water Forum

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain arrived in Canberra, Australia to begin a visit, which comes four months after Australians voted to retain the monarchy. She will visit rural areas as well as major cities, including Sydney and Perth, during the 16-day trip. Among the more remote destinations are Alice Springs and the former Victorian gold-mining settlement of Ballarat. The Duke of Edinburgh arrived separately from the Bahamas. The official schedule of the tour begins on Saturday with a function at the Government House.

On March 7th the 49th Imam of the Ismaelians, the Aga Khan (63), and his wife the Begum Inaara have become the proud parents of a son, named Aly Muhammad. The Aga Khan has three children from his marriage to Princess Salima: Zara, Rahim and Hussain. The Begum has a daughter, Theresa, from her marriage to Prince Karl-Emich zu Leiningen.

March 18th
The 110-year-old marble statue of 'Queen Louise on her deathbed' in the park of Neustrelitz Castle, Germany, will be restored. From May 2000 the statue will stand on its former place together with the Louise Temple.

March 19th
King Mohammed VI of Morocco headed for Paris, France, today to lobby for Moroccan membership in the European Union.

Elizabeth The Queen Mother of Great Britain handed out individual shamrocks to the Irish Guards in London at a special ceremony celebrating the regiment's centenary year. She presented the plants to officers and new recruits from wicker baskets. She also took the salute of the regimental parade at Lancaster House.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh have been greeted by about 500 people at the first public appearance of their Australian tour. The couple attended a service at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Canberra. The Queen also met a traditional Aboriginal didgeridoo player.

March 20th
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan greeted Pope John Paul II in their palace in Amman. The Pope arrived for the first leg of an historic seven-day trip to the Holy Land tracing the footsteps of Moses and Jesus. Prince Hassan later showed the Pope the monastery at the Nebo Mountain, where Moses is supposed to have seen the Promised Land.

A man has been charged after a security alert disrupted the visit of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain to Australia. The man, posing as a security officer, was armed with a homemade explosive device and an eight-inch kitchen knife. He was arrested outside the Sydney Convention Centre shortly before the Queen was due to attend a lunch there.

Prince Claus of the Netherlands has been admitted in the General Hospital Barmbek in Hamburg, Germany. He will be examined on the consequences of the last x-ray treatment for prostate cancer he received last autumn. The Prince didn't feel well lately, and now undergoes a control to find out if everything is really all right.

March 21st
The Duke of Edinburgh may have contaminated a vat of Australian cheese with a visit to a cheese factory at Wagga Wagga, 30 miles southwest of Sydney. The Duke didn't give himself the time to dress himself in sterile clothes -as he said he'd only stay for four minutes inside- and entered the sterile production area at the plant in his suit. A camera crew, a security man and a sniffer dog followed him. If tests show the cheese worth about $750 can be saved, the cheese makers say it may be marketed as Prince Philip cheese.

March 22nd
The Royal Palace in Amman, Jordan, announced that Queen Rania will give birth to her third child at the end of September. She and King Abdullah II already have a son, Hussein (5), and a daughter, Iman (3).

In the beginning of May Máxima Zorreguieta is going to move from New York to Brussels, Belgium, where she is going to work for the new Belgian branch of the German Bank, the bank she worked for in New York also. It is said she has already found a nice apartment, and has said goodbye to her colleagues in New York. Máxima has discussed her plans with the royal family of the Netherlands. Belgium should have been chosen as her new residence to secure some freedom she might not have in the Netherlands.

Prince Claus of the Netherlands left the hospital in Hamburg. It is announced there is no reason to be worried about his health. Queen Beatrix visited her husband yesterday.

Three girls have been sexually assaulted in their bedroom at Aiglon College in Chesieres-Villars, the $10000-a-year school which Princess Beatrice of York is due to attend in September of this year.

The Dutch Christian Democratic Party says it also should be possible for children to inherit the noble title of their mother. Now a child is only permitted to bear the noble title that is coming from their father.

March 23rd
Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium made their last Happy Entrance in the province of Limburg. In Hasselt about 6000 people were waiting for them. The couple also visited Peer and Maaseik, where they watched an exhibition on the water control in the Meuse valley. The visit ended in Tongeren where the archaeological excavations in the basilica were watched.

An Austrian police officer wants to charge Prince Ernst August of Hannover for big insults. He says the Prince amongst others called him an ashole (Arschloch).

March 24th
Sunnyi Melles, the wife of Prince Peter of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, received the 'Satyrknöpfe', which according to the legend comes from the coat of famous German writer Goethe. The button is given to a very important actor. The German actor who owed the small button before died last January. Sunnyi Melles is especially successful as member (since 1980) of the Münchener Kammerspielen.

March 26th
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain should apologise to Aborigines for their past treatment by British colonists, the leader of the Australian Democrats has said. The Australian premier has held back from apologising to Aborigines, expressing 'regret' instead. Buckingham Palace said an apology from the Queen would be 'very much a matter for the Australian authorities'.

March 27th
According to the Sunday Times the richest Briton of the past 1000 years, to the present day value of their belongings, was William de Warenne Earl of Surrey, who owed about 182 billion British pounds. An arrow killed the earl in 1088. He got lots of rewards from King William I of England for his loyalty to the king who conquered England in 1066.

March 28th
Willem-Alexander Prince of Oranje will pay a 9-day visit to Japan in April as a part of celebrations to mark the 400 years of Japanese-Dutch relations.

March 29th
A tomato has been thrown at Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh during a walkabout in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. The tomato brushed the rim of the Duke's panama hat and landed about six feet from the royal couple in the crowd. Teenagers probably threw the tomato from behind a tree.

March 30th
King Mohammed VI of Morocco appointed the country's first female royal adviser. The plan to give women more rights sparks an angry debate.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain made royal history when she went live on radio in the Australian outback to answer children's questions. She urged children on the Alice Springs School of the Air to log on to the Buckingham Palace website. To the question what she thought on Australia and its people the Queen replied that she had enjoyed 'meeting and talking to so many people over the past 10 days'.

Prince Albert of Monaco was present at the men's final of the World Championship Figure Skating in Nice, France.

March 31st
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain witnessed a classroom fight during a visit to a school in Busselton, Western Australia. A 3-year-old turned and hit a classmate just as the Queen entered their classroom. The hit classmate burst into tears. The fighter then demanded, 'What's your name?' to the Queen twice in succession. He didn't receive a reply!

Senior Labour MP Tony Wright has said the controversy over the newest members of the British House of Lords underlines the need for further reform of the Upper Chamber. He said he feared ministers would like to shelve further Lords reform. Also Viscount Cranborne former Tory leader in the House of Lords has attacked on the award of a peerage to party Treasurer Michael Ashcroft, which he thinks is an affront to the dignity of Parliament. Current Tory leader in the Lords, Lord Strathclyde, said the row was being exploited to conceal Government moves to pack the House with Labour peers.


Royal News: February 2000. Last updated: March 1st, 2000.