ROYAL NEWS: MARCH 1999

Last updated: April 7th, 1999

March 2nd
Andrew The Duke of York arrived in Vietnam for a five-day visit to promote trade and other links with Great Britain. He will visit a Royal Navy frigate stationed there temporarily, and also the Cu Chi underground tunnels, which were used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.

March 3rd
On February 25th King Opoku Ware II of Ashanti died in Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana. He was born on November 30th, 1919. He was the 15th Asantehene.

Baroness Christina Silfverschiöld, daughter of Princess Désirée of Sweden, celebrated her engagement with Hans de Geer af Finspång on Valentine's Day (February 14th). It is most likely that they will get married this summer.

March 8th
Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein has been operated on his Achilles tendon after a fall during his ski-holidays in St.Christof am Arlberg, Austria, on March 1st. He is recovering at home now.

On September 11th Sigismund Archduke of Habsburg-Tuscany is going to marry Elyssa Edmonstone in London.

March 9th
The Prince of Wales started a visit to Argentina. He laid some wreaths and joined a banquet. He made a good speech on the links with Great Britain.

On March 6th Sheikh Isa bin Sulman al-Khalifa Emir of Bahrain (since 1961) has died after a heart attack. He was born on June 3, 1933. His eldest son Crown Prince Hamad (49) was sworn in as the new Emir soon after his father's death.

March 12th
Some genealogical stuff: Ferfried Prince von Hohenzollern (55) has planned his third marriage for next April (and some people seem not to be happy with it). His new wife will be Maja Meinert (27). In Berlin, Germany, at the end of June, Ferdinand Archduke of Habsburg is going to marry Katharina 'Tita' countess von Hardenberg. Some more babies are going to be born soon. Constanza Archduchess von Habsburg, who married Franz Josef Prince von Auersperg-Trautson some years ago, is expecting a child. The same counts for India Hicks, granddaughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and her friend David Flint Wood. They are expecting their second child in about four months time. Also pregnant is Clotilde d'Orléans, granddaughter of the count of Paris.

March 13th
Someone who was walking with his dog near the seafront at Ayr, Scotland, found 70 pages thick confidential medical records of the royal family dumped by the side of the road. The records contained information on the blood groups of some members of the royal family (including the Queen), and told details about the security arrangements for royal visits. The records were not recent and already lost since 1994. Now an inquiry has begun.

The Prince of Wales continued his South-American visit at the Falklands Islands. He is the most senior member of the British royal family to visit the Islands after the Falkland War between Argentina and Great Britain in 1982.

March 15th
Prince Pieter-Christiaan of the Netherlands has got his diploma from the University of Utrecht. Since 1993 he studied law there. The newspapers showed him together with his proud parents.

March 16th
One of the commissioners of the European Commission that resigned yesterday evening is Hans van den Broek (Netherlands). His daughter married Prince Maurits of the Netherlands in May 1998. Happily in the thick damning report on the Commission was not a word about him, so he is not to blame for the fraud and mismanagement of some members of the Commission.

In the German Filmmuseum in Frankfurt am Main an exhibition was opened on the actress Romy Schneider, who committed suicide in 1982. Until June 13th you can see about 500 photos, 50 film posters, letters, parts out of her diary, and original requisites. Of course there is also something on the films she especially became famous for: her role as Sissi (Empress Elisabeth of Austria).

March 18th
The British Queen-Mother Elizabeth should have debts from about $2.000.000. She seems to have a lavish way of living and spends lots of money on food, drinks, clothes and parties. The money she spends on horse races is on someone else's account.

The Duke of York has suffered a minor fracture to his left foot. The injury happened when the Duke fell over as he climbed into a car after a dinner in London on Monday night.

Clotilde d'Orléans and her husband Edouard Crépy got a third son at the beginning of this month. His name is Gaspard.

March 21st
King Abdallah of Jordan has made his wife Rania a Queen. The widow of the late King Hussein, Queen Noor, will keep her title.

March 22nd
Infante Cristina of Spain and her husband Iñaki Urdangarín are going to have their first baby in October according to the Spanish royal court.

March 23rd
A government commission of the Netherlands has given a positive advice on the definitive entry of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander into the IOC. It seems the confirmation can take place in July in Seoul, Korea.

March 24th
Margaretha Kooperberg-De Jong (86) has died on March 12th in the nursing home Nieuw Lindenoord, Wolvega, the Netherlands. From 1932 to 1940 she was the governess of the later Belgian Kings Baudouin and Albert II. At the funeral on March 17th in Oldeberkoop, the Netherlands, a wreath of King Albert II of Belgium was laid on the grave. The royal family of Belgium has always stayed in contact with the old governess.

The Princely House of Liechtenstein has given up its presenting rights on ecclesiastical level. The right to appoint people in ecclesiastical functions in five of the Liechtenstein municipalities will now go to the Archbishop of Vaduz, presently Wolfgang Haas, who has been appointed by Pope John Paul II.

March 25th
Prince Ferfried von Hohenzollern has married Maja Meinert on March 19th at the registration Service in Dresden, Germany. Only some of her family members were there. They will celebrate it with other family and friends later.

March 31st
Yesterday the Danish royal court announced that Prince Joachim and his wife Princess Alexandra will have their first baby in the beginning of September. The baby is planned to be born at the Rigshospital in Copenhagen. Also expecting a baby in September is Joachim's cousin Alexandra countess zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, who married Count Jefferson-Friedrich von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth in June 1998. The baby of lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones and Daniel Chatto finally got names. He was born on February 5th and his full names are Arthur Robert Nathaniel.

The ARD (German TV) broadcasts two royal portraits this weekend. On April 4th at 21:45h Prince Philippe of Belgium will be the subject. On April 5th at 21:55h it will be Willem-Alexander Prince of Oranje. I have watched some before and they are really good.

Prince Serge of Yugoslavia should stand trial on charges of drug dealing. He is accused of buying cocaine for the purpose of furnishing third parties during soirees in Turin, Italy.


Royal News: February 1999. Last updated: March 1st, 1999.