ROYAL NEWS: MAY 2004

Last updated: July 11th, 2004.

May 4th
The Danish parliament announced that Crown Prince Frederik's state-paid salary will be more than tripled after his wedding on May 14. His previous annual income of €565,000 will be raised to €1.9 million.

May 5th
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson enjoyed the Day of the Danish Defence (day of the Liberation of Denmark in 1945). The Danish Defence paid tribute to the couple by means of a parade and an exhibition at the Langeliniekajen. The Danish Defence wished to celebrate the forthcoming wedding, especially because of the Crown Prince's close connection with the Defence. At 10:45 in the morning the couple arrived and went to the Royal Yacht Dannebrog by barge. In the meantime a 21-gun salute was fired from the Sixtus Battery. The parade by the Army, Navy, the Air Force and the Home Guard took place on land, at sea and in the air. The tribute assembled the event that took place in 1967, when Queen Margrethe II married Prince Henrik. The event was also attended by other members of the Danish royal family. Today the couple also received the gift that was presented to them by the Danish Defence and its personnel.

Today Prince Bernhard again took off the marchpast of 4200 military men, including many veterans of World War II, in Wageningen on the occasion of the 59th anniversary of the German capitulation at Hotel De Wereld. It was the 29th time the marchpast took place near the hotel. It is estimated some 80.000 people gathered in Wageningen to watch the marchpast. Among the military men in the marchpast was also Prince Pieter-Christiaan, reserve of the Koninklijke Marechaussee (royal military police), who had also almost unnoticed attended the commemoration service in church. Also Pieter van Vollenhoven attended the commemoration service as well as the marchpast. Prince Bernhard didn't attend the commemoration service in church. However before the marchpast he laid a wreath at the liberation monument. Via the organisation of the commemoration of the German capitulation in Wageningen Prince Bernhard let know that he will stop taking off the yearly marchpast on May 5th in Wageningen. Chairman J. Maas said that Prince Bernhard's last marchpast in 2005 will become 'Deo volente a huge farewell'. For the first time in 2005 a veteran's day will be held on Prince Bernhard's birthday on June 29.

The Prince of Orange, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands and daughter Catharina-Amalia have arrived in Argentina for their first visit to Princess Máxima's native country since the birth of Amalia. Later this week they will attend the wedding of Máxima's friend, and witness at her own wedding, Samantha Deane, who will marry Dutch noble Frederik van Welderen Baron Rengers.

At a Sothebys auction in Amsterdam Palace Het Loo bought 13 rare royal plates from a dinner-service that once belonged to King Willem I of the Netherlands. They paid Euro 31.070. The porcelain dates from 1829 and is seen as the most important of that material ever made in Brussels. The maker is Frédéric Faber. King Willem I bought the dinner-service, but after the Belgian separation it landed in Brussels where it came into the possession of King Leopold I of the Belgians. The biggest part of the dinner-service can be found at the Royal Palace in Brussels.

The Countess of Wessex has performed her first official engagement today since the birth of her daughter Louise in November. She opened the new emergency department of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

May 6th
Brigadier Jeffery Cook has been appointed security director by Buckingham Palace. He started work earlie this week ahead of Wednesday's publication of a high-level report recommending tighter royal security. The Security Commission report called for wider checks on job applicants, guests, visitors and contractors with access to royal residences. Weaknesses exploited by the Press could be equally exploited by terrorists, the report warned. The Palace has already adopted the commissions recommendations, including the appointment by the Queen of a director for security liaison, who will co-ordinate an annual security plan and oversee wider checks on new staff. He will work with the police, Home Office and security services. Buckingham Palace said: "The Royal Household accepts that there are lessons to be learnt from this case and has already tightened internal vetting procedures for all new recruits and has reviewed security measures more generally."

May 7th
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange, Princess Máxima, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien will all attend the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson on May 14, as well as the wedding of The Prince of Asturias and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano on May 22. Among the guests confirmed so far are the Duke and Duchess of Bragança, who will attend both weddings, and the same counts for Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan. Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and his wife Katherine will attend the wedding in Denmark, while the Crown Prince's youngest son Philip will represent them at the wedding in Spain. Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark will attend the wedding in Spain, as well as Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine of Sweden. The last three will be joined by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden at the Danish wedding. The Earl and Countess of Wessex will represent Great Britain at the Danish wedding, while the Prince of Wales will attend the Spanish wedding. The whole royal family of Norway is set to attend both weddings. Most likely that also counts for the royal family of Greece, on both weddings. The Spanish royal court only wished to confirm that more than 40 royal houses will attend the wedding. Among them the whole Belgian royal family. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa are also said to travel to Spain with their eldest son Guillaume. Also King Abdullah and Queen Rania as well as Queen Noor of Jordan are expected to come. The Bulgarian royal family might be represented by Crown Prince Kardam.

This evening a huge rock concert was held at Parken in Copenhagen on the occasion of the forthcoming wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson. Some 40.000 people attended. The concert, Rock'n'Royal, was an initiative of the Crown Prince himself. Several bands and a number of soloists performed. The humanitarian organisation 'Save the Children'organised the concert and all the proceeds of the event went to the organisation of which Danish branche Crown Prince Frederik is the patron. The Rock'n'Royal event was a gift to the couple presented by eight private sponsors.

Zara Phillips dream is over. Yesterday it was announced that she and two other riders 'are not required for selection'. The three were among 14 riders named last December as the World Class Performance squad from whom the five to compete for Great Britain at the Olympic Games in Athens would be chosen. Yogi Breisner, the World Class Performance manager, said: "It was a very difficult decision to make, but with other riders going so well last weekend [at Badminton] it is only fair to make the riders aware they stand no chance of selection. We also decided it was in the best interests of the horse's future to take Toytown and Zara off the list to give them time to prepare for their autumn campaign." Breisner added that Phillips took the decision "very philosophically" and still being very young time is on her side.

May 8th
Archduke Martin of Austria-Este married Princess Katharina von Isenburg today at the Catholic Church Mariä Heimsuchung in Birstein. As the church could only lodge part of the 300 invited guests, many guests only attended the reception afterwards. Among the guests were Princess Astrid of Belgium and her husband Lorenz (brother of the groom), Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxemburg, Prince Guillaume of Luxemburg, Prince Hans Adam II and Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, the Duke and Duchess of Aosta, the Margrave and Margravinne of Baden, the Duke of Vendôme, Fürst Moritz and Fürstin Lioba zu Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Wallerstein, Fürst Wolfgang Ernst zu Ysenburg und Büdingen, Duke Friedrich and Duchess Marie von Württemberg, Hereditary Count Karl-Eugen and Hereditary Countess Andrea zu Neipperg, Archduke Carl Ludwig and Archduchess Yolande of Austria, Archduke Felix of Austria, Archduke Rudolph and Archduchess Anna Gabriele of Austria, Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, Fürstin Benita zu Schaumburg-Lippe and many other royals and nobles. Despite of the rain more than 100 people waited outside the church to catch a glimpse of the bridal couple and their guests. The mass was led by (weih)Bishop Johannes Kapp. Witnesses of the bride were her sister Princess Sophie von Isenburg, Marie Charlotte Countess von Meran and Princess Pilar d'Orléans. Witneses for the groom were Count Massimo Arlotta-Tarino di Gropello, Count Alexander von Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg and Vinciane Countess Westphalen. Because of the rain the just married couple had to travel to Castle Birstein in a closed Rolls Royce and the reception had to take place in the Castle instead of in the garden.

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson, together with their families attended a dinner for 52 guests hosted by the Governor-General of Australia, Mr Michael Jeffery, at Fredensborg Store Kro Inn Hotel. The Governor-General presented the couple with a plaque to go with nine Tasmanian trees which Australia has given the couple as a wedding present. He wished the couple a 'long and fruitful marriage'. The diner existed of a five course degustation menu prepared by Sydney chef Luke Mangan, all ingredients and wine came from Australia. Among the guests were also Governor of Tasmania Mr Richard Butler and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

May 9th
A three-day party, starting on Friday, took place at the Island of Mainau to celebrate the 95th birthday of Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg yesterday, the 60th birthday of Countess Sonja on Friday and as stated in the German press the 30th birthday of the couple's eldest daughter together, Bettina, who had her birthday already on March 12. They have asked their guests to donate money to the charity 'Gardening for All'. Among the guests were King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Count Carl Johan and Countess Gunilla Bernadotte af Wisborg, Count Bertil and Countess Jill Bernadotte af Wisborg and a lot of other family members, also from the Romanov family. On Friday the guests went by boat to the Island of Reichenau. In the evening a black-tie dinner took place at Mainau Castle. Yesterday morning the guests went for a walk in the park followed by lunch. Count Lennart received flowers from 95 chimney-sweepers. Queen Silvia and Countess Sonja planted a tree in the park. In the early evening there was a religious service at the castle-chapel, followed by a dinner. Today the guests took the boat to Lindau for the inauguration of Count Lennart Bernadotte Street. Next week Count Lennar and Countess Sonja will travel to Sweden. On May 19 the count's photo exhibition "Optiska Drömmar" will be opened at Grönsöo Slott near Enköping. Being asked what was his recipe for a long life he said: "You simply have to avoid to die."

The Danish newspaper Politiken today carried a five-page interview with Mary Donaldson, fiancée of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, illustrated with several nice pictures by Tine Harden. The article was the result of a 25-hour interview conducted during seven sittings since December with Ninka, aka Anne Wolden-Raethinge. In the interview for the first time Mary's story is told in her own words. Mary says she is overwhelmingly happy, in love and looking forward to her life as a wife, mother and role model for her adopted country. She told about her conviction that her remarkable fate was destined, that she was meant to meet Frederik and embark on her fairytale journey. "I have always known that I would only marry if I met the one and only love," she says. "I have known that the most important thing had to be totally unconditional love -- unreserved -- and that you recognise it, when it hits you, and that love and happiness go together." About her first meeting with Crown Prince Frederik she says: "Frederik and I started to talk and we simply didn't stop talking. And that was that! A very long talk, which went on for a year or actually 14 months. He and his brother went to Melbourne the next day. But about a week later I met with him and his friends for dinner." Another meeting was cut short because of the death of Queen Mother Ingrid of Denmark in November 2000. Frederik returned to Australia in 2001. Mary told: "It wasn't like it went 'bang!' that first evening, that I knew I had met the man in my life. That point in time is hard to pinpoint. Also because there was this enormous distance between us and long spells between our meetings. "With this distance, both geographically and in terms of the family environment, you just can't tell that this is the right person. But we were constantly in contact with each other." The couple exchanged phone calls, letters and CDs of their favourite music. When in November 2001 their relationship became public "The time had come where we both felt it couldn't go on long distance. We decided to take the chance and see if we were meant for each other. That's when I left Australia." Mary started living in Paris and spent her weekends in the next five months at Amalienborg. About the first meeting with Queen Margrethe II she says: "Had the meeting been negative I have no idea what would have happened. But I don't think I would ever have asked Frederik to abdicate. He knows his role in life. He feels obligated to it and I think -- no, I know -- it would demand too much of him to give it up." Mary says about Frederik: "His vast energy -- spiritually and physically ... his attitude towards life -- he is a very interesting person with a complex personality. He fights many battles with himself, like many of us. He has a warm, warm heart, he is loyal and honest, almost to the point of being beyond reproach. He is funny. I believe Frederik touches people's hearts. He doesn't want me to say this but he is also a lonely person, like we all are." About divorce Mary said: "For us, divorce is impossible to imagine. It has always been my view that in love there is only one time -- and that is it. People today give up too easily and just say 'OK, we have grown apart'. I believe you can experience two or three 'great loves' in your life, but also that we really hope to find just one that will last." About her first appearance at the balcony at Amalienborg she said: "When we stood in front of the doors, I tried to relax and take a few deep breaths. I had a feeling I couldn't go out there . . . it was just so overwhelming. People cheered the Queen, Prince Henrik and Frederik and then also me, because he has chosen me and we have chosen each other." She also spoke about the loss of her mother and grandmother, and how their deaths transformed her spiritual beliefs and approach to life. Mary Donaldson says to dream of using her position to help the mentally ill.

Today the Royal Match Race took place in the harbour of Copenhagen. A match race took place between Danish sailor Jesper Bank and Australian sailor John Bartrand in the morning. There also were some boatshows and a water polo match. In the afternoon the Royal Match took place in which Mary Donaldson and John Bertrand raced against Crown Prince Prince Frederik of Denmark and Jesper Bank. The race was won by the Australian team. Photos.

A poll by Rambøll Management for Jyllands-Posten says that 82% of the Danes is in favour of the monarchy, while only 11% wishes a republic. 78% is in favour of equal succession to the throne for men and women. 97% believes Queen Margrethe II is doing a (very) good job, 91% thinks the same about Crown Prince Frederik, 93% about Princess Alexandra and Prince Joachim, while only 41% thinks Prince Henrik is.

May 10th
13-year-old Princess Alexandra of Luxemburg received the holy sacrament of the confirmation yesterday at the parish church of Colmar-Berg. The confirmationmass was led by Archbishop Fernand Franck, assisted by court almoner Georges Vuillermoz and Priest of Colmar-Berg Romain Gillen. In church the churchchoir of Colmar-Berg sang as well as Patrick and Eileen Byrne with guitar and song. Princess Alexandra had arranged the programme together with her parents, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxemburg. Among the guests were the four brothers of Princess Alexandra, several maternal and paternal uncles and aunts and cousins, as well as Grand Duke Jean.

In a press conference before his departure to Europe Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan said his wife is "greatly distressed" that she cannot accompany him. He said that she was "anguished that she was hardly allowed to visit foreign countries although she left her job as a diplomat to join the imperial family and believed it was an important role for imperial family members to promote international friendship." He said that "Masako seems worn out in her efforts to adjust herself to life as a royal over the past 10 years... There was something that amounted to a denial of Masako's former career and personality." He said to hope that she will be able to join him in the future. He furthermore said that the pressures to conceive a son had been too much to bear. The Crown Prince said life in Togu Palace was "isolated" and "less stimulating" than the public parks where he wished he could play with his daughter, Aiko. He also told that his wife is gradualy rebuilding her confidence, but that it may take "longer than initially expected" for her to return to her official duties.

May 11th
The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands have invited a delegation of children from all over the country to attend the christening of their daughter Catharina-Amalia on June 12. Fifteen children aged 12-13 from the 12 provinces and the four biggest cities will give a youthful accent to the ceremony.

May 13th
Recently a digital camera of Princess Máxima was stolen in Argentina. On the camera are many private pictures of the princess and her family. Now the pictures have been offered for sale, the Government Information Service warned that selling these pictures is a crime according to the Penal Code and that publishing the pictures is illegal because the pictures violate the privacy of the pictured people.

May 14th
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Mary Donaldson in Copenhagen today.

Count Moritz von Goëss and his wife Fleur née Duchess von Württemberg expect their first child in October.

The Imperial Household Agency of Japan has been rocked by the claims of the Crown Prince on May 10th at the press conference before his departure to Europe. At a regular press conference of the Cabinet Secretary three days ago Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said: "I would like to refrain from commenting on this matter. I believe the Imperial Household Agency will properly deal with it including the physical condition of the Crown Princess." Later in the morning Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said about the Crown Princess's condition: "I would like her to recover soon." Two days ago Mr Hideki Hayashida, Grand Master of the Crown Prince's Household held a press conference at the Imperial Household Agency on the matter. He said that the detail of 'development that denied The Crown Princess's career and personality' was unknown to him, but supposed that it might be the issue 'in past' rather than 'in progress.' He said that the Imperial Household Agency should have dealt with The Crown Princess's physical condition earlier and more properly. He will improve the contents of the official duties. Mr Toshio Yuasa, Grand Steward of the Imperial Household, stated, at the regular press conference on 13th May, that he seriously received The Crown Prince's claims, and would ask him what he has really in mind in order to improve the Crown Prince's Household. He intends to meet The Crown Prince as soon as possible. Mr Yuasa said that The Crown Prince and Crown Princess sometimes mentioned their anguish on the matter of overseas visits even in the previous conferences. He admitted that he could not have a good grasp of the Crown Princess's physical condition due to the privacy matter. Today Mr Hayashida told that the Crown Prince has said that "This did not happen in the days of Mr Yuasa, the present Grand Steward." Mr Yuasa was appointed in April 2001.

May 15th
Today Countess Michaela von Schönburg-Glauchau married Alexander Ritter von Miller zu Aichholz (grandson of Princess Alexandrine-Louise of Denmark) at the Basilica of the Benedictine Monastry at the Wechselburg, Germany. The service was led by Father Rupert Sarach Some 250 guests attended the wedding, among them Count Alexander von Schönburg-Glauchau, Duke Konstantin von Oldenburg, Princess Elisabeth zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg and Alexander Prinz von Sachsen. The bride wore a champagne-coloured satin dress and a bouquet of red, yellow and orange roses. The veil was more than 100 years old and originally from the Danish Royal Family. After the wedding the couple drove to the reception in an open Horch-Cabrio. The couple is going to live in Vienna, Austria.

About 480 guests travelled to Cavenago d'Adda, Italy, to attend the religious wedding of Hereditary Count Ignaz zu Toerring-Jettenbach and Robinia Mentasti-Granelli. Among the guests were Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis with her children Elisabeth and Albert, Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria, Prince Philipp and Princess Saskia zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Prince Ferdinand and Princess Elisabeth von Bismarck, Archduke Ferdinand and Archduchess Katharina of Austria, Prince Donatus and Princess Floria von Hessen, Hereditary Prince Heinrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, Prince Hugo and Princess Sophie zu Windisch-Graetz with their son Maximilian, and Princess Alessandra Borghese. The wedding was supposed to start at 17:30, but the bride arrived 50 minutes late at the St. Pedro Church. The reception and dinner took place at the estate of the bride's parents. Yesterday the civil wedding took place in Milan. In the evening the civil wedding was followed by a party at the palace of the Marquess di Sforza.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark left for their holiday this morning. They took an airplane from Kastrup Airport at 3:30am. It is said by the media the couple flew to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania. It is not known how long the honeymoon will last.

May 16th
30-year-old Crown Prince Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izaddin Waddaulah of Brunei Darussalam is to marry 17-year-old Dayangku Sarah binte Pengiran Haji Salleh Abdul Rahaman it was announced yesterday in the newscast on Radio Television Brunei. The ceremonies for the royal wedding will commence on August 26 with the opening of the 'Istiadat Gendang Jaga-Jaga'. The wedding itself - the "Istiadat Bersanding Diraja' will take place on September 8. A Higher Committee for teh royal wedding has been formed. They met today and have appointed several working committees to assist in conducting the preparation for the wedding.

2,6 Million Danes watched the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson on teelvision, which is more than half of the Danish people.

Princess Elisabeth of Yugoslavia has announced she will run for the Serbian presidency in the elections on June 13. She will need 10.000 signatures to validate her candidacy. She is known in Serbia for her work with Serbian refugees from the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

May 17th
For the first time Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Oslo during National Day. She was accompanied by her parents Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and her grandparents King Harald V and Queen Sonja. From the balcony they watched the children's parade.

May 18th
This morning the lawyer of the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands sent a summons letter to the management of SBS Broadcasting B.V. The TV-channel SBS6 on May 13 used stolen images from the couple in one of their broadcasts. In the letter the lawyer points out that SBS6 knew the images were taken from Princess Máxima's stolen camera and that they beforehand had received the press announcement of the Government Information Service that informed juridical steps would be taken against media using the images. SBS6 got three days time to avoid a juridical procedure. No steps will be taken if the tv-channel pays 5000 Euros to the Foundation Dutch Friends of SOS Childrens Villages in Amsterdam.

Two people gained illegal access to Windsor Castle mid-afternoon Monday, a man and a woman. They were arrested inside a public area of the castle. No royals were present at the time. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "The man was believed to have posed as a plainclothed police officer to gain access to the public areas" of the castle. It is understood the man walked through a checkpoint with his friend after convincing security that he was a police officer. The man has been charged with impersonating a police officer and obtaining services by deception. It is not clear the woman has been charged. The Home Office said it was too early to know if the incident constituted a security lapse: "At this stage there is nothing to indicate any breach of the secure area of the castle and it is important to continue to allow the police to investigate before jumping to any conclusions." Metropolitan Police force said: "At this stage it is not believed that security was breached".

May 19th
Farah Daghestani, daughter of Princess Basma of Jordan and her first husband Taimour Daghestani, became engaged to Saud Abdul Aziz Suleiman from Saudi Arabia. Present were next to the parents of the engaged couple, Princess Basma's second husband Walid Kurdi as well as King Abdullah of Jordan.

A communique of the Luxemburg Grand Ducal Court said that a medical examination Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte underwent recently doctors have decided to repeat the treatment the Grand Duchess had last year. Her condition has improved.

May 20th
Since today the wedding dress of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is on display at the museum at Amalienborg together with the wedding dresses of Queen Margrethe II, Queen Ingrid and Queen Alexandrine. They will be there until September. On the first day about 800 visitors visit the exhibition.

May 21st
The Danish magazine Billed-Bladet today reported that the wedding bouquet Crown Princess Mary of Denmark threw to her guests was fetched by her great-aunt Margaret Cunningham. She gave the bouquet to Mary's maternal aunt Catherine who left for Scotland on Saturday morning and placed the bouquet on the grave of Mary's mother, Henrietta. Mary's mother was cremated and part of her ashes were buried at her parent's grave in Scotland in 1997.

Mohammed Zaher Shah, former King of Afghanistan, has been hospitalized in the United Arab Emirates for treatment of a troublesome intestinal complaint, a presidential spokesman said. He was accompanied by family members. The spokesman said: "It's the stomach sickness again. I'm not sure about the seriousness."

May 22nd
The Prince of Asturias and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano married in Madrid today.

May 23rd
The Prince and Princess of Asturias have won 12.000 Euros in a lotery it was said today. The lottery ticket was given to them as a wedding present by a retired employee of state television from Barcelona.

May 24th
Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan returned to Japan today after visiting the royal weddings in Denmark and Spain. Before his trip he had drawn attention to his wife's troubles suggesting that unidentified palace forces contributed to her illness. After he left palace officials said they would ask the crown prince to explain himself more fully upon his return. In a statement issued upon his return, the Crown Prince lamented his wife's absence during his travels and thanked others for their support. "It is truly unfortunate the crown princess was unable to accompany me. I am grateful for the encouragement I received from the people I met from various countries and for their inquiries into how Masako was doing. I would be happy if the two of us could make the trip together some day."

At a press conference at Fredensborg Castle in connection to his forthcoming 70th birthday Prince Henrik of Denmark said: "I feel like 70 years old in my body, not in my mind." He feels a kind of shared destiny with his new daughter-in-law Crown Princess Mary because she comes from outside too, but has no intention to advise her. "She sense it all by herself; she is clever, and she is open. One should be carefull about giving advises, and I don't think it's my role to do so - I also believe it is easier for a woman than for a man to come to a new country. The people will be kinder to her." He also told that "My wife and I both think that Frederik has made the absolutely rigth choice - they are a harmonic couple. We never were in doubt that Frederik would take his time in finding a wife, who is suitable for him and his country too - he had no need to rush and he's a smart guy." He told: "My wish for the future is to have a happy family surrounding me and be a good grandfather to my grandchildren. Unfortunately the two grandchildren we do have, Nikolai and Felix, live on the countryside, and therefore we don't see them as often as we would like. But I certainly hope the Crown Prince Couple quickly will have children too. Having their home in Kancellihuset here at Fredensborg, they will just have a few hundred meters over to us." On May 27 the Prince's book about Château de Caïx will be published. The evening before his birthday, June 10, there will be a musical celebration at Tivoli Concert Hall.

The Prince and Princess of Asturias started their honeymoon in Cuenca, east of Madrid. The couple will also visit other Spanish cities of historical importance. The honeymoon will shortly be interrupted as the couple is to attend the wedding of Crown Prince Hamzah of Jordan and Princess Noor in Amman.

Instead of attending the wedding of the Prince of Asturias and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano Queen Beatrix on Saturday attended the wedding of her goddaughter Fiona Shakerley, daughter of Sir Geoffrey Shakerley and Lady Elizabeth Anson of the Earls of Lichfield, to Brocas Burrows at Lichfield Cathedral. Lady Elizabeth Anson's mother was Lady Anne Ferelith Bowes-Lyon, who married secondly Prince George of Denmark.

The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamal Jarrazi has cancelled a planned meeting today with his Spanish colleague as a protest against the presence of former Empress Farah of Iran and her son Reza at the wedding of the Prince of Asturias and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano last Saturday. A spokesman said: "These individuals have no place not only among our people, but among other people around the world and the Spaniards will realize later that the individuals invited are not used as delegates in any such ceremonies.

Yesterday Archduke Otto of Austria was received by Muhidin Hamamdzic, mayor of Sarajevo, during his visit to Sarajevo on the occasion of marking 90 years since the assassination of Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie on June 28, 1914. The mayor told that the memorial monument for the couple will be re-laid at its location. Today the archduke will attend the projection of the film '90 years later'. Remembering his earlier visits to Sarajevo, including the wartime entrances, the archduke emphasized that Sarajevo has proved to be brave in a difficult situation.

May 25th
This morning at 11:45 Princess Annette van Oranje-Nassau, Van Vollenhoven gave birth to her second child via caesarian section at the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis in Amsterdam. The boy weighed 3460 grammes at birth. "He looks wonderful", the baby's father Prince Bernhard said. The baby's full names are Samuel Bernhard Louis van Vollenhoven, but he will be called 'Sam'. He already has an elder sister, Isabella, who was born on May 14, 2002.

The wedding of the Prince of Asturias and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano was watched by about 25 million Spaniards, an absolute record. It was also revealed that from the 1.500.000 flowers (roses, tulips, geraniums) that were especially planted in Madrid for the wedding, surely 300.000 were stolen, including lots of flowers outside Atocha Church. Also wedding flags and clocks were stolen. It also turned out that the 20.000 policemen couldn't guarantee full safety. A pensioned army colonel, Amadeo Martínez Inglés told a radio channel that he managed to get into the Almudena Cathedral without an invitation. He passed six policecontrols by saluting them in uniform, even wearing a gun. Only 40 minutes before the wedding started he was asked to leave church. He said he had laid a bet and wanted to keep his former employer alert.

May 26th
Countess Sonja Bernadotte née Robbert, second wife of Count Sigvard Bernadotte (1907-2002),, died on May 21. She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 12, 1909. She will be buried in Järna/Saltå, Sweden at 14:00 on May 29. She is survived by her son Michael, daughter-in-law Christine and her granddaughter Kajsa.

Princess Marie-Christine of Kent shocked visitors of the Da Silvano restaurant at Sixth Avenue and Houston Street in New York on Monday night. The Princess was seated next to a group of regular visitors of the restaurant. One of the five diners on that table, fashion TV correspondent and p.r. consultant Nicole Young, said "We were loud, laughing and carrying on. But it's Da Silvano - it's a boisterous place." Ten minutes after arrival the Princess suddenly "reached over and just slammed her open palm down on our table - the glasses moved, the table shook," Young recounted. "She said, 'Enough already! You need to quiet down!'" After a few minutes of stunned silence the group ignored the royal and continued their lively dinner - while the princess demanded a new table. But as she left the princess pumped her fist and said, "You need to go back to the colonies!" The five diners believe the rude remarks referred to the heyday of British colonial rule and its efforts to "civilize the natives" in Africa and Asia. Mrs Young went to the princess's tabel and asked, "What did you mean by that, 'back to the colonies?'" The princess answered: "I did not say 'back to the colonies. I said 'you should remember the colonies.' Back in the days of the colonies, there were rules that were very good. You think about it. Just think about it." Afterwards things calmed down, but the five diners are still shocked.

On June 20 Princess Takamado of Japan will visit Prince Edward Island. She is to be honoured by UPEI during a special convocation and will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree. She will also be installed as the International Patron of the L.M. Montgomery Institute.

The Duchess of York became angry during an appearance on Channel 4's Richard And Judy Show. Host Richard Madely after a while turned to the topic of the British royal family, beginning "A couple of quick questions about the Windsors…" the Duchess curtly replied: "I suppose you have to, don't you?". A follow-up query as to whether she is still on speaking terms with the Duke of Edinburgh was answered with a blunt, "Yes". At the question whether she would get back together with her ex-husband, the Duke of York, she replied: "I really thought I was going to come on to this show and you were really honestly going to take Sarah Ferguson as Sarah Ferguson - a single working mother with two girls. I'm very serious about what I do, ok? And don't make a mockery of it, all right?" Mr Madely insisted that his questions had been purely affectionate. His wife and co-presenter Judy Finnigan aded that it was 'normal journalistic curiosity'.

May 27th
Crown Prince Hamzah of Jordan and Princess Noor celebrated their wedding today in Amman.

Archduke Sigismund and Archduchess Elyssa of Austria-Tuscany had their third child today at 14:57 in Livingston, Scotland. The boy is named Maximilian Stefano Sigismund William Bruce Erik Leopold and weighed 3330 grammes. Baby and mother are doing well, but will stay in the hospital for another few days.

May 28th
Former butler Paul Burrell has written a new chapter of his book 'A Royal Duty' that will appear in a paperback version next week. In it he writes that Diana Princess of Wales "was convinced Charles had a roving eye and that while Camilla was his principal mistress, she was not the only one. He could not help wandering." In a letter entrusted to Paul Burrell Princess Diana writes in 1997: "Camilla is nothing but a decoy - so we are all being used by one man in every sense of the word." In his book Mr Burrell also says that Diana claimed Charles made a secret pact with the Duke of Edinburgh to be allowed to ditch her after five years' marriage. Mr Burrell , who does not believe Camilla will ever be Queen, is revealing fresh information about Diana's thoughts on her rival to "correct the balance". In the meantime it became known that Paul Burrell will share a 'night of memories' with a live theatre audience at the Theatre Royal, London - a one-man stage tribute to the Princess of Wales - on June 20. The event is called 'Paul Burrell: In His Own Words'. He will afterwards peform the show for three nights on Broadway, New York. Mr Burrell says: "I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences so the public can hear my own words and then make up its own mind. The stage show is for all those people out there who still adore the princess and remember her as vividly as I do."

In an interview with The Times Mark Bolland, former media adviser of the Prince of Wales, asked if the Prince of Wales would ever marry Camilla Parker-Bowles, said: "I think there was a window within a year or so after the Queen Mother died... when all the indications of opinion were in the right place. I don't think it is like that now. He is cloaked in controversy." He fears the fallout over the Paul Burrell trial has ruined their marital prospects.

The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands have asked the weekly Privé to reveal who offered them the pictures from the Princess's stolen camera they published last week without permission. Privé's Chief-editor is confident about an eventual lawsuit. He says they got the photos from a photo-agency in Buenos Aires and paid for them. To them it is not clear that the pictures are originally from the stolen camera.

Early this morning Prince Bernhard van Oranje-Nassau, Van Vollenhoven gave notice of the birth of his son Sam at the registrar's office Amsterdam Oud-Zuid in Amsterdam. The first photos of the baby together with his father were published two days ago.

Prince Friso van Oranje-Nassau and his wife Princess Mabel are back from honeymoon. Yesterday afternoon they had a reception at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague for for royal staff-members who had been working on their wedding-day in April. Also Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Mrs Florence Wisse Smit were present.

Emperor Karl I of Austria will be beatified at the Vatican on October 3rd.

May 29th
During a chat with the press while walking on Duchy Land in Gloucestershire together with his father, the Prince of Wales, Prince William said being asked about his career plans: "I haven't really ruled anything out but a career in the armed forces would be the best thing at the moment because it would be lovely to recognise all the hard work that the armed forces are doing". He said he would be happy to follow in his father's and grandfather's footsteps by joining the military. It had been reported recently that the prince was pondering working in the agricultural industry after university.

This week it was revealed that Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy and the Duke of Aosta, two pretenders to the Italian throne, ended up in a punch-up on the steps of the palace while leaving the dinner given by the Spanish royal family at El Pardo Palace in the evening of May 21. It was said the Duke of Aosta was twice punched in the mouth and would have fallen to the ground had he not been caught by Queen Anne-Marie of Greece. Afterwards the Duke was helped back inside the palace where his bruised lips were being nursed. The Duke of Aosta said to the Italian newspaper La Stampa that it was 'an unpleasant business that does not deserve further comment'.

May 30th
Princess Vittoria of Savoy was christened today by Monseigneur Giovanni Chelia at the Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi. Her godparents were Ottavio Mazzola and Roberta Fabbri. The baby wore a christening gown, which was already worn by Vittorio Emanuele (III) at his christening on May 31, 1869. Among the guests were Prince Albert of Monaco, Princess Marie Beatrice de Savoy, Prince Serge of Yugoslavia and Princess Mafalda von Hessen. The parents selected Assisi in light of its symbolism of peace. "With this choice they wish a future world without war for their own daughter and all the children of the world," said a spokesperson.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran said that Iran had demanded an explanation from Jordan why former Empress Farah of Iran was invited for the wedding of Crown Prince Hamzah and Princess Noor of Jordan last week. Iran has summoned the Jordanian charge d'affairs to Teheran on Saturday evening and lodged an official complaint. "Jordan must not act like this with the individuals who have no base in Iran. We consider this measure as unacceptable since it has negative effects (on the two countries' ties)", the spokesman added.

Former MI6 officer Richard Tomlinson is to be questioned by Scotland Yard detectives conducting an inquiry into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. In August 1998 Mr Tomlinson claimed to French judge Hervé Stephan that Henri Paul, the driver of the car in which Princess Diana died, had been a paid informant of M16, Great Britain's external intelligence service. He also said to have seen files showing an 'assassination' method which showed similarities to the circumstances of Diana's death. "I have always maintained that investigators need to get hold of Henri Paul's personal file from MI6," Tomlinson said last night. "It would not rule out murder, but if this incident was not an accident, that would be in the file." He said he is not suggesting that there was a conspiracy, merely that the MI6 information should be examined by investigators.

May 31st
Lady Gabriella Windsor today graduated from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Her parents attended the graduation ceremony.


Royal News: April 2004. Last updated: May 9th, 2004.