ROYAL NEWS: MAY 1999

Last updated: June 2nd, 1999

May 3rd
King Abdallah of Jordan gave his first TV-interview on CNN. It mostly was about politics.

May 4th
Queen Beatrix, Prince Claus and Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands commemorated the death of World War II on the Dam Square in Amsterdam.

May 5th
Liberation Day in the Netherlands. Prince Bernhard went to Wageningen for the commemoration of the German surrendering in 1945. In the evening Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus attended a classical open-air concert in Amsterdam in the rain.

The emir of Kuwait has dissolved the parliament and called for elections. The motive was the vote of no confidence against the minister for Islamite Affairs, who was reproached a mistake in a new issue of the Koran.

Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on claims that Sophie Rhys-Jones, the fiancée of Prince Edward, is under armed police protection. She allegedly arrived for work yesterday escorted by a police bodyguard. Reason should be that Sophie looks like killed BBC-presentator Jill Dando.

May 7th
Prince Carl Alexander von Hohenzollern seems to have recorded a song for Kosovo.

May 9th
Prince Edward of Great Britain and his fiancée Sophie Rhys-Jones seem to have a big list of presents they hope to get for their wedding, all very expensive. It is said Edward wants the title Duke of Cambridge as a present from his mother (then she should have the cheapest present of all guests).

Prince Rainier III of Monaco celebrates that he reigns his country since May 9th, 1949 - so that is 50 years now. First there was a mess in the cathedral of Monte Carlo where the Prince was accompanied by all his children and his sister Antoinette. Then there was an official lunch, followed by a big reception on the palace square, where Prince Rainier III told everyone he didn't think of abdicating at all, so Albert have to wait a little longer. In the evening there was a huge party in the harbour with fire works.

May 10th
King Abdallah of Jordan arrived for a two-day visit in Germany. He will amongst others meet president Roman Herzog and chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

King Albert II of Belgium and his wife Queen Paola started a three-day state visit to Poland. They were welcomed by president Kwasniewski in the capital Warschaw.

After June 1st Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy is going to live together with his girlfriend Natascha Andress (Boston, USA, December 24th, 1968), niece of ex-Bondgirl Ursula Andress. They will share an apartment in Geneva, Switzerland. There relationship started in November 1997.

May 11th
In their magazine the Consumer's Association criticized 21 British tourist attractions. On the list: Buckingham Palace (the rooms felt sterile and didn't tell the visitors any story about the House), Windsor Castle (the state apartment's tour failed to bring the rooms to life) and the London Tower (boring queues). I have never visited those places, so I can't judge.

The House of Lords is to try to agree a compromise deal that should settle the immediate future of hereditary peers. The government had originally wanted to remove all of them from the Upper House in one go. But after fierce opposition, a plan has been put forward to allow 90 of them to stay on temporarily until ministers reveal how they intend to replace them. The amendment will be debated during the committee stage of the Bill.

May 12th
King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium ended their visit to Poland with a visit to Wroclaw's university where they met Polish students who study the Dutch language.

May 13th
Queen Noor of Jordan made her first trip to another country since her husband King Hussein died in February. She visited a peace-conference in the Congress Centre in The Hague, the Netherlands. She arrived on May 12th and first had dinner with Queen Beatrix. At the conference she spoke to some people, including children, and led some meetings. In an interview on Dutch television she told that she and her family want to continue the important work of the late King Hussein. She also told she sometimes has the feeling she and the children haven't had time yet to cope with his death.

German television broadcasted a new number of the series on German noble houses. This time Bavaria was the subject. They followed Duke Franz (modern art and charity work for Romania), his brother Max Emanuel (beer brewery, nice film on his family), Prince Leopold (racing, his friends the royal family of Sweden, his family -including light-autistic daughter Pilar), and Prince Luitpold (beer brewery, knight-feast.

May 14th
In Antwerp, Belgium, Philippe Duke of Brabant, opened the biggest exhibition ever on painter Antonie van Dijck, in the Museum voor Schone Kunsten. The painter was born in Antwerpen 400 years ago.

Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (almost 89) had an operation in the Academic Hospital of Utrecht to widen his trachea.

May 17th
Some genealogical stuff: Princess Urraca of Bourbon-Sicilies died in Sigmaringen, Germany, on May 3rd, Archduchess Maria Ludowika of Austria-Tuscany died in Vienna on April 17th, and Archduke Friedrich Salvator of Austria-Tuscany died on March 26th.

A friend claims that 24-year old Tom Parker Bowles, son of Camilla (the girlfriend of the Prince of Wales, and his godfather) takes cocaine from time to time. It is said (and later denied) that the Prince of Wales has phoned Tom and gave him a severe scolding. He should have told him: "You've been a bloody fool. Pull yourself together." The Prince of Wales is also said to have had a frank talk to his own sons William and Harry. William and Tom are good friends.

May 19th
In Dürres, Albania, Philippe Duke of Brabant (Belgium) opened the first Belgian Red Cross refugees camp for refugees from Kosovo.

May 20th
The hour-long wedding service of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones on June 19th, will be broadcasted live on BBC, Buckingham Palace has announced. Further about 8000 people are allowed to enter the grounds of Windsor Castle to cheer the bride & groom and their guests.

After a few months work the restoration of the in 1843 heavily damaged tomb of Emperor Charles the Great (747-814) has been successfully finished art the Museum für Spätantike und Byzantinische Kunst in Berlin, Germany. Originally the Emperor was buried at the Pfalzkapelle in Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany. From 23 July the marble tomb will be shown as one of the showpieces at the exhibition '799 - Kunst und Kultur der Karolingerzeit' in Paderborn.

There are still 40.000 tickets for sale for a visit to the grave (not the island were she really was buried) of Princess Diana at Althorpe House. It will open again in six weeks. The tickets of about $15 are including a visit to the Diana Museum.

Matthias Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen and his wife Christiane baptized their daughter Victoria in the church of Rüdenhausen, Germany.

May 22nd
Georg Prince of Liechtenstein, son of hereditary prince Alois and his wife Sophie, was baptized on May 13th. His godfather was his uncle Prince Constantin.

Today the wedding of Ferdinand Archduke of Austria and Countess Katharina of Hardenberg took place in Potsdam, Germany.

May 23rd
Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands left the hospital of Utrecht after his successful operation.

May 24th
Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein opened the eight European Olympic Games of Small States, which are held in Liechtenstein from 24 to 29 May. Also present were Prince Albert of Monaco, and the hereditary couple of Luxembourg, Henri and Maria Teresa.

May 26th
King Abdallah of Jordan paid a visit to the Palestinian city of Gaza and had a meeting with Palestine president Yasser Arafat.

Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales are to attend the formal opening of the Welsh Assembly. After a morning service at Cardiff's Cathedral they will travel by open carriages to the Cardiff Bay site. The formal opening ceremony will be relayed live to crowds outside and at certain venues throughout the capital. The day's events will conclude with a star-studded open-air concert.

May 28th
In the park of Ludwigslust Castle, Mecklenburg, Germany, the tea pavilion (18th century baroque) has been restored, and the Lügenbrücke (bridge) that leads to a small island has been rebuilt. Further restorations are following.

May 29th
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her husband Prince Claus made a visit to Weimar, Germany, the European cultural capital of 1999. They visited the Goethe House, made a tour through the city and met students of the musical gymnasium. Striking was the visit to Belvedere Castle where they saw the vexed exhibition 'Aufstieg und Fall der Moderne' on Nazi-art from the private collection of Adolf Hitler, and of art of the former German Democratic Republic.

Archduchess Astrid of Austria-Este, Princess of Belgium, opened the 9th AIDS Memorial Day in Antwerpen, Belgium.

May 30th
King Fahd of Saudi-Arabia underwent an eye-operation last Thursday and left the hospital in Riyaad one or two days later. The day after his release he was admitted in the hospital again.


Royal News: April 1999. Last updated: May 7th, 1999.