Last modified: 1 August 2021
1 July
The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex together have unveiled a bronze statue in honour of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace. She would have turned 60 today. Also present were Dianas siblings Earl Spencer, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes. The sculpture was created by Ian Rank-Broadley and shows Diana in her later years surrounded by three children, representing the universality and generational impact of the work of the Princess, who died in 1997. The paving stone is engraved with an extract from the poem “The Measure of a Man”. The Sunken Garden has been redesigned by Pip Morrison. In a joint statement William and Harry said: “Today, on what would have been our Mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better. Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy.”
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has spent four days in Scotland for Holyrood Week. She was accompanied by her grandson the Duke of Cambridge for one day, and by her daughter the Princess Royal for two days. She took up residence and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Apart from several meetings at the palace she visited the AG Barr’s factory in Cumbernauld, Stirling and Glasgow. Also the Earl and Countess of Wessex spent two days in Scotland undertaking engagementss in Forfar, Angus and Edinburgh.
The Princess of Asturias presided over the award ceremony of the Princess of Girona Foundation at the CaixaForum in Barcelona. Leonor was joined by her parents King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain and her sister Infanta Sofia. The awards for both the years 2020 and 2021 were handed out, because the ceremony couldn’t take place last year. Watch the ceremony and Leonor’s speech.
The Belgian biscuit manufacturer and royal purveyor “Delacre” has launched its newest royal biscuit box. The Tea Time-box is decorated with a picture of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and their four children. The box, that costs € 13,99, is filled with sixteen cookie varieties of “Delacre”.
A Jordanian military court has rejected a request to have Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein testify as a witness in a case against former royal employees, that are being accused of destabilizing the monarchy.
Pro-democracy protests in Eswatini have intensified in the last few days. Security forces and demonstrators have clashed, after the latter ones have asked for reforms. It has been denied that King Mswati III has fled the country to South Africa. The King rules by decree and has absolute power. The protests started in May when a student was murdered, probably by the police. Furthermore in June the authorities sasid that any further “petitions” to the king would be refused.
2 July
On the occasion of the 10th wedding anniversary of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène of Monaco the princely court released several short videos via Facebook: video 1 and video 2. There are more to follow.
The late Duke of Savoy and Aosta was buried at Superga Basilica, Turin, Italy, on 1 July. Also his parents and several other family members rest in the basilica. The catafalque for the entombment mass was surmounted by a royal crown and the flag of the Kingdom of Italy. The marble tomb is inscribed with “Amedeo di Savoia, Duca d’Aosta”.
4 July
Lady Louise Windsor has taken part in the Champagne-Laurent-Perrier Meet at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in the grounds of Windsor Castle. She drove the carriage of her late grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh.
5 July
The Duchess of Cambridge had to cancel her engagements to mark the 73rd anniversary of the NHS today. Only her husband could show up, as she had to self-isolate for ten days after having been into contact last week with someone who has later tested positive for Covid-19. She is not showing any symptomes, but is following the government guidelines. She began isolating after having been alerted on Friday afternoon, after her engagement at the tennis tournament of Wimbledon.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark will visit Greenland officially from 24 July to 5 August 2021. On the program thus far are visits to Tasiilaq in East-Greenland, Station Nord, Pituffik and Qaanaaq in North-Greenland, anf also Ilulissat, Nuuk, Qaqortoq and Narsaq in West-Greenland.
Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway finished junior high school this spring at the Oslo Montessori School, that he had visited since 2014. He will continue at the upper secondary school at Elvebakken school in Oslo in the autumn, following the information technology and media production course. The education provides both opportunities for apprenticeships and trade certificates as well as study competence.
6 July
In a short interview with the South African news site “Channel24” Princess Charlène of Monaco has stated: “It’s been a trying time for me. I miss my husband and children dearly. What has been extremely difficult for me was when I was instructed by my medical team that I could not return home for my 10th wedding anniversary. Albert is my rock and strength and without his love and support I would not have been able to get through this painful time.” Her foundation let know that the recovery period after her severe ear, nose and throat infection is long and painful, and that she is not yet able to return home.
7 July
In Canada statues of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria have been torn down in Manitoba on Canada Day, in a protest over the deaths of Indigenous children at residential schools. The statues will be rebuilt, Premier Brian Pallister has confirmed. Queen Victoria had her head removed.
The Agricultureal Fair of Ettelbruck 2021 was opened by Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg, together with their son Prince Charles. The fair will be a combination of face-to-face and online activities.
Tessy Antony-de Nassau and Millli Maier presented the second collection of their fashion label “Human HIghness” in Zurich, Switzerland. Apart from handmade capes, they also presented a selection of silk scarves with butterflies.
A spokesperson has confirmed that Prince Felix of Denmark has a girlfriend, called Karen Bak. They have known each other for some time.
Emperor Naruhito of Japan has received his Covid-19 vaccine at the imperial residence Akasaka. Among the latest royals that have been fully vaccinated are Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has been named “Man of Humanity” by the Pontifical Foundation Gravissimum Educationis. In his name Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyanm bin Mubarak Al Nahyan received the award at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. The Crown Prince was praised for sustained humanitarian and global peace efforts.
8 July
A third video was released by the princely palace of Monaco.
Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah Al Saud of Saudi Arabia is facing a human trafficking inquiry in France. In 2019 several maids escaped his apartment in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just outside Paris, and went to the police because of alleged abuse. They had to work for about 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but were paid only 300 Euros a month. The maids were punished when the children were crying and the children were allowed to spit in the faces of the maids. They also ate the leftovers of the family.
9 July
The media were allowed to follow the Duchess of Brabant this morning during the last military camp of the Royal Military Academy in Lagland. The camp is part of the last phase of the first year of the education. Elisabeth will end her studies at the end of July, after she has paraded in front of her family at the Belgian national day.
Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg, together with their son Prince Charles, in recent weeks have visited nursing homes in Luxembourg to meet elderly people and ensure their well-being. The Covid-19 pandemic has often left them isolated and weaken ed. They also wanted to thank staff for their efforts in taking care of the elderly people throughout the crisis. Prince Charles charmed everyone with his laughs and his interactions with the seniors.
11 July
The Duke of Kent has announced that he steps down as President of the All England Law Tennis and Croquet Club after 54 years. He will be succeeded by the Duchess of Cambridge.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge attended the EURO 2020 final match between Italy and England at the Wembley Stadium in London. They were very disappointed when Italy won.
Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden released a new family photo.
12 July
The State Security Court in Jordan has sentenced assim Awadallah and Sharif “Abdul Rahman Hassan” bin Zaid to 15 years in prison. The military judges decided: “It has been proven that they incited against His Majesty the King and that they orchestrated a criminal scheme to sow sedition. The elements of incrimination were complete and present, and they tried to destabilize Jordan.” Bassem Awadallah in the past served as a top aide to King Abdullah II of Jordan. Sharif Hassan in Zaid is a member of the extended royal family. They had wanted to push Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein forward as an alternative for the King.
In a post on social media the Duke of Cambridge addressed the racism in football and said: “I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match. It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable.”
13 July
The Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports has revealed that a large collection of historical wines and spirits has been found in the old wine cellar during the renovations of the royal estate of Tatoi. The Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni said that the contents are of great scientific and cultural importance.
14 July
Once again the birthday celebrations of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at the island of Öland were scaled down. Traditionally the Swedish Armed Forces fired a salute of 21 shots at noon from several places in the country. In the evening Victoria and other members of the royal family went in a horse-drawn procession from Solliden to the castle of Borgholm for this year’s Victoria Concert. During the concert Victoria handed out the Victoria Prize to speed skater Nils van der Poel.
The annual accounts of the british Royal Collection Trust show that the charity has lost £36 million over the past year, due to the Covid-19-pandemic.
The new residence of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan and their daughter Princess Aiko has been unveiled to the media. They are expected to move in as early as mid-September 2021. Until March 2020 the palace was the residence of Emperor emeritus Akihito and his wife. The former Fukiage Sento Palace on the Imperial Palace grounds has been fully renovated. The two-story building contains private rooms for the imperial couple and their daughter, halls and reception rooms, as well as offices for staff. The imperial couple at the moment lives in the Akasaka Imperial Residence. The renovation costed about 870 million yen ($7.9 million).
Archewell Productions has announced their second Netflix project. “Pearl” will be an animated series about a 12-year-old girl and her adventures. The Duchess of Sussex will be an executive producer, and work together with filmmaker David Furnish.
16 July
At the start of their summer vacation King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane of the Netherlands posed in the garden of the Huis ten Bosch Palace in Den Haag. Photos of Royal Press Europe.
Both Queen Letizia of Spain and the Princess of Asturias has received their first Covid-19 vaccine.
17 July
In the past days King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, as well as King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg paid visits to the flooded areas in their respective countries.
19 July
US-President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed King Abdullah bin Al Hussein and Queen Rania of Jordan, as well as Crown Prince Al Hussein to the White House in Washington.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has visited the Faroe Islands from 15 to 19 July 2021. During the visit, the Queen had the opportunity to experience the Faroese culture, nature and gastronomy in a number of towns and villages. Day 1, day 2, day 3 and day 4.
The Duke of Sussex announced a deal with publishers Penguin Random House. His memoir will appear in 2022. He says in the statement: “I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story – the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned – I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the course of my life so far and excited for people to read a first hand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.” The proceeds will be donated to charity.
20 July
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians attended a ceremony in Verviers, in the province of Liège, on the national day of mourning for the victims of the flood in the east of the country. They spoke with both victims and members of the auxiliary services. Later the speech of King Philippe on the occasion of National Day was released. In his speech the king noted that the floods came on top of the suffering in the coronavirus pandemic.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was forced to cancel her visit to Greenland that was supposed to take place from 24 July to 5 August 2021. The island was hit by several outbreaks of Covid-19 recently and the Premier of Greenland therefore requested a postponement of the visit.
The Instagram account of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge now has 13 million followers.
21 July
The National Day celebrations in Belgium were scaled down due to Covid-19 and last week’s floods in the east of the country. The concert on the evening before the National Day was cancelled and also the military parade was shorter than planned. In the morning King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians and their children the Duchess of Brabant (Elisabeth), Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore attended the Te Deum at the cathedral of Brussels in the morning. Princess Astrid, Prince Lorenz and Prince Laurent attended Te Deums in other parts of the country. In the afternoon the military parade was held in front of the Royal Palace in Brussels. For the first time Princess Delphine and her husband James O’Hare were invited for the event. As student of the Royal Military Academy Elisabeth took part in the military parade instead of watching. Photos of the Te Deum and the military parade.
Prince Laurent of Belgium has denied rumours in the Belgian media that he and his wife Princess Claire have separated and are no longer living together.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, who has resigned as an IOC-member, has been granted honorary membership of the International Olympic Comitee.
Among the people mentioned in the Pegasus project data were Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed of Dubai and Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan. It is claimed Dubai used the technology of the NSO Group to monitor members of the family of the Emir of Dubai. The company is said to have terminated its contract with Dubai within the last year.
The Crown Princely couple of Japan has received their first Covid-19 vaccine.
22 July
The Norwegian royal family remembered the terrorist attacks in the country on 22 July 2011. On that day there was a bomb at the Government Office Complex and an attack on Utøya island, causing the deaths of 77 people. In the morning there was a wreath-laying at the memorial site for victims at the Government Office Complex. Taking part were Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, whose stepbrother was killed on Utøya. King Harald V and Queen Sonja attended a memorial service in Oslo Cathedral. Crown Prince Haakon attended a memorial service in Hole Church. Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Ingrid Alexandra travelled to Utøya to attend a memorial event. In his speech Haakon said: “As we mark this 10th anniversary, I hope it can help us to find the right words, the right language, to help us move forward.” During the memorial event at the Oslo Spektrum Arena in the evening King Harald V said: “It is my hope that we can help each other incorporate the learning from 22 July into everything we do, everything that we are, every single day”. Also attending were Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their children Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Kensington Palace released a new photo of Prince George of Cambridge upon his 8th birthday.
For the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic in March 2020 a Changing of the Guard ceremony was performed at Windsor Castle.
Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala of Tonga has graduated with a Master of Diplomacy from the Australian National University in Canberra. This is his second master’s degree.
Queen Sofia of Spain has arrived on the island of Mallorca for her annual Summer vacation.
23 July
Emperor Naruhito of Japan formally opened the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020 in an opening ceremony attended by only 950 spectators. Among the ones attending were several royal IOC-members including Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein of Jordan and Princess Nora of Liechtenstein. The Princess Royal decided not to travel to Tokyo and attended the IOC-session online. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was going to travel, but instead had to quarantine in Denmark, because he had been in contact with somebody with Covid-19. He also attended online.
The Swedish royal family for the first time in many months have gathered at the island of Öland where they posed for a family photo.
Tessy Antony-de Nassau married Frank Floessel at the registry office in Küsnacht, canton of Zurich, Switzerland. She was previously married to Prince Louis of Luxembourg.
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has started her annual summer break at Balmoral, Scotland. Likely several family members will join her for a while.
24 July
The activities, festivities and ceremonies planned on the occasion of the 22nd Anniversary of the accession of King Mohammed VI of Morocco have once again been postponed, presumably due to Covid-19.
Lady Kitty Spencer, the eldest daughter of Earl Spencer, has married her fiancé Michael Lewis at the Villa Aldobrandini in Rome, Italy.
25 July
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain travelled to Santiago de Compostela with their daughters Leonor and Sofia to preside over the National Offering to the Apostle Santiago, Patron Saint of Spain.
In an interview with CNN King Abdullah II of Jordan spke about his recent US visit, his vision on regional matters, prominent national issues and the steadfastness of his country amidst challenges.
26 July
The expert panel on the succession to the Japanese imperial throne of Japan has resumed discussions. They have to ensure there is a certain number of family members and the succession to the throne is stable. Currently there are only three males in line of succession: Crown Prince Fumihito (Akishino; aged 55), his son Prince Hisahito of Akishino (aged 14) and Prince Hitachi (who is 85). There are two proposals:
1. Female members of the imperial family are to remain members of the family after marrying commoners.
2. The adoption of male descendants of former members in the male line of the succession.
Corinna Larsen has sued her former lover King Juan Carlos of Spain at the High Court of Justice in London already in December 2020. The civil suit she filed against him was only made available by the High Court on Monday. She requests he is no longer allowed to contact, follow or defame her, nor come within a distance of 150 metres of her. She blames Juan Carlos for the “covert and overt surveillance” carried out by officers of the Spanish intelligence service CNI. She also asks for compensation for damages.
In an interview with newspapers of the Sudpresse Group Prince Laurent of Belgium has said that he had mixed feelings about attending this year’s Belgian national day, while many thousands of Belgians suffer after the floods in the country. He said: “It would have been better for me to have spent a day or two (helping) out in the field”. He praised the fire fighters, the Red Cross, soldiers and volunteers helping the victims.
28 July
The grandmother of Queen Letizia of Spain, María del Carmen Álvarez del Valle (Menchu) died on 27 July 2021 at her house in Sardeú, Ribadesella, Asturia, Spain. She was buried in a private and small ceremony on 28 July 2021 at the cemetery of El Carmen in Sardeú, next to her late husband José Luis Ortíz Velasco and her daughter Cristina. Apart from the two surviving children and the surviving sister of the deceased, only a limited amount of guests attended. Queen Letizia, her sister Telma Ortiz, and their children were not present.
30 July
Princess Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant, has completed her education at the Royal Military School in Belgium. The students finished the academic year with a three-day initiation course at the Training Center for Commandos in Marche-les-Dames.
After having finished his three-year law study at Fordham University School of Law in New York State in May 2021 the fiancé of Princess Mako of Akishino, Kei Komuro, reportedly plans to stay in New York. He took a bar exam in New York State this week and has a prospect of working at a law firm in the area.