Royal News May 2021

Last modified: 13 June 2021

1 May

A poll conducted by Kyodo News in March and April shows that about 80 percent of the respondents would accept both a reigning empress and an emperor descending from a female member of the imperial family. The survey also showed 67 percent were opposed to the idea of reinstating male patrilineal descendants of the now-abolished collateral branches of the imperial family who abandoned their status in 1947.

2 May

On the occasion of her 6th birthday a new photo of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge was released.

4 May

Prince Henrik of Denmark celebrated his 12th birthday. A new photo was released.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark officially went aboard the Royal Danish Ship Dannebrog at noon. On 13 June she will take part in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the reunification of Denmark and Southern Jutland, that was cancelled in 2020 because of Covid-19. Also Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian will participate. Mid July the Queen plans to visit the Faroe Islands, and late July and early August she will travel to Greenland. On 30 August she will visit Thisted, on 31 August Esbjerg and on 1 September Fanø, Denmark.

On 8 June the first children’s book of the Duchess of Sussex, “The Bench”, will be published by Penguin Random House. The story is about the special bond between father and son, as seen through a mother’s eyes. The illustrations are by Christian Robinson.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands were present at the annual National Remembrance of the Dead on the Dam Square.

On the occasion of her 50th birthday on 17 May the German tv-channel ZDF showed the new documentary “Mensch, Máxima! Krone, Kinder und Karriere”.

5 May

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have opened their own YouTube-channel.

The Duchess of Sussex has won the remainder of her copyright claim against the newspaper Mail on Sunday. The publisher, Associated newspapers Limited, had argued that her former communications secretary Jason Knauf was the co-author of the letter of the Duchess to her estranged father, that was published by the newspaper. Therefore the copyright holder was supposedly the Crown. The High Court in London however heard that Jason Knauf has denied he co-wrote the letter. He and Prince Harry however had read a draft before the letter was sent. The court judged that the Duchess is the sole copyright holder of the letter.

Prince Emanuel of Liechtenstein has been accused of killing the largest bear in Romania, called Arthur, in March 2021. He allegedly paid 7,000 Euro to be able to kill a bear, with permission of the Romanian Ministry of the Environment. He however only had permission to hunt a smaller bear that was causing trouble in the village of Ojdula. Brown bears are protected species by international and Romanian laws, and can only be hunted in Romania with a special permission. The case is being investigated.

The Bicentenary of the death of Emperor Napoleon I was commemorated at Les Invalides in Paris. The ceremony was attended by Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon, head of the family, his wife Princess Olympia, his parents, the Count and Countess of Paris, as well as President Emmanuel Macron of France and his wife Brigitte. A short interview in French with Jean-Christophe. The family earlier this week launched their official website, Facebook and Instagram.

6 May

On the occasion of the second birthday of their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have requested people to sign an open letter for COVID-19 vaccine equity, and donate to make vaccines available for the poor.

Only 25 guests will attend the confirmation of Prince Christian of Denmark on 15 May. There will not be any foreign guests, which means that his uncle and aunt Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, as well as his maternal grandparents John and Susan Donaldson, and Australian family members are not able to attend.

7 May

The photo book “Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation In 2020” was published today. On Thursday the Duchess of Cambridge already spoke online with five-year-old Mila Sneddon, who is undergoing chemotherapy for leukaemia. Mila is one of the finalists of the Hold Still 2020 competition, a photographic lockdown project led by Catherine. Together with a panel of judges she selected 100 images for the Hold Still digital exhibition, which was launched in May 2020 with the National Portrait Gallery. Catherine promised Mila she would war pink when they finally would meet in person. On Friday Catherine also has hidden several copies of the new book in the park near the Kensington Palace.

© Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie and their son Prince Charles attended the planting of a cherry tree in Oetrange in honour of little Charles, who will turn one years old on Monday. The Grand Ducal Court has released several new pictures on the occasion of his first birthday.

The Zulu Queen was buried this morning. on Friday night there was a public reading of the will of the late Queen and it was announced that she has bequeathed the monarchy to her first son, Prince Misuzulu Zulu. Soon the meeting at the KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace turned into chaos. Right after he was chosen Prince Thokozani Zulu, stood up and questioned his recognition as the heir. Also two of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini’s daughters have disputed the authenticity of the will. The King died in March 2021 and had requested his wife to be appointed as the regent until a successor was chosen.

8 May

Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan of Morocco celebrated his 18th birthday and has come of age.

The health of the former Queen Komal of Nepal has improved, her doctors have said on 4 May. Today it was announced that she had been moved from the ICU to a cabin. The Queen, her husband former King Gyanendra Shah and their daughter Princess Prerana Shah had been admitted to Norvic International Hospital on 20 April after testing positive for Covid-19. Especially the Queen had respiratory complications and needed plasma therapy and oxygen. They had tested positive after a visit to the Kumbha Mela festival in Haridwar, India.

Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love will make its debut on Sunday 9 May at 9pm at BBC One.

9 May

Prince Michael of Kent has been accused of using his royal status for personal profit and provide access to Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, and his government. During a meeting reporters, who were undercover, were told by the Marquess of Reading that he could be hired to make representations to the Kremlin. Prince Michael himself has denied all accusations and said he doesn’t have a special relationship with the president and hasn’t been in touch with him for almost 18 years.

10 May

New poststamps were released in Luxembourg upon the first birthday of Prince Charles.

11 May

Queen Elizabeth II has attended the State Opening of Parliament in London. The event was scaled down because of Covid-19. Her full speech. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended also and were seated on smaller chairs on the side. The consort’s throne that normally is next to the one of the Queen has been removed.

12 May

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, her husband King Willem-Alexander, their daughters Amalia, Alexia and Ariane, and Princess Beatrix visited the show “Koningin Máxima, een leven vol muziek” (Queen Máxima, a life full of music) at the Royal Theatre Carré in Amsterdam.

13 May

In the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd the Duke of Sussex said his life as a royal was a “mixture between The Truman Show and being in a zoo”. He also said: “When it comes to parenting, if I’ve experienced some form of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffering that perhaps my father or my parents had suffered.” He says he doesn’t want to blame anyone, but that he wants to break the circle and change it for his children. He also said in his early twenties he already knew he didn’t want the royal job.

The University of Southampton is publishing online previously unavailable papers from the Broadlands Archives collection.

15 May

Photo & Copyright: Kongehuset/Franne Voigt

The confirmation of Prince Christian of Denmark took place in the palace church of Fredensborg. A video and some photos.

The King and Queen of Tonga have received their first Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at the Vaiola Hospital in Tongatapu.

17 May

In her 50th birthday television interview Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has spoken about her work, her life and family.

The Norwegians celebrated their Constitution Day. The crown princely family started the day by watching the children’s parade from the driveway of the Skaugum Estate in Asker. Afterwards they took a drive around Asker and surprisingly visited a care center, a condominium complex and a school. At 11.30am the whole family appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Oslo greeting representatives of three schools at the palace square, where there was also music and dance, as well as some speeches. At noon the national anthem was sung. Then the family went on a driving tour through the streets of Oslo and they visited several districts. They concluded the day on board of the Royal Yacht Norge and waved to the people outside. Unfortunately the weather was quite rainy.

Museums in England and Wales can reopen their doors as off today. Scottish museums were already able to reopen from 26 April.

Netflix has announced their plans for a spinoff series of the popular series “Bridgerton” about Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. They have started filming the secons season of “Bridgerton“, and have announced that there will be a season three and four.

19 May

Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby in autumn of this year. The Queen has been informed and both families are delighted with the news.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Northern Ireland on 18 and 19 May.

20 May

Queen Máxima visited the rehearsals for the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with a group of school children. Nikkie de Jager, one of the hosts of the show interviewed the Queen about music.

The Duke of Cambridge let know that he received his first Covid-19 jab on 18 May. On the same day Princess Mabel of the Netherlands received her second jab. Also Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark received the first vaccine on 18 May.

The BBC has published the results of the independent investigation of Lord Dyson into the Panorama Interview of journalist Martin Bashir with Diana Princess of Wales in 1995. BBC has apologised and said “it is clear that the process for securing the interview fell far short of what audiences have a right to expect.” Both of Dianas sons have given a statement. The Duke of Cambridge said among others: “These failings, identified by investigative journalists, not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down too.” The Duke of Sussex went one step further and said: “Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let’s remember who she was and what she stood for.”

In the new AppleTV+ docuseries “The Me You Can’t See” the Duke of Sussex he says he is certain his mother Princess Diana would have been proud of the man Harry is today. He also told: “Family members have said just play the game and your life will be easier. But I have a hell of a lot of my mum in me.” He has also admitted in the past he had panic attacks and severe anxiety, and has used alcohol and drugs to mask his emotions.

Princess Charlène of Monaco thanked on Instagram for not forgetting about our rhinos. She is visiting the African continent as part of a wildlife conservation mission, including rhino conservation work.

Princess Benedikte of Denmark revealed a new official portrait of herself at the National Museum of History in Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød on the occasion of the new exhibition “Det Kontrapunktiske Portræt”.

Seven Swedish royal palaces will finally be able to open their doors again in June. Because of Covid-19 the amount of people that can visit will still be limited. Buying tickets in advance is recommended.

The Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, and his wife Sheikha Sheikha bint Saeed have become the parents of twins. The boy is called Rashid, the girl Sheikha.

21 May

After a visit to a vaccination centre in Schaerbeek, Brussels, the Belgian royal court has confirmed that King Philippe of the Belgians has been vaccinated (not during the visit itself).

22 May

Frederick Prinz von Preussen and Mathilda Johnson, Fritzi and Tilly, married, presumably in England.

Prince Marc von Croÿ married Delia de Cossé Brissac at Brissac Castle, Brissac-Quincé (Maine-et-Loire), France. The civil marriage already took place quietly in Dülmen, Germany, on 19 December 2020. He is the second son of the Duke von Croÿ. She is a daughter of the Marquis de Cossé Brissac. Among the guests were the Duke and Duchess of Bragança, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg, Prince Louis of Luxembourg and his fiancée Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue. There was a report in Point de Vue.

The youngest son of the Duke of Alba, Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, Count of Osorno, and Belén Corsini de Lacalle married in the gardens of the Palacio de Liria. The ceremony was officiated by Ignacio Sánchez-Dalp, parish priest and family friend. The bride wore a design by Navascués.

23 May

Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar of Sweden send their best wishes on the occasion of Pentecost. The pictures were taken at Haga.

24 May

In a burglary at Arundel Castle, the home of the Dukes of Norfolk, on Friday thiefs stole gold rosary beads that were carried by Mary Queen of Scots to her execution in 1587. In total historic treasures worth more than £1 million have been stolen. The items also included coronation cups Queen Mary gave to the Earl Marshal.

25 May

King Abdullah II, Queen Rania, Crown Prince Al Hussein and several other members of the royal family of Jordan attended the ceremony to mark the 75th Independence Day at the Raghadan Palace.

26 May

The Norwegian royal court has confirmed that Crown Princess Mette-Marit has already received her Covid-19 vaccine. Because of her lung illness she is part of the risk group. The government has furthermore decided to issue eleven vaccines to the royal court, including one for Crown Prince Haakon, who more and more often represents his father King Harald V, who is getting older.

Laurence des Cars, of the ducal family, has been chosen as the next leader of the Louvre Museum in Paris by Emmanuel Macron, President of France. She will begin her job on 1 September 2021. She is currently leading the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.

27 May

The Duke of Cambridge visited Scotland from 21 to 27 May as part of his role as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The Duchess of Cambridge joined him from 24 to 27 May. They visisted Edinburgh, Fife, St Andrews and Orkney. Highlights were the visit to St Andrews, where the couple met during their studies at university, and the meeting of the Duchess with Mila Sneddon, a five-year-old girl who is battling leukemia and took part in the Hold Still photography project of the Duchess. As promised the Duchess wore pink.

28 May

The confirmation of the Princess of Asturias took place today at the Nuestra Señora de Aravaca church in Madrid. The intimate event was attended by her parents King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and her sister Infanta Sofia. Due to Covid-19 the amount of people that could attend was limited. Also classmates were confirmed.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden sent his sincere thanks to all the people who congratulated him with his 75th birthday on 30 April. He received a large number of cards and digital greetings.

Tessy Antony-de Nassau showed an ultrasound image of her baby on Instagram. She is due in Summer.

Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este finished his master studies business administration at the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He followed the graduation ceremony together with his parents Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz, as well as his grandparents King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians, at the home of his parents in Laeken.

Dutch museums are allowed to open their doors again as off 5 June 2021.

29 May

The Duchess of Cambridge received her first Covid-19 vaccine at the Science Museum in London on Friday.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands took part in the Dutch volunteer days event “NL Doet”. They were helping out at the Cultural Centre De Paulus in Oegstgeest on Friday. On Saturday Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands volunteered at the Thomas House in Maartensdijk.

The daughter of Fernando Fitz-James Stuart Duque de Huescar and his wife Sofia Palazuelo, born on 8 September 2020, was christened at the Parroquia de San Román in Sevilla. The baby’s full christening names were revealed as Rosario Matilde Sofía Cayetana Dolores Teresa Fitz-James Stuart Palazuelo. Her godparents are Blanca Barrera-Cuadra and Beltrán Palazuelo.

30 May

King Felipe VI of Spain has received his first Covid-19 vaccine at the Wizink Center in Madrid on Saturday, shortly after taking part in the Spanish Armed Forces Day celebrations.

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