Royal News October 2022

Last modified: 10 November 2022

1 October

Thus far the British royal family has received more than 50.000 messages of condolence following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September.

A poll commissioned by the pro-republican association “Republiek” shows that only 51 percent of the Dutch think The Netherlands should remain a monarchy. The poll was conducted in the days after Prinsjesdag, the yearly opening of parliament and Budget Day.

3 October

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has released a statement after the strong reactions of the Danes and abroad to her decision about the future of the use of titles by the children of her youngest son Prince Joachim. She admits that as a mother and grandmother she has underestimated the feelings of her son and his family, and says that she is sorry about that.

King Harald V of Norway has opened the Norwegian Parliament today and read the speech from the throne. As usual he was accompanied by Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon.

The Imperial Household Agency has said that Emperor Naruhito of Japan is to undergo a prostate examination early November through magnetic resonance imaging analysis. During recent prostatic specific antigen tests some concerns were raised. His father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito suffered of prostate cancer in 2003.

A lawsuit, filed at a US court by Hatice Cengiz, fiancée of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and a human rights group, seeks to take Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to court for allegedly ordering Saudi agents to kill Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey in 2018. The Crown Prince’s lawyers however have told the court today that the Crown Prince has immunity, because he was appointed as prime minister of his country last week. The Crown Prince has acknowledge that the murder took place “under my watch”, but denies ordering the killing. The US Department of Justice has to decide whether the Crown Prince enjoys immunity.

4 October

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark opened the Danish parliamentary year. Also Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary and Princess Benedikte attended.

On the occasion of World Animal Day the Dutch royal family published photos of two of their dogs, Nala and Luna, as well as of the Princess of Orange with her horse Mojito on their social media accounts.

5 October

At Christiansborg Palace Queen Margrethe II of Denmark opened the exhibition “På de bonede gulve” (On the hard floors – Experience the royal parties and ceremonies).

On her Instagram Princess Madeleine of Sweden has presented the newest addition to her family: the 3-year-old Havanese dog Oreo. The family has adopted him from a shelter in Miami. They already had a dog called Teddy.

Victoria Federica de Marichalar, daughter of Infanta Elena of Spain attended the presentation of the Hoss Intropia Autumn/Winter 2022 Collection at the Fundación Fernando de Castro in Madrid. She has been appointed one of the fashion label’s ambassadors for the collection.

King Abdullah II, Queen Rania and Crown Prince Al Hussein of Jordan have paid a two-day visit to Oman, where the King held talks with Sultan Haitham about the bilateral relations between the two countries. The King and Queen, the Sultan and his wife, and the two heirs to the throne today visited the National Museum of Oman and the House of Musical Arts at the Royal Opera House in Muscat.

6 October

On 5 and 6 October King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians have paid a working visit to the Rhineland-Palatine region in Germany. They started their two-day tour in Mainz, where they visited the biotechnology company BioNTech and the Gutenberg Museum. In Ludwigshafen they visited the chemical company BASF. They ended the first day at the wine estate Von Winning in Deidesheim. They made a Rhine cruise from Sankt Goar to Boppard on the second day and visited the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz.

For the third successive year the General State Budget for the Spanish royal family has been frozen. Like in the past two years they will receive just over 8,43 million euros in 2023.

Sarah, Duchess of York, has told the newspaper “The Times” at the Henley Literary Festival that she has used her imagination to escape things in life. Her newest novel “A Most Intriguing Lady” was written while she and her family were dealing with stress of the sex abuse lawsuit against her former husband The Duke of York. She presented her former mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II with a copy of her novel in French before her death.

Princess Benedikte of Denmark opened the permanent exhibition “Flora Danica” at the Koldinghus in Kolding, Denmark.

7 October

At the invitation of King Willem-Alexander the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, will pay a state visit to the Netherlands from Wednesday 9 to Friday 11 November 2022.

9 October

The House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz has released a photo album with photos taken by the official photographer Ines Jung at the wedding of Hereditary Prince (Duke) Alexander and Hande Macit on 17 September in Neustrelitz. Watch out for the lady in a red suit (not the singer) … that’s me. I fear I appear on the photos far too often.

10 October

The Dutch royal family will celebrate King’s Day on 27 April 2023 in the city of Rotterdam in the Province of South-Holland. It will be the 10th anniversary of King Willem-Alexander on the Dutch throne.

The program for the state visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Greece from 31 October to 2 November 2022 has been released.

Albert Solà, the alleged son of King Juan Carlos of Spain and a woman from Barcelona called Maria, collapsed in a bar in his home town of La Bisbal d’Emporda on Saturday evening and died. He was 66 years old.

11 October

It was officially announced that the coronation of King Charles III is to take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at the Westminster Abbey in London. The service will be conducted by Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury. Queen Camilla will be crowned alongside her husband. Further details will be announced in due course.

Flora Vesterberg, granddaughter of Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy, has been appointed Co-Chair of the Art History Link-Up, a charity offering opportunities to study art history for students from diverse backgrounds.

In Denmark the 300th anniversary of Fredensborg Castle was celebrated. The castle was inaugurated on the birthday of its resident King Frederik IV. The name Fredensborg refers to 1720 when the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden made peace after many years of war and disputes. Queen Margrethe II and Princess Benedikte attended a cantata called “Slotsdysten” in the church of the castle.

In a new video, shared with the British tv-channel BBC, Zeynab Javadli, the ex-wife of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai, whom she was married to from 2015 and 2019, has plead for help. She says she is being harassed by authorities. She said: “Please help me. My children and I are terrified and frightened for our lives and safety”. Her husband and she are involved in a custody battle. He argues she is an unfit mother of the couple’s three daughters. Zeynab Javadli is originally from Azerbaijan, but has remained in Dubai since her divorce, as she fears she won’t be able to enter the country anymore.

12 October

The Spanish royal family celebrated the National Day of their country. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as well as their youngest daughter Infanta Sofia, attended the military parade. The royal couple afterwards received over 2,000 guests at the Royal Palace in Madrid. The Princess of Asturias, who is studying in Wales, didn’t attend.

King Charles III has received The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia and his wife, The Raja Permaisuri Agong at Buckingham Palace in London. The Malaysian royal couple is in London from 10 to 16 October for a special visit. They will among others present at the opening of the Battersea Power Station, a joint venture between between Sime Darby Property, SP Setia Berhad, the Employees Provident Fund and Permodalan Nasional Berhad, and Malaysia’s iconic project in London.

On 26 October at 8pm BST King Charles III will appear in the BBC One-program “The Repair Shop” as part of the celebrations for the BBC’s centenary celebrations. He has received the host Jay Blades and his team at Dumfries House before his accession to the throne. The team of experts of the program will be given a piece of pottery made for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and an 18th century clock to be restored.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court a man has admitted trespassing at the Royal Mews in London on 18 and 22 December 2021. The judge, Annabel Pilling, during the sitting said that the man has a fixation on gaining entry to the grounds of Buckingham Palace, and called the offence a serious one. His lawyer said that the man suffered a psychotic episode at the time. He was bailed until his sentencing on 9 November.

Infanta Margarita of Spain and her husband Carlos Zurita celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary today. Their daughter Maria Zurita posted a photo of her parents with her son Carlos on her Instagram.

13 October

At the invitation of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands have paid a three-day state visit to Sweden. The first two days were spent in Stockholm, while today they went to Gothenburg (Göteborg). The state visit affirms the good relationship between Sweden and the Netherlands, which goes back to the 17th century. The main theme of the visit was innovation and green energy. On the first day the Dutch royal couple also visited the Vasa Museum, where the bell of the frigate Princess Sophia Albertina, which ran aground off the Dutch coast in 1781, was formally returned to Sweden.
The program and photos
State visit from the Netherlands
Photos by Royal Portraits from 11 October
Photos by Royal Portraits from 12 October
Photos by Royal Portraits from 13 October
A video by the Swedish Press Agency

Shockingly reports about security concerns of the Princess of Orange are true. Her mother, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, at the end of the state visit to Sweden told the press that Amalia hasn’t moved out of Palace Huis ten Bosch. She can’t live in Amsterdam right now and also can’t really go outside and enjoy her student life. She only is able to go to university. The situation is very difficult for Amalia. See my request.

In the New Church in Amsterdam Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands has opened the exhibition “The Century of Juliana”. The exhibition is being organized on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1909-2004).

King Philippe, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, Prince Emmanuel, Princess Eléonore and King Albert II have attended the opening of the academic year 2022/2023 of the Royal Military Academy in Brussels. Prince Gabriel was appointed the guide (leader) of his group. He therefore held a tiny speech, saying: “My colleagues and I are aware of the discipline and efforts that the Royal Military Academy will require from us.”

Upon the 6th death anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand his son and heir King Vajiralongkorn and his wife Queen Suthida have unveiled a statue of the late King at the new Chalerm Phrakiat Park in Bangkok. The forest park will serve as a reminder of contributions to forest and water resource management by the late King and Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother. The public park is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

On his 55th birthday The Duke of Aosta has presented his family’s own website.

14 October

The joint chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces and author Tracy Borman has said at the Sandon Literature Festival in Staffordshire that King Charles III is backing a DNA investigation of the alleged bones of the so-called “Princes in the Tower”, Prince Edward and his brother Prince Richard. The bones of in total four children were found in the Tower of London in the 17th century and in the grounds of Windsor Castle in the 18th century. Their uncle Richard III declared his nephews illegitimate heirs and locked them in the Tower in 1483. They were supposedly murdered at his request later on. The bodies were later on interred in royal crypts, and thus researchers need permission from the monarch to carry out tests. The late Queen Elizabeth II was not in favour of the investigation.

Faye Minter, the senior archaeological officer for Suffolk County Council has told “Live Science” that archaeologists have found a large hall, used for feasting by Anglo-Saxon monarchs and their warriors around 1.400 years ago, in the royal compound near Rendlesham, Suffolk, England. Excavations at the site have taken place since 2008.

Leah Isadora Behn, the second daughter of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, has been invited for the debutante ball in Paris, France. The ball will take place at the Shangri-La Hotel on 26 November.

15 October

Queen Sonja of Norway is paying a visit to Minnesota, USA, at the moment, where many Norwegian emigrants live.

Prince Christian of Denmark celebrated his 17th birthday in private. One photo was released.

Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar of Sweden are picking apples at Öland.

Madeleine Johansen has married Ole Aleksander Karlsen at Asker Church today. She is a granddaughter of Princess Astrid of Norway.

On Friday evening Margarita, The Custodian of the Romanian Crown and Prince Radu, together with Princess Sophie, started the train journey from Cluj to Alba Iulia on the occasion of the Centenary of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie’s Coronation. Upon arrival in Alba Iulia a military ceremony took place at the station. At the Coronation Cathedral in the city they unveiled a marble plaque commemorating the centenary of the Coronation. Inside a service was being held. Furthermore a military parade took place, with soldiers wearing 100-year-old uniforms. At the Unirii Hall in Alba Iulia, the presentation of the royal volumes Coronation of Alba Iulia and King Ferdinand and Queen Marie took place. Afterwards, in the Citadel Square, the Custodian of the Crown and the President of Alba County Council unveiled the marble statue of Queen Marie. In the meantime Nicolae and Alina-Maria of Romania attended a commemoration service in Curtea de Arges.

16 October

The about 1,000 Paddington Bears that were left with floral tributes to Queen Elizabeth II last month will be donated to the children’s charity Barnardo’s, of which Queen Camilla is the patron.

The German weekly magazine Der Spiegel has announced that it will publish an article on the Liechtensteinischen Fürstenbank LGT, owned by the princely family of Liechtenstein, and other Liechtenstein banks. The article will refer to the business relationships with an opaque company between 2008-2018. The bank is said to have provided the company, residing in Barbados, with an account. The company was involved in a suspected case of corruption with a Venezuelan state-owned company in 2016.

Arthur Smyth, a former resident of the Kincora children’s home in Belfast, has accused the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma of abusing him in the 1970s. The Earl died in 1979. The man has started a civil action against several state bodies accusing them of alleged negligence and breach of duty of care. The summons is to be issued in the High Court in Belfast on Tuesday. The home closed in October 1980 after a sex abuse scandal. At the time the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry found that 39 boys were abused at the home. In 1981 three men were jailed for abusing 11 boys.

Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Italy, Duke of Savoy, has sent a letter to his cousin the Duke of Aosta to advocate family unity. He also argues that King Umberto II considered him his heir.

17 October

Post Luxembourg unveiled a new post stamp upon the 10th wedding anniversary of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg.

18 October

Musto ambassador Zara Tindall is the face of Musto’s Autumn Winter 2022 Marina Collection. A video.

19 October

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain ended their three-day state visit to Germany. They arrived on Sunday evening, and on that day already attended a meeting with the Spanish community in Germany. On Monday they were officially received at the Bellevue Palace by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender. The couple on Tuesday travelled to Frankfurt am Main for the opening of the Book Fair 2022.
State visit by Casa Real
See Christin’s report

As the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development Queen Máxima of the Netherlands paid a three-day visit to Tansania from 17 to 19 October. See photos.

© Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue

The Maison du Grand-Duc released new photos of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg upon their 10th wedding anniversary. In interviews with several Luxembourgish media like the magazine Télécran and the TV-channel RTL the couple talked their wedding day and the ten years that have passed since. They especially remember the many children that were outside for the civil wedding and the applause outside the church the next day. Stéphanie says that at first she wanted to know her new country and its language better, before starting having children. Their life has changed completely since the birth of Prince Charles in May 2020. They reveal he is pretty musical. The couple likes it to work together and speak about their experiences.

Maud Angelica Behn, the eldest daughter of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway on 18 October attended her first exhibition “Lykke” at the cultural centre in Ås. She was accompanied by her mother with her fiancé Durek Verrett.

20 October

Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan celebrated her 88th birthday today. The Imperial Household Agency has said that she liked to walk in the garden and to read books. She is also growing balloon plants.
This year’s birthday photos

21 October

According to sources the husband of former Princess Mako of Akishino, Kei Komuro, has passed the New York State bar exam in his third attempt. It means that now he can work as a lawyer.

Grand Duke George of Russia and his wife Princess Victoria Romanovna have become the parents of a son, His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Georgievich Romanov. He was born today at 10.32am in Moscow, Russia, and weighs 2,7 kg.

33 Spanish noble titles handed out during the regime of general Francisco Franco 1948-1978 have been abolished officially today after a vote in the Spanish Senate and publication in the Boletín Oficial del Estado. Five titles were conferred by King Juan Carlos after Franco’s death. Also the Imperial Order of the Yoke and Arrows was formally abolished. The most known titles on the list are Duke of Primo de Rivera and Duke of Franco.

22 October

Princess Geraldine of Albania celebrated her second birthday. On the occasion new photos were released.

The religious wedding of Prince Joachim Murat and Yasminie Briki took place today at the cathédrale Saint-Louis in Paris. Afterwards they celebrated at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris. Among the many guests were Crown Prince Leka of the Albanians, Prince Mohammed Ali and Princess Noal Zaher of Egypt, Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon and many others.
Histoires Royales about the wedding
Report at The Royal Watcher

24 October

Several people affiliated with the environmental coalition “Just Stop Oil” have thrown a cake over the waxwork statue of King Charles III of the United Kingdom at Madame Tussauds in London. Four activists were arrested. This way they wanted to call for an end to the new oil and gas agreements. The display of the British royal family was temporarily closed afterwards.

25 October

The Norwegian Princess Ingrid Alexandra has visited the Brigade Nord of the Norwegian army at Setermoen, Indre Troms. On 20 October she already visited the Norwegian Navy’s main and logistics base in the north of the country. Both visits were a present of the army on the occasion of Ingrid Alexandra’s 18th birthday.
Photos at Kongehuset.no

26 October

During their three-day state visit to Lithuania, that ended today, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, visited Vilnius, Pabradé and Kaunas, 2022 European Capital of Culture. Several times during the visit Mathildes Lithuanian roots via the Sapieha family were highlighted. The Belgians showed their solidarity with Lithuania, that is closely watching the aggression of Russia in Ukraine, and in Pabradé Philippe visited a Belgian military detachment, part of the Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group of the NATO. Queen Mathilde met with Ukrainian refugees.

The slates on the roofs and the dome of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, will be restored in 2023. Also the statues on the front and back of the palace will be restored. The work will not affect visits to the palace.

Princess Victoria Romanovna and her newborn son Prince Alexander have left the Central Clinical Hospital of the Administrative directorate of the President of the Russian Federation in Moscow where he was born. See the first photos. The Romanoff Family Association, presided by Princess Olga Andreevna Romanoff and Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanoff (both not being dynasts themselves), have issued a statement sending their “best wishes to the newborn Prince of Prussia (Grand Duke Georg’s father is Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia) who, being a descendant of the tsars of Russia by female and unequal lineage, cannot rightfully be considered a member of the Russian Impierla Family according to the Fundamental Laws of the Russian Empire and the Statutes of the Russian Imperial Family”.

Earl and Countess Spencer have announced a new web series and newsletter called “Spencer 1508”, that will give insight in the history of the family beyond Diana, Princess of Wales. The Althorp Estate was purchased by John Spencer in 1508. Videos will be released weekly through free newsletters and on YouTube.

27 October

Penguin Random House has announced that the memoir of the Duke of Sussex, called “Spare”, will be published in 16 languages on 10 January 2023. There will also be an e-book. For more information see here.

The New Year greeting event of the Japanese imperial family on 2 January 2023 will likely be open to the general public again for the first time in three years.

28 October

For the fourth time Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, handed out the Princess of Asturias Awards in Oviedo, Spain. As usual she was accompanied by her parents King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain and her sister Infanta Sofia, as well as her grandmother Queen Sofia.
Leonor’s speech
Felipe’s speech

Mike Tindall, the son-in-law of the Princess Royal, has become the first royal to take part in the tv show “I’m A Celibrity … Get Me Out Of Here!”. He landed in Australia today, where the show is recorded.

29 October

At the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has given King Misuzulu KaZwelitihini his certificate of recognition, meaning he formally acknowledged him as the new Zulu King. The event was attended by thousands of the King’s subjects. Ramaphosa said: ““This marks a new reign for the Zulu king, a new official leader and King for the Zulu. As President of the republic, I am here to hand over the certificate of recognition to His Majesty, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini. I do so to fulfil my duty under our Constitution, which affirms the role of our kings and queens.” There were songs, chants and dances as well as speakers. Present was also King Mswati III of Swaziland, who said that the accession will bring hope and assurance for the Zulu people. The South African Prime Minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi said to hope that the royal family will now show unity in supporting the 9th Zulu King.

31 October

At Copenhagen’s City Hall Queen Margrethe II of Denmark attended the presentation of the yearly “Julemærke” (Christmas stamps).

Princess Sofia of Sweden has read the children’s book “Viktors nya tröja” (Viktor’s new shirt) by Camilla Gunnarsson at “Barnradion” (children’s radio). The program was broadcasted today at the radio channel P4.

Also the royals are celebrating Halloween, like Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco (see here) and Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her family (see here).

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