Archive February 2012
Prince Friso suffers from massive brain damage
Today, 24 February 2012, Prince Friso’s doctors called a press conference at the Landeskrankenhaus in Innsbruck, Austria, to give more information about his diagnosis and prognosis. They didn’t have good news, however. Prince Friso suffered massive brain damage and is unlikely to ever recover.
New Princess for Sweden
Crown Princess Victoria gave birth to a daughter early this morning. She was taken to Karolinska University Hospital shortly after midnight, accompanied by Prince Daniel. Although the birth was not expected until next month, and the Princess was still carrying out engagements on Tuesday, Palace spokesman Bertil Ternert said that everything was going normally and that there were no problems.
Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau in hospital after ski accident
Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, second son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, has been buried by an avalanche in Austria. The Prince was found after some 15 to 20 minutes, resuscitated at the scene and then taken to the university hospital in Innsbruck. His condition is critical but stable.
Monuments to Royal Love
Royal marriages in the past have tended to be arranged for dynastic or financial advantage. The feelings of the individuals for each other were considered pretty irrelevant, and indeed royal history is full of stories of mismatches, with indifferent or hostile spouses and extramarital affairs ranging from the decorous to the disastrous. However, there have also been some supremely happy marriages where dynastic convenience went hand in hand with true love. When a beloved spouse died, some grieving monarchs commemorated their loved ones with fabulous buildings and monuments. This Valentine’s Day blog takes a look at some of these.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
In the early morning of 6 February 1952 George VI died in his sleep at the age of only 56 after several years of poor health, and his elder daughter Elizabeth, in Kenya en route to Australia and New Zealand, became queen. She had to abandon the Commonwealth tour that had just started and return home to Britain to face a lifetime of duty and service to her country. Today marks the 60th anniversary of her accession.