Blog
Golden wedding anniversary for Spanish King and Queen
King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain celebrate their golden wedding anniversary today. Although – celebrate? Maybe that’s not the correct word to use right now. In any case, the couple got married exactly 50 years ago, on 14 May 1962.
The Renaissance of Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy
Guest blog by Carolyn Harris, owner of the Royal Historian blog
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will be visiting Canada to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee from May 20-23, 2012. Their visit coincides with the Victoria Day long weekend, which honours a monarch significant for both the longevity of her reign and her influence over Canadian history. Queen Victoria is the only other monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee, presiding over a parade and thanksgiving service in London, England, in 1897.
Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume engaged
Cry and weep, marriageable women all over the world who had hoped to catch Europe’s last royal bachelor heir, for he is finally getting hitched. Yesterday morning a Belgian newspaper already reported it, and the Luxembourg Prime Minister confirmed it later that day at a press conference. Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg is engaged to the Belgian Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy.
Japan’s “Princess Problem”
Conservatives Panic at the Prospect of Female-Headed Imperial Family Branches
Last Tuesday, the third of a series of expert hearings took place, concerning the issue of whether Japanese princesses should be allowed in the future to keep their titles and create new family branches when they marry. (Currently, the Imperial House Law stipulates that female members who marry commoners must abandon their imperial status.)
The Queen Mum
The Queen Mother was such a well-known member of the royal family for so much of her daughter’s reign that it’s hard to believe it’s already the tenth anniversary of her death. It seems only yesterday that she was appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony or at a royal engagement, dressed in pale blue with one of her enormous hats, and happily occupying the limelight.
Death of King George Tupou V of Tonga
King George Tupou V of Tonga died today in a hospital in Hong Kong after a short illness. He was reported to have been in intensive care for the last 10 days. The cause of death was not specified, but the king had been suffering from cancer and had undergone renal surgery last year. He was 63 years old.
The “Beau Sancy” – A diamond with a royal history
On Tuesday 28 February 2012, the famous auction house Sotheby’s announced it will auction one of the world’s most famous gems: the “Beau Sancy”, a 35-carat pear-shaped diamond once worn by Maria de’Medici at her coronation in 1610.
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.