Death
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.
Death of the Earl of Harewood
George Henry Hubert Lascelles, seventh Earl of Harewood, died on 11 July 2011 at the age of 88. He was the eldest grandchild of George V and Queen Mary, and a first cousin of Elizabeth II. His parents were Henry Lascelles, the sixth Earl, and Mary, Princess Royal, daughter of George V. At his birth, he was sixth in line to the throne (at the time of his death, he had dropped to 46th).
Death of Archduke Otto
Otto, Archduke and Imperial Prince of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, the last Crown Prince of the immense Austro-Hungarian Empire before its fall, died on 4 July 2011. He peacefully passed away at his residence, Villa Austria, in Pöcking (Bavaria), surrounded by his seven children; he was 98 years old.
Diana Conspiracy Theories
This year marked one of the biggest occasions in British history in over 30 years. Prince William announced back in November of 2010 that he would marry his long time girlfriend Catherine Middleton. For the royal family this secured the line of succession and signaled the beginning of 6 months of endless media coverage. But with this engagement, the media dug up the memory of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and dragged the question of her death back into the spotlight.
Death of Princess Antoinette of Monaco
Princess Antoinette of Monaco, elder sister of Prince Rainier and aunt of Prince Albert II, died overnight on 18 March 2011 at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco, aged 90. She celebrated her 90th birthday with a party in January although her birthday was the previous month. It was reported that she had been having various health problems recently, although the cause of death was not disclosed.
Death of Sheikh Saqr al Qasimi of Ras al Khaimah
Sheikh Saqr al Qasimi, the ruler of Ras al Khaimah, one of the smaller states making up the United Arab Emirates, died earlier today, 27 October, after being ill for several months. He was in his early 90s and had been ruler since 1948, making him the world’s oldest ruler and the second longest reigning monarch after King Bhumibol of Thailand, who has reigned since 1946. His death means that Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who became queen in February 1952, is now the world’s second longest reigning monarch.
A Friend Remembers Diana
I remember hearing the news as if it was yesterday. Despite the fact that it was a Saturday night, I was sitting in my apartment in the District when the phone rang. Anytime the phone rings at a late hour you know something is wrong. Because really is there any good news coming on the other end of the phone line after 11 pm? The first words out of her mouth only supported that belief. “Did you hear about Diana,” she asked. “She’s been in a car accident and it isn’t looking good.” I spent the early Sunday morning glued to CNN and MSNBC for updates and then came news that she didn’t make it….. Diana was dead. And just like that, I lost a dear friend.
Reflections on Diana and the Media
Thirteen years after her death, Diana still finds her place on numerous newspaper and tabloid covers around the world. After the 10th anniversary of the night when she lost her life in a car crash caused by an inebriated driver trying to avoid the paparazzi, one might have thought she would finally be granted the right to be left alone.
Although this is more or less the case for the general public, who will probably only gather in small groups this year, it seems that bizarre new stories are still emerging, to the delight of the press.
Queen Astrid – 75th Anniversary of her Death
Today, 29 August 2010, King Albert II of Belgium will not be found anywhere near Laeken, ready to pour oil on the turbulent political sea, all day long. The 76-year old King is in Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland, to visit the place where his beloved mother, Queen Astrid, died in a car accident, 75 years ago. Like King Albert in Küssnacht, we, at the Royal Universe, want to take a moment to commemorate the life and death of this beautiful Snow Princess.