Happy 24th Birthday, Princess Eugenie of York!

Princess Eugenie with her sister Princess Beatrice during the Trooping
the Colour 2013

Today is Princess Eugenie of York's 24th birthday. Unlike her high-profile elder sister, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie enjoys less publicity. She is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and of Sarah, Duchess of York. The Princess was born in 1990 and was christened Eugenie Victoria Helena.

The Princess has been taking limited public roles to give way to her university studies, although she usually present in various ceremonial and family events. She entered Newcastle University in 2009, where she studied Combined Honours BA, completing her studies in 2012. In 2013, together with Princess Beatrice, she embarked on a tour in Germany, where she had the chance to represent her grandmother The Queen  at the reopening of the former Hanoverian royal palace, the Schloss Herrenhausen.

Remembering the Wedding of Princess Louise and Marquess of Lorne

The wedding of Princess Louise and Marquess of Lorne.
Image: gogmsite.net

On this day in 1871, Princess Louise, Queen Victoria's third daughter and sixth child, married John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne. Princess Louise was born in 1848, while the Marquess of Lorne in 1845.

They were engaged in 1870 to the sorrow of Queen Victoria for the "thought of losing her" daughter, and to the surprise of her family. However, Queen Victoria, in a letter to her in-law, Queen Augusta of Prussia, she said that poor German princelings were highly unpopular in Britain. Lord Lorne, meanwhile, is the heir not just to his father's title, but also to his vast estates, making him "really no lower in rank than minor German Royalty."

Meanwhile, the Britons thought it was time that one of their princesses marry a local. In 1878, Lord Lorne was appointed Governor-General of Canada and so the couple sailed for Ottawa, where they proved to be very popular among the Canadians.

In 1900, Lorne succeeded as the 9th Duke of Argyll. While their marriage had their shares of ups and downs,  Louise took care of her husband during his illness on the last of his life. He died in 1914. Louise survived her until her own death in 1939. Until then, she remained an active member of the royal family and supported various causes and charities.

The Queen's Commonwealth Day Message

Commonwealth Day in London. Image: FlickR

Here is Her Majesty's message delivered during the Commonwealth Day, March 10, 2014:

In July this year, the opening of the 20th Commonwealth Games will be marked by the arrival in Glasgow of the baton that started its journey from Buckingham Palace five months ago.

Many of us are following closely the news of the baton relay as it passes through the 70 countries and territories whose teams will gather for the Games. The images bring vividly to life what we mean by the Commonwealth family: it is wonderful to see the warmth, shared endeavour and goodwill as the baton is passed through the hands of many thousands of people.

Affinities of history and inheritance from the past are strong, yet we are bound together by a sense that the Commonwealth is a powerful influence of good for the future. People of all ages from different cultures are weaving an ever-growing network of links which connect us in our diversity and our common purpose. It is this unity that is expressed in this year's theme: 'Team Commonwealth'.

While national teams will be concentrating on the competition in August, Team Commonwealth will have a longer focus, working together to achieve a more enduring success.

Experiences of life differ widely throughout the Commonwealth, and we each make contributions from sometimes very different viewpoints. But we are committed to the same goals. Together we offer each other encouragement and draw strength from this mutual support.

The understanding that we belong together, and are able, through teamwork, to achieve far more than we could do alone, has always been at the heart of our approach. For all of us this is now captured in the Commonwealth Charter which sets out the values and principles which guide and motivate us.

This year, more children and young people are participating in Commonwealth Day celebrations. Advances in technology enable us to reach a greater number of young people in schools, on-line using the 'Commonwealth Class' initiative, and through events in local communities where the Commonwealth flag is being raised.

I am delighted that in this, the year of 'Team Commonwealth', we will be working to build a brighter, united future in which every one of us can play a part and share in its rewards.

  Source: British Royal Family's Official website

Clarence House’s Communication Team merges with Buckingham Palace’s; Prince Charles ready to wield greater power over Royal Family

Prince Charles. Image: Getty Images

Prince Charles takes a step further towards kingship as his 10-man communications team, which takes care of his public image, will merge with that of Buckingham Palace’s.

It is expected that one of the Prince’s top man will soon take the helm of the entire Royal family’s PR. This is the first time since the reign of King George VI that only one team runs the monarchy's press relations.

This also means more power for the Prince of Wales and a profound message to everyone that Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh are starting to transfer their mounting workload to the younger generations. More of this from Telegraph online.

Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, gives birth to a baby girl

Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips during their wedding.

It's a girl for Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter, Zara Phillips. The baby was born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital today weighing 7lbs 12oz. Here's the official announcement from Buckingham Palace:

Mrs Michael Tindall today safely delivered a baby girl at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Mr Tindall was present at the birth. The weight of the baby was 7lbs 12oz.

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips and Mike’s parents, Mr Phillip and Mrs Linda Tindall, have been informed and are delighted with the news.

The baby’s name will be confirmed in due course.

This baby is the first child for Zara and Mike, the third grandchild for The Princess Royal and the fourth great-grandchild for The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, and is 16th line to the Throne.

Image: The British Monarchy (Facebook)

Lovely Portrait of Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria by Charles Brocky, 1841.

Here's the young and lovely Queen Victoria, painted by Charles Brocky.

10 Interesting Facts about Princess Michael of Kent

Princess Michael of Kent. Image: Daily Mail

Today, Princess Michael of Kent celebrates her 69thbirthday. She endures the reputation of being one of the most colorful and controversial figures of the British Royal Family. As we celebrate her 69th year, let’s take a look at the 10 interesting facts that make Princess Michael a larger-than-life figure. 

1. Princess Michael is married to Prince Michael of Kent, the youngest son of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece. 

2. Michael is not her name. It's Marie-Christine. In Great Britain, wives of the nobility and members of the royal family take the feminine form of their husband's title. Since her husband does not hold a title of nobility, like her brother in law the Duke of Kent, Marie-Christine, therefore, is styled HRH Princess Michael of Kent, the feminine form of her husband’s name. 

3. Princess Michael stands 6 ft tall, making her the tallest member of the British Royal Family, excluding male members, of course. 

4. Princess Michael has authored four books: Crowned in a Far Country, Cupid and the King, The Serpent and The Moon: two rivals for the love of a Renaissance king, and The Queen Of Four Kingdoms.

5. Princess Michael was born Baroness Marie Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida.

6. Princess Michael hails from an illustrious background of Bohemian (Czech) and Hungarian nobility. Her father was Baron Günther Hubertus von Reibnitz a cavalry officer of the German Empire during the First World War. Her mother was Countess Maria Anna Carolina Franziska Walpurga Bernadette Szapáry, a member of the Hungarian nobility. From her mother’s side, she is the grand-daughter of Princess Hedwig von Windisch-Graetz. Her maternal grandfather, Count Friedrich Szapáry von Muraszombath, Széchysziget und Szapár, was a diplomat, who served as the ambassador of Austria-Hungary in Saint Petersburg at the start of World War I.

7. Princess Michael is a working royal. She is an author, a lecturer, an art connoisseur at Galerie Gmurzynska in Switzerland, and runs her own interior design company.

8. Princess Michael's first husband was the English banker Thomas Troubridge, the younger brother of Sir Peter Troubridge, 6th Baronet.

9. Princess Michael was the first divorcee, after Wallis Simpson, to marry into the royal family. However, given Prince Michael's distance from the throne, their marriage did not cause much uproar.

10. Princess claims descent from Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henry II of France,  his wife Catherine de' Medici, and also from Peter Paul Rubens, the famous painter.

In Picture: Princess Maud of Wales's Wedding

The wedding portrait of Prince Charles of Denmark and Princess Maud of Wales.

On July 22, 1896, Princess Maud of Wales, youngest daughter of future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, married her cousin, Prince Charles of Denmark (later King Haakon VII of Norway) at the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace. Image: Royal Families (Facebook)

Watch BBC's The Diamond Queen Episode 3

In the last of three programmes, Andrew Marr looks at the defining moments of HM the Queen's reign, beginning with her accession to the throne in 1952 and her Coronation sixteen months later.

He examines how she has coped with decades of changing and sometimes tense relations with the media, looks backwards and forwards at royal Jubilees and charts her trip to Australia to look at what some see as her most enduring achievement, the Commonwealth.

And, for the first time, all of the Queen's adult grandchildren have their say about 'The Diamond Queen'.

Producer: Sally Norris
Presenter: Andrew Marr
Director: Sally Norris
Executive Producer: Nick Vaughan-Barratt

Watch BBC's The Diamond Queen Episode 2

In the second of three programmes, he assesses her moves to modernise the monarchy, from the abolition of the presentation of debutantes in 1958 to the very modern wedding of William and Catherine last year. Princes William and Harry are on hand to talk about their grandmother's influence on the wedding day, from the guest list to the choice of uniforms. Andrew also looks back at the challenges faced by the monarchy in the 'annus horribilis' of 1992, follows the Queen on her groundbreaking visit to the Republic of Ireland last May, and looks back on the happy times she spent on the Royal Yacht Britannia and the sadness she so visibly exhibited when it was decommissioned in 1997. Peter and Zara Phillips talk about family holidays on the yacht and Tony Blair speaks of the difficult decision he took to scrap it when he came to power in 1997.

Producer: Sally Norris
Presenter: Andrew Marr
Director: Sally Norris
Executive Producer: Nick Vaughan-Barratt

Watch BBC's The Diamond Queen Episode 1

Andrew Marr looks at the life and reign of HM Queen Elizabeth II in this three-part series, which includes special interviews with Princes William and Harry, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, the Earl of Wessex, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, David Cameron, Tony Blair, Sir John Major and President Obama. In this first episode, with remarkable archive footage, Marr tells the childhood story of the young girl who never expected to reign. He looks closely at the influence of her grandfather, father and mother and the impact of the abdication, and hears from the Queen's grandchildren about what it must have been like to become queen at the age of 25. Marr examines exactly what the Queen's role as head of state actually entails, and follows her to the Middle East and the USA to assess the global impact of the royal family on British trade and international relations.

Producer: Sally Norris
Presenter: Andrew Marr Director: Sally Norris
Executive Producer: Nick Vaughan-Barratt

Royal History: Queen Alexandra Dies

Queen Alexandra

From The Morning Leader, November 21, 1925

Queen Alexandra is Dead.

The whole empire will be saddened by the death of the Queen Mother, Alexandra. News of her serious illness on Thursday came as a shock, and the suddenness of her passing adds to the grief that will be felt, for while it had been known that she was in failing health, her death at this time had not been looked for.

Queen Alexandra was loved and revered wherever British people are. Widowed by the death of King Edward VII, one of the most popular monarchs that Britain and the Empire have had, British subjects everywhere had felt towards her an even deeper affection and reverence that she had enjoyed before.

Furthermore, her truly queenly qualities, her largeness of heart, her sympathetic outlook, and her friendly interest in all that might contribute to human happiness, she had endeared herself in, exceptional degree to British hearts throughout the world.   The British royal family will have much sympathy in their personal loss. The King has lost his mother, and the whole empire will share his grief.

Queen Alexandra was born Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia on Dec. 1, 1844. Her father was  Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. Her mother was Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Princess Alexandra's family was rather obscure and impoverished. Due to the succession crisis that ensued on the accession of King Frederick VII of Denmark, Christian and his family were propelled into the limelight. With the backing of the Great Powers, Christian was declared heir to the throne and, eventually, ruled as King Christian IX in 1863.

In 1862, Princess Alexandra was engaged to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, eldest son of Queen Victoria of England. She arrived in London on March 7, 1863 and her singularly beauty and charm immediately won her the affection of the English people. Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wrote an ode in Alexandra's honour, A Welcome to Alexandra. Their marriage was celebrated March 10 at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

Throughout her tenure as Princess of Wales (she was the longest-serving Princess of Wales), Alexandra was exceedingly popular, thanks to her selfless devotion to charities and her quiet dignity despite her husbands misgivings and extramarital affairs. A fashion icon, her style of dress was copied by the fashion-conscious of her days. She even popularized the wearing choker necklaces and high necklines, which was a fad for over 50 years.

Cressida Bonas spends Saturday at Sandringham

Cressida Bonas. Image: Telegraph online

Cressida Bonas has inched her way closer to the royal circle as Telegraph revealed that Prince Harry's 24-year-old darling has spent last Saturday with with him and friends at Sandringham.

While the Queen and Prince Philip was not not around, Miss Bonas' presence is considered by many as a sign that her relationship with the prince has become more important.

This was the first time that Miss Bonas was invited to Sandringham. In fact, one royal insider commented that spending a "weekend at Sandringham" served as her "rite of passage" as a future member of "The Firm." Furthermore, the source can claim that "Cressida has been given the Royal seal of approval."

Rumors have it that the prince might seek her hand for marriage. Palace officials are already getting ready for that to make sure that she becomes familiar and ready for all the work expected of her a royal princess (by marriage).

Prince Charles admits smoking at 11

While chatting with respiratory nurses in one of the events that the heir to the throne had hosted at Clarence House, Prince Charles "admitted that he puffed a few cigarettes behind a chicken coop," reports Telegraph online.

Good for him he'd realized too quit sooner than later!

Harry breaks toe but Pole trek to continue

Prince Harry

Prince Harry may have broken his toe after a minor accident, but his South Pole trip will go on, announced Kensington Palace. According to Express.com, the Prince is not "not thought to be in any great pain but is likely to be taking things easy while the fracture heals."

The Prince is set to join a group of injured British servicemen against the U.S. and other Commonwealth countries on a trip to the South Pole organized by the charity Walking with the Wounded.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: "He's fractured his toe but the South Pole trip is very much on.

Prince George of Cambridge's Baptism

The baptism of Prince George of Cambridge evoked a sense that the British Monarchy is here to stay. The last time a British sovereign was photographed with three future kings was in 1894, when Queen Victoria was photographed holding her great-grandson, Prince David (future Edward VIII), together with her son, Albert, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and her grandson, Prince George, Duke of York (later King George V). The same scene has been captured in the official portrait during christening of Prince George of Cambridge. Queen Elizabeth II posed with her heir, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, her grandson, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and her great-grandson Prince George of Cambridge. Image: Jason Bell/Camera Press

The British Royal Family during the baptism of Prince George of Cambridge.

The British Royal Family is joined by the Middletons for the official portrait.
 

The Family Portrait: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and baby
Prince George

Four generations of royals: Queen Elizabeth II,
Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George.

Royal News: King Alexander of Greece still very ill from monkey bite; Arthur of Connaught to succeed as king?

King Alexander of Greece. Image: Wikimedia

October 14 - A cable from Athens for the New York Times reveals that the condition of King Alexander has gone critical caused by an infection following the bite of a monkey, October 2.

Dr. Vidal, a noted French physician arrived in Athens to join the doctors who have been treating the royal patient. Dr. Vidal examined the King during the evening and afterwards revealed that the king's condition is already critical.

Meanwhile, a special cable from Paris can reveal that Prince Arthur of Connaught may be the next king of Greece in the event of King Alexander's death.

The French foreign office has learned that "pourparlers" have begun in Athens for the selection of Prince Arthur instead of Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma, whom the Qual d'Orsay favors.

However, Prime Minster Eieutherios Venezelus remains the biggest hindrance as he made it known that he prefers a republican Greece with he as president. The Allies, nevertheless, are adamant of permitting neither former King Constantine  nor Crown Prince George from succeeding the throne. They were forced to vacate the throne due to their pro-German sentiments during the great War.

Queen Elizabeth II launches Commonwealth Games baton relay

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during the Commonwealth Games
Baton Relay. Image: Reuters @Scottish Express

 

Queen Elizabeth II has officially launched the Commonwealth Games relay with a secret message placed inside the baton. According to the Telegraph, the queen's message was written while she was on holiday at Balmoral.

The baton will tour the Commonwealth nations and will be unveiled to athletes when it arrives in Glasgow next year for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, reports MailOnline. Sir Chris Hoy brough the ceremonial object to Buckingham Palace. After tucking the message in, the queen handed the baton over as it embarks on a 120,000-journey beginning with India.

Scottish Express noted that the event was the first time that the queen and Prince Philip appeared  "on joint public duty... together for the first time since Philip’s recovery from surgery."

Royal History: The Issue with the Royal Family

In 1992, the British Royal Family was stormed by one crisis after another, as such, Queen Elizabeth II aptly called that year “annus horribilis.” Suzanne Cassidy in The Arts, The Royalty Issue (1991) succinctly wrote about the issue of the Royal Family (adapted from The Americana Annual, Grolier Incorporated, c1992).

The British Royal Family. Image: MyDaily.co.uk

During her visit to the United States in May 1991, Queen Elizabeth II was received enthusiastically nearly everywhere she went. It must have been a relief, for trouble and dissent has been brewing at home. In Britain, loyalty to “queen and country” remained strong, but it was no longer an unquestioned loyalty and indeed it was a matter of some contention that it ever had been.

During the 1991 Gulf War, the right-of-center Sunday Times lambasted some members of the royal family for not doing enough for the war effort; this was so small slight, for the queen is officially head ot the armed services. Some of the family members, railed the newspaper, “paraded a mixture of upper-class decadence and insensitivity which disgusts the public and demeans the monarchy.”

The Tax Issue

In February a poll conducted by Numbers Market Research for the Independent found that 79 percent of those polled believed that the queen should pay tax. In June author Phillip Hall revealed that contents of his new book, which asserted that contrary to the widely held belief that the monarch never has paid taxed, both Queen Victoria and Edward VII paid income tax; total exception was not secured until the reign of King George VI, the current Queen’s father. Hall’s assertions fueld an already raging debate about the queen’s untaxed private income, which one modest estimate put at about L20 mn (about $34 mn) per year. (The total private wealth of the Windsors, on which no income tax is paid, had been estimated at $10.73 bn by Fortune magazine).
Noting that the Japanese emperor and the Swedish monarch paid tax, Liberal Democratic Parliamentarian Simon Hughes pressed for a bill that would abolish the queen’s tax free status. Speaking on television, Lord St. John of Fawsley, former Conservative leader of the House of Commons and a devoted royalist, admitted that the queen’s tax-exempt status was “not totally accepted in the modern world,” and “may be modified at some time in the future.”

The Overview

Just as troubling, perhaps, were the results of a Gallup pole for the Daily Telegraph newspaper in July that found that 22 pc of those questioned said that Britain did not need a royal family; of that percentage, 36 pc was under the age of 25. The same poll showed that 51 pc of those questioned believed that the royal family did not provide “a good example of family life”; in other words, the royals were failing in one of their prime duties. The poll reflected not just fears about the family relations among the many peripheral royals, but concerns about the relationship between the heir to the throne and his wide. The couple, the prince and princess of Wales, marked their tenth wedding anniversary on July 29, amid unconfirmed but persistent reports that their marriage was in trouble. Prince Charles could lose his claim to the throne if there were a divorce, a circumstance the crown might not withstand.

Some expressed their belief that the demise of the crown would be no bad thing, arguing that Prime Minister John Major’s professed aim of a “classless society” never would be achieved until the crown was retired to history. Republicans proposed that the monarch be divested of all constitutional powers; at present, the sovereign is head of the Church of England and head of state of 13 Commonwealth countries. These, however, remained minority views. Britons may want the queen to be taxed, but a relative few wish for the crown to lose its status altogether. (Video: Youtube.com/Paulo Carvalho)

Prince Harry to marry Cressida Bonas next year

Do we hear wedding bells for Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas? The Telegraph can reveal that Miss Bonas has eventually won over her fears of marrying into the royal family and a wedding is already "in the cards" for one of the world's most eligible bachelors.

"Cressie is going to marry Harry," a friend revealed to Telegraph.

Their wedding is "likely to take place next year." Prince Harry has made it known already that he longs to settle down. In his interview with Katie Couric in last year's ABC special "The Jubilee Queen," the prince said: "I've longed for kids since I was very, very young. I'm just waiting to find the right person." (Video: Youtube.com/Lohan Pul)