Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden visits Ghana and Tanzania

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden visited the African countries of Ghana and Tanzania from March 17-21, together with trade minister Ewa Björling. The heir to the throne's visit centered on strengthening Sweden's trade links with these countries. She was in Ghana from March 17-19 and in Tanzania from March 20-21.

Visit here to find out more details and exciting photos of the crown princess' African tour.

The Lost Lives of Russia's Last Grand Duchesses

In her latest book, Four Sisters – The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses, Helen Rappaport reveals the true background of Nicholas II's four daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. Their lives were that of immense wealth and splendor and extreme isolation from public eyes. In Rappaport's book, we will learn that when they were able to start engaging with the wider world, events in Russia overtook them.

Czar Nicholar II's daughters. 

Czar Nicholas II and his family taken c1915.

The Russian Imperial Family

Czar Nicholar II shares a smoke with her daughter, Anastasia.

Empress Alexandra is taking a leisurely moment with her daughter. 

Find out more about Rappaport's latest work here.

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.

Dutch State Banquet for Chinese President

The Chinese President and First Lady welcomed by King Willem-Alexander, Queen
Maxima and Princess Beatrix. Image: @Royalty

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima held a state banquet in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This was the first time a Chinese president ever set foot in the Netherlands since e establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Prince Laurent of Belgium rushed to hospital

Prince Laurent of Belgium

We've learned from UnOfficialRoyalty that Prince Laurent of Belgium has been rushed to the hospital. An official statement from the Royal Palace confirmed that. He is now at the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc in Brussels since March 18. No further details was provided but some members of the Belgian press suggest the prince has been suffering from deppression. Prince Laurent is the younger brother of King Philippe. His parents are King Albert II and Queen Paolo.

Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha turns 71

Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Happy 71st Birthday to His Highness Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke of Saxony! Prince Andreas is the current Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which include the Royal Family Belgium, the former Royal House of Bulgaria, and the British Royal Family, before they changed their name to Windsor, dropped all their German titles, and severed their ties with their German relations following World War I.

The Prince was born Andreas Michael Friedrich Hans Armin Siegfried Hubertus on March 21, 1943, the son of  Friedrich Josias, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the former Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth. Prince Friedrich was the son of and heir of Charles Edward, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke of Albany in the British Peerage. Charles Edward was the only son (born posthumously) of Prince Leopold, youngest son of Queen Victoria. Thus, Andrea is a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.

In 1946, his parents divorced. In 1949, together with his mother and stepfather Richard Whitten, he moved to New Orleans. He returned to Germany in 1965 and rendered military service from 1966 until 1968 before working as a timber merchant from 1969 until 1971.

He married Carin Dabelstein (b. Hamburg, 16 July 1946), daughter of Adolf Wilhelm Martin Dabelstein, Fabrikant, Kaufmann, and wife Irma Maria Margarete Callsen in 1971. While the marriage was unequal, the groom's father granted permission to the permission, and so the couple's three children, Stephanie (born 1972), Hubertus, Hereditary Prince and Heir Apparent to the family headship (born 1975) and Alexander (born 1977) have been allowed to use the family's courtesy titles and styles.

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.

Royal Events this Week - March 17-22

Check out this week's royal events that you should never miss!

Prince Jean and his wife Dianne

March 18 - Prince Jean of Luxembourg and Diane de Guerre celebrate their 4th wedding anniversary. Prince Jean's marriage with Ms. De Guerre was his second wife, after divorcing his first wife, Hélène Suzanna Vestur. Prince Jean is the second son of the former Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and of Princess Josephine Charlotte of Belgium. The bride is a daughter of the Countess Eugenie Marie de Guerre, néé Wolff Metternich zur Gracht.

King Mohammed VI and his consort, Princess Lalla Salma during their wedding.

March 20 - King Mohammad VI and Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary. They were married in 2002 at the Dar al-Makhzin Royal Palace in Rabat, Morocco.

Prince Nikolaus and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein

March 20 - Prince Nikolaus and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein celebrate their 32nd wedding anniversary. Prince Nikolaus is the youngest son of Prince Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein, while Princess Margaretha is the youngest daughter of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Their marriage produced two sons and two daughters.

Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg

March 22 - Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg, wife of Grand Duke Henri, celebrates her 58th birthday. The Grand Duchess was born María Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla in 1956 in Cuba.

Emperor Akihito's Speech Commemorating the Third Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake

Emperor Akihito. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Here is Emperor Akihito's speech in commemoration of the Third Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake last March 10. 

As we commemorate the third anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, together with the people gathered here today, I would like to again offer my deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in the disaster and their bereaved families.

The huge earthquake and tsunami that struck eastern Japan three years ago today left more than twenty thousand people dead or missing. Many people are still living under difficult conditions whether they are in the afflicted regions or in the places where they evacuated to. The nuclear power plant accident caused by the disaster is making some regions still off-limits because of radioactive contamination, forcing many people to leave the places where they used to live. It pains me greatly to think that so many people do not yet know when they can go back to their own homes.

In the past three years, people in the afflicted regions, still living under severe conditions, have overcome numerous difficulties with a strong sense of solidarity and made great efforts towards reconstruction. I am also heartened to see that many people, both at home and abroad, continue to support these efforts in various ways.

My thoughts go out to the afflicted people who must still be experiencing various hardships. In order to ensure that they can live in good health, and that they can live without losing hope, it is important that everyone's hearts be with the afflicted for many years to come. It is my hope that people will never forget this disaster and hand down the lessons we learned to future generations, and foster a proper attitude towards disaster prevention, with the aim of making our country a safer place.

Together with the people gathered here today, I would like to express my hope that days of peace and quiet will return as soon as possible to the afflicted regions. In closing, I offer once again my most sincere condolences to all those who lost their lives in the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Source: The Imperial Household Agency

Sweden's Royal Family Now on YouTube

Crown Princess Victoria with her father, King Carl XVI. Image: kungahuset.se

Do you want to get updates about the Swedish Royal Family's official duties, relive historic moments, visit the royal palaces and get an insight into the work of the Royal Court? Follow them on Youtube! Visit http://www.youtube.com/kungahuset.

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

Queen Mathilde at 41

We are one with Queen Mathilde and the rest of the Belgian Royal Family in celebrating the 41st birthday of Queen Mathilde. She is the consort of King Philippe. Queen Mathilde was born January 20, 1973. In honor of Queen Mathilde, we've scouted Pinterest for some of the most wonderful images of Her Majesty.

 @f-ge-ZZZaagd

@Danielle Belisle

@The Huffington Post

@tiarafan

Royal Events this Week - January 19-25, 2014

Check out this week's royal events that you should never miss!

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands

January 19 - Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, daughter of Queen Juliana, celebrates her 71st birthday.

The Countess of Wessex

January 20 - Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, celebrates her 49th birthday.

Queen Mathilde of Belgium

January 20 - Queen Mathilde of Belgium celebrates her 41st birthday. She was born Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz.

Infant Princess Ingrid Alexandra with her father.

January 21 - Princess Ingrid Alexandra, daughter of Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette Marit celebrates her 10th birthday.

Princess Caroline of Monaco, Princess of Hanover

January 23 - Princess Caroline of Monaco, Princess of Hanover, celebrates her 57th birthday. She is the sister and heiress presumptive of her brother, Prince Albert II.

Princess Charlene of Monaco

January 25 - Princess Charlene, wife of Prince Albert II of Monaco, turns 36. She was born Charlene Lynette Wittstock in Bulawayo, Rhodesia. 

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)

Prince Félix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg are having a baby

Prince Felix and Princess Claire are expecting a baby. Image: Court Grande Ducal

Here's the official statement from the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg with regards to the pregnancy Princess Claire:

Their Royal Highnesses The Grand-Duke and Grand-Duchess of Luxembourg are very pleased to announce that Prince Félix and Princess Claire are expecting Their first baby. 

The birth is expected to take place in June. 

The Grand-Duke, The Grand-Duchess, Grand-Duke Jean and the members of the Royal
Family, as well as the members of the Lademacher family, are delighted with the news.

The Week That Was in Royalty

Buckingham Palace protester jailed

Here are the latest news in the world of royalty.

Queen Elizabeth II's grand daughter, Zara Phillips Tindall. Image: Splash

Crown Princess Mary talks sex in Myanmar

Henry VIII's 'last portrait' at Longleat disputed by art historian

Irish Republican terrorists plotted to kidnap Queen Victoriafrom Balmoral and hold her hostage to help free comrades from prison

King Alfred the Great's bones discovered in a museum: Remains inside box are thought to belong to Anglo-Saxon ruler 

Prince Félix and Princess Claire are expecting a baby

Princess Irina of Romania's trial on cockfighting-ring charges rescheduled

Princess Mary of Denmark crowned most elegant woman of 2013

Queen’s youngest granddaughter Lady Louise Windsor undergoes successful eye operation 

Queen's granddaughter Zara Tindall gives birth to daughter

In Picture: Bhutan's King and Queen in India

King Jigme Khesar and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan.

This romantic picture of the King and Queen of Bhutan was taken January 9, at Gyaltsuen in Mughal Garden in New Delhi. Image: Jetsun Pema [Queen Of Bhutan] (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.