Welcome



Welcome to my blog,

Here you can find pictures and news of among others births, christenings, engagements, weddings and holidays.

Royal A-Z
Royal Birthdays
HQ Pictures Last update: 7 March 2014
Current Royal Pregnancies Last update: 7 March 2014
Current Royal Engagements Last update: 7 March 2014
Royal Births - 2002 till 2013 Last update: 7 March 2014
Royal Deaths - 2002 till 2013 Last update: 7 March 2014
Royal Weddings - 2002 till 2013 Last update: 7 March 2014
Extended Ruling Royal families of Europe Last update: 7 March 2014
Other extended ruling families WORK IN PROGRESS, Last update: 7 March 2014
Other extended non-ruling families WORK IN PROGRESS, Last update: 7 March 2014

You can follow me on twitter:
http://twitter.com/currentroyalnew

Please have fun and come back soon.

Josette

My Dutch blog: Gekroonde Hoofden
My Message Board: Royals Message Board (Currently off-line)

1/30/2012

First pictures of Princess Antoinette of Orléans,

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The first pictures of HRH Princess Antoinette of Orléans, second child and first daughter of TRH the Duke and Duchess of Vendôme, Prince Jean and Princess Philomena of Orléans, can be found at the official website of the Duke HERE.

It's a picture of the Princess with her parents and her older brother, HRH Prince Gaston of Orléans, and a picture of the Princess with her older brother.

The Princess was born on 28 January 2012.

To my Dutch readers

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My Dutch blog, Gekroonde Hoofden, has been updated and it now works with different pages, feel free to check it out.

Josette

1/28/2012

It's a girl for The Duke and Duchess of Vendôme

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TRH the Duke and Duchess of Vendôme, Prince Jean and Princess Philomena of Orléans, had their second child and first daughter, HRH Princess Antoinette, on 28 January 2012.

The little Princess joins older brother, HRH Prince Gaston.

1/27/2012

Prince Joachim of Denmark brings wife and daughter home

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Today, HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark took his wife, HRH Princess Marie, and their newborn daughter home. A short video from the Danish TV channel TV2 can be found HERE. A long video from DR can be found HERE.

The first picture of the new Princess of Denmark with her proud parents.

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Screenshot from Ekstra Bladet

And a more pictures of the new Princess in the arms of her mother.

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Screenshot from TV2

A video:




1/26/2012

Princess Marie and new little Princess of Denmark leave the hospital tomorrow

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HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark will take his wife, HRH Princess Marie, and their newborn daughter home tomorrow, 27 January 2012.

The Princess was born on 24 January 2012 and joined older brother, HH Prince Henrik, and older halfbrothers, HH Prince Nikolai and HH Prince Felix.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and The Duke and Duchess of Brabant attend event(s) in Belgium on the occasion of Denmark's takeover of EU Presidency

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TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attended 2 events on 26 January 2012, in Brussels, Belgium, on the occasion of Denmark's takeover of EU Presidency.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess visited the EU Council Building.

HQ Pictures:

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Source: http://eu2012.dk

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess, along with TRH the Duke and Duchess of Brabant, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Beligum, attended a concert on the occasion of Denmark's takeover of EU Presidency. Pictures from the official website of the Danish Royal Court can be found HERE.

1/24/2012

Official engagement of Prince Siaosi Tuku’aho of Tonga and the Hon Sinaitakala Fakafanua

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HRH Prince Siaosi Tuku’aho of Tonga, eldest son of TRH Crown Prince Tupouto’a Lavaka and Princess Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho and second in line to the throne, announced his engagement to his second cousin, the Hon Sinaitakala Fakafanua, only daughter of HRH Princess ‘Ofeina Fakafanua and the late Kinikinilau Tuto'atasi, Lord Fakafanu, on January 24. The Faitohi ceremony took place at the end of July 2011.

It's a girl for Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark

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TRH Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark, Count and Countess of Monpezat, had their first daughter and second child together today, 24 January. The newborn Princess was born on 8.27 a.m. at Rigshospitalet. She came into the world with a length of 49 cm and a weight of 2930 grams. The Princess will have the titles of Princess of Denmark and Countess of Monpezat with the style of Highness.

Prince Joachim and Princess Marie also share a son, HH Prince Henrik, and Prince Joachim has 2 sons, HH Prince Nikolai and HH Prince Felix, with his former wife, HE Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg, née Manley.

1/21/2012

New official pictures of Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

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To celebrate the 8th birthday of HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, daughter of TRH Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and second-in-line to the throne of Norway, the Norwegian Royal Court released 4 new official pictures.

HQ pictures:
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Source: Julia Naglestad / Det kongelige hoff.

1/16/2012

Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark attend 500th State Council

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On 15 January 2012, HM Queen Margrethe and HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark attended the 500th State Council since Her Majesty's accession to the Danish Throne.

HQ picture:

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Source: Steen Brogaard via kongehuset.dk

1/13/2012

Wedding of Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein of Jordan and Basma Bani Ahmad

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The wedding of HRH Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein of Jordan and Basma Bani Ahmad rook place on 12 January 2012.

Prince Hamzah has previously been married to HRH Princess Noor bint Asem of Jordan and they have a daughter, HRH Princess Haya bint Hamzah bin Al Hussein of Jordan.

1/11/2012

Princess Margriet of the Netherland and Pieter van Vollenhoven celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary

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HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Prof. mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on 10 January 2012. The Dutch Royal Court released a new official picture of the couple.

HQ picture:
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Source: RVD via koninkljikhuis.nl

1/09/2012

Prince Nikolai will represent Denmark at the torch relay of the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games

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HH Prince Nikolai of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, the elder son of HRH Prince Joachim and of his former wife, HE Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg, née Manley, will represent, along with 2 other Danish children, Denmark and it’s young athletes in the torch relay of the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games on 13 January 2012.

The 2012 Winter Youth Olympics will take place from 13 till 22 January 2012. Children from over 60 countries will enter. It’s the first Winter Youth Olympic Games.

More information about the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games can be found at it’s website:
www.innsbruck2012.com

Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Parma and Albert Brenninkmeijer are engaged

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HRH Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Parma is engaged to Albert Brenninkmeijer. This was officially announced on 9 January 2012.

Princess Maria Carolina, Marchioness of Sala, Duchess of Guernica, is the fourth child and youngest daughter of HRH the late Duke of Parma, Prince Carlos Hugo, and of his former wife, HRH Princess Irene of the Netherlands. She has two older brothers, HRH Prince Carlos, the Duke of Parma, [who is married to HRH Princesss Anne-Marie, née Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel. They are currently expecting their first child together. Prince Carlos has a son, Carlos, with Brigitte Klynstra.] and HRH Prince Jaime, and an older sister, HRH Princess Margarita. [who is married to Tjalling ten Cate. They have 2 daughters, Julia and Paola]

Princess Maria Carolina has studied political schience at the University of Amsterdam and at Harvard University. The Princess also studied Forced Migration at the University of Oxford. At the moment she is working for the United Nations in Switserland.

Albert studied Economics at the University of Edinburgh and has his MBA from Oxford University. He currently works as a member of the board at C and A France.

1/08/2012

First Birthday of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine of Denmark

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HRH Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and HRH Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda of Denmark, the third and fourth children of TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, are celebrating their first birthday today, 8 January. Pictures of the twin Prince and Princess, including one with their parents and older brother and sister, HRH Prince Christian and HRH Princess Isabella; were released.

The pictures can be found at the official website of the Danish Royal family HERE.

1/06/2012

It's a boy for the Emir of Dubai and Princess Haya of Jordan

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HRH Princess Haya bint Hussein of Jordan, junior wife of HH the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, gave birth to her second child. HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed of Dubai was born on 7 January 2012. Depending on the time in Dubai at that moment.

The couple are also parents to HH Sheikha Al Jalila and Sheikh Mohammed has more children with his other (former) wives and partners.

Source: HH Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed Al Maktoum of Dubai, daughter of the Emir and thus older half sister of the newborn Sheikh, on Twitter.

Princess Marie of Denmark gives interview to Svensk Dam Tidning

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HRH Princess Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, gave an interview to Svensk Dam Tidning.

view two of the pages HERE.

1/05/2012

First four patronages of the Duchess of Cambridge have been announced

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HRH The Duchess of Cambridge began her private research into charitable causes in September 2011. The private programme undertaken by The Duchess consisted of meetings at St. James’s Palace and private visits to a number of sites. In addition, The Duchess personally considered all requests for Patronage that were sent to her.

The Duchess of Cambridge has accepted the following honorary positions:

• Patron of Action on Addiction
• Royal Patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices
• Royal Patron of The Art Room
• Patron of the National Portrait Gallery, London

In addition, The Duchess of Cambridge is to become a volunteer in the Scout Association, volunteering time privately with groups in north Wales and elsewhere as opportunity arises.

The Duchess’s first Patronages and her volunteer position reflect Her Royal Highness’s personal interests in the arts, the promotion of outdoor activity, and supporting people who are in need of all ages, especially young children.

The Duchess’s new roles reflect Her Royal Highness’s wish to support the Royal Family’s work in highlighting important causes in the charitable and voluntary sector and the arts. The Duchess has chosen to support organisations that complement the charitable work already undertaken by her husband.

Each of the organisations chosen plays a leading role in its sphere either nationally or in local communities.

The Duchess will, over the coming months, undertake both private and public visits across the United Kingdom to the organisations of which she is Patron and Royal Patron.

The Duchess will volunteer primarily with the younger Members of the Scout Movement – Beaver Scouts and Cub Scouts – in the vicinity of her and The Duke’s home in north Wales and elsewhere as opportunity arises. Her Royal Highness will become what is formally termed an Occasional Helper in the Scout Association. The role is open to anyone who is interested in helping one or several groups at a frequency that suits the volunteer. Commitment can vary from helping a handful of times a year to most weeks, and is often fulfilled by relatives of children involved in the Movement or interested members of the local community. The Duchess’s personal commitment will be in accordance with her other duties and obligations.

All the organisations above will formally be invited to join The Princes’ Charities Forum, an initiative started by The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry in 2006 to bring together their charitable interests. The Forum will consist of 32 organisations once the organisations affiliated to The Duchess are included.

Background on the organisations:

Action on Addiction works to free people from addiction, support their families, and educate professionals in the addictions field. The charity has treatment centres throughout England, a specialist family service, an innovative research programme and an expert training centre. The charity has centres in Dorset, London, Merseyside and Wiltshire, but operates nationally.

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. The charity provides care and support wherever the family wishes – in families’ own homes, in the community or at one of their hospices – with the challenges that having a life-threatening condition can often bring. The range of support includes short break care, specialist play activities, music therapy, hydrotherapy, parent groups and siblings groups, care at the end of life and bereavement support for all family members.

The Art Room works with children to increase their self-esteem, self-confidence and independence through art. Many of the children are disengaged from mainstream education, disruptive or withdrawn and all have been identified as needing time away from their school. The charity’s emphasis is on teaching life skills while encouraging children and young people to both relate and engage with each other. The Art Room employs senior practitioners who are trained in psychotherapy, art, teaching and social work. The charity currently works in Oxford and in north London.

The National Portrait Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. The Collection is displayed in London and in a number of locations around the United Kingdom. Artists range from Holbein to Hockney, and the Collection includes work across all media, from painting and sculpture to photography and video. As well as the permanent displays, the Gallery has a diverse and ever-changing programme of exhibitions and events which promote an appreciation of portraiture in all forms, and an energetic learning and outreach programme.

The Scout Association provides adventurous activities and personal development opportunities for over 400,000 young men and young women throughout the United Kingdom. The Movement helps young people reach their full potential and develop as active citizens in their community. Beaver Scout Colonies and Cub Scout Packs cater for all young people between six and ten years old. Scouts, Explorer Scouts and members of the Scout Network are aged 11 to 25. Scouting is the largest co-education youth organisation in the world with over 31 million members. The Duchess will join nearly 100,000 volunteers in the UK who give their time to support young people in their communities. In the UK, The Queen is Patron of the Scout Association and The Duke of Kent is its President.

Source

1/02/2012

New Years photoshoot Japanese Imperial family

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This years New Years pictures of the Japanese Imperial family were taken on December 12, 2011, and released on 1 January 2012. The picture included TIM Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, TIH Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako with their daughter HIH Princess Aiko, and TIH Prince Akishino and Kiko, Princess Akishino, with their children HIH Princess Mako, HIH Princess Kako, and HIH Prince Hisahito of Japan.

View 3 pictures at Daylife HERE.

The daughter of the Emperor and Empress, Sayako Kuroda, the former HIH Princess Sayako, has not attended since the day of her marriage to Yoshiki Kuroda, as Princesses of Japan loose their title, membership of the Imperial family and allowance when they marry.

1/01/2012

A Look Back at a Royal 2011

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In this post, I'm looking back at a Royal 2011. Obviously, I can’t mention everything. The information below is a summery of what happened last year.


In January, Crown Prince Billah and Crown Princess Sarah of Brunei had their second child and first daughter, Princess Muneerah. The Princess joined older brother Prince Abdul Muntaqim. Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi of Iran commited suicide on January 4. On January 5, the 90th birthday of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg was celebrated. Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark had their 3rd and 4th child and 2nd son and 2nd daughter, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, on 8 January. The little Prince and Princess joined older brother, Prince Christian, and older sister, Princess Isabella. On January 17, King Harald of Norway celebrated his 20th anniversary as King of Norway. The Norwegian Royal Court released new official pictures. The Court was generous in January 2011, it were not the only pictures released by the Royal Court. On January 21, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway turned 7. In line with tradition, the Norwegian Royal Court released new pictures of the Princess.

In February the 30th wedding anniversary of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg took place. The Grand Ducal Court released new official pictures. As the Norwegian Royal Court in January, the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg was generous with pictures as the 20th birthday of Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg took place on 16 February. The traditional photoshoot with the Dutch Royal family took place on 19 February. More picture news, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark released pictures of their then unnamed newborn twins. Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma and Tjalling ten Cate and their second child and second daughter. Paola joined older sister Julia. Archduke Martin of Austria, and his wife, née Princess Katharina of Isenburg, had their 4th child and 3rd son, Archduke Luigi, on February 12. Luigi joined big brothers, Bartholomaus and Emmanuel, and big sister, Helene. To celebrate the 4th birthday of Princess Lalla Khadija of Morocco, the second child and only daughter of King Mohammed and Princess Lalla Salma. The Moroccan Royal Court released a new picture of the Princess, her parents, and her older brother, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan.

Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Khalifa of Bahrain announced that he got engaged to Princess Sahab bint Abdullah bin Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia on 7 March. The Sheikh is the 5th son of the King of Bahrain. The King of Saudi Arabia is the Princess’s father. More happy news from the Royal family of Saudi Arabia, Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud of Saudi Arabia married Lucy Cuthbert on March 28. Prince Khalid is the son of Prince Bandar, the oldest son of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Lucy is the middle daughter of Lady Victoria and John Cuthbert and the granddaughter of the 10th Duke of Northumberland. As such, she is the niece of the current Duke of Northumberland. Prince Louis of Schonburg-Hartenstein announced his engagement to Countess Elizabeth Beaufort-Spontin. The Prince is the oldest son of Hereditary Prince Johannes, while the Countess’s father is Frédéric, Duke and Fürst of Beaufort-Spontin. Prince Antonius of Fürstenberg and Countess Matilde Borromeo announced their engagement on March 4. Countess Mathilde is a half sister of Beatrice Borromeo, who is dating Pierre Casiraghi, youngest son of the Princess of Hanover,Hereditary Princess Caroline of Monaco. Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma and Tjalling ten Cate released the first pictures of their daughter Paola. Princess Antoinette of Monaco died on 18 March. Fürst Paul of Quadt zu Wykradt und Isny died March 16. The Fürst leaves behind his wife, née Princess Charlotte of Bavaria, 2 sons, 2 daughters and 8 grandchildren.

April 11 brought the first day of school for Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, the youngest daughter of the Prince and Princess of Orange was joined by her parents and her older sisters, Princesses Amalia and Alexia. It also brought us the Christening of the Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine of Denmark, the 3rd and 4th child of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark [and with that their names and new pictures], the birth of the sixth child and second daughter of Prince Pedro and Princess Sofia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke and Duchess of Noto. Princess Blanca joined older brothers Jaime, Juan, Pablo and Pedro, and older sister, Sofia. April also brought the birth of Count Léopold of Limburg-Stirum, first child of Archduchess Marie-Christine of Austria and Count Rodolphe of Limburg-Stirum, and the long awaited wedding of Prince William of Wales, since the day of his wedding also The Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus, and Catherine Middleton.

In May, the Moroccan Royal Court released a new picture of King Mohammed and Princess Lalla Salma with their children, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Princess Lalla Khadija, to celebrate the 8th birthday of the Crown Prince. The Princess of Orange, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, celebrated her 40th birthday with a big birthday concert with guests including representatives of many Royal families. The Dutch Royal Court also released new pictures of the Princess. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan announced his engagement to Jetsun Pema on 20 May. To finish May, there is also babynews. The Duke and Duchess of Apulia, Prince Aimone and Princess Olga of Savoy-Aosta, Princess of Greece, had their second child and second son. The Duke of the Abruzzi, Prince Amedeo, joined older brother Prince Umberto, Prince of Piedmonte.

The religious wedding of Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Alexander Johannsmann took place on June 18. The couple married civilly on May 27, 2010, and their first child, a son named Konstantin, was born on July 24, 2010. Prince Antonius of Fürstenberg and Countess Matilde Borromeo got married on 11 June. June also brought the First Communion of both Don Miguel Urdangarín, third son of the Duke and Duchess of Palma de Marjorca and Princess Louise of Belgium, oldest child and only daughter of Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium. The Norwegian Royal Court released 3 new pictures of Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah of Jordan, oldest son of King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan celebrated his 17th birthday. The Jordanian Royal Court released 2 new pictures of the Crown Prince to celebrate his birthday. June also saw the Grand Ducal family of Luxembourg posing before the media and the British Royal Court released an official picture to mark the official visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Canada. Princess Hedwige of Liechtenstein and her husband Count Olivier of Quelen had twin girls, named Béatrice and Raphaëlle, on June 10. They join older sister, Maïwenn. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi and his second wife, née Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rachid Al Maktoum of Dubai, had their third child and second son together. Sheikh Hamdan was born on June 21 and joined full siblings Sheikha Fatima and Sheikh Mohammed, and half-brother Sheikh Zayed. The 14th Duke of Croÿ, Prince Carl, died on June 14.

Fürst Alexander and Fürstin Nadja Anna of Schaumburg-Lippe had their second child and second daughter together on 10 July. Princess Philomena joined older sister Princess Felipa and older half-brother, Hereditary Prince Ernst-August. Prince Albert II of Monaco married Charlene Wittstock at the beginning of July. Prince Rashid bin El Hassan of Jordan married Zeina Shaban on 22 July, while the wedding of Zara Phillips, daughter of the Princess Royal, and Mikael Tindall took place on 30 July. Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al Khalifa of Bahrain, 5th son of the King of Bahrain, married Princess Sahab bint Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia. Prince Siaosi Tuku’aho of Tonga, eldest son of Crown Prince Tupouto’a Lavaka and Princess Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho and second in line to the throne, announced that he'll be courting his first cousin the Hon Sinaitakala Fakafanua, only daughter of Princess ‘Ofeina Fakafanua and the late Fakafanua. The Faitohi ceremony took place at the end July. This means an official engagement isn't far off. Archduke Otto of Austria, Former head of the Imperial of Austria and Royal family of Hungary, died on 4 July. Another member of the Imperial family of Austria died in July. Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria, née Countess von Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems, great-granddaughter of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth “Sisi” of Austria, King and Queen of Hungary, née Duchess in Bavaria, died on 8 July. A photoshoot with the Queen and the Crown Princely family of the Netherlands took place on 4 July. July 5 brought the celebration of the 30 year anniversary of Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza, Prince of Brazil, as the head of the Vassouras branch of the Imperial House of Brazil.

In August, The Prince of Prussia, Prince Georg Friedrich, married Princess Sophie of Isenburg. More weddingnews, the civil wedding of Prince Christian Georg of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Princess Alice of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein took place on August 26. The religious wedding was scheduled to take place on August 27, but due to the illness of the mother of the bride, the wedding has been rescheduled for 2012. The Swedish Royal Court announced that the Crown Princess Couple, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, are expecting their first child, the future King or Queen of Sweden, following his or her mother and grandfather. More Royal babynews, the Danish Royal Court announced that Prince Joachim and Princess Marie are expecting their second child together. The new Prince or Princess will join older brother Prince Henrik and older half-brothers Princes Nikolai and Felix. As seen on pioctures, the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his second wife née Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan, are expecting their second child together. The couple is already parents to Sheikha Al Jalila.  In addition to them, the Duke and Duchess of Vendôme, Prince Jean and Princess Philomena of Orléans, announced that they are expecting their second child in January 2012. The couple already have a son, Prince Gaston, and last, but not least, the Duke and Duchess of Anjou, Prince Charles-Philippe and Princess Diana of Orléans, Duchess of Cadaval, announced that they are expecting their first child in February 2012. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Perak had their second child and first daughter on August 3. The Princess joined older son Prince Muzaffar. August brought the first day of school of Prince Sverre Magnus of norway, son of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and new pictures were released of the Prince. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Matte-Marit of Norway celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary on August 25. The Norwegian Royal Court celebrated this by releasing new pictures of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess and their family. There was also a church event, an event related to the Humanitarian fund of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess following the service and after that, there was a private dinner at the palace.

In September Princess Lalla Aicha of Morocco and Archduke Felix of Austria died. Princess Anita of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, underwent surgery for a spontaneous leak of cerebrospinal fluid in her back at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Prince David Bagration-Mukhransky of Georgia and his wife, née Princess Anna Bagration-Gruzinsky of Georgia, had their first child together, Prince Giorgi Bagration Bagrationi of Georgia, who joined 2 older halfsisters, Irina and Miriam, daughters of the Princess and her first husband, Grigoriy Malania. Prince Antonius of Fürstenberg and his wife, née Countess Matilde Borromeo, had their first child, Prince Karl Egon, on 22 September.

In October the British Royal Court announced that Peter and Autumn Phillips, son and daughter-in-law of the Princess Royal, are expecting their second child. They are already parents to a daughter named Savannah. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan married Jetsun Pema on October 13. Prince Moulay Ismael and Lalla Anissa of Morocco, née Anissa Lehmkuhl, had their second child and first daughter on October 9. The Princess joined older brother Prince Moulay Abdullah. Countess Maria Antonia von Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee, née Princess of Hohenzollern, died on 11 October. Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia died on 21 October, Archduke Stephan (István) of Austria died on 24 October and Fürstin Franziska of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein, née Princess of Oettingen-Oettingen and Oettingen-Spielberg, died on 30 October.

The Crown Prince of Fujairah, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad al-Sharqi, and his wife, née Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum of Dubai, had their second child and first daughter, Sheikha Aisha, on 2 November. Aisha joined older brother Hamad. Prince Hashim bin Hussein and Princess Fahdah Hashim of Jordan had their third daughter on November 5. Princess Fatimah Al-Alia joined older sisters Haalah and Rayet al-Noor. The Duke and Duchess of Parma, Prince Carlos and Princess Annemarie of Bourbon-Parma, announced that they are expecting their first child together late May 2012. If it’s a boy he will be the future head of the Ducal and Royal family of Bourbon-Parma. The Duke has a legally unrecognized son with Brigitte Klynstra. The Danish Royal Court released the first picture of the Crown Princely family since the christening of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, and the Dowager Duchess of Hohenberg, née Princess Elisabeth of Luxemburg, of Nassau and of Bourbon-Parma, and Crown Prince Leka of Albania, aka King Leka of the Albanians died in November. Princess Cristina Maria of Orléans-Braganza, Princess of Brazil, announced the engagement of her daughter, Princess Paola Sapieha Rozanski, and Prince Constantin Swiatopolk-Czetwertynski. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg celebrated his 30th birthday on 11 November. The Grand Ducal Court released new pictures.

In December Fürst Heinrich of Orsini and Rosenberg died. Princess Alexandra of Kent, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, celebrated her 75th birthday on 25 December. Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein and Philipp von Lattorff had their 7th child and 2nd son, Maximilian on 17 december. The couple are also parents to Lukas, Elisabeth, Marie Therese, Camilla, Anna and Sophia. Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi had his first son, Sheikh Zayed, on 23 December. The Danish Royal Court released their new and improved website in December. Just in time for the festivities related to Queen Margrethe’s 40 years on the throne anniversary and the birth of the second child together of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie in January 2012. 2 sons of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria and his wife née Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg, officially celebrated their respective engagements on 22 December. Archduke Imre got engaged to Kathleen Walker and Archduke Christoph got engaged to Adélaïde Drapé-Frisch. News about the engagement of Archduke Christoph first emerged when he changed his Facebook status to engaged earlier this year. However nothing had been confirmed until 22 December. The Belgian Royal Court released new pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Brabant and their children, Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore. The Spanish Royal family released their annual Christmas cards and the Danish Royal Christmas cards also found their way to the media. The Crown Princely family of Denmark send out a new picture of their 4 children. The Queen and Prince-Consort of Denmark used a picture of them visiting Greenland, Princess Benedikte of Denmark and of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, send a family picture of the religious wedding of her daughter Princess Nathalie, the Greek King and Queen had a picture taken of them and their grandchildren, the Spanish Royal couple send out a neutral picture, the Prince and Princess of Asturias send out a picture of them with their daughters Infanta Leonor and Infanta Sofía, the Duchess of Lugo send a picture of her children, Froilán and Victoria, and the Duchess and Duke of Palma de Majorca used a picture from Miguel’s communion. It shows the Duchess and Duke with their 4 children, Juan, Pablo, Miguel and Irene. The King and Queen of the Belgians send out a card with a picture of them surrounded by round pictures of their grandchildren and Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium send out their Christmas card with a new picture of them with their children, Princess Louise, Prince Nicolas and Prince Aymeric. Princess Haya of Jordan, wife of the Emir of Dubai, send out New Year wishes with 2 new pictures. The Princess has much to celebrate in the New Year, as she is expecting her second child. There were 3 newcomers this year at the estate of the Queen of England during Christmas. Both the Duchess of Cambridge and Mike Tindall  celebrated their first Christmas with their husband/wife and the in-laws at the Sandringham estate. Savannah Phillips, the first great-grandchild of the Queen, also celebrated her first Christmas at the Sandringham estate, as she was born just after Christmas last year. She’ll be joined by a younger brother of sister next year. The Norwegian, Danish and British Royal families attended church for a Christmas service. We also saw pictures of the Queen of Spain, her eldest daughter with children, and her son with wife and daughters watching Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Zarkana’ at Madrid Arena, and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark taking her 4 children to a playground in Aarhus.The Crown Prince of Fujairah, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad al-Sharqi, and his wife, née Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum of Dubai, had their second child and first daughter, Sheikha Aisha, on 2 November. Aisha joined older brother Hamad. Prince Hashim bin Hussein and Princess Fahdah Hashim of Jordan had their third daughter on November 5. Princess Fatimah Al-Alia joined older sisters Haalah and Rayet al-Noor. The Duke and Duchess of Parma, Prince Carlos and Princess Annemarie of Bourbon-Parma, announced that they are expecting their first child together late May 2012. If it’s a boy he will be the future head of the Ducal and Royal family of Bourbon-Parma. The Duke has a legally unrecognized son with Brigitte Klynstra. The Danish Royal Court released the first picture of the Crown Princely family since the christening of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, and the Dowager Duchess of Hohenberg, née Princess Elisabeth of Luxemburg, of Nassau and of Bourbon-Parma, and Crown Prince Leka of Albania, aka King Leka of the Albanians died in November. Princess Cristina Maria of Orléans-Braganza, Princess of Brazil, announced the engagement of her daughter, Princess Paola Sapieha Rozanski, and Prince Constantin Swiatopolk-Czetwertynski. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg celebrated his 30th birthday on 11 November. The Grand Ducal Court released new pictures.

Let me know what your favorite Royal moment of 2011 was by responding to this post.

Looking Forward to a Royal 2012

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This post is about what news can we look forward to, Royalty wise that is, in 2012?

First, the already announced Royal births.
In January the birth of the second child together of TRH Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark is expected. They have a son together, HH Prince Henrik, and Prince Joachim has 2 sons from his first mariage, TH Princes Nikolai and Felix. HRH The Duchess of Vendôme, Princess Philomena, will give birth to her and the Duke’s second child in January. The couple are already parents to a son, HRH Prince Gaston. HH The Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rachid, and his second wife née HRH Princess Haya bint Hussein of Jordan, are expecting their second child together. They already have a daughter, HH Sheikha Al Jalila and Sheikh Mohammed has many more kids. The first child of TRH the Duke and Duchess of Anjou, Prince Charles-Philippe and Princess Diana of Orléans, Duchess of Cadaval, is expected in February. In March, the long awaited future heir to the throne of Sweden is expected. TRH Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel are expecting their first child. Peter and Autumn Phillips, the son and daughter-in-law of HRH the Princess Royal, expect their second child and the Queens second great-grandchild in March. The couple already have a daughter named Savannah. In May the birth of the first child together of TRH the Duke and Duchess of Parma, Prince Carlos and Princess Annemarie of Bourbon-Parma, is expected. The Duke has a legally unrecognized son with Brigitte Klynstra, who was named after him.

Then, the Royal jubilees.
HM Queen Margrethe of Denmark will celebrate her 40th jubilee as Queen of Denmark on 14 January 2012. The events will start on 13 January and will end with a banquet on 15 January. HM Queen Margrethe and HRH Prince Henrik will also celebrate their 45 year wedding anniversary on 10 June.

HM Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great-Brittain and Northern-Ireland, generally shortened to The Queen, will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee on 6 February 2012. The marking of the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth to the throne will be celebrated throughout 2012.

HH Infanta Maria Adelaide of Portugal celebrates her 100th birthday on 31 January 2012.

Princess Astrid of Norway will turn 80 on 12 February.

Princess Birgitta of Sweden and of Hohenzollern celebrates her 75th birthday of 19 January. King Harald of Norway will turn 75 on 21 February. His wife, Queen Sonja, will celebrate her 75th birthday on 4 July. Queen Paola of the Belgians will celebrate her 75th birthday on 11 September.

HRH Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark celebrates her 70th birthday on May 11.

HM King Abdullah bin Hussein of Jordan will turn 50 on 30 January. HIRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este, will celebrate her 50th birthday on 5 June.

Both HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, and HRH the Princess of Asturias will celebrate their 40th birthday in 2012, respectively 5 February and 15 September. Also celebrating their 40th birthday are HSH Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein (15 March), HH Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, (22 March), HH Princess Annette of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (18 April), HRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice and Piedmont (22 June), HRH Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma, Countess of Colorno and her twin brother, HRH Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi (13 October).

The Duchess of Cambridge will celebrate her 30th birthday on 9 January, while her husband, The Duke of Cambridge, celebrates his 30th birthday on 21 June. Prince François of Orléans will celebrate his 30th birthday on 10 February. Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, celebrates her 30th birthday on 10 June.

HSH Princess Marie-Astrid of Liechtenstein, youngest daughter of HSH Prince Nikolaus and HRH Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, née Princess of Luxembourg, Princess of Nassau and Princess of Bourbon-Parma, will celebrate her 25th birthday on 26 June.

Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, Princess of Nassau, Princess of Bourbon-Parma, the only daughter of TRH Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa, will celebrate her 21st birthday on 16 February.

HRH Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg, Prince of Nassau, Prince of Bourbon-Parma, youngest child of TRH Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa, celebrates his 20th birthday on 16 April. HRH Prince Carl-Johan of Nassau, youngest son of HRH Prince Jean of Luxembourg, Prince of Nassau and Prince of Bourbon-Parma, and of his former wife, Hélène Vestur, will celebrate his 20th birthday on 15 August. On 23 December, HRH Princess Marie Gabrielle of Bourbon-Parma, celebrates her 20th birthday.

HRH Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah of Jordan, the oldest child of the King and Queen of Jordan, will celebrate his 18th birthday on 28 June and  HIRH Archduchess Gabrielle of Austria, youngest daughter of TIRH Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, née Princess of Luxembourg, Princess of Nassau and Princess of Bourbon-Parma, will celebrate her 18th birthday on 26 March.

HM King Juan Carlos of Spain and his wife, née HRH Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on 14 May.

TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince Richard and Birgitte, Princess Richard of Great-Britain, will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on 8 July.

HIRH Archduke Carl Christian of Austria and his wife, née Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg, celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary on 6 February, while the sister of the Princess, HRH Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and her husband, HSH Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary on 20 March.

HRH the Princess Royal, The Princess Anne of Great-Brittain, and Sir Timothy Laurence will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on 12 December. Timothy and Lady Helen Taylor née Windsor will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on 18 July.

HM King Mohammed and HRH Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary (Zifaf, Nikah took place on 12 October 2001) on 21 March, while TRH the Prince and Princess of Orange celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on 2 February, Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on 24 May, and HRH Princess Kalina of Bulgaria and Kitín Muñoz will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on 26 October.

2012 also brings us several Royal 5th birthdays. To name a few:
*  28 February: HRH Princess Lalla Khadija of Morocco, daughter of King Mohammed and Princess Lalla Salma.
* 5 March: HRH Princess Eugénie of Bourbon aka Doña Eugenia de Borbón y Vargas, daughter of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Anjou.
* 7 March: HRH Prince Abdul Muntaqim of Brunei, son of TRH Crown Prince Billah and Princess Sarah.
* 19 March: HRH Prince Abdullah bin Ali bin Hussein of Jordan, son of TRH Prince Ali bin Hussein and Princess Rym Ali.
* 10 April: HRH Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, youngest daughter of TRH The Prince and Princess of Orange.
* 19 April: HRH Prince Lerotholi of Lesotho, son of The King and Queen.
* 19 April: HRH Princess Haya bint Hamzah bin Hussein of Jordan, daughter of HRH Prince Hamzah bin Hussein and of his former wife, HRH Princess Noor bint Asem of Jordan.
* 21 April: HRH Princess Isabella of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, oldest daughter and second child of TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary.
* 27 April: HRH Prince Jaafar bin Ali bin Nayef of Jordan, son of TRH Prince Ali bin Nayef and Princess Reema Ali.
* 29 April: HRH Infanta Sofía of Spain, youngest daughter of The Prince and Princess of Asturias.
* 4 June: HIRH Archduke Constantin of Austria, second son of Archduke Maximilian and Archduchess Maya
* 13 June: HRH Prince Leopold of Bavaria, son of Prince Manuel and Princess Anna, née Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg,
* 25 August: Emma van Vollenhoven, daughter of TH Prince Pieter-Christiaan and Princess Anita of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven.
* 21 September: HRH Prince Noah of Nassau, second son of TRH Prince Louis and Princess Tessy of Luxembourg.
* 9 October: Magali van Vollenhoven, oldest daughter of TH Prince Floris and Princess Aimée of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven.
* 2 December: HH Sheikha Al Jalila Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai, daughter of HH the Emir of Dubai and of his wife, née HRH Princess Haya bint Hussein of Jordan.
* 4 December:  HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahayan of Abu Dhabi, son of HH Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahayan and of his wife, née HH Sheika Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum of Dubai.
* 17 December: Viscount Severn aka HRH Prince James of Wessex, son of TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Prince Edward and Sophie, Princess Edward of Great-Britain.

2012 also brings us several Royal 10th birthdays. To name a few:
* 4 January: HIRH Archduke Constantin of Austria, third child and first son of TIRH Archduke Alexander and Archduchess Marie Gabriele, née Countess of Waldstein.
* 20 January: HRH Prince Tassilo of Bulgaria, third child and only son of HRH Prince Kyrill, Prince of Preslav, and his former wife, HRH Princess Rosario.
* 22 January: HIRH Archduke Jacob-Maximilian of Austria, first child of Archduke Ferdinand and Archduchess Katharina, née Countess of Hardenberg.
* 25 January: Elisabeth von Lattorff, second child and first daughter of HSH Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein and Philipp von Lattorf.
* 17 February: Count Nicolo Secco d'Aragona, second son of HIRH Archduchess Catharina of Austria and Count Massimiliano Secco d'Aragona.
* 24 February: Arietta Morales, first child of HRH Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark and Carlos Morales.
* 18 March: HRH Prince Frederik of Nassau, second son and third child of HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg and of his wife, HRH Princess Julie of Nassau.
30 April: HE Don Miguel Urdangarin, third son of HRH Infanta Christina of Spain, Duchess of Palma de Majorca, and HE Don Iñaki Urdangarin, Duke of of Palma de Majorca.
* 14 May: Isabella van Vollenhoven, oldest child of TH Prince Bernhard and Princess Annette of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven.
* 18 May: HGDH Prince Leopold of baden, first son of TRH Hereditary Prince Bernhard and Hereditary Princess Stephanie.
* 3 June: HRH Prince Tirso of Bulgaria, 3rd son of RH rince Kubrat and Princess Carla, Prince and Princess of Panagyurishte
* 6 June: HIRH Archduchess Ildik of Austria, second daughter of TIRH Archduke Georg and  Archduchess Eilika, née Duchess of Oldenburg.
* 10 June: High Born Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau, oldest daughter of TRH Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands.
* 13 June: HH Duke Kirill of Oldenburg, first child of TH Duke Paul and Duchess Maria del Pilar.
* 22 July: HH Prince Felix of Denmark, second son of HRH Prince Joachim and of his former wife, HE Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg, née Manley.
* HRH Young Crown Prince Hridayendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal,2nd child and only son of Crown Prince Paras and Crown Princess Himani, née Princess of Sikar.
* 26 October: Lucas van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven, second child and first son of TH Prince Maurits and Princess Marilène of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven.

And finally, the 16th birthdays:
* 25 March: HRH infante Afonso of Portugal, Prince of Beira, son of TRH the Duke and Duchess of Bragança, Dom Duarte Pio and Dona Isabel of Portugal.
* 25 July: HRH Princess Maria Olympia of Greece and Denmark, daughter of TRH Crown Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie-Chantal.
* 27 September: HRH Princess Iman bint Abdullah of Jordan, daughter of TM King Abdullah bin Al Hussein and Queen Rania Al Abdullah.
* 17 October: HSH Princess Marie-Caroline of Liechtenstein, daughter of HSH Hereditary Prince Alois and HRH Hereditary Princess Sophie, née Princess of Bavaria and Duchess in Bavaria.

Other major events
The Olympic Games 2012 will take place in London. The British Royal Court has announced that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have become official Team GB and Paralympics GB 2012 Ambassadors in the lead up to, and during, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We can also expect to see many more members of the (extended) British Royal family attending events related to the Olympic Games.

And who knows, what other Royal events 2012 will give us.

Let me know what Royal event you are most looking forward to by replying to this post

Christmas and New Years wish from the Duke and Duchess of Apulia

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TRH The Duke and Duchess of Apulia, Prince Aimone and Princess Olga of Savoy, née Princess of Greece, released a new picture of their sons, HRH the Prince of Piedmonte, Prince Umberto, and HRH the Duke of the Abruzzi, Prince Amedeo, to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.

Click HERE to view the picture.

Happy New Year

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A wish you all a very happy, healthy and successful 2012.

Josette