Crown Princess family of Sweden out for a walk

TRH Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, the Duchess and Duke of Västergötland, went out for a walk with their newborn daughter, HRH Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland

A picture of the Crown Princess family can be found at the official facebook of the Swedish Royal Court HERE

The picture was taken by the brother of the Crown Princess, HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Värmland.

100th anniversary of the birth of the late Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland

HRH Prince Bertil Gustaf Oscar Carl Eugen of Sweden, Duke of Halland, was born as the 3rd son and 4th child of the late HM King Gustav Adolf of Sweden [then HRH Crown Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Skåne] and the late HRH Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, Duchess of Skåne, née Princess of Connaught [a granddaughter of HM Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great-Britain and Northern Ireland, Empres of India via her 3rd son], on 28 February 1912.

He has 2 older brothers, the late HRH Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, the late Count Sigvard Bernadotte of Wisborg [formerly HRH Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland], 1 older sister, the late HM Queen Ingrid of Denmark [born HRH Princess Ingrid of Sweden], and 1 younger brother, Count Carl Johan, Bernadotte af Wisborg [formerly HRH Prince Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna].

The Prince wanted to marry Lilian Davies, former married name Craig, however, his oldest brother died leaving only a 1 year old son as his heir (and 4 daughters who were not in line to the throne), and his second oldest brother had already given up his place in the line of succesion to the Swedish throne. If the Prince had married Lilian then, he would have had to give up his place in line to the Swedish throne and leave the future of the Swedish Monarchy on the then 1 year old Crown Prince. The Prince lived with his true love for over 30 years, until the Prince could finally marry Lilian.

After the nephew of the Prince, the current HM King Carl Gustav of Sweden, married a commoner, the King approved the marriage of Prince Bertil and Lilian Davies. The wedding took place on 7 December 1976 and Lilian received the titles Princess of Sweden and Duchess of Holland with the style of Royal Highness.

The Duke of Halland died on on 5 January 1997.

HQ picture:


Source: kungahuset.se

5th birthday of Princess Lalla Khadija of Morocco

The Moroccan Royal Court released a new picture of HRH Princess Lalla Khadija of Morocco, the second child and only daughter of HM King Mohammed and HRH Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco, to celebrate her 5th birthday on 27 February 2012.

The Princess has an older brother, HRH Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco.

Click HERE to view the picture of the Princess at MAP. To download the HQ picture, click on sar_lalla_khadija__anniversaire-zip at the same page.

New official picture of Prince Henrik jr of Denmark

A new official picture of HH Prince Henrik of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, can be found at his profile page at the official website of the Danish Royal family.

The picture was taken in 2011, but I hadn't seen it before. I figured this might also be the case for my readers, which is why I'm posting it.

Click HERE to view the picture.

First pictures of Princess Estelle of Sweden

The Swedish Royal Court has released the first pictures of HRH Princess Estelle of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland, the first child of TRH Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, the Duchess and Duke of Västergötland.

The Princess wears a vest that is created by the deceased grandmother of the Crown Princess via her mother's side, Alice Sommerlath, born de Toledo. The pictures were taken in Haga Palace, the residence of the Crown Princess family.

HQ pictures:


Source: kungahuset.se

First pictures of Princess Isabelle of Orléans

TRH Prince Charles-Philippe and Princess Diana of Orléans, The Duke and Duchess of Anjou and The Duke-Consort and Duchess of Cadaval, have taken their newborn daughter, HRH Princess Isabelle, home. Pictures from Caras can be found HERE.

Swedish Royal family and Westling family attend a thanksgiving service

TM King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden, HRH Prince Daniel of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Värmland, Olla and Ewa Westling, Anna and Mikael Söderström, and Tord Magnuson have attended a thanksgiving service on 24 February 2012 at Te Deum to celebrate the birth of HRH Princess Estelle of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland, first child of the Swedish Crown Princess Couple.

HQ Picture:


source: kungahuset.se

The statement on Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau in German, Dutch and English

The statement on HRH Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau in German, Dutch and English:

German:
Prinz Friso ist am 17. Februar gegen 14:00 Uhr vom Notarzthubschrauber in die Innsbrucker Klinik eingeliefert worden. Der Patient war zuvor in Lech von einer Lawine verschüttet worden. Die Verschüttungszeit wurde mit etwa 25 Minuten angegeben. In der Universitätsklinik Innsbruck wurde der Patient nach der Erstversorgung im Schockraum sofort in die Traumatologische Intensivstation gebracht. Diese Einrichtung ist darauf spezialisiert schwerstverletzte Lawine Patienten mit größtem medizinischen und technischen Aufwand zu behandeln. Leiter dieser Einrichtung ist Dr. Wolfgang Koller.

Unsere Station wurde bereits vor Eintreffen des Patienten informiert und wir konnten alles für seine Ankunft vorbereiten. Prinz Friso ist unter Reanimationsbedingungen in die Klinik eingeliefert worden. Durch die lange Zeit unter dem Schnee war sein Gehirn nicht ausreichend mit Sauerstoff versorgt. Die Folge war ein Herzstillstand, der etwa 50 Minuten andauerte. In diesem gesamten Zeitraum musste der Patient reanimiert werden. 50 Minuten Reanimation ist sehr lange. Man kann auch sagen zu lange. Unsere Hoffnung war, dass die leichte Unterkühlung des Patienten das Gehirn ausreichend vor allzu großen Schäden geschützt hat. Diese Hoffnung wurde leider nicht erfüllt. Seit Freitag hat ein Team von Spezialisten um das Leben von Prinz Friso gekämpft. Gestern war zum ersten Mal eine MRI-Untersuchung möglich, ohne den Patienten zu gefährden. Seit dieser Untersuchung und den letzten neurologischen Tests gestern Abend ist klar, dass der Sauerstoffmangel massive Schäden im Gehirn des Patienten verursacht hat. Es kann derzeit nicht gesagt werden, ob er jemals wieder das Bewusstsein erlangen wird. Auf jeden Fall wird die Rehabilitation Monate, wenn nicht Jahre dauern. Die Familie von Prinz Friso wird jetzt als erstes eine geeignete Rehabilitationseinrichtung suchen.

Dutch:
Op 17 februari werd Prins Friso iets voor 14:00 uur. per traumahelikopter naar het academisch ziekenhuis in Innsbruck gebracht. De patiënt was kort daarvoor in Lech bedolven geraakt onder een lawine. De Prins heeft ongeveer 25 minuten onder de sneeuw gelegen. In het academisch ziekenhuis van Innsbruck is de patiënt na een eerste behandeling op de spoedeisende hulp meteen naar de trauma-afdeling van de intensive care gebracht. Deze afdeling is erin gespecialiseerd om ernstig gewonde lawine-patiënten met de grootst mogelijke medische en technische zorg te behandelen. Het hoofd van deze afdeling is dr. Wolfgang Koller.

Onze afdeling werd al voor aankomst van de patiënt op de hoogte gebracht. Hierdoor hebben we alle nodige voorbereidingen kunnen treffen. Prins Friso kwam in het ziekenhuis aan, terwijl hij gereanimeerd werd. Omdat hij gedurende langere tijd onder de sneeuw heeft gelegen, zijn zijn hersenen onvoldoende voorzien van zuurstof. Met als gevolg een hartstilstand die ongeveer 50 minuten duurde. Gedurende deze hele periode moest de patiënt gereanimeerd worden. Een reanimatietijd van 50 minuten is erg lang. Wellicht zelfs te lang. Het was onze hoop dat de lichte onderkoeling van de patiënt de hersenen tegen al te grote schade zou beschermen. Helaas werd deze hoop niet bewaarheid. Sinds afgelopen vrijdag heeft een team van specialisten gevochten voor het leven van Prins Friso. Gisteren was de eerste mogelijkheid een MRI-scan te maken, zonder de patiënt in gevaar te brengen. Sinds dit onderzoek en de laatste neurologische tests gisterenavond is het duidelijk dat het zuurstoftekort grote schade veroorzaakt heeft in de hersenen van de patiënt. Het is niet zeker of hij ooit weer bij bewustzijn zal komen. Een eventuele revalidatie zal in ieder geval maanden, zo niet jaren in beslag nemen. De familie van Prins Friso zal nu eerst op zoek gaan naar een geschikte revalidatiefaciliteit.

English:
Prince Friso was brought to Innsbruck university hospital by rescue helicopter at about 14:00 on 17 February, after being buried by an avalanche in Lech. He was covered for approximately 25 minutes. At the hospital, after receiving initial treatment in the reanimation unit, he was taken straight to the intensive care trauma unit. This unit specialises in treating the most seriously injured avalanche patients with the utmost medical and technical expertise. The unit's head is Dr Wolfgang Koller.

Our unit was notified of the patient's imminent arrival and we were able to prepare everything in advance. Prince Friso was brought to the hospital under reanimation conditions. Due to the length of time he was covered under the snow, his brain had been deprived of oxygen. The result was cardiac arrest, which lasted approximately 50 minutes. The patient had to be reanimated during this entire period. Fifty minutes is a very long time. One could say, too long. We hoped that the patient's mild hypothermic state had sufficiently protected the brain against excessive damage. Unfortunately, our hope was in vain. Since last Friday, a team of specialists has been fighting to save Prince Friso's life. Yesterday, a first MRI-scan was possible, without bringing the patient into danger. Since this examination and the latest neurological tests yesterday evening it is clear that the oxygen deprivation has caused extensive damage to the patient's brain. At present it is not certain whether he will ever regain consciousness. In any event, rehabilitation will take months, if not years. Prince Friso's family will now look for an appropriate rehabilitation facility.

Source: RVD

Update Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau

HRH Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau was 25 minutes under the snow. The medical team needed 50 minutes of CPR to bring him back. There is major brain damage and they do not know if he is ever going to wake up. If he wakes up, multiple months or even years of rehabilitation will be needed.

And her name is: Estelle Silvia Eva Mary

The newborn daughter of TRH Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, the Duchess and Duke of Västergötland, has received the style, name and titles of HRH Princess Estelle Silvia Eva Mary of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland.

HM King Carl Gustav of Sweden announced the name and title of the new Princess today. The King was accompanied by his son, HRH Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland

Update on Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau at noon

The head of the team of treating physicians of HRH Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau will today at 12.00 in the Landeskrankenhaus in Innsbruck give a press conference to explain the diagnosis and prognosis of the health of the Prince.

Live stream:
http://nos.nl/nieuws/live/journaal24/

Prince Daniel of Sweden takes Crown Princess Victoria and the newborn Princess home

TRH Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, the Duchess and Duke of Västergötland, have brought their newborn daughter home.

A picture of the new family of three ready to leave the hosptial can be found at the official facebook of the Swedish Royal Court HERE.

It's a girl for Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden

TRH Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, the Duchess and Duke of Västergötland, had their first child, a girl on 23 February 2012 at 04.26. The newborn Princess is 51 cm long, weighs 3280 grams and was born in the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.

A cabinet meeting will be held tormorrow, in which HM King Carl Gustav of Sweden informs the Government of the title, name, given name and assigned duchy of the New Princess of Sweden.

The new Princess is second-in-line to the Swedish Thone, after her mother.

Update: Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau condition still stable but not out of Danger

According to the RVD, HRH Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau's condition is stable but not out of danger.

The attending physicians will substantive statements about the prognosis, as soon as they are capable of doing.

It's a girl for the Duke and Duchess of Anjou (and Cadaval)

TRH Prince Charles-Philippe and Princess Diana of Orléans, The Duke and Duchess of Anjou and The Duke-Consort and Duchess of Cadaval, had their first child, HRH Princess Isabelle, on 22 February 2012. The Duchess gave birth to the little Princess in Lisbon, Portugal.

According to the new parents, the new Princess of Orléans is named after her great-grandmother, HRH the late Countess of Paris, Princess Isabelle of Orleans, née Princess of Orléans-Braganza. In addition, 22 February is the day of Saint Isabelle of France. The announcement also made public that the new family of three plans to share their time between living in Estoril and living in Évora, Portugal.

New official pictures of the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinburgh wearing honours from New Zealand and Canada

New pictures of the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, wearing Honours from New Zealand, have been released:



Source: The Royal Household via http://gg.govt.nz

New picture of the Queen, wearing Honours from Canada, has been released:



Source: The Royal Household via www.canadiancrown.com

Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau in hospital after skiing accident

HRH Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, second son of HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, has today, 17 February 2012, become a victim of an avalanche in the ski resort of Lech.

Prince Friso was admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital in Innsbruck in Austria. Physicians describe the condition of the Prince as stable but not out of danger. The Queen and Princess Mabel are at the hospital with the Prince.

The Queen and Prince Friso and his family, wife HRH Princess Mabel and daughters Highborn Countess Luana and Highborn Countess Luana of Orange-Nassau, were in Lech for a winter holiday. The older brothers of the Prince, HRH the Prince of Orange and HRH Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands and their respective families arrived on Friday evening. They yearly photoshoot in Lech, which was to take place next Monday, has been cancelled.

Photoshoot relating to the birth of Princess Antoinette of Orléans and the christening of Princess Antoinette

There was a photoshoot with TRH the Duke and Duchess of Vendôme, Prince Jean and Princess Philomena of Orléans, and their children, HRH Prince Gaston and the newborn HRH Princess Antoinette on 9 February 2012.

HQ pictures:



The christening of Princess Antoinette Leopoldine Jeanne Marie took place on 11 February 2012.

A HQ picture of the Princess and her paternal grandmother, HRH the Duchess of Montpensier, née Duchess of Württemberg:



Source: princejeandefrance.fr



More pictures of the photoshoot  and the christening can be found at Newscom HERE.
(Search: "Princess Antoinette of Orleans")

New official pictures of the Queen of the Netherlands and the Prince and Princess of Orange

The Dutch Royal Court released new official pictures of HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and TRH the Prince and Princess of Orange, Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands.

HQ pictures:
  

Source: RVD

New official website Dutch Royal family

The Dutch Royal Court released a new official website on 15 February 2012.

www.koninklijkhuis.nl

Wedding of Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi and Sheikha Fatema bint Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi

HH Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi married HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi on 12 February 2012. Sheikha Fatima is a daughter of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

80th birthday Gala banquet for Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner

The 80th birthday Gala banquet for Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner, was held on her birthday, 12 February 2012. In addition to the Princess and her husband, Johan Ferner, among others, TM King Harald and Queen Sonja, TRH Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, and Princess Ragnhild, mrs. Lorentzen and Erling Lorentzen were present.

HQ pictures:


Source: Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen / Det kongelige hof

Photoshoot with Danish Crown Princely family

There was a photoshoot with the Danish Crown Princely family, TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary with their children, HRH Prince Christian, HRH Princess Isabella, HRH Prince Vincent and HRH Princess Josephine of Denmark, in Verbier, Switserland. Click HERE to view pictures the the official website of the Danish Royal family.

80th birthday of Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner

Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner, will turn 80 on 12 February 2012. TM King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, will host a dinner in honor of the Princess on her birthday. Among others, TRH Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway will be present. In addition, 2 new pictures of the Princess have been released.

HQ:


Source: Svein Brimi / Det Kongelige hoff


Princess Astrid married Johan ferner on 12 January 1961 and they have 5 children, Catherine [who is married to Arild Johansen, they have 2 children, Sebastian and Madeleine], Benedikte [who was first married to Rolf Woods, they are divorced, and who secondly married Mons Einar Stange, they are separated], Alexander [who is married to Margrét, née Gudmundsdóttir, they have 2 children, Edward and Stella], Elisabeth [who is married to Tom Beckmann, they have 1 son, Benjamin] and Carl-Christian.

Prince Harry completes Apache training and is awarded best co-pilot gunner award

8th February 2012

HRH Prince Harry of Wakeshas become a fully operational Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot after successfully completing 18 months of intensive training. The Prince was last night (Wednesday) awarded the prize for being best Co-Pilot Gunner during a dinner to mark the end of the course.

The Prince has now attained Limited Combat Ready status, and will be assigned to 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps within 16 Air Assault Brigade, where he will gain wider experience flying Apaches and take part in exercises in the United Kingdom.

Over the last 18 months, Prince Harry has been assessed continuously to ensure that he is capable of flying and fighting the Apache Attack Helicopter. The Apache training is split in two parts between the Conversion to Type Course (CTT), which teaches students to fly the aircraft, and the Conversion to Role (CTR) Course, which teaches them to fight the aircraft.

Prince Harry recently completed a two month exercise in the United States, known as Exercise Crimson Eagle, which is a major part of his CTR course. The exercise included Environmental Training, where students had to prove their proficiency in handling the aircraft in mountainous and desert conditions, including dust landings and limited power training during both day and night. It also included a period of Judgemental Training in the use of weapon systems in challenging tactical situations. Towards the end of the Exercise, students took part in a live firing phase, which involved firing all the aircraft weapons systems in realistic tactical scenarios.

Colonel Neale Moss, Commander of the Attack Helicopter Force at RAF Wattisham, said:

“The Apache course is extremely challenging teaching and testing students in their flying skills, decision making and mental agility on exercise all over the country and abroad. They are assessed continually to ensure that they are up to the challenge of operating one of the most sophisticated attack helicopters in the world.

“This requires composure, dedication and hard work and I congratulate all of the students as they go forward to join an operational squadron and continue to learn more in their aviation careers.”

The Queen of England celebrates her Diamond Jubilee

HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great-Britain and Northern Ireland celebrated her Diamond Jubilee on 6 February 2012.

New pictures of the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, wearing British Honours and taken in December 2011, have been released:



Source: Royal Household/John Swannell

The main events:

Saturday 2 June, 2012
The Queen will attend the Epsom Derby.

Sunday 3 June, 2012
The Big Jubilee Lunch: Building on the already popular Big Lunch initiative, people will be encouraged to share lunch with neighbours and friends as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. This may take the form of a traditional street party or a picnic lunch in small or larger groups. This event is being organised by the Big Lunch. Find out more.

The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant: This event will take place on the Thames and consist of up to 1,000 boats assembled from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will travel in the Royal Barge which will form the centrepiece of the flotilla. Find out more

Monday 4 June, 2012
BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace: There will be a televised Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace with tickets being available to UK residents by public ballot. The musical programme for the concert is still being planned and is expected to feature British and Commonwealth musicians. Details on how to apply for the concert will be available in due course. This event is being organised by the BBC.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Beacons: A network of 2,012 Beacons will be lit by communities and individuals throughout the United Kingdom, as well as the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Commonwealth. As in 2002, The Queen will light the National Beacon. Find out more

Tuesday 5 June, 2012
Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession: Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession: There will be a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and a formal carriage Procession by The Queen.

Commonwealth Realms and other Commonwealth nations will be creating their own events in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee. In addition, they will be represented at, and involved with, the events taking place over the central weekend, including the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June and the Service of Thanksgiving on 5 June.

Other events:

In addition to the events mentioned above, the Queen will celebrate Commonwealth Day Observance in Westminster Abbey on 12 March 2012, and members of the Royal family will visit several parts of the Kingdom.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, supported by other members of the Royal Family, will be travelling as widely as possible across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The programme will include:
29th March: North London
26th - 27th April: Wales
1st - 2nd May: South West England
15th May: South London
16th - 17th May: North West England
13th - 14th June: East Midlands and East Anglia
25th June and 25th July: South East England
2nd - 6th July: Scotland (Holyrood Week)
11th - 12th July: West Midlands
18th - 19th July: North East England

Overseas visits by Members of the Royal Family

Members of the Royal Family will travel overseas representing The Queen throughout the Diamond Jubilee year, visiting every Realm as well as undertaking visits to Commonwealth countries, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

Her Majesty has asked that these visits include the following:

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea

TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall: Channel Islands, Isle of Man

TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: Malaysia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu

HRH Prince Harry: Belize, Jamaica, The Bahamas

HRH The Duke of York: India

TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Gibraltar, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago

HRH The Princess Royal: Mozambique, Zambia

HRH The Duke of Gloucester: British Virgin Islands, Malta

HRH The Duke of Kent: Falkland Islands, Uganda

40th birthday of the Crown Princess of Denmark

HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, celebrated her 40th birthday on 5 February 2012. The Crown Princess is married to HRH Crown Prince Frederik and they have 4 children, HRH Prince Christian, HRH Princess Isabella, HRH Prince Vincent and HRH Princess Josephine of Denmark.

The Danish Royal Court released pictures of the Crown Princess. To view them, please click HERE. There were also other pictures and some private pictures of the Crown Princely family in Berlingske, a Danish paper. This also included a interview.

A party was hosted by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess on 4 February. Guests include HM Queen Margrethe and HRH Prince Henrik, the Prince-Consort of Denmark, TRH  Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, TRH the Duke and Duchess of Brabant, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium, HRH Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark, HSH Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Countess of Pfeil and Klein-Ellguth, and Carina Axelsson, partner of HSH Hereditary Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Baron Otto and Baroness Helle Reedtz-Thott and Countess Jean Ahlefeldt-Laurvig. Pictures from Starlounge can be found HERE.

Tradition and customs on the occasion of a royal birth in the Royal family of Sweden

Tradition and customs on the occasion of a royal birth
The following traditional ceremonies will take place in the order below in connection with the birth of baby of TRH Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, the Duchess and Duke of Västergötland, which is due at the beginning of March 2012.

Press release
On the occasion of a royal birth, the Marshal of the Realm notifies the nation's leaders of the birth. A press release from the Marshal of the Realm will then be published atwww.kungahuset.se and atwww.facebook.com/kungahuset.

Statement of witness
On the occasion of a royal birth, a statement of witness is drawn up in accordance with tradition. This is done on the day after the birth, unless the birth takes place on a Saturday, in which case the statement of witness is drawn up on the following Monday.

The Speaker, the Prime Minister, the Marshal of the Realm and the Mistress of the Robes are the witnesses. The statement of witness is signed and sealed by these witnesses.

Cabinet meeting
On the occasion of a royal birth, a cabinet meeting is held. The King convenes the cabinet meeting in accordance with chapter 5, § 3 of the Instrument of Government, which states that the Government shall hold a cabinet meeting chaired by the Head of State. Cabinet meetings held at The King's initiative include those held in the event of the birth of an heir to the throne.

At the cabinet meeting, The King informs the Government of the title, name, given name and assigned duchy of the heir to the throne. The cabinet meeting is held on the day after the birth, unless the birth takes place on a Saturday, in which case it is held on the following Monday.

Salute
On the occasion of a royal birth, a salute is fired from Skeppsholmen in Stockholm in accordance with the Swedish Armed Forces' ceremonial provisions (Instruction to the Swedish Armed Forces, ceremonies; Cerl FM 2010). For the firstborn of a Head of State or an heir to the throne, a salute is fired in two rounds, with a one minute interval, of 21 shots each. Salutes are also fired at the salute stations in Boden, Härnösand, Karlskrona and Gothenburg.

Te Deum
On the occasion of a royal birth, a thanksgiving service — the Te Deum — is held. The Te Deum is an ancient church ceremony, which in a royal context takes place in connection with important events in the Royal Family: christenings, birthdays, jubilees and other ceremonial occasions. The last time a Te Deum was held was on 30 April 2006, to mark the occasion of The King's 60th birthday.

The Te Deum is held in the Royal Chapel on the day after the birth, unless the birth takes place on a Saturday, in which case it is held on the following Monday. The invited guests are the immediate family, representatives of the Riksdag and the Government, other representatives of official Sweden and the staff of the Royal Court.

Royal Genealogy - January 2012

Royal Genealogy events in January 2012.

Royal births and pregnancies
HH The Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bint Rashid Al Maktoum, and his wife, née HRH Princess Haya of Jordan, had their second child and first son together. HH Sheikh Zayed was born on 7 January and joined older sister HH Sheikha Aljalila and (as far as we know) 21 half siblings. HSH Princess Tatiana of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Hubertus Stephan had their first child, a boy named Carl, on 22 January. TRH Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark had their first daughter and second child together on January 24. As usual with the Danish Royal family, the name of the little Princess won't be announced until her christening. The newborn Princess joins older brother HH Prince Henrik and older half-brothers HH Prince Nikolai and HH Prince Felix. 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. She joins older brother HRH Prince Gaston.

The list of current (known) Royal pregnancies:
- TRH The Duke and Duchess of Anjou, Prince Charles-Philippe and Princess Diana of Orléans, the Duke-Consort and Duchess of Cadaval. (1st child, due 26 February 2012)
- TRH Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, Duchess and Duke of Västergötland. (1st child, due in March 2012)
- Peter Phillips and his wife née Autumn Kelly (second child, due in March 2012)
- TRH The Duke and Duchess of Parma, Prince Carlos and Princess Annemarie of Bourbon-Parma (1st child together, second child for the Duke, due at the end of May 2012)
- HSH Princess Benigna Reuss and Oscar Ascoz y Planes (1st child, due in June 2012)

Royal engagements and weddings
HRH Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Parma announced her engagement to Albert Brenninkmeijer on 9 January. The engagement of HSH Princess Marie-Sophie Lobkowicz and Freiherr Constantin von Maasburg, was announced on 11 January at the Facebook page of the Princess. The wedding will take place later this year. HRH 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 his engagement to his first cousin, the Hon Sinaitakala Fakafanua, only daughter of Princess ‘Ofeina Fakafanua and the late Fakafanua, on January 24. The Faitohi ceremony took place at the end of July 2011. HRH Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein of Jordan married Basma Bani on 12 January. The Prince was previously married to his second cousin, HRH Princess Noor bint Asem bin Al Nayef of Jordan, and they have a daughter, HRH Princess Haya bint Hamzah, who was born on 18 April 2007.

Royal Deaths
HH Sheikha Amina bint Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mualla of Umm Al Qaiwain, sister of HH the Emir of Umm Al Qaiwain, Sheikh Saud bin Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mualla, died on 7 January, while HRH Maharani Shiv Kumari of Kotah, née Princess of Bikaner, died on January 12. HH Sheikh Humaid Bin Mohammad Bin Saqer Al-Qasimi of Sharjah died on 20 January. HH Sheikh Saud Al-Nasser Al-Saud Al-Sabah of Kuwait died on 21 January. HRH Hereditary Grand Duchess Karin of Mecklenburg-Schwerin died on 26 January 2012.