Click on the photo to see the article from Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse

Last Wednesday, Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco served as the chairperson for the first event of the “Medicines for Low-Income Patients Program” in Casablanca. The Princess devotes a lot of time and energy to supporting cancer research. She also serves as the head of the Anti-Cancer Association of Morocco (ASLC).

According to an article from Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse, the program provides medical check-ups, chemotherapy, and other medicines to people with cancer. The group has created a database and record-keeping system in an effort to better serve those with cancer who wouldn’t otherwise be able to get treatment.

For more information about Lalla Salma, and the Moroccan Royal Family, please visit this thread.

sgl Moroccan Royals Cancer, Health, Hospital, Lalla Salma

Lalla Salma photo courtesy of TRF Avatar Collection

 Last Friday, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President of Argentina, met with Lalla Salma at the royal palace in Morocco. It was a quick and private meeting, lasting only an hour, according to Telam National News Agency of Argentina.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was on her way back to Buenos Aires when she made the stop in Morocco. She had been on an official visit to India. Lalla Salma requested the meeting. She was very interested in learning about de Kirchner’s experiences in India. The two women discussed the official trip, and then de Kirchner went on to Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, photos of the meeting have not been released.

For more information about Lalla Salma, and the Royal Family of Morocco, please visit this thread.

sgl Moroccan Royals Argentina, Lalla Salma, President Kirchner

Click here to see the photo at Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse

 Last Friday, King Mohammed VI officially opened the Moroccan Parliament. He began by addressing both houses of Parliament. In his speech, the King called for the creation of an economic and social council that would serve in an advisory role to the legislature and also to the executive branch of the Moroccan government.

According to an article in Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse, the King stated that the council should be made up of “representatives of the nation’s forces, productive sectors, socioeconomic and professional institutions, as well as qualified members of civil society and a substantial number of women”. The King wants the council to be as inclusive as possible. He told the members of Parliament that the council should not only include Moroccans residing in Morocco, but also Moroccan nationals who are living abroad. The recruitment plan is, “in accordance to with my wish to involve in the council all skilled Moroccans, wherever they may be”, said the King.

The goal of the King’s plan for the council is to improve the credibility of the parliament, and to help the government run more efficiently. The King hopes that a more effective government will lead to more development within Morocco.

To read about, and to discuss King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan Royal Family, please visit this thread.

sgl Moroccan Royals Mohammed VI, Parliament

Click on the photo to read the article from Kentnews.

 The Duchess of Gloucester officially opened a refurbished inpatient unit at the Heart of Kent Hospice. The new unit was the result of a £286,000 grant provided by the Department of Health, with the goal of improving the environment for the terminally ill adults who are served by the hospice.

According to an article from Kentnews.co.uk, the Duchess was welcomed to the area by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, and was greeted at the Heart of Kent Hospice by its patron, Viscountess Monckton of Brenchley. The Duchess spent time meeting with members of the project team, and also unveiled a plaque created in honor of her visit.

Some of the renovations to the unit include improved lighting, new bedding and curtains, as well as a new floor and a new bathroom. These improvements were funded by the grant, while additional improvements including a family bedroom and therapy room, were funded by the Frances Winham Foundation, the Genzyme Corporation, and the Caron Keating Foundation.

To read more about the Duchess of Gloucester, please visit this thread.

sgl British Royals Duchess of Gloucester, Hospital

Click here to see the photo from the Washington Post

 Nearly 15 months ago, Washington, D.C.-based secretary Peggielene Bartels received a phone call that would change her life forever. Early one morning, at 4:00 AM to be exact, a phone call came that woke Bartels from her sleep. The call came from Otuam, a seaside town in the African nation of Ghana. The caller addressed Bartels as “Nana”, which is a term Ghanians use to refer to people of high stature. Bartels, who is not a grandmother and does not have any children of her own, thought that the call was a joke, according to an article in the Washington Post.

The caller stated that the King of Otuam had recently passed away, and that the village elders had selected her as their new king. The King of Otuam was the uncle of Peggielene Bartels, and the village elders performed a traditional ritual to decide upon the heir to the throne. The ritual consisted of praying, then pouring schnapps on the ground. The elders waited for the steam to rise as they called out the names of 25 relatives. The steam would indicate the name of the relative who was destined to be king. The elders announced that Peggielene Bartels was to become the new King of Otuam.

When the caller broke the news, Bartels stated, “Oh please don’t play games with me”, and proceeded to tell the caller that since she was female, she would be more suited for the role of queen. The caller replied that the only position available was that of king, and said that they already had a queen. Bartels told the Washington Post that the caller said to her: “Things are changing. Women can now hold many more positions, even king. You have to accept it”. Read more…

sgl Other African Monarchies Coronation, Female Kings, Ghana, Otuam, Peggielene Bartels

 Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, arrived in the Helmand province of Afghanistan last Tuesday. On Wednesday, he met with soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, the Rifles, according to an article from Monsters and Critics.com. The prince is the Royal Colonel of the battalion.

The 2nd Battalion has been in Afghanistan for five months. They are working closely with the Afghan police force and army, and are expected to be there for a few more weeks, of which Prince Edward said that he hoped were “painless and productive”. The prince spent time with the battalion, talking with them and dining with them.

Major Marc Briggs told Sky News, “It’s an honor to have our Royal Colonel come to see the battalion when we’re so far forward in the fight”, and “The visit of His Royal Highness only reinforces the level of public support we’ve experienced”.

After spending two days in Afghanistan, Prince Edward travelled to Bahrain to visit with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

To read about, and to discuss Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, please visit this thread.

sgl British Royals Afghanistan, Earl of Wessex, Military

Click here to see the photo from Agence Maghreb Arabe Press

 Last Friday, King Mohammed VI celebrated the opening of a new female student house and training center in Marrakech. The new facility cost around 4.55 million dirhams. It was financed by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity and the MAMDA-MCMA Construction Foundation, according to an article in the Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse.

Dar Attaliba, the student house, provides courses and accommodation for young women from poor rural areas. It was created in order to combat the dropout rate among this demographic. It can house up to sixty young women, and includes all of the usual amenities of student housing, plus an on-site infirmary, kitchen, and reading room.

The new training center will offer classes in literacy, dress-making and crafts (to help the women earn an income), and training to encourage children’s education. An on-site daycare will also be offered at the training center.

In addition to the new opportunities for women in the fields of education and trade, the Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity recently gave an interview to the Global Post where she highlighted the achievements of the Moroccan government and King in helping to improve the lives of women. Nouzha Skalli discussed the new Family Code. This law helps to provide equal rights and responsibilities for husbands and wives. There is also a criminal code, which makes sexual harassment in the workplace illegal. These laws were created to help combat violence against women, a subject that, until recently, was considered taboo in Morocco.

To read about, and to discuss King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan Royal Family, please visit this thread.

sgl Moroccan Royals Education, Mohammed VI, Women's Rights

Click here to read the article from Hello! Magazine

 On Tuesday September 8, Lord Nicholas Windsor and his wife Paola welcomed the arrival of their second son. The baby boy was born at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. The couple also have a two year old son, Albert Louis Phillip Edward Windsor. The baby’s names have not been released yet, and many royal watchers are currently wondering if the Lord and Lady Nicholas will select traditional names for the baby, as they have done with their first-born.

According to an article in Hello! Magazine, the baby’s birthday is a very special day for his deeply Catholic parents. The 8th of September is the feast day of the Virgin Mary. Lord and Lady Nicholas married at the Vatican in 2006. Currently, the baby is the 26th person in line for the British throne, but only until he is baptized, as the inheritance rules do not allow a Catholic to inherit the throne. Lord Nicholas gave up his succession rights upon his conversion to Catholicism. Lord Nicholas is the youngest son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

To read about, and to discuss Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor and their family, please visit this thread.

sgl British Royals Birth, Lady Nicholas Windsor, Lord Nicholas Windsor

 Princess Letizia has hit a high note fashion-wise. Earlier this year, the princess was named to Vanity Fair magazine’s Best Dressed List for 2009, where she came in at number 2. However, Vanity Fair isn’t the only non fashion-focused magazine to notice Letizia. Time magazine has recently featured her in an article that focuses on her fashions.

Since the announcement of her engagement to Crown Prince Felipe of Spain in 2003, the world has taken notice of Letizia. The former Letizia Ortiz worked as a journalist before her marriage to Felipe. Her style often reflected this at the beginning of their marriage. Letizia often relied on serious-looking business suits for public engagements. Over the years, as she has grown more comfortable with her role as a princess, Letizia has become more fashionable. Her wardrobe features the work of many Spanish designers, from the affordable Zara to the more exclusive Felipe Varela. The princess has become known for her love of platform shoes and form-fitting silhouettes. Her clothing has become brighter, and she has steered herself away from the “news anchor” look of 2003. The article in Time quotes Spanish journalist Maria Jose Iglesias, who says,”she has done more for Spanish fashion in the last five years than decades of catwalks and advertisments”.

To see more royal fashions, including those of Princess Letizia, please visit this thread.

sgl Spanish Royals Fashion, Princess Letizia

Click here to see the photo at Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse

King Mohammed VI chaired a lecture on the subject of faith and health last Tuesday. In Morocco, lectures on various topics related to Islam are given during the holy month of Ramadan. It has become a tradition that has been upheld by the Moroccan royal family, with the king presiding over the lectures. This year, King Mohammed’s presence at the lectures is even more special, due to the fact that he became ill with a stomach virus during the start of Ramadan.

The lecture, which was held in Marrakech last Tuesday, was delivered by Mohammad Haytam al Khayat, who is the senior advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Al Khayat focused on prevention of illnesses, and the protection of health, according to an article in the Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse. Al Khayat discussed the worries over the H1N1 virus, and stated that there was a “need not to overstate the seriousness of the virus, especially since the measures recommended by the relevant organizations are still valid on the eve of the pilgrimage season”.

Last week, another Ramadan lecture was given in Casablanca on the topic of “Faith and the Love of Country”. King Mohammed was not the only member of the royal family present for the lecture. He was accompanied by his brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, and his cousin, Prince Moulay Ismail. The lecture was delivered by Said Bihi, president of the Council of the Ulema of Hay Hassani. Bihi talked about how the love of country is one of the religious prescriptions stated in the Koran, according to the Agence Maghreb Arab Presse.

The lectures are scheduled to continue throughout Ramadan.

To read about, and to discuss King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan Royal Family, please visit this thread.

sgl Moroccan Royals Mohammed VI, Prince Moulay Ismail, Prince Moulay Rachid, Ramadan