December 2006 Newsletter: Royals A-Z

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Raad van State (Council of State): a constitutionally established advisory body to the government which consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic, or military experience. They review proposed legislation before a law is submitted to the parliament and serve as a channel of appeal for citizens against executive branch decisions.

Raghdan Palace – The word Raghadan originates from the Arabic verb, "raghad" to reflect a comfortable life. Stones from the southern town of Ma’an were used for the exterior. Its windows were made from colored glass to resemble the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. It became the home of King Abdullah I of Jordan and his family, and was also used as offices for the Royal Court.

Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen – Née Princess Ragnhild of Norway in 1930. Daughter of King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha. Married to Erling Lorentzen Three children. Resides in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Raina Al-Abdullah – is the queen consort of King Abdullah II of Jordan. Born in Kuwait of Palestinian parents, she is the mother of Prince Hussein, Princess Salma, Princess Iman and Prince Hashem.

Rainier I of Monaco (born 1267 - died 1314) was, in fact, the first sovereign Grimaldi ruler of the area now known as Monaco. He also holder the title of Lord of Cagnes. First, married Salvatica, daughter of Giacomo del Carretto, Margrave of Final. They have four children: Charles I, his successor, Vinciguerra, Salvaggia, Luca, Lord of Villefranche. Secondly, Rainier I married Andriola Grillo. This marriage was childless.

Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005), styled HSH The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost fifty-six years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th Century. He was married to Grace Kelly, their children are: Caroline, Albert and Stephanie.

Raiyah Bint Al Hussein – daughter of the late King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan. She studied the International Baccalaureate at the United World College of the Atlantic and is currently studying at Edinburgh University

Rashid bin El Hassan – the son of Prince Hassan and Princess Savarth of Jordan. Currently a captain in the Jordan Armed Forces he also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trusties of the Hashemite Charitable Organization

Reigen - Emperor Reigen of Japan (9 July 1654 – 24 September 1732) became the 112th Emperor of Japan on 5 March 1663. He abdicated 2 May 1687 in favour of Imperial Prince Asahito (Emperor Higashiyama) and began to rule as a cloistered emperor. His personal name was Satohito and his title was Ate-no-miya.

Reign. The period of time between a monarch’s accession to the throne and their death, abdication or deposition. The longest reign in modern history was that of Karl Friedrich who was successively Margrave, Elector and Grand Duke of Baden from 1738 to 1811 (73 years).

Princess de Rethy- title of the second wife of King Leopold III of the Belgians, Lilian Baels. This title was never official due to the lack of government approval

King Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) – The third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard become heir to the throne after the death of his elder brothers. King Richard participated in the Third Crusade and is believed to get the ‘Lionheart’ epithet for the courage he showed during the campaign.

King Richard III – The brother of King Edward IV, Richard became King by proclaiming his nephews (Edward V and Prince Richard) illegitimate and imprisoning them in Tower (the further fate of the Princes is unknown, though they are believed to be killed in Tower on Richard III’s orders). He was defeated in the Battle of Bosworth by Henry Tudor (future Henry VII). Richard III is immortalized in Shakespeare’s play “Richard III”.

Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Prince – born 1934. Married to Princess Benedikte of Denmark. 3 children.

Riddarholmskyrkan - The Church of Riddarholmen is the burial church of the Swedish monarchy. It is located on the island of Riddarholmen, near Stockholm. Swedish monarchs from Gustavus Adolphus to Gustav V are buried here, as well as earlier monarchs like Magnus Ladulås and Karl Knutsson Bonde.

Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst: the government information service condition of interviews, that does not allow Queen Beatrix to be directly quoted in the media. This rule does not apply to any other member of the royal family.

Riksdag - Sweden's Parliament. The Riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members, who are elected to serve fixed terms of four years.

Rising Sun, Order of - The Order of the Rising Sun is the second most prestigious decoration awarded by the Japanese Emperor. It was instituted by Emperor Meiji in 1875 and is awarded for civil and military merit. In 2003, women became eligible to receive this decoration, which was previously restricted to male recipients. The order has nine classes.

Rocco dei Dreigoni: holiday house of the Dutch Queen

Rockcliffe Park: small but exclusive enclave (now a part of the city of Ottawa) that housed the Dutch royal family during their WWII exile in Canada

Rosenborg, Counts of - Danish princes who married without royal permission were degraded to Counts of Rosenborg.

Rosenborg Slot – Pleasure palace from 1606 in the middle of Copenhagen. Museum today.

Roskilde Cathedral - Burial place of Danish kings and queens since 1536.

Rym Al Ali – the wife of Prince Ali of Jordan and the mother of Princess Jillah. Formerly known as Rym Brahimi, she was a correspondent with CNN. She is the daughter of Lakhdar Brahimi, formerly United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan

 

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Sadako - Princess Kujo Sadako of Japan was born 25 June 1884, the daughter of Prince Kujo Michitaka, head of Kujo branch of the Fujiwara clan. She married then Crown Prince Yoshihito on 25 May 1900. She was the first official wife of a Crown Prince or Emperor to give birth to a son since 1750 when Hirohito was born in 1901. She was a strong influence on imperial life because of her husband’s weak physical and mental health. When she died 17 May 1951, Empress Sedako was given the posthumous name of Empress Teimei. Teimei means "enlightened constancy". See Emperor Taish?.

Order of Saint Patrick – The order is associated with Ireland. Order of Saint Patrick was created in 1783 by George III and regular creation of knights of the order lasted until 1922. However no knight has been created since 1834. The British Monarch is Sovereign of the Order of St Patrick and appoints other members.

Salma Bint Al Abdullah –daughter of the King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan.

Sandringham House – Sandrigham House has been the private home of Sovereigns since 1862. The Queen and other members of the Royal Family regularly spend Christmas at Sandrigham and make it their official base until February.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York – Former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. After the divorce the Duke and Duchess of York retained good relationship. Duchess of York is engaged in several charity and commercial projects.

Savarth El Hassan – the wife of Prince Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan. She is the mother of Princess Rhama, Princess Sumaya, Princess Badiya and Prince Rashid of Jordan.

Sayako – Princess Sayako of Japan, also known as Princess Nori was born 18 April 1969. She is the daughter of Emperor Akihito and Emperess Michiko. She lost her title of princess and became a commoner when she married Yoshiki Kuroda on 15 November 2005.

Schackenborg – Residence of Prince Joachim of Denmark. Manor house and farm in Southern Jutland.

Sebastien, Prince of Luxembourg (1992-)-Fifth child of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

Secret of Huis ten Bosch: understanding that all Dutch ministers keep their meetings with the Queen a secret

Secretariats: Headed by the Principal Secretary, the secretariats perform secretarial duties for the Queen and the other members of the Dutch Royal House and make the initial preparations for events in the Netherlands.

Seraphim, The order of - or the Order of His Majesty the King is a Swedish Royal order of chivalry that was created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Polar Star. After the reorganization of the orders in 1975 the order is only awarded to foreign heads of state and members of the royal family. The order has only one grade with the dignity of Knight (Member for women and clergymen), and is the foremost order of Sweden.

Shinto - Shinto is the native religion of Japan and involves the worship of many gods including the Sun goddess, Amaterasu, the alleged ancestress of the Japanese emperors. In the early 20th century, Shinto was used as an expression of nationalism, so it was abolished as the official state religion by the Occupation after World War II. Shinto is the religion practised by the imperial family.

Showa - Showa Era, Reign of Emperor Hirohito of Japan (Emperor Showa) meaning "period of enlightened peace," which lasted from 25 December 1926 (death of Emperor Taisho) to 7 January 1989 (death of Hirohito). At the end of the second world war, as part of the Constitution imposed by the Allied Powers, the Emperor renounced his divinity and became a figurehead.

Sibilla, Princess of Luxembourg (196- Born Sibilla Sandra Weiller Torlonia. Great granddaughter of Alfonso XIII and Queen Ena of Spain, by way of their daughter, Beatrix, and is thusly related to quite a lot of the European royals in her own right. Her paternal grandmother was Miss Europe in 1930. She is married to a distant cousin, Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, in 1994. 4 Children

Silvia - Born Silvia Renate Sommerlath in Heidelberg, Germany on December 23, 1943. She is the daughter of Walther Sommerlath, a president of the Brazilian subsidiary of the Swedish steel-parts manufacturer Uddeholm, and his wife Alice Soares de Toledo. After World War II, the Sommerlath family moved to São Paulo until 1957, when they returned to Germany. Silvia has worked at the Argentinian Consulate in Munich, was an educational host during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and served as the Deputy Head of Protocol for the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck. Silvia also speaks six languages: Swedish, German, French, Spanish, English and Portuguese. It was at the 1972 Olympics in Munich that Silvia met her future husband. Silvia and Carl Gustaf were married on June 19, 1976 at Stockholm Cathedral by the Archbishop of Uppsala. They have three children, Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine

 

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HE Doña Simoneta Luisa Gomez-Acebo y de Borbón. - She is the oldest child and only daughter of Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz and her husband, Don Luis Gomez-Acebo y de Estrada, Vizconde de la Torre. She was born on October 28, 1968. In 1990 she married Jose Miguel Fernandez y Sastron and they have three children.

Skaugum – Located in Asker, just outside Oslo, Skaugum is the residence of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. It was given as a wedding gift to Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha by Minister Wedel-Jarlsberg in 1929.

Slottet – The Norwegian Palace in Oslo. Built by King Karl Johan in XX. Main residence for the King and Queen.

Soestdijk Palace; is one of the four official palaces of the Dutch royal family and home to Quen Julianna and Prince Bernhard lived for over six decades. Although named after the village of Soestdijk , the palace is just north of the border in the municipality of Baarn in the province of Utrecht.

Queen Sofia of Spain - Born Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, she's the eldest child of the King Paul I of the Hellenes and his wife, Queen Frederika, a former princess of Hanover. Queen Sofia is a member of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg dynasty. Princess Sofia spent her childhood in Egypt and South Africa during her family's exile from Greece during World War II. They returned to Greece in 1946. She finished her education at the prestigious Schloss Salem boarding school in Southern Germany, and then studied pediatrics, music, and archeology in Athens. The Queen is fluent in Spanish, Greek, German, French, and English. She is married to King Juan Carlos of Spain and they have three children.

Solliden - The summer home of the Swedish royal family. On the island of Öland in the Baltic Sea

Solstråleøen – An island in Tysnes Municipality in Hordaland county. The Island was acquired by an Englishman, Mr. John Musgrove. In 1906 the island was given as a gift to, then, Crown Prince Olav by Musgrove’s daughter, Ada. In 1991, after King Olav’s death, his heirs gave the island to Tysnes Municipality to be used as an outdoors area for the citizens of the municipality.

Sonja, Queen of Norway – Née Sonja Haraldsen. Born 1937. Married, then, Crown Prince Harald of Norway in 1968 after a nine-year-long courtship. Became Queen of Norway in 1991. Have two children, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway

Sophie, The Countess of Wessex – Wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and mother of Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor. Until recently The Countess of Wessex worked in public relations.

St. Gudele & St. Michels Cathedral- Site of Belgian Royal weddings and funerals

St. James Palace – One of London’s oldest and most historic palaces, it is also the London residence of the Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy.

St. Olav, Order of - Instituted by Oscar I of Sweden & Norway in 1847. It is awarded for services to Norway and humanity. It is, by present statutes, automatically awarded to Princes and Princesses in line to the Norwegian throne, upon reaching majority.

Stadhouder: a pre-eighteenth century official appointed by the legal ruling Monarch to represent him. In the Netherlands, this developed into a rare type of (de facto) hereditary Head of State of the crowned republic

Princess Stéphanie (Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth Grimaldi, born 1 February) is the youngest child of Grace Kelly and Rainier III of Monaco. She was married to Daniel Ducruet (1995-1996) and Adans Lopez Peres (2003-2004). She has three children: Louis, Pauline and Camille.

Stefano Casiraghi (September 8, 1960 – October 3, 1990) was a sportsman and Italian businessman. He was a son of Fernanda and Giancarlo Casiraghi and the second husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco.

Stiftsgården – The royal residence in Trondheim, Norway.

Stornoway House: Canadian home-in-exile of two future Dutch Queens (Juliana and Beatrix) during their WWII. It is the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition

Style. One way of designating and distinguishing the hierarchy or ranking of members of royal and princely Houses. The qualifications include HIM (His or Her Imperial Majesty) HM (Majesty), HIH (Imperial Highness), HI&RH (Imperial and Royal), HRH (Royal), HGDH (Grand Ducal), HH (Highness), HSH (Serene), and HIllH (Illustrious Highness, for members of certain Holy Roman Empire families of Comital rank.).

Stuyvenberg- Current home of Queen Fabiola of Belgium

Sverre Magnus of Norway, Prince – born 2005. Youngest child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. Does not have an HRH in front of his title.

 

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Taishō – Emperor Taishō of Japan was born 31 August 1879, the son of Emperor Meiji and Yanagiwara Naruko, a lady-in-waiting. He was given the name Yoshihito. He contacted meningitis shortly after birth, which left him in poor physical and mental health. He married 15-year-old Princess Kujo Sadako 10 May 1900 and they had four children:
1) The future Emperor Hirohito, born 29 April 1901, died 7 January 1989.
2) Prince Chichibu (Yasuhito), born 26 May 1902, died 4 January 1953 .
3) Prince Takamatsu (Nobuhito), born 1 March 1905, died 3 February 1987.
4) Prince Mikasa (Takahito), born 2 December 1915.
He became the 123rd Emperor of Japan 30 July 1912. It was reported that, during the 1913 opening of the Diet, Emperor Taishō rolled his prepared speech into a telescope and stared at members of the assembly through it. Crown Prince Hirohito was named regent in 1921 and Emperor Yoshihito Taishō undertook no further public duties. He died of a heart attack 25 December 1926.

Takamatsu - Prince Takamatsu (Nobuhito) was a younger brother of Emperor Showa (Hirohito) of Japan. He was born on 3 Januray 1905. After being educated at the Gakushuin School, he joined the Japanese Navy. He married Kikuko Tokugawa, a granddaughter of the last of the Tokugawa shoguns, on 4 February 1930. Thay had no children. After World War II he became involved in cultural and philanthropic activites. Prince Takamatsu died on 3 February 1987.

Talal I Bin Abdullah – was King of Jordan until he was forced to abdicate due to health reasons in 1951 (he suffered from schizophrenia). Talah had ascended the Jordanian throne after the assassination of his father King Abdullah I, of which his eldest son Hussen (late King of Jordan) was also a near victim. Married to Queen Zein, he was also the father of Prince Hassan, Princess Basma, Princess Muhammad and King Hussein

Tennō - Emperor, but literally translated from Japanese it means, “heavenly sovereign.”

Tessy de Nassau (1985-)-Born Tessy Antony. Married Prince Louis of Luxembourg. Children: Gabriel Michel Louis Ronny de Nassau

The Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau: honour conferred on persons who have rendered exceptional service to society. This order is mastered jointly by the Queen of the Netherlands and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg

The Order of Thistle – The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The Order consists of the Sovereign and sixteen Knights and Ladies (who must be Scottish-born) and ‘extra’ knights (members of the Royal Family and Foreign Monarchs). The Sovereign alone grants membership of the Order. Current Knights and Ladies include the Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal.

Tiara. A jewelled head ornament commonly associated with Queens and princesses. Queen Elizabeth has the largest collection, most of which have been consigned to the capacious vaults beneath Buckingham Palace and haven’t seen the light of day for decades.

Titles: 42 titles are held by the Dutch sovereign

Togu Palace - The Crown Prince couple’s residence in Tokyo, Japan.

Tokugawa shogunate - the period from 1603 to 1867, also known as the Edo period, when the shoguns from the Tokugawa family ruled Japan as a closed feudal society with no international contact. The center of government was based in Tokyo (known at that time as Edo). During this period, the emperors were figureheads living in their palace in Kyoto, the former capital city.

Tom Parker Bowles – The son of The Duchess of Cornwall and Andrew Parker Bowles, stepson and Godson of The Prince of Wales. He is the author of two books, “E is for Eating – And Alphabet of Greed” and “The Year of Eating Dangerously”. Tom is married to Sara Buys, a fashion features editor at Harpers & Queen.

Toshi - Princess Toshi. Princess Aiko’s royal title meaning “a person who loves others.”

House of Trastámara - It was a dynasty of kings in the Iberian Peninsula, which governed in Castile from 1369 to 1504, in Aragón from 1412 to 1516, in Navarre from 1425 to 1479, and in Naples from 1442 to 1501. The house took the name of the Count (or Duke) of Trastámara, a title used by Henry II of Castile, before he became king in 1369.


Trend - Danish royal family's private property. A hunting cabin, given as a gift to, then, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Ingrid of Denmark. It is entailed into a fund, that ensures that their descendants will have it as a place for holidays and recreations.

Trooping the Colour – A military ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army and Commonwealth. Trooping the Colour has become closely identified with the Queen’s Official Birthday and is also known as Queen’s Birthday Parade. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh drive in Queen Victoria’s phaeton. The Sovereign’s Escort consists of the Mounded Bands and the Household Cavalry. The Royal Procession includes the other Royal Colonels: The Prince of Wales (Welsh Guards), The Princess Royal (Blues and Royals) and the Duke of Kent (Scots Guards). The Royal Family then enjoys the spectacle from the Balcony.

Tulips: gifts of thanks given to Canada from Queen Juliana for hospitality to her family during WWII

Tullgarn Palace - A royal summer palace by the Häggnäsviken Bay in the Trosa archipelago, south of Stockhom. Tullgarn was built in the 1720s. The palace was acquired by the crown in 1772 and became a royal residence. This palace is primarily associated with King Gustaf V and Queen Victoria. They spent their summers here at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century.

 

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Uda - Emperor Uda of Japan (5 May 867 - 19 July 931) was the seventh son of Emperor Kōkō by Princess Madarako. His personal name was Sadami. He became the 59th Emperor of Japan on 7 November 887. On 3 July 897, he abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Prince Atsuhito. After his abdication, Emperor Uda chose Ninna-ji Temple as his residence, a temple he had founded.

Ulriksdal Palace - This palace is situated on the banks of Lake Edsviken in the National City Park in Solna, north of Stockholm. In 1669 Ulriksdal was bought by Queen Hedvig Eleonora. In 1684 Hedvig Eleonora changed the name from Jakobsdal to Ulriksdal after her grandson Prince Ulrik, who was to be the future owner of this palace. Sadly her grandson died and Hedvig Eleonora kept the palace until her death. When she died, the property was transferred to the crown. Since 1986 Ulriksdal Palace has been open to the public.

Ulster, Earl of. The son of the present Duke of Gloucester, who will one day inherit the title and take the dukedom out of the Royal Family

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – Sovereign state with Constitutional Monarchy. The United Kingdom is a Commonwealth Realm, sharing the same person (Queen Elizabeth) with the fifteen other Realms as Monarch and Head of State, forming a personal union with each.​

United Kingdom of the Netherlands: Kingdom created in 1815 at the Congress of Vienna and ruled by William I that included the Netherlands, former Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium) and Luxembourg

United World College of the Atlantic: college in Wales where Prince Willem-Alexander attended prior to university studies

Urdangarín - The last name of Infanta Cristina's husband, Iñaki Urdangarín Liebaert. Cristina and Iñaki's four children bear the Urdangarín name.

Utakai Hajime - The Japanese ceremony of the New Year's poetry reading at the Imperial Palace, where poems written by members of the public, professional poets, and the Emperor and his family are read.

Utrecht: birthplace of the next Dutch monarch, Prince Willem-Alexander

 

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van Lippe-Biesterfeld: Family name of Prince Bernhard, Queen Juliana and their four daughters

van Vollenhoven: Family name of Princess Margriet and Peter Van van Vollenhoven. They and their four sons and families are popular members of the Dutch Royal Family

Prince of Viana It was the official title of the Corwn Prince of Navarra, created by Carlos III to his grandson, Carlos, that was son of his daughter Blanca and Juan, Prince of Aragón. Viana is the last stop in Navarra of the "Camino de Santiago". Prince Felipe of Spain is the 21st Prince of Viana.

Queen Victoria – The longest reigning British Monarch. Queen Victoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the first Empress of India. Her reign was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. The Victorian Era was marked by economic, technological change and Industrial Revolution. Queen Victoria was the last Monarch of the House of Hanover.​

Victoria - Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland was born on July 14, 1977. She is the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. For a short time Victoria's younger brother Carl Philip was Crown Prince of Sweden. The Swedish government passed an Act of Succession that created equal primogeniture. She officially became her father's heir on January 1, 1980. Victoria was invested as heir to the Swedish throne in a ceremony at the Hall of State of the Royal Palace of Stockholm on July 14, 1995 delivering her first speech to the Riksdag. She has studied University at Université Catholique de l'Ouest, in Angers, France and for two years at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. In her preperation to become Queen, Victoria has worked as a trainee at the United Nations in New York and at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC. Victoria is currently dating Daniel Westling, a gym owner.

Queen Victoria Eugenie (Ena) of Battenberg - Despite technically being a German princess, she was born at Balmoral, in 1887, as her mother was the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. She married King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1906. The Spanish royal family was exiled in 1931. She died in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1969. The current King of Spain, Juan Carlos is her grandson. Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg is her great granddaughter.

HE Victoria Federica de Marichalar y de Borbón
She is the daughter of Infanta Elena and Jaime de Marichalar. She was born on September 9th, 2000 in Madrid. She was named after her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain and her great-grandmother, Queen Frederika of Greece.

 

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Waka - Japanese poetry. This is the poetry style used at the Utakai Hajime (see above)

Wasa (or Vasa) - The Ruling House of Sweden from 1521 to 1654 which also provided three Kings to Poland. In 1751 the Vasas regained the Swedish throne through female descent as the House of Holstein-Gottorp ("Younger Vasa"), but the dynasty’s days were numbered when King Gustaf IV Adolf was deposed in 1809 by a military coup following the loss of Finland in a disastrous war.

The King and his family were exiled and a law was passed in Sweden threatening death or banishment for anyone discovered to be in contact with them. The new Bernadotte monarch, Carl XIV, was paranoid and insecure over some European Courts’ recognition of ex-Crown Prince Gustaf, son of the deposed King, as "Prince of Vasa". Gustaf had an only daughter Carola who became the last Queen of Saxony and was childless. His sister Sophie married the Grand Duke of Baden; their son Friedrich married the only daughter of the German Kaiser Wilhelm I, and had a daughter Viktoria.

Following the death of the ex-Crown Prince in 1877 and resultant extinction of the Vasa dynasty in the male line, the Bernadottes relaxed and King Oscar II and Queen Sophia looked to Germany for a bride for their eldest son. They chose Viktoria of Baden, granddaughter of the Kaiser and great-granddaughter of Gustaf IV Adolf. Thus, an elegant twist occurred in 1928, almost 120 years after the ousting of the Vasa King, when Viktoria, now Queen to King Gustaf V, became the senior Vasa claimant to the Swedish throne. In their son, later King Gustaf VI Adolf, the two rival Houses of Sweden were united.

Wassenaar: small town in the western Netherlands home to the Prince and Princess of Orange and their growing family

Westminster Abbey – The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster (commonly known as Westminster Abbey) is a mainly Gothic Church, which is a traditional place of coronation and burial site for English Monarchs.

The Palace of Westminster – The House of Parliament or the Palace of Westminster is the place both Houses of the Parliament meet to conduct their business.

Wettin. The Saxon family who divided into a multiplicity of branches. The most dynastically successful was Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, whose collection of thrones included Saxe-Coburg itself, Great Britain, Portugal, Belgium and Bulgaria. By rights, Queen Elizabeth II will be the last of the Saxe-Coburg dynasty of Great Britain.

Wilhelmus van Nassouwe : the Dutch National Anthem

Prince William of Wales – Elder son of The Prince of Wales and late Diana, Princess of Wales. Prince William is currently training as an army officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and is due to enter the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry.

King William III (William III of Orange) – William of Orange (Prince of the Netherlands) became King of England, Scotland and Ireland after the Glorious revolution, during which his uncle and father-in-law was deposed. He reigned jointly with his wife Queen Mary II (daughter of James II). He continued reigning after Mary’s death until his death and was succeeded by Mary’s sister Anne (Queen Anne I)

King William I (William the Conqueror) – William of Normandy (Duke of Normandy) claimed the English throne after the death of King Edward the Confessor on the ground that Edward had name him his heir. He defeated Harold Godwinson (who was elected King by the Witenagemot) in the Battle of Hastings and become King. He was succeeded in England by his younger son William Rufus and by his elder son Robert Curthose in Normandy.

Williams and Wilhelmina: 19th century monarchs the Netherlands. William III was the last King and there will likely be more than 125 years between his reign and the next King, the Prince of Orange who is expected to reign as William IV.

Duke of Windsor – Title, received by King Edward VIII after his abdication. King Edward abdicated in order to marry twice divorcee Wallis Simpson (The Duchess of Windsor). Edward VIII is the only British Monarch to have voluntarily relinquished the Throne.

Duchess of Windsor – The wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor. The intention of King Edward VIII to marry her caused a constitutional crisis, which led to his abdication. Wallis Simpson was twice divorcee before meeting Prince Edward. Following her marriage, she was formally known as Her Grace The Duchess of Windsor.

Windsor Castle – The largest inhabited castle in the world and one of the principal official residences of the British Monarch. The castle’s history and the history of the British Monarchy are inextricably linked. During the First World War, when the members of the Royal Family felt there is a need in the dynastic name from the German “House of Saxe Coburg-Gotha”, they took their new name from the castle, becoming the “House of Windsor”.

“Why Kings and Queens don’t Wear Crowns” – Märtha Louise of Norway’s children’s book, where she narrates a story of her grandfather’s arrival to the country in 1905.

 

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Xena. The Warrior Princess from a mediaeval time and place looking suspiciously like New Zealand

Xenophobia – The condition of anti-German sentiment in 1917, which gave rise to the creation of the House of Windsor. German Shepherd dogs were renamed Alsatians, and dachshunds were kicked in the street.
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Yayoi culture - (c. 250 BC–c. AD 250) prehistoric culture of Japan, subsequent to the Jomon culture. Named after the district in Tokyo where its artifacts were first found in 1884, the culture arose on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu and spread northeastward toward the Kanto Plain. The Yayoi people mastered bronze and iron casting. Due to continental influence, the first powerful clans, or chiefdoms, appeared in northern Kyushu. These chiefdoms remained strong, but by the 3rd century A.D., the real power came from the Kansai District. The early Japanese nation developed from the Kansai Yayoi.

Yellow Palace, the – Home of the Danish court administration. Formerly home of Christian IX and family.

York (Dukedom of) – The Royal Dukedom usually (but not always) granted to the second son of the Sovereign.

Yoshi - The childhood name of Prince Hitachi (Masahito), the younger brother of Emperor Akihito of Japan.

Yugoslavia. A former Kingdom in the Balkans notable for the fact that in the Serbian Karageorgevics it had a Royal Family that was a native dynasty, as opposed to German or Danish imports.

 

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Zahran Palace - The word Zahran originates from the Arabic which means a blooming flower. Zahran Palace was built during the 1950’s. It was the home of Her Majesty the late Queen Zein al-Sharaf, the mother of His Majesty the late King Hussein

Zara Phillips – The daughter of The Princess Royal and Mark Phillips. Zara is a keen Equestrian. She is the current European and World Champion in eventing. Zara is also tipped to be included in the team that will represent England in the Beijing Olympics.​

Zaria: newest member of the Dutch royal family born June 2006

Palacio de la Zarzuela - During the 17th century, King Felipe IV ordered a small country palace or hunting lodge to be built in a place called La Zarzuela, in the El Pardo woods close to Madrid. Designed by the Royal architects, Gomez de Mora and Carbonell, who represented the sober, early baroque style in Madrid, it comprised a rectangular, slate-roofed building with two lateral arcades. The main feature was the Italianate garden, with fountains at different levels on three terraces, an orchard and a tree nursery. The palace was to give its name to the Spanish zarzuela, a genre of light theatrical works including both spoken dialogue and song. The earliest works of this type, based on libretti by Calderon de la Barca, were performed between 1657 and 1660. Carlos IV carried out alterations to the building to adapt it to late 18th century taste, and adorned it with tapestries, porcelain and lamps from the Royal factories as well as furniture and his much-loved clocks, of which he created a magnificent collection.

Zein al-Sharaf– was the consort of King Talal and mother of the late King Hussein, Prince Muhammad, Prince El Hassan and Princess Basma. A true pillar of modern Jordan, Queen Zein al-Sharaf is a symbol to all Arab women of the balance between Islamic tradition and a modern outlook

Zein Bint Al Hussein – the daughter of the late King Hussein and Princess Muna al Hussein of Jordan. She is also the fraternal twin of Princess Aisha Bint Al Hussein of Jordan. She is also named after her paternal grandmother, Queen Zein

Zog. The first and last reigning King of twentieth-century Albania

Zorreguieta: Family name of the Princess of Orange. Her father, Jorge, was not able to attend the wedding of his daughter because of questions about his role within the Argentine government led by former dictator Jorge Videla. While Videla was responsible for many atrocities against civilians, Zorreguieta was determined to be uninvolved with the deaths and has been welcome at subsequent family events.