Click at the image to see it at kongehuset.no

 From September 22nd to 24th CP Haakon and CP Mette-Marit payed a visit to Hungary. They attended the opening of Pannon House in Budapest. The visit,started with a meeting with Hungarian President László Sólyom. After the meeting the couple went to Pannon House. There the Crown Princess opened the seminar “Sustainability and Architecture”.

After the opening, the Princess and her husband attended an outdoor exhibition that combined traditional Hungarian crafts and Norwegian meals. In the afternoon the CP couple attended the official opening of Pannon House.

Click at the image to see it at Kjendis.no

The next day the Crown Prince and Crown Princess visited the A-HA program and the Compass project. Both projects have received support from the EEA and Norway Grants. The A-HA program focuses on mental health among adolescents. Compass is a project to help vulnerable young people to find a job. You can find a thread here.

 On September 24th Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit traveled to New York to take part in the fifth anniversary meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. You can find a thread here.

Her_Majesty Norwegian Royals Hungary, Official Visit, Prince Haakon, Princess Mette-Marit, United States of America

 Last month, Prince Akishino of Japan, and his wife Princess Kiko enjoyed a two-week visit to central and eastern Europe in honor of the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan, Austria and Hungary. The prince and princess also traveled to Bulgaria and Romania, in honor of the 50 years of diplomacy between these two nations and Japan. The elegant 42 year-old princess was the very image of traditional and modern royal style during the visit.

One of the highlights of the princess’ wardrobe during the visit was the beautiful, peach-colored silk kimono that she wore during her visit with the prince to the Klosterneuburg Abbey near Vienna. The kimono, which had short sleeves rather than the familiar trailing sleeves characteristic of kimono for girls and unmarried women, was accentuated by a wide cream and peach-colored obi with floral design and a peach obijime. The kimono had yuzen-dyed floral detail, similar to that on the obi; as is usual for a formal kimono for a married woman, the design was subtle and was mostly below knee height, with some detailing also on the left shoulder. No jewelry was worn to accentuate her outfit, as is the custom when wearing kimono. The peach color complimented the porcelain complexion of the princess. The material looked like a heavy, yet soft silk, and the kimono was perfectly fitted to suit the princess’ slim figure. Read more…

sgl Japanese Royals Austria, Bulgaria, Fashion, Hungary, Japan, Official Visit, Princess Kiko, Romania

Click for the photo at royalblog.nl

Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko are presently on a two-week goodwill tour of Europe that began in Austria and took them in the following to Bulgaria and Hungary. The fourth and last leg of their journey is going to be Romania. The visits are taking place in order to celebrate the 140th year of Japanese diplomatic ties with Austria and Hungary and the 50th year since Tokyo resumed formal relations with Bulgaria and Romania.

Last Thursday the couple was welcomed by Bulgarian President Georgy Parvanov and his wife Zorka at the Presidential Palace in Sofia. On Friday, the prince and Parvanov were to open a replica of a famous Thracian tomb, funded by the Japanese government. On the royal programme were also visits to the golden-domed Alexander Nevski cathedral in Sofia and the Boyana Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site. At 18th secondary school “William Gladstone” as well as at Sofia University the prince and princess met with pupils, students and lecturers in Japanese studies.

On Saturday, the royal couple were received by Bulgaria’s former king and premier Simeon Saxe Coburg and his wife Margarita (Article) before they travelled on to Hungary where they visited an exhibition of Japanese design in Budapest’s Museum of Applied Arts. (Article) They went to see the Budapest Zoo and the Hungarian Museum of Agriculture on the following day. On Monday they met with Hungary´s President Laszlo Solyom who discussed environmental issues with his guests before presenting them with presents of a Herend porcelain bird and a zither.

Yesterday, Prince and Princess Akishino arrived on the fourth leg of their tour, in Romania, where they were scheduled to visit the Japanese School before meeting with Romanian President Traian Basescu and his wife Maria today at Cotroceni Palace in Romania´s capital Bucharest. (Article) Read more…

ChiaraC Japanese Royals Bulgaria, Hungary, Official Visit, Prince Akishino, Princess Kiko, Princess Masako, Romania, Succession