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 Today, October 12, the Spanish Royal Family celebrated the Spanish National Day. King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Infanta Elena, and the Duke and Duchess of Palma (who are back from Washington for a few days) arrived early in the morning at Plaza de Lima in Madrid where a military parade is taking place.

Prior the event, His Majesty King Juan Carlos left a floral tribute at the Spanish flagpole in memory of soldiers killed aboard. At midday, the entire Royal Family will host a reception for the authorities at the Royal Palace.

For more information and pictures please visit this thread

Paty Spanish Royals Iñaki Urdangarín, Infanta Cristina, Infanta Elena, King Juan Carlos, National Day, Prince Felipe, Princess Letizia, Queen Sofia

Last Saturday, August 15th, the Princely Family of Liechtenstein came out in the country’s capital Vaduz to celebrate National Day. HSH Prince Hans-Adam II, the sovereign of the tiny principality, and his wife HSH Princess Marie Aglaë were at the head of the festivities.

Click to see the PPE gallery

The couple were joined by their eldest son, HSH Hereditary Prince Alois, and his family (wife HSH Hereditary Princess Sophie and three of their children Princess Marie-Caroline, Prince Georg and Prince Nikolaus); and their third son HSH Prince Constantin and his family (wife HSH Princess Marie and their children Prince Moritz, Princess Georgina and Prince Benedikt).

The first stop for the Princely Family was an open-air church service; before walking back to Vaduz Castle. Here, the citizens of Vaduz were welcomed by the family to snacks and refreshments, following a speech by the Hereditary Prince, who has been the Regent of Liechtenstein since 2004. This year’s National Day marked the 5th anniversary of Prince Alois becoming Regent for his father.

Prince Alois spoke of the need for Liechtenstein’s public spending to be lowered due to the current economic crisis, even though Liechtenstein was faring well when compared to other nations. The Prince also announced that Liechtenstein’s education system will be reformed.

Following their father’s speech, Princes Georg and Nikolaus tucked into some large pretzels, while their grandfather celebrated the day with a cold beer. All the children, as well as Hans-Adam and Marie Aglaë!, were all in high spirits and enjoyed the celebrations.

Click here to read the Liechtenstein National Day thread.

JessRulz Liechtenstein Royals Hans-Adam II, Hereditary Prince Alois, National Day, Princess Marie Aglaë

The Belgian royal family was out in full force to celebrate this year’s National Day. On the evening of June 20, King Albert, Queen Paola, Queen Fabiola, Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde, Princess Astrid, Prince Lorenz, Prince Laurent and Princess Claire attended the concert “Preludium to the National Day”, organized at the Palace of Fine Arts by the National Belgian Orchestra. The royal ladies were at their best, as usual. Princess Mathilde looked splendid in bright white (see pic), while Princess Astrid was wearing a black dress (see pic). Queen Paola wore a black and white ensemble (see pic), but it was Princess Claire who really caught everyone’s eye in her pink top and red trousers (see pic). At the concert, the royals enjoyed music played by the Belgian National Orchestra, as well as several opera arias sung by soprano Hélène Guilmette.

Click to see full image at belga

On the morning of the National Day, the royals attended several Te Deum masses around the coutry. King Albert, Queen Paola, Queen Fabiola, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde went to the St. Michael and St. Gudule Cathedral in Brussels, while Prince Laurent and Princess Claire attended the Te Deum in Mons, and Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz went to Antwerp. They all took their time to talk to the people who had turned up to greet them, despite the security measures, which were higher than usual due to the murder threats to Queen Fabiola.

Click to see full image at Belga

In the afternoon, King Albert inspected the troops which would take part int he military parade, after which he and the rest of the family went to the royal stands. Prince Laurent and Princess Claire had brought their daughter, Princess Louise, with them to watch the parade, but the girl was more interested in her father’s shiny sable throughout the parade. She didn’t remain seated on her own chair either, but sat on her father’s or mother’s lap most of the time. Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz had brought their two eldest children, Prince Amedeo and Princess Maria Laura, and their youngest daughter, Princess Letizia Maria along.

Click to see full image at Belga

As usual, the King and his children were dressed in their uniforms, Prince Philippe as Air Force officer, Princess Astrid in her uniform of Colonel of the Medical Division and Prince Laurent as Marine officer. Prince Amedeo also wore his uniform of reserve officer of the land forces. The ladies vied again for the best outfit. While Queen Paola wore again a demure black and white suit (see pic), Princess Mathilde wore an eye-catching pink dress and a matching pink fascinator (see pic). Princess Claire, on the other hand, wore a stunning blue dress and beige fascinator (see pic).

Despite the murder threats, Queen Fabiola was also present at the parade (see pic). She had some very animated conversations with Queen Paola and Princess Mathilde. Rumour had it she was wearing a bullet proof vest, but the Palace formally denied this.

After the parade, the King and Queen, and the Princes and Princesses visited several sites all over Brussels where the National Day celebrations were taking place. In the evening, they will attend the fireworks display.

For a discussion of the National Day celebrations, see this thread.

LadyLeana Belgian Royals King Albert II, National Day, Prince Laurent, Prince Lorenz, Prince Philippe, Princess Astrid of Belgium, Princess Claire, Princess Mathilde, Queen Fabiola, Queen Paola

Click here to see the gallery from the Cour Grand-Ducale

The final half of the celebrations for Luxembourg’s national day began with the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, Prince Sébastien, Prince Louis and Princess Tessy, Prince Félix and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume attending the Te Deum laudamus with military and public officials and the heads of the various diplomatic missions to the Grand Duchy.

The service was followed by a salute of 101 cannon shots at Fetschenhaff.

As is normal, the afternoon was set aside for a military parade, which the Grand-Ducal family watched from a stand on the Avenue de la Liberté, with with Prince Louis’ wife joining the family for the first time as a princess of Luxembourg, instead of “the spouse of Prince Louis”, as she was previously always referred to by the Grand-Ducal Court.

In the evening, again following tradition, the Grand Duke held a gala dinner in the Grand-Ducal Palace for members of the government, the Chamber of Deputies, the Council of State, diplomatic missions to Luxembourg and senior judicial figures. This year the dinner was attended by the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Prince Félix.

For more information, please see this thread.

alex001 Luxembourg Royals Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Grand Duke Henri, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Military, National Day, Prince Felix of Luxembourg, Prince Louis, Prince Sebastien, Princess Tessy

Click here to see the gallery from the Cour Grand-Ducale

The entire Grand Ducal family, minus Princess Alexandra who is busily studying for her exams, turned out in Luxembourg City after the day celebrations by the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess in Ell to see the traditional torchlit procession and firework display.

This is also an occassion for the entire family to be ’seen’ by the public, as they walk from their city residence the Grand Ducal Palace to the Place Guillaume, or Guillaume Square, where they sit and watch the celebrations.

For more information, please see this thread.

alex001 Luxembourg Royals Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Grand Duke Henri, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, National Day, Prince Felix of Luxembourg, Prince Louis, Prince Sebastien, Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, Princess Tessy

Click here to see the gallery from the Cour Grand-Ducale

The celebrations for Luxembourg’s National Day kicked off today in Ell with an official visit from the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess where, together with government officials and members of the community, they laid a wreath of flowers at the Monument des Mars before visiting the city council.

They later visited the local school, where they watched a theatrical performance by pre-schoolers and then listened to speeches in the playground by  Joseph Thill, the Mayor of Ell, and Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who spent some of his youth in the town.

The Grand Duke also celebrated national day by giving out new titles to members of his family and awarding orders to citizens of Luxembourg.

For more information, please see this thread.

alex001 Luxembourg Royals Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Grand Duke Henri, National Day

On June 6th the Royal Family of Sweden celebrated their National Day.
In the morning Princess Madeleine opened the gates to the public at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, for the traditional open palace day.
The Palace open house has become a tradition on the National Day and the only chance for the public to roam freely inside the normally closed parts of the Palace.
You can see a video of Madeleine opening the gates here.

Click at the picture to see it at ANP

Crown Princess Victoria celebrated the National Day in Skanninge. The town’ts market is one of the oldest in Sweden.

Later the day Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Madeleine and Prince Carl Philip took part in the National Day celebrations at Skansen open air museum in Stockholm

In the evening the Royal Family hosted a National Day reception at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

More information and pictures can be found here.

Her_Majesty Swedish Royals Carl XVI Gustaf, National Day, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Madeleine, Princess Victoria, Queen Silvia

 May 17th 2009: “Gratulerer med dagen, Norge!” (Happy Birthday, Norway!)

Click to see the gallery at kongehuset.no

Today the Norwegian people and their Royal Family celebrated Norway’s National Day.
As every year the day started with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess’ familiy greeting the children’s parade in Asker by the main gate of Skaugum; the residence of the Crown Princely family.
You can find a gallery here.

Later the Royal Family greeted the children’s parade in Oslo from the palace balcony.
As usual the Royal Couple, the Crown Princely couple and Ingrid Alexandra, the Heir to the Throne, were present. For the first time at all Sverre Magnus also appeared on the balcony for a short while.
A gallery can be found here.

In the afternoon the King and Queen visited the Grünerløkka area in Oslo.

A thread on the National Day can be found here.

Her_Majesty Norwegian Royals Harald V, National Day, Prince Haakon, Princess Mette-Marit, Queen Sonja

A car crash, which is being seen as a deliberate attack, disrupted the celebrations of the Dutch Queen’s Day on April 30, 2009 in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her family were on an open-top bus during the motorcade, when a black car broke through the police fences and hit several parade watchers. The car, which was going at full-speed, then crashed into a memorial on the sidewalk, just yards from where the Queen’s bus was moving slowly. The incident happened so quickly that many of the s pectators didn’t have much time to react. Reports say that four people were killed and many others injured.

The Dutch royal family were quickly removed from the site. None of them were injured, but all were shocked at what happened. A visibly shaken Queen Beatrix released a statement a few hours after the incident.

Maricar Dutch Royals Koninginnedag, Koninginnedag 2009 Tragedy, National Day, Queen Beatrix

Click on image to see larger pictire at www.anno.nl

  To mark the 100th anniversairy of Queen Juliana of The Netherlands, the traditional defilé will return on Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag). April 30th is the official birthday of Queen Beatrix, which she celebrates on the date of her mother’s birthday. When queen Juliana was still reigning this day was traditionally celebrated with a defilé at Soestdijk Palace. During the defilé a  colorful parade of people representing various aspects of Dutch society would pass the steps of the palace, where queen Juliana and her family accepted flowers and gifts.  Queen Beatrix however changed this day and decided to visit two cities each year, where the family would celebrate this day with the inhabitants.

The defilé won’t be held at Soestdijk Palace though, but at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn. Only inhabitants of Apeldoorn and the eleven surrounding villages will be able to participate in the delfilé, though spectators from all over the country will lining the route. After the defilé is over the queen will open a special exhibition at the palace about her mother.

Marengo Dutch Royals Koninginnedag, National Day, Queen Beatrix, Queen Juliana