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Birthday Celebrations for Japanese Royals

  December 2, 2009 at 9:12 am by

Japanese Royals have not one but three causes for celebrations these days – birthdays of Prince Mikasa, Prince Akishino and Princess Aiko. Prince Akishino celebrated his 44th birthday on Monday. To mark it, the IHA released a set of pictures of the Prince with his family. Prince Akishino gave an interview on the occasion of his birthday, where he expressed some interesting views on the Succession Laws as well as … Continue reading →

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Presentation of Prince Gaston Louis Antoine Marie

  December 2, 2009 at 6:13 am by

The Duke and Duchess of Vendôme proudly presented their newborn son, Prince Gaston, during a photo session on November 26, 2009. The shoot, which was taken in Prince Jean and Princess Philomena’s Parisian apartment, also featured Gaston’s proud grandmother, Princess Marie-Therese, Duchess of Montpensier. Prince Gaston Louis Antoine Marie was born on November 19, 2009. The little Prince is the first child for the Dauphin and Dauphine, who were married … Continue reading →

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Baby Joy for the Duke and Duchess of Vendôme

  November 19, 2009 at 8:06 am by

Prince Jean and Princess Philomena, Duke and Duchess of Vendôme, welcomed a son today. The baby’s first (and so far, the only-known) name is Gaston. The little Prince is the first child for the Duke and Duchess of Vendôme, who were married earlier this year (civilly, on March 19 and religiously, on May 2). Princess Philomena’s pregnancy was announced in July. Gaston is the 8th grandchild of the Count of … Continue reading →

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Serbian Royals deeply saddened by the death of Patriarch Pavle

  November 18, 2009 at 3:50 pm by

Crown Prince Alexander II, Crown Princess Katherine, Hereditary Prince Peter, Prince Philip and Prince Alexander all expressed their deepest sorrow at the passing of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle. They sent their sincere condolences to the Serbian Orthodox Church and its followers in Serbia and Worldwide. The Royal Palace released the following statement from the Crown Prince: “I am deeply, deeply saddened to learn that His Holiness has surrendered his soul … Continue reading →

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Belgian Royals gather for The King’s Feast

  November 16, 2009 at 1:02 pm by

Belgian Royals celebrated The King’s Feast (Koningsfeest in Dutch and Féte du Roi in French) on November 15 – a day that has been marked by celebrations in honour of the Belgian Monarch since 1866. Crown Prince Philippe, Princess Mathilde, Prince Laurent, Princess Astrid, Prince Lorenz and Queen Fabiola were all present. The celebrations started with a Service at Brussels Cathedral, which was attended by all members of the Royal … Continue reading →

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President Obama visits Japan, meets with Emperor Akihito

  November 14, 2009 at 6:17 pm by

Barack Obama concluded his two-day visit to Japan – the first country he visited on his nine-day Asian tour. Speaking in front 1,500 people in Tokyo Concert Hall, Obama promised an “unshakable” commitment to Asian security and re-affirmed the alliance between Japan and the United States. During his speech, Barack Obama touched some lighter topics as well; he shared with the audiences his memories of a childhood visit to Japan … Continue reading →

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20th Anniversary of Emperor Akihito’s Accession to the Throne

  November 13, 2009 at 1:45 pm by

Tens of thousands of well-wishers lined the streets of Tokyo on Thursday to mark the 20th anniversary of Emperor Akihito’s accession to the throne. On November 12, 1990 Emperor Akihito performed the Sokuirei (Ceremony of Enthronement), which marked the official beginning of his reign. Parades, concerts and speeches by politicians, dignitaries, businessmen, leading athletes and actors marked the colourful festivities that lasted most of the day. The celebrations started with … Continue reading →

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The Serbian Royal Family Joins Forces for a Good Cause

  November 11, 2009 at 2:12 pm by

Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, Hereditary Prince Peter, Prince Philip and Prince Alexander of Serbia attended a charity banquet at the ‘Place de la Musique’ in Chicago. Also present were Crown Princess Katherine’s grandchildren, Amanda and Stephanie. The brunch, organized by Lifeline Organization, is part of the Breast Cancer Campaign. The cause is important for the Crown Princess: The Crown Princess Katherine Foundation is actively supporting breast cancer awareness … Continue reading →

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King Albert II Leads the Armistice Day Ceremony

  November 11, 2009 at 11:31 am by

King Albert II led the Royal Family and Government officials in solemn commemoration ceremonies in Brussels today. The King, Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy and Belgian veterans placed wreaths at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Thousands turned out to pay their respects to the fallen heroes. At exactly 11:00, people paused for two minutes silence to mark the 91st anniversary of the end of The Great War. His Majesty … Continue reading →

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Birthdays of Count Carl Johan Bernadotte and Emanuela de Dampierre

  November 9, 2009 at 12:44 pm by

Two Royal Nonagenarians – Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg and Emmanuelle de Dampierre, Duchess of Segovia – celebrated their respective 93rd and 96th birthdays recently. Count Carl Johan Bernadotte was born as Prince Carl Johan Arthur of Sweden, Duke of Dalarna, on October 31, 1916 as the fifth and youngest child of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (later King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden) and Crown Princess Margaret of Connaught. … Continue reading →

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Queen Fabiola Mistakenly Declared Dead Yet Again

  November 9, 2009 at 9:34 am by

Several days ago, “De Morgen” newspaper announced the death of Queen Fabiola on their website. The announcement read: “Sixteen years after the death of her husband King Baudouin, Her Majesty passed away at the age of 81. Her health has been frail in the last few years and the pneumonia she suffered from recently proved fatal.” The Royal Palace was quick to deny the news and the “De Morgen” apologized … Continue reading →

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Controversial Court Ruling in Favour of Simeon Saxe Coburg

  October 29, 2009 at 9:29 pm by

In a highly controversial ruling, the Bulgarian Court has allowed wood-cutting in the lands belonging to the country’s former Tsar, Simeon Saxe Coburg. The permission will be effective until a ban on wood-cutting, issued by the head of the State Forest Estate, comes into force. The decision is controversial because at the beginning of October the lower court banned these activities: the ban was supposed to have immediate effect. This … Continue reading →

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Crown Princess Mathilde discusses Women’s Rights with Sheikha Fatima, Attends Banquet

  October 29, 2009 at 8:58 pm by

Her Highness Sheikha Fatima hosted a banquet in honour of Crown Princess Mathilde of Belgium. Among dignitaries present were Her Highness Sheikha Salamah bint Hamdan (wife of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces), Her Highness Sheikha Shama bint Zayed (wife of His Highness Sheikh Surur bin Mohammed Al Nahyan) and Her Highness Sheikha … Continue reading →

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Members Belgian Royal Family attend the Autumn Concert

  October 29, 2009 at 8:35 pm by

The King, the Queen, Princess Astrid, Prince Laurent and Princess Claire attended the Autumn Concert at the Royal Palace in Brussels yesterday. The Autumn Concert is organized in collaboration with the Festival of Flanders and the Festival of the Walloon Region. The Festival of the Walloon Region (Festival de Wallonie) is an annual event that offers 70 concerts in 4 parts of the Walloon Region and in Brussels. The common … Continue reading →

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Imperial Family Welcomes Guests to Garden Party, Celebrates Anniversaries

  October 23, 2009 at 2:18 pm by

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko welcomed 1,699 distinguished guests to their annual Autumn Garden Party at the Akasaka Gyoen garden. Prince Akishino, Princess Kiko, Princess Takamado and Princess Akiko of Mikasa attended the party as well. The guests included actress Mitsuko Mori, astronaut Koichi Wakata and director Yojiro Takita. The Emperor broke the rule of never inquiring about a lady’s age and asked Mitsuko Mori: “You’re almost 90, aren’t you?” … Continue reading →

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Concerns for Queen Fabiola’s Health

  October 22, 2009 at 12:32 am by

The Palace announced that Queen Fabiola will not attend any of the activities of the Royal Family in near future. This, as the announcement reads, is because Her Majesty is currently recovering from pneumonia; she feels exhausted and needs rest. The Palace spokesman hastened to add that there is nothing wrong with the Queen: “She walks and moves, but she is tired and needs rest. She cannot take long walks.” … Continue reading →

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Crown Princess Margarita is made a Knight of Légion d’honneur

  October 21, 2009 at 11:07 pm by

In an official ceremony which took place on Monday at the residence of Henry Paul, French Ambassador to Romania, Princess Margarita was awarded LTgion d’honneur (Legion of Honour) of the French Republic with the rank of “Knight”. Their Majesties King Michael and Queen Anne, as well as Prince Radu of Romania, were present during the ceremony. The honour was conferred by President Nicolas Sarkozy in a decree of July 8, … Continue reading →

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Empress Michiko’s birthday wish – a nuclear-free world

  October 21, 2009 at 10:05 pm by

On her 75th birthday, Empress Michiko issued a call for the abolition of atomic weapons and expressed hope that one day we’ll all live in a nuclear-free world. The Empress noted: “The horrors of nuclear weapons are not only the magnitude of their destruction but also the serious and tragic effects of radiation that leaves victims suffering long. I think Japan, the country that has been hit by atomic bombs, … Continue reading →

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Empress Michiko’s 75th Birthday

  October 19, 2009 at 3:11 pm by

Michiko Shōda was born on October 20, 1934 to Hidesaburo and Fumiko Shōda. She first attended Futaba Elementary School and then Seishin University, which she graduated with Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Japanese Literature. Michiko also attended courses at Harvard and Oxford Universities. Her fist encounter with Crown Prince Akihito was quite accidental: the Crown Prince and his friend Kenji Ishizuka played a doubles tennis game against a young French … Continue reading →

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Death of Fürstin Ruth Erika zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg

  October 19, 2009 at 12:41 pm by

Fürstin Ruth Erika zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg died on October 15, aged 87. She was born June 25, 1922 at Schloss Buggenhagen, her family seat. Her parents were Hans Detlef von Buggenhagen and Ruth Baronin von Resenberg. When her only brother died in 1941, Ruth Erika devoted herself to running their family estate. However, after World War II, the territory of the estate was annexed into the territory of the newly created … Continue reading →

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