05 « August « 2009 « Royalty in the News

Dutch Royals Sue AP Over Vacation Photos

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Crown Princess Maxima are taking the respected U.S. news agency, the Associated Press, to court. They are doing so because the agency distributed photographs of them and their eldest daughter while on vacation in Argentina recently.

: Reuters File

This is a breach of a mediacode that the Dutch government created to protect the royal family from any press intrusion. Meaning, the media is not allowed to photograph the royals during private moments, unless they have been invited. In this case, Willem-Alexander and Maxima did not allow any media to take pictures of them or their daughter as they skied in the mountains of Maxima’s native Argentina.

Several Dutch newspapers published the AP photos, and letters from the royal family’s lawyers came to them. Those newspapers responded, but the AP – which also got a letter – did not. An Amsterdam bureau chief says this is because the letter went to the complaints department.

“They [the AP] have to remove the pictures from their database. If they promise to do so, we will call off the lawsuit,” the RVD, a Dutch government information agency, said in a statement.

A court date is set for August 14th. The AP has not made any comment about the lawsuit.

Jordan’s King Reasserts Support of Palestinian Right of Return

King Abdullah II confronted rumors within the Arab press that Jordan is under pressure from the United States to accept Palestinian refugees in the country as permanent residents.

: Jordan Times

The King held a meeting with military leaders Wednesday at the Army Headquarters, where he called the rumors a “disease.”

“Our adherence to the refugees’ right of return and compensations is a firm attitude that cannot be changed, and no power will be able to forced on Jordan any attitude that runs counter to our interests,” King Abdullah said during the meeting.

He also talked about the “rumors circulated by those who have suspicious agendas and who sought to undermine Jordan’s stability.”

“I stress again and clearly that there is no power that can dictate to us anything that is against the interests of Jordan and Jordanians.”

“The true Jordanians I know do not listen to such rumors.”

The King also insisted that the Obama administration is not pressuring him on the refugee issue.

According to the UN Relief and Works Agency, Jordan hosts 1.8 million Palestinians and their descendents who fled Israel in 1948.

Mette-Marit Opens Hamsun Center

Tuesday had Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit in Hamaroy, to open the Hamsun Center. The center is part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Nobel prize winning Norwegian writer, Knut Hamsun. Mette-Marit Hamaroy

As patron of the Hamsun celebrations, it was Mette-Marit’s job to honor the late author, as she did in her speech.

“The landscape here invites to rest – but at the same time the dramatic nature nourishes the wanderlust of the wanderer. So much of the literature and language of Hamsun comes from here. The forests and the mountains, the sounds of the waves. The never ending days of the Nordland summer. The author lifted Nordland into the world literature, as a “small world of emotions, voices and sights.”

As much as Hamsun’s work is celebrated in Norway, there is much controversy about him. He was a Nazi sympathizer towards the end of his life. Norway was one of the countries occupied by the Nazis during World War II.

Mette-Marit touched on this controversy.

“If you’re looking for a message on peace and unity, Knut Hamsun is probably not the one you’re looking for,” said the Princess.

“For that, his authorship is too complicated and double in meaning, and his political reputation too difficult. We probably never will be finished discussing and analyzing Hamsun’s political thoughts and his stand during the war. These sides of Hamsun confronts us with opposing points that can seem insurmountable, and they belong in the debate about his heritage and in the anniversary year celebrating his literature.”

Despite the controversy, around 2,000 Hamsun fans gathered for the opening of the center.

Although the Hamsun year has been going on all year, it was Queen Sonja, not Mette-Marit the patron of the Hamsun year, who attended the earlier events.

Omani Sultan in Iran

Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said began his three day visit to Iran on Tuesday. He originally was to visit the Islamic Republic back in June, but election protests forced him to postpone.

: Reuters

The Sultan is the first foreign leader to visit Iran, and its president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad since the elections. Also, it is the first time the Sultan has set foot in the country in 30 years.

Sultan Qaboos was greeted in Tehran by Ahmadinejad, after arriving in Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Monday. The two listened to the playing of their national anthems before getting down to business.

The Iranian and the Omani leaders discussed bilateral and historical ties. Both of their countries are guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, a gateway in the Persian Gulf where 40 percent of the world’s oil passes through.

The two leaders also talked about regional security and stability.

Although Oman has close ties with Iran, it also is an ally of the United Kingdom and the United States.

Which Royal Should’ve Made Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed List?

When Spain’s Crown Princess Letizia and Qatar’s Sheikha Mozah received recognition for their style and fashion by Vanity Fair magazine, didn’t it seem like some royals were left off the list?

Vote now for who you think should’ve been on the Vanity Fair list:

Your Ad Here

</iframe</p> <p><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=royinthenew-20&o=1&p=21&l=ur1&category=green&banner=0W3BBZMQZ1ZKRQZY2502&f=ifr" width="125" height="125" scrolling="no" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border:none;" frameborder="0">

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.