Belgium’s Crown Princess Mathilde spoke at the inauguration of the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer in Brussels yesterday. She was invited by the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barrosso.
The Crown Princess began her speech by saying although cancer is still difficult to fight, it very often could still be beaten. In addition, Mathilde pointed out how people are more aware of cancer these days.
“People nowadays are far more aware of the importance of following a healthy lifestyle than they were twenty years ago,” she said. “Furthermore, long-term sustainable action on cancer in different fields – prevention – screening – research and medicine…. continues to develop.
“During my many conversations with breast cancer patients, I learned that regular screening and early detection had saved many lives and given hope for the future. Breast cancer is a disease that can be cured today – as is cervical cancer if detected early – and thanks to the new vaccine which is now available. But for me, raising awareness is often the best vaccine.”
Mathilde also stressed the need for psychological support for those suffering from cancer. “In my contact with patients, I often notice that despite the attention they are given by the medical experts or family and friends, they quite often feel alone in their fight against cancer,” she said.
“The psychological consequences should therefore not be ignored: emotional distress even depression – tiredness – anxiety – fear – all of which can influence the healing process – and which sometimes go unnoticed. For this reason I am in favour of strengthening and generalising initiatives aimed at training nurses and personnel specialised in oncology –for adults as well as for children- to assist patients and their families by giving the appropriate psychological support. Furthermore, those initiatives should also support professionals who often face very difficult situations.”
She also discussed her visits to children dealing with cancer, and how they inspired her. “They gave me a lesson on how to be brave: never to give up hope despite the burden of illness which is weighing heavily on their young shoulders.”
The Crown Princess also proudly talked about how her country has a developed a two-year national cancer plan with 32 actions to fight cancer.
Currently, 3.2 million Europeans are diagnosed with cancer every year. It is the second cause of the death on the continent after circulatory disease. The European Partnership for Action Against Cancer hopes to cut cancer rates by 15 percent by the year 2020.
Prince Harry spent his day off from helicopter training to take part in Monday night’s WellChild Children’s Health Awards. The ceremony honored the courage of British children as they dealt with serious illnesses.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
While the children and their parents were thrilled to see the Prince in their midst, there was one child who was not impressed.
“Are you sure you are Prince Harry?” asked six year-old Alex Burke. “Where’s your crown? So you’re not William then?”
Amused, Harry told Alex, “I’m here, you have to make do with me.”
Still unimpressed, the little boy, who suffers from neurofibrosismatosis type 1, then went to blow some bubbles. He continued to do so when the Prince picked him up.
Alex’s mother, Sarah Burke, from Manchester said: “Alex was loving every minute of it and was not fazed at all to meet Harry. I have been showing him pictures of Harry and his brother, trying to explain who they are but he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t wearing his crown. I just told him that he wasn’t allowed to take it out with him.”
Other children the Prince met with included eight year-old Lucy Tutton, who won the Most Bravest Child award for caring for her ill sister. She sat on Harry’s lap for a brief chat before giving him a flower shaped balloon.
Another was a boy Harry’s brother, Prince William, met with not too long ago during a trip with WellChild. Upon seeing Harry, eight year-old Harrison Holmes gave him a photograph of William, whom he called the “Prince of Cuddles.” He asked Harry to give it to his brother, which Harry indeed promised to do.
Last night, Prince William was on hand to support long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton as she hosted a children’s charity auction.
The event was to raise money for the Starlight Children’s Foundation – something Ms. Middleton got involved in last year. It grants wishes for terminally ill children.
Dressed to the nines, Kate looked stunning in her gray halter dress. Her entire family also came out for their supprt. Her mother, Carole, has been proud of the work Kate has been doing for Starlight.
“Kate has been the inspiration behind our involvement with Starlight Children’s Foundation, a UK charity that helps brighten the lives of seriously and terminally ill children by granting their wishes and providing hospital entertainment,” she said in a statement last year.
By using her family’s mail order party paraphenalia, Kate reportedly sent toys and other gifts to children in the hospital last Christmas.
Last night, as Kate raised money for Starlight, her love Prince William mingled with the guests. Those guests included children who use Starlight for their own dreams to become a reality. One of them, 11 year-old Sophie Roberts, who’s dream is to be a singer, got a chance to sing for everyone.
Kate was inspired to get involved in Starlight after meeting a young girl who was using the charity during a boxing charity event last year.
The religious ceremony for Henri, Count of Paris and his second wife, Micaela d’Orleans was held in Arcangues, France on Saturday evening. The couple originally married in a civil ceremony back in 1984. But years of the Count waiting for an annulment from his first marriage to Maria Teresa of Wurttemberg, Duchess of Montpensier, led to the large gap between the two weddings.
The bride wore a rather loud purple dress while the groom wore a morning suit. The marriage was officiated at Church of Saint Jean Baptiste by Father Dominique Dye and by Abbé Jean-Marie Mouhica.
Not too many people showed up for this wedding. None of the Count’s five children were in attendance and there were only a scant number of French and European royals – all from non-reigning houses.
76 year-old Henri is the claimant to the French throne. He became head of the family in 1999 after the passing of his father. His own son, Prince Jean, married this past May.
Immediately after their visit to Hungary ended, Norway’s Crown Princely couple headed west for the final two days of the Clinton Global Initiative taking place in New York City. They were one of several royals attended the event, including Queen Rania, who was a panelist on Thursday, Crown Princess Maxima, Infanta Cristina of Spain, and Prince Turki al-Faisal al-Saud.
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Haakon and Mette-Marit did not speak at the CGI, but they did sit for its forums. They also seemed deeply interested in the issues being discussed.
On their first day, the royal couple sat next to actor/comedian Ben Stiller. Stiller was there because of his work with the Save the Children foundation.
Anyone who attends the Initiative is there because of their work tackling issues vital to the world, such as poverty, education, or the environment. In Crown Prince Haakon’s case, he works on behalf of UNDP (United Nations Development Program). For Crown Princess Mette-Marit, she is UN ambassador on behalf of UNAIDS.
In addition, it is being reported that the Crown Princely couple would be interviewed by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in regards to their UN work. But supposedly, it is not official, and there’s a chance it may not happen.
If it does, Royalty in the News would happily post a video or a link to the interview when it becomes available.
Known for her good fashion sense, Charlotte Casiraghi can now be known for being environmentally aware.
Hola! Magazine
Earlier this week, the 23 year-old daughter of Princess Caroline helped launch Open Ever, the magazine that focuses on environment friendly attire and artwork.
“It’s more like a communications think tank,” Charlotte said at a press conference. “We put together experts, artists and designers to focus on this idea of sustainability and the ability to transform how we live.”
The 20 paged Open Ever was given out for free during Milan Fashion Week and in Paris for its Fashion Week next week. It was guest edited by Franca Sozzini of Italian Vogue.
According to Hello!, Charlotte’s interest in eco-friendly fashion came from designer, Stella McCartney, who is famous for such clothes. The two met while Stella was a contributing editor for Above magazine, another environmentally aware publication.
Charlotte has said the daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney taught her how the ecosystem is harmed by the fashion world.
“It’s only recently that I’ve questioned the way that I’ve been consuming,” said Charlotte.
But, she added, “I haven’t been as conscious as I should have been.”
Charlotte also counts her uncle, Monaco’s ruling Prince Albert II, as an inspiration. The Prince is known for being environmentally active, with his recent comments in New York earlier this week being an example.
Ms. Casiraghi also mentioned that there is no publications schedule yet for Open Ever.
“We want to publish when we have something to say or have people to support. It will be short and meaningful so that people will read it.”
The Queen of Jordan was one the speakers on Thursday’s session at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. Queen Rania spoke about the importance of education, and how politicians cannot ignore it.
AP Photo/Stephen Chernin
“The benefits of education sometimes don’t fit in with the political cycle because you reap the benefits way down the line,” she said. “What we need to do is realize that sense of urgency when it comes to education, because education is a matter of life and death.”
Queen Rania also discussed how receiving the basic three Rs are not enough to inspire young people to do something with their future.
“Take young people who are opportunity starved, and there is political conflict around them, and that makes a very dangerous social mix. As you all know, what happens in the Middle East, does not stay in the Middle East,” she said. “Critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, those kinds of skills are extremely important to empower our young people.”
While on the panel, Rania also recognized the Ubuntu Education Fund, a South African program aimed at providing access to education and health services.
The Queen is a strong advocate for education in third world countries, particularly with girls. She works on behalf of UNICEF to get more children into schools, and has her own school program back in Jordan.
Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik was in New York this past Tuesday for the U.N. Global Impact meeting. The gathering is sort of like a predecessor to the upcoming climate summit in Copenhagen later this year.
Even Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen was at the meeting, just before he stopped by the Security Council to give his speech on Denmark.
Frederik also made use of the popular website YouTube to promote the U.N. Climate Change Conference. Below is the video.
Monaco’s sovereign ruler was one of the many speakers this week at the 64th annual U.N. Security Council gathering.
AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
Prince Albert II spoke about Monaco, the global economy and how his principality would spend its GDP in the future.
“Hundreds of thousands of people now enjoy the actions taken by my country in its international cooperation in the sectors of health, education and the fight against poverty,” he said. “That’s why I asked for our continued effort to devote 0.7% of GDP by 2015 in favor of official development assistance.”
“This development assistance must be accompanied by long-term investments aimed at strengthening the capacities of developing countries, including transfer of appropriate technologies to meet the imperatives of sustainable development.”
The Prince continued: “The months that have passed have strained the global economy. If signs of recovery begin to emerge, but we must learn from this dark year. The globalization of the economy and the resulting interdependence make it essential to reform the monetary system and international finance.
“We must all rebuild the solid foundations of a capitalism with a human face to the benefit of growth and social development. The circumstances give us the opportunity to create a “green economy” that combines job creation and dissemination of new technologies for a sustainable recovery.
“Monaco will continue to work with its partners, is to tell everyone of you to implement best practices for protection, international assistance and capacity building with the sole objective save lives. The Principality also continue to respond in solidarity with humanitarian emergencies, especially for women and children whose vulnerability is no longer to demonstrate in circumstances of crisis. ”
Before Prince Albert went to deliver his speech, he was notified that Monaco was taken off the “grey list”, meaning it was no longer considered to be a tax haven by the OECD.
One of the guests at this week’s U.N. Security Council meeting was Jordan’s Queen Noor. Invited by U.S. President Barack Obama, the Queen sat in the chamber through speeches given by various world leaders.
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
However, she was not there on behalf of the Hashemite Kingdom. The widow of the late King Hussein was in attendance because Obama is presiding over a U.N. vote to ban nuclear weapons worldwide.
“I believe that world leaders have come to recognize that the only way to eliminate the nuclear threat is to eliminate all nuclear weapons, and it is urgent to begin making this vision a reality,” Queen Noor said, according to the Associated Press.
As co-founder of Global Zero, where 200 world leaders have agreed to ban nuclear arms within 20 years, the Queen has been fighting for this banning in recent years.
Now, with the United Nations voting on this, she gets to see hers, and many others’, dream to be a reality.
Queen Noor said the resolution “would be a historic step toward an international consensus, and it would pave the way for governments to start working to achieve this goal.”
She also hopes Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev would strike an arms deal cut later in the year.
“It begins with the United States and Russia making deep cuts in their arsenals,” Queen Noor said. “We’re hoping the Security Council will endorse the Obama-Medvedev call for the elimination of nuclear weapons. We see this as a team effort.”
“For so long, so many people have been working toward this goal.”
As for Obama, the Queen has nothing but praise for him. “I admire him for setting the goal,” She said. “He’s got an enormous set of challenges in front of him.”
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