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Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja arrived in Pretoria, South Africa on Tuesday to begin a two day state visit to the country. With them are over 100 Norwegian business leaders, looking for opportunity investments.
 REUTERS/Ziphozonke Lushaba Harald and Sonja were welcomed by President Jacob Zuma and his wife at the Union Buildings. They eventually went to the University of Pretoria, where King Harald opened a seminar on foreign policy.
Afterward, the King and Queen visited Freedom Park. This evening, they will attend a state dinner hosted by President Zuma.
Already a lot has been accomplished at this state visit. Co-operation agreements on partnerships, in higher education and research, plus mutual trade and investments have been signed. Also, efforts to tackle climate change have been agreed upon.
However, one thing would be noticably absent from this royal visit. King Harald and Queen Sonja will not be meeting with South African hero Nelson Mandela. He has chosen not meet the royal couple since he has resigned from public life and is struggling with fragile health.
Monday night, Dubai’s Princess Haya hosted a charity auction where various sporting items were auctioned off. The money raised from this event – a total of $1 million – went to help Palestinian children. 
Dressed in a bright green gown, Haya spoke to those in attendance about the importance of sports in the Middle East.
“Our passion for sport in this region provides us with an opportunity to change lives and develop young people. None of us have the capacity to individually solve the problems of the world, but collectively, we can help find solutions and provide hope to the children and youth of Palestine.”
The items auctioned included footballs and tennis balls made in the slums of Kenya, plus various t-shirts. All items were signed by major sporting figures such as tennis greats Roger Frederer and Venus and Serena William. The head of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, put his signature on a football as did UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
The galal auction was sponsored by the United Nations. Princess Haya is a UN Messenger of Peace.
 REUTERS/Lionel Cironneau/Pool Monaco announced Tuesday that Princess Caroline likely won’t be able to testify as a witness in her husband’s trial. The Minister of State claims she has overseas commitments on Thursday, the date the Princess is scheduled to be on the witness stand.
November 26th was the set date for the Princess’ appearance before Prince Ernst August of Hannover’s trial in Hildesheim, Germany began. The court refused to let the Princess testify through mutual legal assistance in Monaco. The court official is said to be surprised Caroline may not be appearing in court.
55 year-old Prince Ernst is on trial for attacking a disco owner in Kenya in early 2000. He was originally fined for the attack in 2004, but the Prince is now seeking a lighter sentence.
On Sunday, Denmark’s Prince Joachim and Princess Marie arrived in Hong Kong to kick off their eight day official visit to China. They will be promoting such Danish products as cuisine, fashion and design.
 Jesper Sunesen/BILLED-BLADET On Tuesday, they toured the city and then opened an exhibit in Hong Kong’s Shopping Center called “The Danish Design Jewels.”
Towards the end of their tour, Joachim and Marie will go to Beijing.
The royal couple also brought with them their 6 1/2 month old son, Prince Henrik. Unfortunately though, there won’t be much time for the parents to spend time with their baby, so a nanny was brought along for the visit.
The Prince is very familiar with Hong Kong. In the late 1990s, he worked here, and it was in the city he met a woman named Alexandra Manley. The two married and had Joachim’s first two sons, Nikolai and Felix. Sadly, the couple divorced in 2005, and Alexandra became known as the Countess of Frederiksborg.
On Sunday, the Crown Princely couple of Belgium began a five day economic mission to Morocco. Philippe and Mathilde arrived in Casablanca and were greeted by Prince Moulay Rachid, King Mohammed VI’s brother and their host. Accompanying them were 300 Belgian business leaders. Although they arrived on a Sunday, things did not get started for everyone until Monday.
 Maghreb Arabe Presse The day began with Philippe at an inaugural meeting of the Ministerial conference of the countries of the Middle East and North Africa and those of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD-MENA) in Marrakech. The Crown Prince spoke of mutual trust between countries in order for trade to take place.
“Without trust, there can be no investment at least in a market economy because it is always a gamble on the future,” he said in a speech. “Trust is another essential ingredient. The recent crisis, marked precisely by a sudden drop in confidence, providing a further striking illustration.”
“Our economies must be restarted, there is prosperity for our citizens and their employment prospects. The effects of the crisis are still being felt, but the crisis has led to an awareness of the crucial role of good governance.”
 Later on, Philippe met with Prime Minister Abbas Al Fassi. The Prime Minister spoke of the great relationship Morocco and Belgium have together.
In the afternoon, the Crown Prince and Princess visited the marketplace of Marrakech. They toured the stands, tested local food, and chatted with the vendors.
Monday also included a visit to Marrakech’s treatment plant wastewater, and to an arts gallery.
Britain’s royal brothers, Princes William and Harry, have set up their own charity organization. The Charitable Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry will benefit various members of British society, as well as overseas.
 Kirsty Wigglesworth/WPA/Getty Images/FILE “They have identified it as the primary vehicle for their charitable activities in the future,” said a St. James Palace spokesman.
It has been reported that the Princes have invested a six-figure sum of their own money into the foundation, though St. James declined to comment on it.
The organization will help the psychological and physical recovery of British soldiers, young people in need and help develop villages in Africa.
Trustees of the this foundation include Queen Elizabeth II’s most trusted adviser, Lord Janvrin, her former private secretary, plus Fiona Shackleton, a lawyer for Prince Charles during his divorce from Princess Diana.
In addition, Prince Harry’s Sentebale charity, which helps AIDS orphans in the African Kingdom of Lesotho, will operate independently of the foundation.
 Daily Mail/MatrixPhotos.com The longtime girlfriend of Britain’s Prince William went to a movie premiere in London’s Odeon Liecester Square Thursday night. This was a rare public appearance for Kate Middleton, as she has been out of the limelight for many months now.
The movie she saw was Tenacity on the Tasman, about Olly Hicks, a good friend of both William and Kate’s. Hicks, who at only 23 years old, became the first person to ever row from England to the United States alone. William and Olly Hicks have believed to have been friends since their teenage years.
Also in attendance were several members of William and Kate’s circle of friends. Holly Branson, the daughter of Virgin tycoon Richard Branson was there. So was Jecca Craig, a former flame of Prince William’s.
Proceeds from this premiere will benefit the charity, Hopes & Homes for Children.
Imagine being in Stockholm Thursday and Friday. One would’ve seen a sight often seen at royal weddings, funerals and coronations! It was the gathering of nine royal women, plus two royal men to-be, coming together for the 20th anniversary of the United Nation’s Child Convention.
 Billed Bladet/Martin Hoien Queen Silvia of Sweden brought together the Queens of Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, as well as the Crown Princesses of Norway and Denmark, and finally the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg to mark this event. All of them have to some degree worked for the rights of children, particularly Silvia, with her World Childhood Foundation.
The royal women first met at the royal palace to discuss children’s rights. The Convention, signed by every country in the world besides Somalia and the United States, is to ensure children’s safety and welfare – both civil, political, economic, cultural and social rights.
After that, they went to the children’s center in Stockholm as part of the Convention’s anniversary.
Later on, the ladies held a conference, which also featured Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine.
In the evening, there was a gala at Berwaldhallen. This time, Victoria and Madeleine’s fiancees, Daniel Westling and Jonas Bergstrom attended. This was the first time either man officially attended a royal event.
 Alain Benainous-Pool/Getty Images Europe November 19th is Monaco’s National Day, and its royals were out in full force to celebrate one of the principality’s biggest events.
Prince Albert II, Princess Stephanie, Princess Caroline and her three eldest children first attended a thanksgiving mass at Notre Dame Cathedral. The Gospel of Luke was read and the Bishop of Monaco discussed what occurred in the country over the past year – such as the economy. The Bishop also praised Prince Albert, Monaco’s sovereign ruler.
Afterwards, it was to the balcony of the Palace. As a military parade marched by, Albert and his sisters waved to the citizens below. Joining them was Princess Caroline’s youngest, Princess Alexandra of Hannover. The 10 year-old was introduced to the crowds on this very balcony a decade earlier, and Monaco watched her grow up. Also on the balcony were the Casiraghi siblings – Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre. Those are Caroline’s children with her late husband, Stefano Casiraghi.
 Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe Noticably absent from this year’s National Day celebrations was Caroline’s current husband, Prince Ernst of Hannover. She and Ernst have not been seen together in public since June. This has sparked rumors that the two are parting ways. Those rumors increased in September when Caroline relocated back to Monaco and enrolled Alexandra in a local school, while Ernst remained at his home outside of Paris.
The royal palace denied that Caroline and Ernst are separating around this time. However, with the Prince not being present for many of Monaco’s most important events, speculations over the state of his marriage to Caroline is only intensify.
To see more pictures of Monaco’s National Day, click here
 Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images/FILE The Duke and Duchess of Vendome – Prince Jean & Princess Philomena – welcomed into the world today a baby boy!
The little one is named Gaston, a name traditionally used by the House of Orleans. It is not known yet how much he weighs or how long he is.
Prince Gaston is the eighth grandchild of the Count of Paris, who is the head of the deposed French royal family. Since the little boy’s father is the heir, that makes Gaston a future heir to the House of Orleans.
The son’s parents married earlier this year – civilly in March, and religiously in May. This is their first child together.
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