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 Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe/FILE The Swedish royal court has cleared Princess Madeleine’s calendar until June 19th, the day her older sister, Crown Princess Victoria gets married.
Originally, Madeleine was scheduled to participate in Victoria’s engagement party at the royal palace chapel on May 30th as well as a couple of other duties. Instead, the Princess reportedly remains in the United States, in Florida. It is not clear if she is doing work for World Childhood Foundation as she was when she first arrived in the country.
This won’t be the first time Madeleine canceled appearances. Earlier this month, she pulled out of Seattle’ Sweden Week and Victoria had to step in for her.
Madeleine broke up with her fiancè, Jonas Bergstrom, one month ago after several years of dating. Supposedly, Jonas cheated on the 27 year-old Princess. It is said that she is not handling the break-up well.
Sources: ¡Hola!
Queen Elizabeth II spoke from the throne at the House of Lords Tuesday during the state opening of Parliament. Wearing her crown and regal robes, the Queen gave her speech in regards to Britain’s new but rare coalition government, which formed after this month’s narrow elections.
 AP Photo/ Leon Neal/Pool Among the many things she spoke about were cuts to public spending and changes to the country’s centuries-old political system.
“The first priority is to reduce the deficit and restore economic growth,” the monarch said, reading from a speech drafted by government officials. “Action will be taken to accelerate the reduction of the structural budget deficit. A new Office for Budget Responsibility will provide confidence in the management of the public finances.”
She also confirmed the unpopular 5.1-billion-pound ($7.3 billion) plan for national identity cards will not take place. An initial package of 6 billion pounds ($8.7 billion) in other spending cuts were mentioned.
“Measures will be brought forward to introduce fixed term Parliaments of five years,” the Queen said about political changes. “A Bill will be introduced for a referendum on the Alternative Vote system for the House of Commons (the lower house) and to create fewer and more equal sized constituencies.”
The way things are now, it is the Prime Minister who decides when to hold elections and end parliamentary sessions.
Also in the speech were about the United Kingdom’s new relations with the European Union – “My Government will introduce legislation to ensure that in future this Parliament and the British people have their say on any proposed transfer of powers to the European Union” - and changes to its immigration policy.
“My Government will limit the number of non-European Union economic migrants entering the United Kingdom, and end the detention of children for immigration purposes.”
Sources: Christian Science Monitor, AP
On Monday, in the presence of the Jordanian royal family, Prince Feisal married Sara Qabbani. This is the second marriage for the Prince, who is the brother to King Abdullah II, and the first for Sara. The nuptials took place one day before Jordan celebrates its independence day.
 Jordan Times/Yousuf Allan The wedding took place at Zahran Palace, and was attended by several of Feisal’s brothers and sisters, plus his mother, Princess Muna. Sara’s family was also in attendance.
She is of Lebanese descent, though she was raised in Saudi Arabia. Sara earned a degree in journalism and mass communications in 2000 from the American University in Cairo, the same institution Queen Rania went to. That makes the new Princess the second woman in the Jordanian royal family to have a journalism background, after Princess Rym, the wife of Prince Ali.
 Jordan Times/ Yousuf Allan Sara is the managing director of the “Generations for Peace” a peace-building initiative, which was established by Prince Feisal. She is also an advisory panel member of Beyond Sport and represents Generations for Peace on the working party of the International Forum on Sport for Peace and Development.
Prince Feisal was married for almost 20 years to Alia al Tabba. He had four children with her, but they divorced a few years ago. His son, Prince Omar, was present for the wedding, though his three daughters were not.
Sources: Jordan Times, Elaph,
A young Norwegian girl will be going to a school later this year, located right down the street from her home. It is the neighborhood school, and all the young children who live nearby will be her classsmates.
 Kongehuset.no Only this little girl isn’t an ordinary one. She is Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and she may one day become Norway’s first reigning Queen.
The decision of her parents – Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit – to send their daughter to the local school, Jansløkka, near their palace in Skaugum which is outside of Oslo, breaks with royal tradition. Both Haakon and his father, King Harald V, also grew up in Skaugum, but were driven into Oslo to attend Smestad Elementary School.
The Crown Princely couple have always said they want their children to have as normal as a life as possible. Having young Ingrid Alexandra attend Jansløkka sure paves the way.
“We think it’s very nice that the Crown Princely couple chose to let their children go to the Jansløkka school. The school’s desire is to create the least possible fuss about just that,” said the rector of Contents B. Johansen.
Already, the Princess’ brother, Marius Borg Høiby, attends Jansløkka as a seventh grader.
Ingrid Alexandra will begin Jansløkka in late August.
Sources:Aftenposten
The King of Spain resumed his royal duties this weekend. On Saturday, he was discharged from Barcelon’a Planas Clinic, where he had been recovering from lung surgery since May 11th. King Juan Carlos then went for a meeting with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
 Terra Noticias Upon leaving the clinic, the King told reporters that he felt “great.”
On Monday, Juan Carlos, along with Queen Sofia, met with the board of trustees for the Royal Spanish Academy at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid. He was clearly in high spirits, joking about his “bump in the road.”
That bump was having a benign nodule removed from the King’s left lung. He had been a heavy smoker and it is not clear if the 72 year-old monarch still is. Some reports say Juan Carlos does smoke, but he intends to quit.
For the time being, King Juan Carlos will not be traveling abroad. His son and heir, Felipe, would be standing in for him.
Sources: El Mundo, La Vanguardia, Spanish News
Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna, the widow and mother of the claimants to the Russian throne, died Monday in a hospital in Madrid. She was 95 years old.
 Yury Kryuchkov/RIA Novosti/FILE The Grand Duchess was born in 1914 in Tblisi, Georgia. Her family was the House of Mukhrani, a branch of the Bagrationi dynasty which ruled Georgia during the middle ages.
She married Sumner Moore Kirby in 1934 and had a daughter named Helen. Leonida later then married Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich Romanov, who was the pretender to the throne until his death. Together, they had a daughter, Grand Duchess Maria, who today claims the throne.
When Grand Duke Vladimir, who was the great-grandson of Tsar Alexander II, died in 1992, he was buried in St. Petersburg at the Peter and Paul Fortress, which is also the resting place of many of the Romanov Tsars. According to Alexander Zakatov, the director of the Romanov dynasty’s office, Leonida requested that she be buried next to her husband.
The Grand Duchess was the last member of Russia’s former imperial family to be born before the 1917 Russian Revolution. Many of the high ranking Romanovs, including Tsar Nicholas II and his family, were murdered by Bolsheviks.
Today, with the exception of Grand Duchess Maria and her 29 year-old son, Giorgi, all other Romanov descendants lay no claim to the throne and do not seek to restore the monarchy.
Sources: AFP, RIA Novosti
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has found herself in a scandal that has put her, and her former husband, into a deep hole.
A reporter from the tabloid News of the World posed as an international businessman and met with the 50 year-old Duchess recently. This was all done on video unbeknown to the Duchess.
 AP Photo/Stuart Ramson, file On the tape, she is recorded saying a half million pounds would “open doors” to the pretend-businessman. Sarah then revealed that she was referring to her former husband, who met the “most amazing people”.
She gave the reporter her bank details for future payments, adding “then you open up all the channels . . . then you meet Andrew and that’s fine. And that’s when you really open up whatever you want.”
The Duchess agreed to arrange for a meeting between the man and Andrew, all in exchange for cash – $40,000 to be exact. The video seems to show her accepting the money.
When the tabloid exposed the Duchess, it made headlines across the UK. Many questioned her financial state and even her judgment.
Sarah released a statement, apologizing for her actions. “I very deeply regret the situation and the embarrassment caused,” she said.
“It is true that my financial situation is under stress. However, that is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgement and I am very sorry that this has happened.”
She also insisted that the Duke had no knowledge of her meeting with the pretend-businessman, as did News of the World. Even Buckingham Palace released a statement defending Andrew.
 AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin “The Duke of York categorically denies any knowledge of any meeting or conversation between the Duchess of York and the News of the World journalist. Since 2001 he has carried out his role of Special Representative with complete and absolute propriety and integrity.”
The British anti-monarchist group, Republic, is know calling for an inquiry into the Duke being a trade envoy.
According to the Times Online, the Duke’s role may now be in jeopardy.
“The timing of this couldn’t be worse and this whole affair may affect the ability of the Prince to clinch those vital deals,” said Stephen Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses. “When the pound is so weak and following the recent uncertainty about the election, his job is even more important than ever.”
Alambritis now wants the Prince’s office and the UK Trade & Investment to work at clearing his name. “It has to be done to stop the UK’s trade name being dragged down. Intrigue is not the way we do business.”
Sarah Ferguson has had a moments of embarrassment and scandal before. In 1992, while she was still married to Prince Andrew, it was revealed she was having an affair when photos showed her vacationing with another man.
That incident led to her divorce from the Duke.
But now, this scandal may further harm her relationship with the British royal family.
“Of course certain members of the royal family have never been in the Fergie camp and this will do nothing to endear her to them,” said BBC royal correspondent June Kelly.
Sources: Daily Telegraph, BBC, Times Online
On Friday, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf traveled to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao. The meeting between the two heads of state was meant to broaden ties with Sweden and China, as President Hu told the press.
 REUTERS/Jason Lee “China and Sweden have no conflict of fundamental interests despite different national conditions, and good bilateral ties have brought tangible benefits to both peoples.”
King Carl mentioned the President’s state visit to his country in 2007, which helped boost bilateral links.
An innovation forum, jointly held by the two countries, will have a positive influence on cooperation in new fields between the two countries, he said.
Sweden became the first Western country to have diplomatic ties with China 60 years ago.
During his official visit, the King participated in the China-Sweden Innovation Forum and the signing ceremony of some cooperative agreements. On Sunday, he visited the Swedish pavilion at Shanghai’s World Expo 2010.
Sources: Xinhua, Crienglish
The Crown Princess of Sweden and her fiancè gave another interview this week, this time to the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. This interview, done by journalist Karin Thunberg, delved deeper into Victoria and Daniel’s relationship and their future together.
 Dan Hansson/SCANPIX The first question Karin asked was, what is love?
“It is when someone else is more important than what you yourself are,” said Daniel.
“Now you stole what I was going to say,” Victoria jokingly complained. “But then I can fill in: Love is that you want to spend every minute with someone, experiencing everything with this person. With the wedding will be possible in a completely different way for Daniel and me. We also get the privilege to represent Sweden together, socialize even during working hours.”
“Sure, rip on each other 24 hours a day,” Daniel joked.
The couple were asked about how their relationship began nine years ago, when Victoria was a client of Daniel’s, who was a personal trainer at an elite Stockholm gym. The two started off simply as friends, but the relationship soon turned into something else.
“I do not know if you can pinpoint when the friendship turns into love,” Daniel explained. “But when you discover more and more pages with each other, when you get to know each other on a deeper level, when you suddenly feel: Oh, what’s going on?”
Both he and Victoria said the transition from friends to lovers did not intimidate them. Instead, they took it in stride.
Now they are headed down the aisle in less than one month. The couple were asked if they would be nervous on June 19th.
“Once it is brewing,” Daniel said. “I will have both butterflies in my stomach and trembling knees.”
Then came the question as to why they took so long to get married. The Crown Princess told Karin Thunberg that it had to do with Daniel getting used to a major change in his life.
 Dan Hansson / Svenska Dagbladet / SCANPIX “Partly because we had such a good result as possible to stand on for the future but also because it was such a big shift for you, Daniel,” she said. “What a sacrifice. You have to leave the company you have built up, the work that you love, to go into this as a new challenge. A marriage to me means that marries everything around my person. Should you, as we both feel today, do something good for Sweden must be able to give much of himself.”
“In this situation it is important that you know, will I do it here?” Daniel said. “I do not think I made any sacrifices as Victoria was on. Rather it is a privilege and a great privilege to share life with such an amazing person. But also have the responsibility – and honor – to serve the country and Swedes. We have needed this time. Now we are ready.”
Mr. Westling was asked about his upbringing in the small town of Ockelbo. His mother worked in the post office, while his father worked for Social Welfare. Daniel explained he witnessed gender equality between his parents.
“I have grown up in a family with complete equality. For me it’s no problem to go one, two or ten steps behind Victoria – and still maintain my self-esteem. And to see the Queen, what a fantastic job she did in all the years by supporting the King.”
Daniel was also asked about his kidney disease, which he insisted once again that it is not hereditary.
“I should perhaps clarify once and for all that I was born with impaired renal function, and is not hereditary. It may have been a cold that my mother had during pregnancy. For over two years ago you could see that it must be replaced, which had already examined my dad. The operation was well planned, when there is a living donor is never urgent.”
As for what may be going through their minds when they stand at the altar together in June, Victoria and Daniel both claimed they would only be thinking of each other.
“It is well when we are up there together and say yes. I can imagine that a very special feeling arises when: Now we are husband and wife,” said Daniel.
Victoria added, “I agree. I will not say yes to television or the Assembly, my yes will be directed only to Daniel.”
For his role as Prince of Sweden, Daniel said he would like to tackle health and children’s issues. But he also made it clear that he is aware of what his role would be.
“My primary task, as I said earlier, is to provide support for the Crown Princess. Getting into the role takes time. I hope there is an understanding that there is no full-fledged prince who is here the day after the wedding.”
This week, Queen Rania of Jordan was back in the United States to receive Microsoft’s James C. Morgan Humanitarian Award by it’s Tech Museum of Innovation in Redmond, Washington. The award honors those who use technology to benefit others, and the Queen has been using such sites as Twitter and YouTube to spread the word about education rights and fight against stereotypes against Arabs and Muslims.
 KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES “I’m really honored and humbled to receive this award,” Queen Rania said at a news conference Wednesday. Technology brings “light into darkness and hope to the hopeless,” and “technology is helping humanity move forward.”
She also added that social media “can help build bridges of understanding. Only on truth can you build a foundation of peace.”
The Queen also talked about how social media can help the world looking to help others in times of crisis, such as the Haitian earthquake this past January.
“There are some really good examples of how technology has had an impact in the real world,” she said. “It’s breaking social boundaries and having a real impact on the ground.”
Rania has had an interest in technology since before becoming a member of the Jordanian royal family. When she graduated from the American University in Cairo, Egypt, she went to work for Apple in Amman, Jordan.
Now she has 1.3 million followers on Twitter and her YouTube channel is a major success.
The Queen will get the actual award n San Francisco this coming November.
Sources: The Seattle Times, Seattle Post Intelligencer
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