Prince Alois von und zu Liechtenstein visited China Monday to meet with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping and to hail the country’s status as a full market economy.
Prime Minister Klaus Tchutscher accompanied the Prince to Beijing, and he and Xi both signed agreements to recognize the new stage in Chinese economics.
The Vice President praised Liechtenstein’s 60 year relationship with his nation during the ceremony and spoke of his hopes for further cementing the bilateral relations.
In turn, Prince Alois and Tchutscher said they value their ties with China and also hope to broaden relations in the economics, trade, culture and tourism sectors.
Following the Beijing meeting, Alois and Tchutscher will visit Shanghai and go to the World Expo.
In Casablanca Monday, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI stopped by the Oukacha reformatory, which is a school for juvenile delinquents. He did this for his foundation for Inmates Reinsertion. Back in May 2006, the King signed agreements to improve the lives of prison inmates once they have completed their sentences.
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During his visit, Mohammed saw the reformatory’s vocational training center and the workshops. He even to the took the time to award certificates to ten of the best laureates.
His Majesty also toured a school built by the Education Ministry as part of an agreement with the Mohammed VI Foundation for Inmates Reinsertion. He also gave a high school degree to an inmate.
King Mohammed asked several questions during the tour. He asked about the results of the socio-professional reinsertion system, and about the achievements of the post-prison support centers.
At the end of his visit, the King oversaw the signing of a partnership agreement between his Foundation, the General delegation of the penitentiary and reinsertion administration (DGAPR) and the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM). The agreement aims to train inmates in certain professional fields so they could earn employment once they are out of a reformatory.
Sweden’s regent and crown princess couple were present for the 2010 Polar Music Prize at the Stockholm Concert Hall Monday. They were on hand to honor two of the music world’s most known names – Icelandic singer Björk and Italian composer Ennio Morricone.
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When Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel arrived, Victoria sent the photographers wild when they noticed her metallic gold and black dress, but more importantly, her hair. Normally the Crown Princess ties her brown hair up in a ponytail or a bun, but for the Prize, she unusually let it down.
Afterward, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia walked the pink carpet. Once the royals show up, it means its time for the ceremony to begin as the royals are the last to arrive.
During the show, Björk sat next to Prince Daniel. Earlier the electronic singer told reporters that it “tickled” her vanity to be winning what is considered to be the Nobel Prize for the music industry.
Winners of the Polar Music Prize get one million kronor, or $136,000. Since its inception in 1989 by ABBA singer Stig Anderson, the Prize honors one classical performer and one pop artist.
Sweden’s Princess Madeleine is going to be a busy lady in the coming weeks. Tomorrow, she will fly to South Africa for projects related to World Childhood Foundation, which her mother, Queen Silvia set up to give children worldwide better lives.
Among the functions the Princess will be doing is attending a dinner meant to honor WCF in Cape Town.
Madeleine will also be filmed by German TV station, RTL, which will be a follow-up to a previous project they did on her and WCF.
This will be the Princess’ second trip to South Africa. In November 2008, she spent some time in the country both promoting and doing work for the charity. Madeleine visited shantytowns, getting a chance to see up close the poverty some children live in and how her mother’s foundation can help them.
But before leaving Sweden, Madeleine took part in another charity on Sunday. In Skansen in Stockholm, she was present for the 10th anniversary of Min Stora Dag, or My Big Day – a charity that grants wishes terminally ill children.
The King of Norway was in two places Sunday to celebrate his country’s literary history. First, King Harald V was in Nesset at Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson’s childhood home, then he went to Molde for the Bjørnson Festival, which promotes reading and writing.
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In Nesset, which is located in northwest Norway, the King came to the farm where Bjørnson grew up and was greeted by Mayor Rolf Jonas Hurlen. Jenny Meringdal and Håkon Bersås presented flowers to him, and His Majesty took his place in the seating area.
At Bjørnson’s home Sunday, a scene from the play, “Here Grew My Impression”, which is about Bjørnson’s parents, was put on. Next, the trio Erik Fostervoll, Gro Kjelleberg Solli and Marit Aspås entertained with singing and music. King Harald smiled as he watched the performances. Afterward, Harald was invited for a lunch at the barn.
In Molde that night, the King gave a speech to mark the opening of the Bjørnson Festival. The event is commemorating the poet’s sense of community service.
“Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson’s community involvement was so prolonged, intense and diverse that it will take long before the festival that bears his name is the bit of key themes and issues.”
After the opening, the King attended the gala performance “Lift your head.”
2010 is celebrated as Bjørnson Year, and a series of events across the country participating in the commemoration of that is 100 years since Bjørnson died. One of the goals of Bjornson year is to create interest and commitment to Bjornson’s poetry and social action.
Denmark’s Princess Marie opened the Tønder Festival in the town that bears its name Friday. The festival is a major music event in the country, and it attracts musicians from all over Europe.
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Marie became patron of Tønder in 2009 and she has been opening the festival ever since.
“It’s great to be back. Last year I was visiting the Tønder Festival, and I was very impressed with the event. I look forward to another festival with great music. Have a good festival for everyone,” said the smiling Princess.
This year’s event includes Irish performers Caladh Nua with violinist Lisa Butler.
As Princess Marie walked around the festival’s main site, she met with many musicians. She was even given a CD from 14 year old Phillip Madsen Eskesen, whom admitted he was a little tense meeting Marie. But he ended up describing her as “clever.”
A Moscow court has ordered a continuation of the investigation into the murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. This despite the last Russian imperial family were killed by Bolsheviks 92 years ago.
The Russian prosecutor general’s main investigative unit said it had formally closed a criminal investigation into the killing of Nicholas II earlier this year because the Bolsheviks who shot the family are long dead.
But Moscow’s Basmanny Court on Thursday ordered the case reopened, saying a Supreme Court ruling blaming the state for the killings made the deaths of the actual gunmen irrelevant, a lawyer for the tsar’s descendants and local news agencies said.
“This is an important step in our quest for the truth,” said German Lukyanov, the lawyer representing Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, a descendant of the Romanov dynasty who is a claimant to the throne.
“The Russian people have the right to know what happened.”
A spokesperson for the prosecutor general’s office did not comment on whether it would contest the ruling.
Although the murders were ordered by Vladimir Lenin, it was the revolutionary firing squad who carried out the act a few hours after midnight on July 17, 1918 in Ekaterinburg. The Tsar, his wife and five children, plus four servants were the victims of the shootings.
The remains of the nine of the eleven victims were exhumed in 1991, and were buried in 1998. Recently, two more skeletons – those of one of the daughters and the the Tsar’s son – were discovered several yards from the burial site. Those remains have yet to be buried.
On an island three hours from Athens, the former King of Greece’s second son, Prince Nikolaos, married his longtime girlfriend, Tatiana Blatnik. The nuptials took place at Ayios Nikolaos monastery on Spetses Island. Close friends and family – many of them royalty themselves – saw the happy couple tie the knot.
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Before the wedding, King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie were seen at Ayios Nikolaos, checking in on last minute preparation.
Constantine told AP Television: “As you know, in all of these situations, even the last minute you are preparing.”
By sunset, the wedding guests began to arrive. Crowds and media gathered outside, though they were kept at distance by security.
As the guests arrived, they stopped to pose for the photographers before heading inside the white monastery.
Prince Nikolaos, age 40, came to his wedding by boat. Tatiana Blatnik meanwhile, came in a horse drawn carriage. Dressed in a simple gown of lace and Grecian style thrown in, the bride was given away by her father, Atilio Brillembourg.
What went on during the ceremony remains unknown, as this was a private wedding for a deposed royal family. Greek voters abolished the monarchy in the 1970s, and the family has been living in exile since the late 60s. Currently, most of them are based in London.
After the wedding, Prince Nikolaos and the now Princess Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark emerged from Ayios Nikolaos, arm in arm and very happy. They waved to the crowds as they got into a carriage that sent them to their reception.
Tatiana, age 29 and an events planner for fashion house Diane von Furstenberg, is known as Princess Nikolaos because she is not a princess in her own right; she earned it by being a prince’s wife.
Crowds and media on the Greek island of Spetses turned out in droves to get a glimpse of one of the biggest royal events of the year: the marriage of Greek Prince Nikolaos and Tatiana Blatnik.
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Though the wedding is Wednesday, the pre-wedding reception took place the night before at the Grace Poseidon Hotel. Royals from all over Europe gave the people a chance to see them as they arrived for the dinner.
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Although the monarchy was abolished in Greece in the 1970s, its exiled royal family are allowed to come back for major events such as this wedding. Prince Nikolaos is the second son of King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie.
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Many of the royal coming to this wedding are their relatives. For example, the children of King Juan Carlos of Spain are o Spetses. That is because their mother, Queen Sofia, is Constantine’s sister.
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Also related to the Greek royal family are the Danish royals. Queen Anne-Marie is sister to Queen Margrethe II, and therefore is aunt to Crown Prince Frederik and Princes Joachim. Frederik’s wife, Crown Princess Mary, is representing him at the wedding, while Joachim and his wife Princess Marie are also there.
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Also in attendance are newlyweds Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, along with the Netherlands’ Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima, and Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon.
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Though there is much media attention surrounding this wedding, Nikolaos and Tatiana hope the press would keep their distance Wednesday.
“The couple’s wish is to celebrate their wedding with close family and friends in as much a discreet and calm way as possible,” King Constantine’s office said in a statement.
During a visit to an orphanage in the Amman neighborhood of Al Hashemi Al Shamali, King Abdullah II ordered the Jordanian government to set up a strategy to secure the future of the Kingdom’s orphans.
The King wants the strategy to include clear and effective programs that will provide them with training, education and rehabilitation needed for a decent life.
He also urged the government to renovate the infrastructures of orphanages and care shelters all over Jordan.
Accompanied by his wife, Queen Rania, Abdullah toured the orphanage and saw its computer lab and classrooms. They also met with some children and talked with them about their needs. The orphanage is home to 43 children, between the ages of 7 to 14.
With Jordan observing Ramadan, a time for charity for Muslims, it seems the King and Queen are tackling orphans’ needs. The couple recently announced they would be funding education for 200 orphans.
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