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This past Wednesday and Thursday saw Belgium’s Crown Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde on an economic mission to New York City. They were in the city to broaden ties between their country and the United States.
 Click here to see more photos Their first stop was to Ground Zero, where the couple laid a wreath sent by the Belgian King and Queen in remembrance to those who lost their lives on 9/11. Philippe and Mathilde were given a briefing on the reconstruction of the site by Bill Baroni, the deputy executive director of the Port Authority.
Next, the royals went to Central Park to pose for the press. After that, they stopped by a food cart to eat Belgian waffles, of course!
Later in the day, Mathilde stopped by the Le Pain Quotidien. Thought to be French bakery by many locals, it is actually Belgian, and it was there that the Princess met with Belgians living and working in the Big Apple.
“It was so convivial! She was interested in how life is here, in how Belgians are doing,” said Sofia Vandaele, a general manager for the W Hotel downtown. “She was very engaged.”
On Thursday came the signing of economic agreements, overseen by Crown Prince Philippe at the Waldorf Astoria hotel.
Source: Wall Street Journal Blog, Royal News Examiner
Last week, Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito paid a three day visit to Germany as part of marking the two countries’ 150 years of diplomacy. Even though that was the main part of the trip, Naruhito used the opportunity to thank Germany for helping Japan which is still recovering from its massive earthquake and tsunami back in March.
 Click here for more photos “I offer my gratitude for the various kinds of assistance, including the dispatch of a rescue team, and condolences expressed by Germany,” the Crown Prince was quoted by the Imperial Household Agency as telling German President Christian Wulff.
Naruhito also met with Chancellor Angela Merkel in which the two discussed nuclear energy. Germany is looking to dismantle its nuclear sector following the meltdown of Japan’s nuclear plants following the natural disaster.
“In Japan, too, interest in renewable energy is growing,” he said in response to Merkel’s briefing, according to Japan’s Imperial Household Agency.
As part of his visit, Naruhito also met with Norbert Lammert, president of the German Parliament, toured museums and met with German schoolchildren.
The Crown Prince’s wife, Crown Princess Masako, did not accompany him to Germany, which may come as a disappointment to some royal fans. Many were delighted to see her visit earthquake evacuees and tour damaged sites following the disasters, which was probably the most appearances she had made in years.
But, it likely was not on the agenda for Masako to go to Germany. Perhaps she’ll make more appearances in the future as she recovers more from her stress-induced mental illness.
Source: Japan Times, Mainichi
The Swedish royal court recently published an interview with Princess Madeleine where she briefly discussed working for World Childhood Foundation in the United States. The Princess has been living in New York City for well over a year, and while the reasons for that are not fully clear, this interview is likely an attempt to ease criticism that Madeleine is wasting tax payers’ money by doing little but shop and have fun.
 Read more of Madeleine's interview here First, she was asked what she does for WCF, which was set up by her mother, Queen Silvia in 1999 to give children better childhoods around the world.
“I am a project administrator at Childhood’s office in New York,” Madeleine began. “Every day is slightly different, but if I were to describe a day at the office it would involve fairly normal office work. I arrive at the office in the morning, go through my e-mails, read reports, communicate with the projects or deal with any other tasks on my desk for the day. I sometimes attend meetings with various companies in order to try to build new corporate contacts so that Childhood can grow in the US.”
Next, Madeleine described project visits, which it has been reported by WCF is something she often does.
“You can always read about a project, but getting out and meeting the children who receive help or hearing directly from the enthusiasts who run the projects is completely different. It’s fantastic being able to hear their stories and to listen to them when they talk about their day-to-day work, their setbacks, but also their many successes and the progress they’ve made. That gives me the energy to want to do more and get involved more.”
The Princess also confirmed that by the fall, she will be returning to New York to continue working and expanding WCF. However, it is unknown when she will return to Sweden and perform any royal engagements as it is expected of any royal of any country.
Source: Swedish Royal Court
On Monday, changes were made to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg’s succession laws that will abolish male preference – as is the current state – and will allow females equal rights to the throne as their male relatives. 
This means if, for example, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume were to have a daughter as a first born child, she could become the next monarch of Luxembourg after her father, even if she has a younger brother. That brother would be second behind the sister.
These changes have been in the works since September and yesterday saw the modifications take place. This makes Luxembourg’s succession laws on par with Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
The United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Spain have yet to get rid of their male preference succession laws.
However, even with these changes in Luxembourg, there is some confusion as to how these changes will go along. According to the newspaper, Wort, the law will be effective with Grand Duke Henri’s descendants. But does that mean that Guillaume’s sister, Princess Alexandra, is ahead of younger brother Prince Sebastien now – or is she still behind?
I will update this entry when any clarification happens.
Source: Wort.lu
This weekend, Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, niece of the Queen of Denmark, married her longtime love, Alexander Johannsmann during a religious ceremony at the castle of Bad Berleburg in Germany.
 Click here to see more pics! The couple had already tied the knot in a civil ceremony in May 2010 and are the proud parents of a son, Konstantin who is nearly a year old.
Their wedding was attended by their friends and family, who included the Danish royal house and the Greek royals. The latter turned up because Princess Nathalie’s other aunt, Anne Marie is the former Queen of Greece. Nathalie herself is the youngest daughter of Princess Benedikte, the middle sister of Queen Margrethe II and Queen Anne Marie.
Wearing a gown designed by Danish couturier Henrik Hviid and the Khedive of Egypt Cartier Tiara, the bride was all smiles as she and Alexander emerged from the church after the hour long ceremony. The wedding party and guests then attended the reception at the castle.
Princess Nathalie competes in horse dressing and has won many awards for her participation. Alexander Johannsmann’s family runs a company that provides horses for such competition. Along the way, Nathalie and Alexander met and fell in love.
Cheers to the couple!
Sources: ¡Hola! The Royal Forums blog
On Friday, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI broadcast a speech to his people, saying he will give up some of his absolute political powers. He also told the country he will name a prime minister from the largest political party to serve as head of the executive branch.
 Click here to see more photos Despite these promises, many of Morocco’s youth are dissatisfied. They wanted to see their King give up his military and religious powers as well, and as a result, its February 20 protest group will hold a demonstration on Sunday.
“The plan as proposed by the king yesterday does not respond to our demands for a true separation of powers,” said the spokesman of February 20.
However, there are some who are pleased with King Mohammed’s vows of change.
“The kingdom of Morocco has joined the list of democratic countries,” said one man out celebrating in Rabat.
“Today as Moroccan youths, we’re all celebrating our new constitution from the city of Tangier to the city of Lagouira.”
A referendum will take place on July 1st to make these changes permanent instead of in September as originally planned.
Among the other constitutional changes will be more freedom of religion, though Islam will remain the state faith. Also, the Berbers and their language will receive better treatment. The Berbers are the original inhabitants of Morocco and make up 60% of the population. But they claim discrimination and their language has not been considered one of the country’s main languages.
That, plus other proposals, will see a difference starting in July.
Sources: BBC News, New York Times
On Monday, Denmark’s future King began a three day official to Japan. Not only was Crown Prince Frederik there to strengthen Danish-Japanese bilateral ties, but to also show his support after the March earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country. He was the first foreign royal to visit Japan since the disasters.
 Click here to see more photos Frederik first met with Crown Prince Naruhito at Togu Palace. In the evening, he dined with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.
Tuesday saw the Crown Prince visit the disaster-hit city of Higashi-Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture. There he saw firsthand the damage from a boat.
“My basic impression is how devastating and brutal nature can be, you can see the forces of nature through the tsunami and the earthquake,” Frederik told reporters.
He later met with local schoolchildren at the tsunami-destroyed Hamaichi Elementary School where he lunched and played football with them.
The Crown Prince then visited a temporary housing unit where he met with survivors of the disasters. “I’m very glad that my purpose here is to show that my people of Denmark are concerned and are very aware of the grief and (what) the population here has experienced,” he said.
The Crown Prince also donated 22 million yen and around 2,400 pairs of shoes to the city.
On Wednesday, at the end of his visit, Frederik had time to reflect.
“It’s tremendous to see firsthand what the forces of nature can do,” he said. “It puts everything into perspective knowing that the forces of nature is bigger than we humans. And it is healthy for us Danes, yes for myself to come out here and experience it here. We are very fortunate in Denmark and lives in many ways protected because we do not suffer from the same large-scale natural disasters.”
Crown Prince Frederik also said he was going to tell his two eldest children, Prince Christian and Princess Isabella, about what he saw and experienced in Japan.
Sources: Mainichi Japan, The Royal Correspondent
These past five days have been a whirlwind for newlyweds Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Starting on Thursday, the couple made their first official duties and appearances since their April 29th wedding. These engagements included charity galas, milestone birthday celebrations and traditional royal events.
 Click here to see pics of their arrival Throughout these five days, Catherine kept her cool and showcased that she can handle making public appearances. She showed no sign of uneasiness and went along with a warm smile, as well as William’s guiding hand gently placed on her back.
On Thursday, the couple went to the ARK (Absolute Return to Kids) 10th anniversary charity gala dinner, where they were this year’s guests. They attended on behalf of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. The function is co-organized by Arpad Busson and Ian Wace, and it focuses on raising money for needy children worldwide.
Crowds who had gathered to see the couple cheered and gasped when Catherine emerged from the limousine. The Duchess had displayed once again her amazing fashion sense by showing up in a glitterly pink gown made by Jenny Packham.
Once inside, William and Catherine chatted with the guests that included actor Colin Firth, socialite Jemima Khan, Liz Hurley and Greek royals, Crown Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie Chantal.
During the dinner, the Prince gave a speech where he said “My brother, Catherine and I hope to use our philanthropy as a long-term catalyst for meaningful change.”
“Programs from this partnership will raise aspirations, broaden horizons and encourage young people to achieve what may have seemed to them unachievable,” said the Prince
“It will generate opportunities in education for young people in the United Kingdom and then later expand beyond our shores, initially to projects in sub-Saharan Africa.”
 Click here to see more photos Later on Saturday, Catherine took part in her first Trooping the Colour event, which celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s 85th birthday. At the same time, Prince William took part for the first time in the ceremonial parade on horseback.
Wearing the bearskin hat that nearly covered his eyes, William wore the same uniform he wore at his wedding as he rode a horse with the Household Cavalry. Behind the Cavalry were the British royals in their carriages, waving and smiling to the well wishers.
On the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined the extended House of Windsor to watch the fly over from the Royal Air Force.
This year’s Trooping the Colour marked the first time three generations of British royals participated.
On Sunday, the royals attended church service at St. George’s Cathedral at Windsor to celebrate the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip’s 90th birthday. That was followed by a reception at the Castle in which some of the Greek royals attended.
 Click here to see more photos Monday saw the Order of the Garter Service, which Prince William was inducted to a few years ago. Catherine attended that event back when she was simply his significant other. But now, as his wife, she had more of a chance to interact with the awaiting crowds. Her stepmother-in-law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, encouraged her to step forward more in order for the people to see her.
If any still doubt the love between William and Catherine, they need not do so anymore. When the Prince, dressed in the Order’s traditional garments, paraded by his wife, she gave him a simple grin. To which, he smiled back and blushed.
Later this month, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit families of those killed in Afghanistan. Towards the end of June, they will also embark on a tour of North America which will take them across Canada and into California.
Judging by the way Catherine has held herself during these past whirlwind days, she will certainly do a regal job for the tour.
Sources: Daily Mail, Telegraph
On Monday, the whole royal family of Sweden gathered to mark the country’s National Day. June 6th is the day Sweden adopted a constitution, and although the vast majority of Swedes do not celebrate National Day is any sort, the House of Bernadotte was all smiles for those that do mark the day.
 Click here to see more photos of National Day At 10am, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel ceremoniously opened the royal palace at the South Gate, Slottsbacken. That is when the public can get a tour of the palace.
Later at around 11am, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia visited the town of Eslöv.
At 2pm, Victoria and Daniel handed out prizes at a citizenship ceremony at Stockholm City Hall.
At close to 6pm, the entire family – including Princess Madeleine who had just flown in from the United States – got into carriages and rode through Stockholm towards Skansen for more celebrations. The royal women dressed in traditional Swedish attire while the men wore their suits and ties.
In Skansen, a star-studded entertainment at Solliden stage included performances by Charlotte Perrelli, Magnus Carlsson, Erik Hassle, Gunilla Backman and Peter Jöback and group Timoteij and tenor Markus Pettersson. The house band was the Svante Persson orchestra.
In the evening, the royals held the reception at the royal palace.
Sources: Royal News Examiner, The Royal Forums
On Thursday, nearly the entire Belgian royal family gathered for the first communion of Princess Louise, the daughter of the controversial Prince Laurent. Although the Prince has been banned from participating in royal activities, he is of course not banned from family events.
 Click here to see more photos of the Belgian royals The Belgian royals went to the small parish of Sainte-Catherine Bonlez, a district of Chaumont-Gistoux in the province of Walloon Brabant for the Catholic ceremony for the seven year old. Princess Louise wore a pink dress with matching shoes and headband. She arrived with the other youngsters making their first communion.
Her parents, Laurent and Princess Claire came with their twin boys, Prince Aymeric and Prince Nicholas. Also there were King Albert II, Queen Paola and Queen Fabiola, who is still holding strong in her late age.
Crown Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde came with their son Prince Emmanuel. Princess Astrid attended with her husband and youngest daughter.
It is not exactly known how the King or the rest of the Belgian royals treated Prince Laurent, but according to RTBF TV, King Albert supposedly did not salute his son. One wonders if the King is still angry over his youngest son’s careless behavior this year or was simply making a public statement as a monarch.
Source: De Standaard
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