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Tuesday marks the 10th birthday of the young girl who might be Belgium’s first reigning Queen.
 Click here for gallery at Daylife.com Princess Elisabeth, the eldest child of Crown Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde, was born October 25th 2001. Although she is now 10 years old, she is rarely seen in the public eye. The exceptions are arranged sessions with the media during the summer, her first day of school, and most recently, when she helped inaugurated a hospital in Ghent which bears her name.
 She has three younger siblings: Prince Gabriel and Prince Emmanuel, and Princess Eleonore.
A student at Sint-Jan Berchmans College in Brussels, Elisabeth would be the first monarch in Belgian history to be educated in Dutch.
Belgium has a long history of rifts between its French and Dutch speaking populations. The rifts can be so strong that they threaten to split Belgium into two countries. It is Elisabeth’s grandfather King Albert II who fights to keep his country together.
Let’s hope that the young Princess will be able to celebrate her future milestones as Queen of the Belgians.
Source: Belga
While his in-laws were wrapping up their visit to the United States, Sweden’s Prince Daniel was arriving in the country. He is scheduled to be both in Washington, D.C. and New York City from Monday until November 2nd. Accompanying Daniel on this working visit – his first such trip to the United States – is Swedish Minister of Social Affairs Göran Hägglund.
 Click here for more photos The Prince began his trip with a stop at the Newseum, a museum dedicated to the history of the media and press. He then later went to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
For Tuesday, Prince Daniel will be at a seminar of how health care providers and patients can work together to prevent illness and promote health. This is a topic the Prince knows very well – before marrying Crown Princess Victoria in 2010, he was a personal trainer. He also had a kidney transplant the year before and is currently a student at the Karolinska Institute.
The next day, Daniel and Hägglund will go to a D.C. area school for Nordic Food Day, where the Scandinavian embassies will serve such dishes to the thousands of D.C. students. The Prince and the Minister will discuss with the students on how to eat healthy.
On Thursday, His Royal Highness will go outside of D.C. to Wilmington, Delaware for the Swedish Colonial Society. Delaware was once part of Swedish colonies.
After the weekend, Daniel and Hägglund will head up to New York City and visit the Swedish-United Nations delegation. He might also hang out with sister-in-law, Princess Madeleine, who’s been spending much of her time in the city.
Madeleine will join Prince Daniel for the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce’s “From Farm to Fork” dinner and seminar in New York on November 1st and 2nd.
After that, the Prince will return to Sweden.
Source: The Embassy of Sweden, The Royal Forums
 Click here to see more photos of Princess Mako The eldest grandchild of the Emperor and Empress of Japan celebrates her 20th birthday Sunday. Princess Mako, daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, gave a press conference where she said she will try to act like an adult.
“I would like to try to conduct myself appropriately as an adult. I would like to take part in various events, including official ones,” the Princess told reporters.
Mako discussed the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan back in March. She talked about her experience volunteering in the Iwate prefecture and the city of Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, areas hit hard by the disaster.
“Although I thought I had understood the situation after the disaster from media reports, I realized that there are some things you cannot understand until you actually go there.”
The Princess, who is a sophomore at the International Christian University in Tokyo, told reporters she is still thinking about her goals and her future, and will give those much thought during her time in college.
By turning 20, Princess Mako becomes the 19th adult member of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Source: Mainichi Daily
At the shores of the Dead Sea, Jordan’s King Abdullah II opened this year’s Word Economic Forum, which is intended for the Middle East. As part of his opening speech, His Majesty talked about the need for 85 million jobs in the region, and also he highlighted the Arab Spring.
 Click here to view more photos “This year’s events have opened the way to positive change, but in many places, also created painful economic dislocations. Strategies are urgently needed, and they must take place across the board – in economic life, in politics and policies, in social life and cultural values,” he said.
“Democracy is an entry to real reform,” he went on to say. “Where people can come together as citizens and stakeholders: assembling in political parties; formulating platforms; building consensus. There is no one path forward from this gate. Solutions must and will be home grown, in each of our own countries.”
King Abdullah also discussed the need for a Palestinian statehood and the acceptance of Israel as way for peace and stability in the region.
 Click here to view more photos At the end of his speech, the King gave his condolences to Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who’s heir and brother, Crown Prince Sultan, passed away Saturday.
Watching and listening to his speech in the front row was Queen Rania and Spanish King Juan Carlos. The King of Spain is in Jordan for a few days as a guest of King Abdullah II.
This Forum was originally scheduled for February. But because of the uprisings and protests in the Middle East, it was rescheduled for October.
Sources: Reuters, Petra News Agency
The heir to the Saudi monarchy died at a New York hospital overnight Saturday. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was being treated for an illness, though it is not official what kind. He was in his late 80s.
 Click here for more images at Daylife.com The palace said King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is in “deep sorrow” as he mourns the death of not only his heir, but his half brother.
The AP reports that a funeral is being prepared for Tuesday at a Riyadh mosque.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made this statement about the heir’s death. “The crown prince was a strong leader and a good friend to the United States over many years as well as a tireless champion for his country. He will be missed,” Clinton said from Tajikistan on a Central Asia tour. “Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is strong and enduring and we will look forward to working with the leadership for many years to come.”
The death of Crown Prince Sultan stirs up the succession line in Saudi Arabia, which goes from brother to brother rather than father to son like most monarchies. It is most likely the interior minister Prince Nayef will be named the new heir to the Saudi monarchy.
But how a Crown Prince is chosen is tricky. There is a chance that King Abdullah will leave the decision up to the Allegiance Council, which he created and is made up of his brothers, half-brothers and nephews. But he could also hand pick his successor himself.
The death of Sultan also makes many realize that there could be a new King soon. Abdullah, believed to be 88 years old, is in poor health, having gone for his second back surgery in less than a year.
Having a new King of Saudi Arabia would mean many of reforms Abdullah brought to the oil rich country would be rolled back. The reforms include giving women the right to vote. Prince Nayef is close to the Kingdom’s strict Wahhabi clerics and doesn’t support many of his brother’s reforms.
Source: AP, CNN
The royals of Scandinavia spent some time together in New York, both in the morning and in the evening. They are in the Big Apple mainly to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Scandinavian-American Foundation.
 Click here for images of the Ground Zero visit But sadly, no visit to New York is without a visit to Ground Zero, site of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. Together, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, and Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary went to the place where nearly 3,000 people died. With them were the Presidents of Finland and Iceland. Everyone went to the memorial and laid flowers there. All look solemn during the visit.
For the rest of the day, each royal couple went to their separate engagements. The Danish Crown Princely couple went to the BIG Architectural Studios, the Norwegian King and Queen attended an awards ceremony, while their Swedish counterparts met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and his wife Yoo Soon-taek at the United Nations headquarters.
 Check out more photos of the gala here In the evening, it was time to dress up for a black-tie event for the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s centennial ball. All three royal couples, plus the Presidents of Finland and Iceland, went to the Hilton Hotel for the event. Even Sweden’s Princess Madeleine, who’s been spending most of her time in New York these days, attended.
After today, Frederik and Mary will spend a few more days in New York, while the Kings and Queens of Norway and Sweden will go north to Jamestown, near Buffalo, New York Saturday, to celebrate the Norden Club’s centennial anniversary and visit the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. The Norden Club was founded in 1902 by Swedish immigrants to the area.
Source: WGRZ, The Royal Forums
The Empress of Japan celebrated her 77th birthday Thursday. As all members of the Imperial family do, Michiko released a statement where she discussed this year’s massive earthquake and tsunami, and getting older.
 Click here for more images of the Empress “I shall continue to watch over and support the path to their recovery until this region shows signs of true and positive recovery,” the Empress said about the tens of thousands who were displaced as a result of the natural disaster that killed 20,000.
“Initially I had to face and overcome the hopelessness and helplessness that tended to overwhelm me,” she explained her initial reaction.
She added, however, it was “the noble and calm behavior of the people” in the disaster-afflicted regions that encouraged and helped her recover from “the anguish and despair” she felt.
“More than anything else, it gave me great solace” to see the way so many citizens responded to the disasters “by helping each other in the spirit of sharing and giving.”
“I pray that they will be able to regain their normal daily lives as soon as possible and for the return of peaceful days,” the Empress said.
Michiko was asked about her health. In July and September, she suffered from severe pain between her left shoulder and left arm.
“Most of the time they are the sort I can bear,” she said. “It pains me to see that whenever this happens, it causes anxiety and concern to the people.”
Also suffering from illness is, her husband, Emperor Akihito, who was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis in February.
“All this makes me realize that we are now entering a slightly more ‘uphill’ age,” she said in her statement.
Source: Mainichi Daily
In Oviedo Friday, the annual Prince of Asturias Awards were given out at the Campoamor Theater. Prince Felipe, Princess Letizia and Queen Sofia were in attendance, as the Prince gave out the Spanish version of the Nobel Prizes.
 Click here to see more of the ceremony At the beginning of the ceremony, the future King gave a speech in which he hailed the Basque separatists for ceasing terrorism.
“It is certainly good news,” Felipe began. “It is, above all, a great victory for our rule of law. A victory for the will and determination of the democratic institutions of sacrifice and selfless work, and effective, the Security Forces, in short, the whole of our society. In this time when freedom and reason win over barbarism, I look back, I wish that all together we returned the look, with great affection and respect for the victims, to their grief and pay homage to the excitement memory, and dignity.”
The Prince then of course discussed the Awards and their meaning.
“We meet this evening of gratitude to honor our award winners. Their presence among us here in Oviedo allows us to recognize merit stronger and valuable record of their lives, our work, committed to art, to science, to sports, with solidarity. We do so with admiration and very satisfied, because our foundation kept alive in these difficult times, values and objectives for which it was born more than thirty years. This ceremony is a compendium of all: our will to distinguish the exemplary, to present positive role models in society that recognized and to emulate, and to share with everyone, in short, a message of hope.”
One by one, Felipe briefed on each of this year’s winners in the fields of sports, arts, social science, communication and humanities, international cooperation, technical and scientific research, letters, and finally the Concordia award.
After the speech, the awards were distributed. The recipients for this year’s Prince of Asturias award were:
Riccardo Muti – arts
Howard Gardner – social science
The Royal Society – communication and humanities
Bill Drayton – international cooperation
Joseph Altman, Arturo Alvarez-Buylla and Giacomo Rizzolatti – technical and scientific research
Leonard Cohen – letters
Haile Gebrselassie – sports
Workers of the Fukushima Power Plant – Concordia Award
Each of the winners gave speeches and then were given a diploma and a badge directly from Prince Felipe. Then they walked down a ramp to be acknowledged by the audience.
The Prince of Asturias Awards were begun in 1981.
Source: Casa de Real
On Thursday evening, five Scandinavian royals – and Finland’s President – opened the art exhibition, Luminous Modernism:
Scandinavian Art Comes to America 1912, at the Scandinavian House in New York.
 Click here for image gallery at Daylife.com Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen of Silvia, and Crown Princess Mary were present for the inauguration. All are in New York for tomorrow’s centennial ball for the Scandinavian-American Foundation.
It was Queen Sonja who did the actual ribbon cutting.
The exhibition showcases 48 works by Nordic artists who did modernism style, such as Edvard Munch, Vilhelm Hammershøi,and Anders Zorn. It is a sort of remake of the 1912 exhibit that displayed the modernism painting style. The exhibit will be open to the public on October 25th and will run until February 11, 2012.
“During the 100 years of its existence,” said Edward P. Gallagher, President of The American-Scandinavian Foundation. “The ASF has played a leadership role in promoting American awareness of Nordic culture. In looking back at the 1912 exhibition of Scandinavian modernists, we pay tribute to our founders’ vision and to a pivotal event in the study and appreciation of Nordic art in this country.”
Source: Scandinavia House
His Highness Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khaifa al-Thani of Qatar is wrapping up a four nation tour of Eastern Europe. His list of state visits were Macedonia, Poland, Albania and Ukraine. He began on Monday in Macedonia.
 Click here for photo gallery of the tour After arriving in Skopje and going through the welcoming ceremony, the Emir was given the the September Medal by President Gjorge Ivanov, which is the highest Macedonian honor. It was given to the Emir as an appreciation for his efforts to broaden ties with the country and Qatar.
“We highly appreciate the efforts the State of Qatar has been exerting under your wise leadership and your far-sighted vision in areas of peace, cooperation, tolerance, and dialogue in the world,” Ivanov told Hamad.
On Tuesday, His Highness met with the President of the Parliament Trajko Veljanoski, where he discussed cementing Qatari-Macedonian bilateral ties even more. The Emir also was given a tour of Skopje, where he saw the Mustafa Pasha mosque, then toured around the Old Market where he was briefed on its most prominent features and the old shops it includes. Accompanying him on this visit was President Ivanov and the head of the Islamic Religious Community, Reis ul Ulema Sulejman Efendi Rexhepi.
Later that day, the Emir left Macedonia and headed to nearby Albania, where he was greeted by Albanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Edmond Haxhinas at the Mother Teresa International Airport in Tirana. He was then whisked away to the Presidential Palace and met with President Bamir Topi, plus took part in the welcoming ceremony.
As he did in the previous country, the Emir received Albania’s medal of the highest order – the Iskander Beg. It was given to him for the same reasons as before, which was tightening Qatari-Albanian bilateral ties.
 View more photos at Daylife.com He then later met with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha. The meeting included discussions about more bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Also on Tuesday, Emir Sheikh Hamad met with the Mayor of Tirana, Lulzim Basha. During the meeting, Basha presented the Qatari leader with the honorary Medal of Tirana citizenship.
The next day, Wednesday, Hamad headed for Ukraine. In its capital of Kiev, His Highness met with President Viktor Yanukovych and received military honors for a welcoming ceremony. In the evening, there was a dinner banquet in honor of the Emir.
On Thursday, the Emir met with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, and the two discussed, once again, cementing bilateral ties. Later in the afternoon, Hamad left Ukraine for Poland. During his flight, he sent a cable to Viktor Yanukovych in which he expressed thanks and appreciation for the hospitality accorded to him and the accompanying delegation during the visit.
In Ukraine, the Emir did not receive any sort of medals.
For his final stop, His Highness went to Warsaw where he was greeted by President Bronislaw Komorowski. After the welcoming ceremony, Hamad went on to meet with Bogdan Borusewicz, the Speaker of the Polish Senate, which is part of the Polish Parliament, and later Prime Minister Donald Tusk. For both meetings, bilateral discussions took place.
Tomorrow will be the Emir’s last day on his Eastern European tour.
Source: Qatar News Agency
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She has three younger siblings: Prince Gabriel and Prince Emmanuel, and Princess Eleonore.
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