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The girlfriend of Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip was in Helsinki, Finland Thursday to attend the Strauss concert where she accepted a check for her charity, Project Playground.
 Click here for original Finnish article Dressed in a simple white and black dress, Sofia Hellqvist was all smiles as she accepted the check and gave a little speech in both Swedish and Finnish about the foundation. Project Playground helps disadvantaged children in South Africa.
“Project Playground offers children and young people in activities after school as an alternative to street life. Many of the children have to face the horrors in their lives, and shoulders to carry the small problems that no child should face,” Sofia told the audience.
“Township areas have high unemployment rates, and they lead to alcohol and drug problems, violence, the spread of HIV and AIDS, and abuse. We want to encourage and motivate children to work towards a better future. Our children are the future generation of teachers, workers and managers. Sport, play and leisure activities to help children get the skills that are not necessarily taught at home or at school. We want our children to remain children as long as possible.
“Once again, we thank all the companies which are involved in donating. We hope that this day is a good start for our cooperation in Finnish companies and individuals. Together, we can take small steps towards a better world. There are many ways to help, not just financial. We can also help by opening the heart, opening the eyes and understanding of what happens elsewhere in the world, and disseminate information. These children need advocates.”
With that, Ms. Hellqvist thanked everyone.
She and the Prince have been dating for about two years. There has been controversy swirling Sofia due to her past as a reality show star and modeling nude. Yet, she and Carl Philip have been living together for quite some time, and some see her involvement with Project Playground as a rehabilitation of her image.
Sources: Iltalehti, MTV3
It was announced shortly after midnight in the United Kingdom that Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, is now the patron of four charities. The organizations range from the arts to addiction.
 Click here to see more pics of the Duchess The first charity Her Royal Highness will be involved in is The Art Room, which gives art lessons to children with emotional and social problems, such as low self esteem and autism. Catherine has a degree in History of Art, so this choice seems natural for her.
Founder and director Juli Beattie said, “We’re absolutely delighted, we’re overwhelmed and thrilled. This is just fantastic, it will raise the profile of the charity and get people to see the work we are doing.”
Another natural choice for her patronage is the National Portrait Gallery in London.
In addition, the Duchess will be involved in Action in Addiction, which Nick Barton said, “It’s not an easy subject for some people but I think this sort of patronage will change that.”
Also to be a place close to her heart is the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. In November, she visited the latter in a low profile manner in order to see if the being patron of the Hospice – known as EACH – was up her alley.
A couple, named Grant and Charlotte Clemence, were supported by EACH when their newborn daughter died of a rare heart condition last May. Mrs. Clemence had this to say about Catherine: “The Duchess showed genuine interest to all the families and staff she met and it really will be a great boost for EACH.”
Finally, she will be a scout volunteer in Anglesey, where she lives with Prince William, who works as a search and rescue pilot. Having been a Girl Scout as a child, Catherine will help out with the local chapter. This is because she and William want to give back to the tiny Welsh island they call home.
“The Duchess has an incredibly busy life, which makes it all the more inspiring that she has chosen to volunteer alongside us,” said UK chief scout Bear Grylls. “I think what’s lovely is that she’s going to feel exactly the way young scouts feel when they first join: a little bit nervous, but that’s what scouting’s all about. You’re part of a big family.”
The Duchess took her time to carefully choose her patronages and reportedly wanted to compliment her husband’s patronages.
Sources: BBC, ITN
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stopped Centrepoint this Wednesday, to bake Christmas desserts with the charity’s beneficiaries. Prince William is patron of Centrepoint, which focuses on helping homeless youth.
 Click here to see more photos at Daylife.com The Prince also was the star of the evening when he busted out his hip-hop dance moves. It happened when 18 year old Vanessa Boateng told His Royal Highness what she thought of his Irish Guards uniform that he wore for his April wedding to Catherine.
“William asked us what we thought about what he wore to his wedding. He said, was his suit dapper?” said Boateng.
“I said: ‘No, your swag was on point.’ He repeated my words and said ‘swag’, then he started doing this dance.”
The dance involves brushing imaginary dust off your shoulders as another person does the same. It is supposed to mean that you have trendy clothes.
Later on, William and Ms. Boateng did the dance – now known as the “Swag Dance” – for the rest of the 80 residents of the shelter.
This move will clearly make the Duke more popular with those benefiting form Centrepoint. He has been patron since 2005 and used to visit the shelters as a child with his mother, the late Princess Diana.
And Centrepoint may be a tradition for future royal generations.
“He said he’s going to make his children come there and I can discipline them,” Boateng revealed, according to the Telegraph.
But William was not the only royal warming hearts at the shelter. His wife, Catherine, made a cookie for Tasha Barbi’s 18th birthday.
“She said ‘This is for you, your birthday cookie’,” Miss Barbi explained.
“I love it, I’m never going to eat it, it’s beautiful I’m going to cherish it.”
To see video of William’s Swag Dance, click here.
Sources: Press Association, Telegraph
In Berlin Saturday, Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco was the recipient of the golden heart award at the Ein Herz fur Kinder (A Heart for Children) ceremony. She won for teaching poor and handicapped children to swim in her native South Africa.
 Check out more photos here The German publication, Bild, interviewed Charlene about how she spent years teaching young girls to swim. The Princess is a former Olympic swimmer, so in more ways than one, she was a good teacher for them.
“The feeling that it is worthwhile to fight for something, I wanted to pass on,” she told the magazine. Charlene won her first medal in a swimming competition at age 8.
“Charlene gave me confidence. She gave me the feeling of being valuable,” said 21 year old Beth, who represented South Africa during the 2008 Paralympics. Beth suffered from polio as a baby, but had the now Monegasque Princess to help her.
“It was Beth’s love for swimming and her incredible will to want to reach more and more,” Charlene explained to Bild. “It may be more about the reward than the joy in their eyes you can not get.”
Recently, she began the Princess Charlene Foundation which is meant to help the disadvantaged.
“I want to pass on some of my happiness,” she said.
In addition to winning recognition for her charity work, the Princess was nominated by the World Open Water Swimming Association for her participation in this year’s Midmar Mile race and for influencing open water swimming.
Sourcs: Bild, Open Water Swimming
Earlier this month, Sweden’s Princess Madeleine went to China and Inner Mongolia to oversee projects on behalf of the World Childhood Foundation. Although she was in the two places from November 11th to the 16th, the Swedish court and press is revealing the Princess’ work now.
 Click here to see more photos at Kungahuset.se “I have been to China several times to Childhood’s behalf, but this visit was particularly important, as Half the Sky is continuing its expansion,” Her Royal Highness said about her visit. She was referring to the Half the Sky Foundation which focuses on children between the ages of newborn to 16 years who are living in orphanages throughout China. The foundation is one of the few Chinese NGOs operating and is a model for how such foundations in the country.
Madeleine also said that she met “with the directors but more importantly, the staff at the centers, and being able to hold and interact with the children, makes our work real and contributes to the understanding of the program and how to help in better ways.”
The Princess went to Changzhou, 20 miles east of Shanghai, and Hohhot in Inner Mongolia to see how Half the Sky is taking care of children.
In addition, it has been revealed today that Princess Madeleine will not be at this year’s Nobel Prize ceremony. Instead, she will be at an event for the centennial anniversary of Marie Curie’s second Nobel Prize, possibly in New York where she currently lives.
Sources: World Childhood Foundation, Kungahuset, The Local
Norway’s Crown Princely couple will release a Christmas CD on Monday, November 14th to help raise money for disadvantaged youths through their charity fund. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will not be singing on the album, but the project is all theirs.
 Click here to see more photos of the couple and their family “We are very pleased that these particular artists have taken the challenge from the Fund and will work with us to strengthen young people’s opportunities. We think the album project has been an exciting musical profile,” Haakon said in a statement.
It was the Crown Prince who approached Universal Music records about this idea.
The artists featured on the CD – called We Light Our Lanterns – include many of Norway’s young singers. They are: Ida Jenshus, Gunhild Sundli, Thomas Dybdahl, Moddi, Samsaya, Marit Larsen & Garness, Ingrid Olava, Katzenjammer, Stein Torleif Bjella and Vinni. These artists were approached because the Crown Princely couple felt Norwegian youth would respond to them positively.
“Working with youth is both one of the most important and some of the things we do,” said Mette Marit in a statement. “Many young people have the resources that are not captured, and for some it can be a major challenge. Through the fund, we want to ensure that young people are seen, so they can use their capabilities and contribute to the community. When we are better equipped to create the Norway we want for the future.”
One of the artists, Ida Jenshus, said this about the CD: “I think it is healthy and good to focus on those who have difficult in such a feast as Christmas. There are at least as many who dread this time, as those who rejoice. Those who fall outside the idyll. It’s good someone wants to make a difference and help. Too many are indifferent.”
Sources: kronprinsparetsfond.no, VG.no
 Click here to read more at Daily Mail Thursday night saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge quietly go to a charity gala at St. James Palace in London. The event was held by the 100 Women in Hedge Funds, a charity Prince William supports, and it raised money for the Child Bereavement Charity, another one the Prince supports.
Before the gala kicked off, William gave a speech where he discussed the pride he felt for both organizations.
“I find it enormously rewarding and gratifying to observe how two organisations which mean so much to me are working so superbly with one another,” he said.
“What you are both doing together to alleviate the suffering of children who have lost family members, and bereaved families who have experienced the tragedy of losing a child, is beyond praise.”
The event raised £675,000 for the Child Bereavement Charity.
About 300 women from the hedge fund sector joined the Duke and Duchess for the gala.
William wore a black tie tuxedo while his wife, Catherine, dazzled in a red low cut dress with billowing sleeves. The dress was designed by Beulah London.
Source: Daily Mail
Britain’s Prince Harry may be known for his partying ways, but he is also known for his caring side, particularly when it comes to children. Wednesday evening saw him in London giving awards on behalf of WellChild, which His Royal Highness is patron of.
 Click here for more images at Daylife.com With sad irony, Wednesday was also the 14th anniversary of his mother, Princess Diana’s death. It was she who taught Harry and his brother, Prince William, to be compassionate towards others, and that shined through today as the Prince met with seriously ill children and their families.
Among them, Katie Moore’s two daughters, Molly, age 8 and Daisy, age 6. Two years ago, Molly suffered a brain hemorrhage and now uses a wheelchair and is unable to speak, swallow or use most of her body. It is her little sister who has been taking care of Molly since.
According to Katie Moore, Daisy sings songs to her big sister and brings friends around to visit her.
And that is why Daisy got the WellChild award for most caring child.
Before the ceremony, the sisters met with Prince Harry during a reception.
“Daisy didn’t really say much, I think she was too nervous,” said Katie.
“But we talked about how the big sister, little sister roles had changed around, and how it was unusual and how inspirational Daisy is. He was great,” she added of Harry.
The Prince also awarded 6 year old Harley Lane, who lost his hands and feet to meningitis two years ago, and now has prosthetic limbs. Despite this, little Harley has amazed all those around him for being so brave. Even Prince Harry told him was a “hero”.
Another child honored Wednesday was 5 year old Sophie Cooper, who has cerebral palsy. Although unable to talk, she is learning to communicate and Harry spent some time talking to her.
According to St. James’ Palace, it was by coincidence that the WellChild awards ceremony fell on August 31st.
Prince Harry once said this about his mother: “I particularly always wonder what she’d think, what she’d be doing if she was with us now. That’s what keeps us going every day.”
Source: Press Association, Telegraph, Daily Mail
 Click here for more images at Daylife.com! In their first appearance in Monaco since their July nuptials, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were all smiles and walked hand in hand into the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo for the 63rd annual Red Cross Ball – a major event for the principality.
Behind the couple were Albert’s two sisters: Princess Stephanie and Princess Caroline, who made her first appearance at the Ball since 2008. There is no word on what made her turn up for this year’s gala. Perhaps to show solidarity with her new sister-in-law.
Some fashion reporters noted Charlene’s hair was reminiscent of the late Princess Grace. Either way, the new Princess looked stunning in her dark fuschia strapless gown designed by Swiss designer Akris.
800 Monegasque and international guests paid 1000 eurors to be at the Ball. Entertainment was done by Joe Cocker.
Monaco resident Shirley Bassey, known for singing theme songs to James Bond films, was responsible for organizing the evening and a raffle with lots of prestige. The annual gala sees the Monegasque Red Cross collect about 400,000 euros.
Source: Le Parisien
Earlier this week, the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, donated $1 million to help the people of Somalia, who are suffering from famine as a result of drought.
 Click here for more photos Abdullah Al Maatouq, the President of the International Islamic Charitable Organisation (IICO), praised the Emir for his donation.
“His Highness the Emir has stressed his commitment to alleviate the severe suffering of the people of Somalia and his confirmation of the importance of providing them with the necessary support and emergency relief to avoid more victims,” he said, quoted by Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).
“His Highness the Emir has directed the IICO to organise a public campaign in coordination with similar organisations and charities in Kuwait to collect donations for the benefit of the victims in Somalia who suffer from severe drought.”
On Tuesday, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon called Sheikh Sabah and thanked him for his efforts. In response, the Emir told Ban that his country will continue to help the people in the Horn of Africa. He also expressed his wish to see the international community to step up in their efforts.
Source: Gulf News, Qatar News Agency
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