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Fresh off his week long official visit to Australia, Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik is now on a three day visit to Vietnam. His Royal Highness is there to mark 40 years of diplomacy between the two countries.
 View more photos here Monday saw Frederik meet with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan in Hanoi.
For the next few days, he will oversee the signing of agreements between Denmark and Vietnam, particularly in the areas of climate, environment and green technology.
The Crown Prince will also promote Danish culture. Tomorrow, he will attend a performance of August Bournonville’s classic ballet ‘La Ventana’ at the opera house. Later in the evening, he will watch a badminton tournament between Danish player Peter Gade and Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh.
The last time Frederik has been to Vietnam was two years when he, his parents, and his wife spent about a week promoting bilateral ties. It is not fully known why Crown Princess Mary did not accompany her husband on this trip.
Source: Politiken
Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark finished their seven day official visit to Australia Saturday. The last three days of their tour took them to Melbourne and a town called Broken Hill.
 See photos of Day 4 here at Zimbio For Wednesday, Frederik and Mary went to Melbourne’s version of the Sofitel Hotel, to open the State of Green – Join The Future. Think Denmark conference. Before entering the hotel, the couple were greeted by 7 year old Catherine Babie, who was born the day before they married in May 2004. Catherine’s mother, Rachael Oliphant, had flown with her to Melbourne in hopes of meeting the Australian-born Mary, and with luck it worked out!
“Hello Prince Frederik, hello Princess Mary, these flowers are for you,” Catherine said as she handed the Crown Princess a bouquet of chrysanthemums, gerberas and lilies. She then curtseyed to the royals.
“She’s fairly young, she has children, she’s well presented, she’s from Australia and someone to admire,” Ms. Oliphant described Mary. She also explained that her daughter collects magazines of the Crown Princess.
Inside the hotel, Crown Prince Frederik discussed green technology, which is the point of this official visit.
“We’re here to develop the existing strong commercial relationship between Australia and Denmark in areas of mutual interest such as smart cities, clean energy, fruit and meat technology,” he said.
“Climate change and scarce resources impede us to continue business as usual. Both our countries are looking to reduce their dependency on oil, gas and coal.”
“At the same time we’re not willing to compromise our economic prosperity in order to do so.”
After the conference, Mary teamed up again with chefs Rasmus Kofoed and Matt Moran to demonstrate Danish-Australian cooking. Following that, she and her husband went to the Denmark House, where they presented scholarships.
 See images of Day 5 here at Zimbio Next, Frederik and Mary toured the Corporate Culture facility, where they gave out a Danish Export Association honorary diploma and HRH Prince Henrik’s medal of honor before having a business dinner at the Docklands.
On Thursday, the royals went their separate ways. The Crown Prince toured the George Weston Foods production facility in Castlemaine while Crown Princess Mary visited the Pakenham Springs Primary School. There she saw one of its buildings being fitted by Danish eco-friendly technology.
In the afternoon, the couple teamed up again for a reception for the opening of the LeoPharma Pharmacueticals Australian division. As always, they were greeted by large crowds and many offered flowers, though the attention was mainly on Mary.
Next, Frederik and Mary went to a children’s activity center at Birrarung Marr to see kids use LEGO toys to build a city. One of the children gave the Crown Princess a LEGO version of the Danish flag. As she tried to leave, a couple of girls hugged Mary, preventing her from leaving on schedule. But she took it in stride.
For the final hours of their fifth day, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess took part in the naming of the Svitzer Marysville tugboat at Melbourne Harbor, and a business dinner at Federation Square.
 Click here to see photos of Day 7 Friday saw the Crown Princely couple again split up. Mary went to tour the Royal Flying Doctors Service base in Broken Hill, while her husband checked out the Macarthur Wind Farm in southwest Victoria. The farm will install 140 Danish windturbines and will become the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere.
Late the afternoon, the couple reunited to attend a reception hosted by the Governor of Victoria, Alex Chernov at Government House.
On Saturday, Their Royal Highnesses were at the Alannah and Madeline Foundation event in Broadmeadows where she discussed cyber bullying and eSmart, which is to be enrolled in all Australian schools.
‘‘eSmart is a world-leading system and one which Australia should be extremely proud of and one which I’m sure, and I’ve no doubt myself will take home, and with inspiration from here, talk with the actors in Denmark that are already active in the area that maybe can use a little bit of extra inspiration,’’ Mary said in a speech.
In the evening, Frederik and Mary attended the Starry Starry Night charity ball which raised money for the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
Thus ends the whirlwind seven days touring Australia. Throughout, Crown Princess Mary wowed everyone who caught a glimpse of her.
“She’s just so beautiful, the way that she held herself, what she was wearing, she’s just stunning and she was just so nice to everyone there,” said Annie Turner who was one of the many people in the crowds during the final leg of this tour.
The royal couple will remain in the country for a few more days, spending private time in Mary’s native Tasmania.
Sources: The Herald Sun, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, ABC, The Australian
On Tuesday morning, Spain’s Prince and Princess of Asturias arrived in Chile to begin a three day official visit to the country.
 Check out more photos here at Daylife.com Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia landed in Santiago and went to lay a wreath at the Monument to the Liberator Bernardo O’Higgins before meeting with Chilean President Sebastian Piñera and First Lady Cecilia Piñera at the Palacio de la Moneda. Talks were held inside after the initial reception.
Next, Their Royal Highnesses opened the Forum of Investment and Business Meeting between Chile and Spain.
Afterward, the Prince and Princess visited Chile’s Congress. The evening had a dinner banquet in honor of the royals.
For Wednesday, Felipe and Letizia will open the exhibition of Chema Madoz at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Late in the afternoon, they will hold an audience at Fundación Chile-Spain at the Hotel Ritz-Carlton.
Thursday will see the couple head to Antofagasta, where they will check out the observatories at Paranal and also see the natural monument La Portada de Antofagasta.
After that visit, Felipe and Letizia will head back to Spain.
Source: La Segunda
Denmark’s future King and Queen are currently on a six day official visit to Australia – Crown Princess Mary’s native country. This is the first time the couple have been Down Under since 2008. The purpose of this visit is to promote Danish eco-friendly technology.
 Click here for images of Day 1 Crown Prince Frederik and his wife arrived in Sydney Friday, the city where he and Mary met at a pub back in 2000. Their first stop was to the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition at Bondi Beach. There, they were met by Barry O’Farrell, the premier of New South Wales, who gave them a tour of the art exhibit.
Frederik and Mary then went to another exhibition, this time the Curating Cities: Sydney-Copenhagen, which aims to show alternative energies. The couple took turns to try an “energy-generating bike” which is designed to power a smoothie blender.
Later in the day, the royals took a boat trip across the Sydney harbor to meet with Governor-General Quentin Bryce and her husband, Michael, at the Admiralty House for a barbeque. They took the time to pose for the media not just with the Bryces’, but with their 10 month old twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. The babies have accompanied their parents on this trip while older sibling, Prince Christian and Princess Isabella are staying in Denmark.
 Click here for photos from Day 2 On Saturday, Frederik and Mary were still in Sydney and were still promoting green technology. In the morning, they went to the Sofitel Hotel for the State of Green – Join The Future – Think Denmark conference. Upon arriving for the event, Mary was welcomed by three young girls who showered her with bouquets and compliments.
“She said thank you for the beautiful flowers, and it was really, really, really nice,” said Evi Karagorge. “And she wasn’t just pretty, she was glamorous!”
Inside, Frederik gave a speech about how both Denmark and Australia are working together to make a more environmentally friendly world.
“Both our countries are looking to reduce our dependency on oil and gas and coal. At the time we are not willing to compromise our economic prosperity in order to do so,” the Crown Prince said.
“My country has shown that it is possible to maintain economic growth and job creation (and) at the same time move towards a more climate friendly and green economy.”
 Click here for images of the Sydney dinner gala
After the conference, the Crown Princess went to the kitchen of the Sofitel to learn how to make a seafood salad and a white chocolate and jelly dessert by Australian chef Matt Moran and Danish chef Rasmus Kofoed.
Afterward, Frederik and Mary went their separate ways – he went to the Darling Quarter while she headed for the Westmead Hospital. The Crown Prince was given a tour of the Commonwealth Building, which uses energy-saving tools and methods.
At the hospital, his wife was honored by its cancer center by renaming it after Her Royal Highness. Its director, Professor Paul Harnett, said the center built a strong relationship with the Danish health system over the years. During her stay, Mary met with the staff and patients, and was given a tour of the facility.
In the evening, Frederik and Mary reunited for a black tie dinner at the Doltone House in Pyrmont. 400 guests were there, as well as the Australian String Quartet, which had played for the Crown Princely couple’s wedding reception in 2004.
The next day, the royals headed for Canberra, Australia’s capital. There, they went to the Parliament House after meeting with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. They also toured the National Gallery of Australia and National Portrait Gallery. At the National Arboretum, Their Royal Highnesses planted a Field Maple tree, native to Denmark. About 500 locals were chosen to attend the planting and get a glimpse of the Australian-born Mary.
There was a better chance of seeing her when she and her husband laid a wreath at the Australian War Memorial afterward.
“For the children particularly I think they love to see royals and Prince Frederik and Princess Mary have a strong affiliation with Australia,” said the War Memorial’s Carol Cartwright.
In the evening, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess attended a children’s charity gala.
Sources: News.com.au, Telegraph.com.au, Sydney Morning Herald, Herald Sun, ABC.net.au
These past two days saw Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel tour the county of Västernorrland, which is in the northern part of Sweden.
 Click here for more images Their Royal Highnesses arrived in Midlanda a bit after 9am local time. After initial greetings by local officials, the two got down to business.
Their itinerary called for them to go check out the Permobil in Timrå. The Permobil is an electric wheelchair, and both Victoria and Daniel got a chance to test it out. They got a little competitive, trying to see who would go the fastest. Daniel was the winner, and was awarded a small trophy. He also said how surprised he was over how fast the Permobil is.
After that, the royals went to Mid Sweden University and Fiber Science and Communication Network in Sundsvall. Lunch followed at a restaurant called Knaust, also in Sundsvall.
When the couple exited Knaust, they were greeted by about a hundred locals who cheered for them. Crown Princess Victoria took the time to chat with some of the people.
 Check out more pics of the second day here One of the conversations she had with the crowd was a three year old girl named Madeleine Johansson. The girl asked Victoria, who is five months pregnant, what would she be naming her baby.
The Crown Princess told Madeleine she did not know yet, but the little girl asked her future Queen to name the baby Natalie, after her younger sister.
A Mini Fair at Technichus Härnösand was attended, and dinner was at the residency of the governor in Härnösand.
Tuesday morning started off with Träakademin in Kramfors. It is a furniture company, specializing in Gustavian styles. There, Victoria learned to hit a hammer on a hot iron.
“We are a modern family. I hold the bag while she grabs the hammer,” joked a smiling Prince Daniel.
Later, Victoria and Daniel went to the nearby Folke Bernadotte Academy, also in Kramfors. The Academy is an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and seeks to improve the coordination of Sweden’s international peace, security-building, conflict prevention and crisis management operations.
After lunching at the Academy, the couple went back to Härnösand and stopped by Semret, a housing for unaccompanied refugee children.
The Crown Princess and Prince then held a meeting with ambassadors for women’s entrepreneurship back at the governor’s residence. They also ate dinner there again.
In the evening, Victoria and Daniel left for Stockholm.
Sources: ST.nu, Sveriges Radio, Dagbladet, ¡Hola!
The heir to the British throne arrived in Tanzania Monday to begin his four day visit to the East African country. With him is Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has never been there. Prince Charles’ last official visit to Tanzania was back in 1984.
 Check out more photos here at Zimbio The couple started the day at the State House in Dar es Salaam, where dozens of schoolgirls greeted them by cheering and waving British and Tanzanian flags. President Jakaya Kikwete and First Lady Salma Kikwete also greeted the two. After receiving military honors and posing for the media, Prince Charles and President Kikwete held talks inside.
After that meeting, Charles and Camilla visited the charity workshop, Wonder Workshop, which makes jewelry out of scrap metal, glass and wood. It also employs 33 people suffering from polio. Their Royal Highnesses decided to give jewelry making a try.
The Duchess asked 28-year-old Neema Mohamedy, who was sitting beside her: “Are you going to show me what to do? I’m not normally very good at this.”
A couple of times Prince Charles struggled with the tiny beads he was given and Camilla offered her glasses. He refused them, only to be given smaller beads. “That’s not fair!” he jokingly complained.
Also during their visit to Wonder Workshop, Charles and Camilla got a look at an alligator made of scrap metal.
During their four day visit, the couple will go to Arusha, in the north of Tanzania and the semi-autonomous republic of Zanzibar, which is an island of the coast of the country.
The main reason the Prince and the Duchess are in Tanzania is to mark its 50th anniversary from Great Britain.
Source: AFP, Press Association
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are currently on a five day visit to South Africa. They are to highlight both social and environmental issues during their trip.
 Click here for more photos of the 1st day The couple arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday, but their itinerary began the next day with a visit to Walter Sisulu Square, or Freedom Square, in Kliptown, Soweto. There, they were welcomed by the Soweto Gospel Choir, with 24 singers and a drummer, singing songs by Miriam Makeba. Also, local children gathered to see the royals.
“It was so cool, I liked that. It’s so long I want to see the Prince,” said Boniswa Msibi, an 18-year-old Soweto high school student who shook hands with Prince Charles. “We’re so happy that they’re coming into Soweto to see us and are not afraid of us.”
Charles and Camilla met with models who showcased traditional Zulu clothes. At one point, the Duchess was given a Zulu hat by Nthabiseng Dibakoane, a local businesswoman who specializes in hand-made bags, hats, shoes and ethnic dresses. Camilla – and the media – were delighted that she tried on the hat.
The Duchess tried to pay Dibakoane for it, but she insisted Camilla keep the hat for free.
The couple then went to the monument to the Freedom Charter, which began the fight against white-minority rule by declaring: “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white.”
Afterward, Charles went to Pretoria to discuss the environment with business leaders while Camilla visited a women’s shelter. The pair reunited later on to meet with Graca Machel, the wife of Nelson Mandela. She showed them his personal archives at Mandela’s foundation in Johannesburg.
Mandela did not meet with the royals because he is reportedly not seeing visitors.
In the evening, Charles and Camilla had dinner with Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe and his partner Gugu Mtshall.
 Click here for photos from day 2 On Friday, the two were faced with a dark chapter in British and Zulu history when they went to Ulundi, site of the last battle of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War.
They met with Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini at his Ondini Palace in the KwaZulu-Natal province where they reflected on the war.
Our relationship hasn’t always been entirely smooth but it has always been characterised by deep admiration and respect,” said Charles in his speech. “Our meeting is but the latest in a long line and brings our relationship into the 21st century.”
“Our great nation, the Zulus, and the British share a very rich history that is both good and not so good,” Zwelithini said in his speech. “Our meeting today marks a new beginning between our nations, an era of mutual respect and cooperation.”
Both the Prince and the King exchanged gifts – Charles gave Zwelithini a silver cup, similar to the one Queen Victoria gave Cetshwayo, the Zulu King the British forced into exile after destroying his palace and ending his people’s independence. Zwelithini in turn gave Charles a portrait of Cetshwayo.
Later Friday, the Prince and the Duchess went to a game reserve to see how black rhinoceros is being protected. Charles spotted one at the reserve but Camilla did not. The black rhino is an elusive, endangered animal.
Sources: AFP, Press Association, South Africa.info,
The Dutch Caribbean will be getting the royal treatment for ten days. Queen Beatrix, Crown Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima are on tour of the islands that are constituent countries of the Netherlands. They include Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the former Dutch Antilles. The royal trio began their visit Thursday in Aruba.
 See more photos here at Daylife.com Arriving in Oranjestad, the Dutch royals were greeted by Prime Minister Mike Eman. There was a private dinner hosted by Governor Fredis Refunjol before the Queen, her son and her daughter-in-law began their agenda.
That included taking part in the Fiesta Popular held at Linear Park, which showcases the island’s diverse cultures. The royals marched in the parade along with beauty queens and dancers wearing fabulous headgear.
For the rest of their Aruba visit, the Queen, Willem Alexander and Maxima will be shown Arikok National Park, see the“Bo Bario” beautification project in the Juwana Morto section of San Nicolas. The Queen and Maxima then will visit a foundation for battered women while Willem Alexander will meet with the Aruba Green Energy Conference. After that, the royals will head to Bonaire, formerly part of the Dutch Antilles, now a Dutch municipality.
There has been some unhappy sentiment in the former Antilles over its breakup. It is expected there will be protests and flashes of anger towards Queen Beatrix as she tours those islands, which are Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba.
“The Queen is above politics,” says an organizer of a protest. “She can say and do everything, and change the laws.”
Another place where the royals won’t be seeing many joyousness over their visit is Curaçao, where there has been an increase in anti-Dutch sentiment. Some parliamentarians back in the Netherlands suggested the Queen not go to that island, but ever true to their royal roles, Beatrix, Willem-Alexander and Maxima will go to Curaçao.
Sources: Aruba.com, Radio Netherlands
The Queen of the United Kingdom began her 16th visit to Australia Wednesday in what may be her final visit to the former British colony.
 Click here for more photos at Daylife.com Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, arrived at a Canberra air force base and were greeted by large crowds waving Australian flags. Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Governor General Quentin Bryce officially welcomed the royal couple, followed by a 21 gun salute.
There is some irony to having Gillard welcome the Queen. The Prime Minister has been outspoken over making Australia a republic once Her Majesty passes away, but she has insisted that issue will not be brought up for this royal visit.
“While the Queen is here in Australia, what Australians will be doing is enjoying and celebrating her presence here,” Gillard told reporters hours before the Queen arrived.
“I believe she’s very well respected by Australians and I think she’s going to be tremendously warmly received from the moment that she sets foot on Australian soil,” she added.
Gillard notably did not curtsey to Her Majesty, but instead bowed her head.
The Queen will spend 10 days in the country. She will travel to Brisbane and Melbourne, as well as Perth, where she will preside over next week’s Commonwealth meeting. That meeting is held every two years and consists of the 54 nations once part of the British empire.
Many are wondering if this would be the 85 year old monarch’s final visit to Australia as she advances in years. Some residents are treating this visit as such.
But others point out the Queen’s late mother traveled to Canada when she was in her 90s.
“With the Queen, you should never say ‘last;’ never say ‘never,’” Dickie Arbiter, her former press secretary, said in an interview published in The Canberra Times newspaper Wednesday.
Among the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s itinerary for the next ten days is a trip to Floriade, Australia’s biggest flower festival in Canberra. They will also go to Queensland and meet with the emergency response personnel and communities affected by the recent floods. After that comes a post-flood Rededication Ceremony of Rainforest and the opening of Rain Bank.
In between will be meetings with local politicians and gala banquets in Her Majesty’s honor.
This is the Queen and Prince Philip’s first tour of Australia since 2006.
Sources: AP, Courier Mail
Luxembourg’s Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume is on a four day economic mission to China.
 View more photos at Monarchie.lu He arrived in the country with the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Jeannot Krecké, Monday though a day late due to technical problems on their Lufthansa plane. Guillaume and Krecké had to stay overnight at a Munich hotel before trying again successfully to fly to China. As a result of their lateness, the duo and their delegation had to skip engagements in Hong Kong and instead go straight to nearby Shenzhen.
In the city, His Royal Highness and the Minister took a look at the premises of the company Huawei and High-Tech Park of Shenzhen. In addition, they went to BYD, a car manufacturing company that makes electrical vehicles.
After Shenzhen, the Luxembourg delegation will spend two days in Chongqinq, a city known for its high-tech economy. They will visit Chongqinq’s airport.
Next, Guillaume and Krecké will go to Shanghai to visit the offices of the joint venture SAIC-VW (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation – Volkswagen) and participate in the seminar Luxembourg for Finance.
Sources: Luxarazzi, Gouvernement.lu
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