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Luxembourg’s Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume spoke on Tuesday at the 20th Alfi Global Distribution Conference, a financing event. Guillaume talked about microfinancing at the opening of the second day of the conference.
 Click here for original photo at Monarchie.lu He also discussed the rising unemployment in Europe due to the poor economy.
“Poverty might not be such a serious issue in Luxembourg and the EU,” Guillaume told delegates. “But unemployment has been rising since 2008 and young people are the first victims. Our youth is in dire need of job creation. So microfinance might be solution even within our borders.
“We must give them the opportunity. Luxembourg is well positioned to be a centre of excellence for microfinance in years to come and can encourage the seeking of both a social and financial return. The needs are especially high in a time of crisis and Luxembourg can lead by example. Responsible investment will be the key to a sustainable European economy.”
His Royal Highness was with Jeannot Krecke, the Minister for Economy and Foreign Trade for Luxembourg during the conference.
Source: Luxarazzi, Alfievents.com
Morocco’s Princess Lalla Salma made a formal call for a global fund to be set up in order to prevent and treat cancer during a gala dinner in New York Tuesday. The wife of King Mohammed VI expressed that such a fund should be modeled after the global fight against AIDS.
 Click here to read about the symposium for next year. As she gave a speech, Lalla Salma stressed fighting cancer should be a worldwide priority.
The Princess, who is chairwoman of the Lalla Salma Association for the Fight Against Cancer (ALSC), also talked about how it is necessary for the international community to share experience, technology and training.
She also insisted the ALSC would cooperate with other international cancer organizations, both public and in the private sector.
Lalla Salma also expressed her dismay that tobacco – which behind a large number of cancer cases – is not considered to be an illegal drug because of the damage it causes to one’s body.
In addition, she also voiced her dismay over the gap between the developed and the third world, and how poorer countries are unable to help their citizens who are suffering from cancer. Lalla Salma said this was because of declining international aid to those nations.
She also said in January of next year, Morocco will host a symposium on cancer.
“The association that I have the honor to chair will be pleased to share its experience with renowned institutions from friendly and brotherly countries”, said the Princess.
The Symposium “will lay the foundation for a fruitful cooperation between our countries”
Source: Maghreb Arabe Presse
This Tuesday was Prinsjesdag for the Netherlands – the day Her Majesty Queen Beatrix gives a speech from the throne to officially open the Dutch parliamentary year. This day is also called Budget Day, as the Queen outlines the annual budget in her speech.
 Click here for more recent photos of Queen Beatrix Like so many other governments in the world, the Dutch have to cut back in order to preserve funds due to tough economic times, and that affects all citizens. Beatrix discussed that in her speech.
“The economic and social uncertainties are putting our stamina to the test,” the Queen told the politicians at Knight’s Hall in The Hague.
“The government is making an appeal to everyone to contribute to this — an appeal in this difficult period for everyone to build together a stronger society and a stronger economy in the best traditions of our country.”
But she spoke of hope and optimism during the difficult times.
“Our starting position is positive. The government is looking forward to an involved and open exchange of views. We would like to work with you towards solutions which are widely accepted.”
After giving her speech, the Queen and other members of the Dutch royal family, including Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima, rode in gold trimmed carriages to Noordeinde Palace where they went out onto the balcony to wave to the many Dutch below.
The Netherlands’ budget cuts include raising the retirement level from 65 to 66 in 2020, and deep fund reduction to the social security system.
Source: Reuters, Radio Netherlands, AP
Spain’s Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia were in Paris Thursday to attend the 7th annual International Congress on Victims of Terrorism. They were there as guests of honor, and Felipe made an opening speech in which he urged for greater efforts to combat terrorism effectively, a phenomenon which he said is not justified by “any idea or belief political project”.
 Click here for more photos at Zimbio.com “No terrorist can escape or hide their responsibility to the law,” said the Spanish heir to the throne, in a speech that alternated between French and English.
“Nobody is entitled to claim the right to take the life of any human being, nor to undermine their integrity or their freedom,” he added.
“The alleged terrorists, kill, injure, kidnap and threaten, to achieve their ends or to impose their ideas in an absolutely unacceptable. As an expression of totalitarianism, hatred, cowardice and intolerance, rejection and deserves our strongest condemnation.”
Prince Felipe also reflected on the victims of 9/11, who were killed in the attacks 10 years ago this week.
“Each of the victims and their families put names and faces to the deep human pain and irreversible and irreparable damage it generates. With them we owe a great debt owed immense solidarity, support and gratitude.”
On Sunday, the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Felipe and Letizia took part in a memorial service in Madrid in which they planted 10 American oak trees in memory of those who died that day.
Spain is no stranger to terrorism. It has seen attacks over the years by Basque separatist groups, and in March 2004, Islamic radicals bombed a Madrid train station during rush hour, killing about 200 people.
Source: EFE
The young girl who may one day become Queen of the Belgians gave her very first public speech Wednesday. Princess Elisabeth delivered a short but sweet speech during the opening of the children’s hospital that bears her name in Ghent.
 Click here for more photos at Daylife.com Flanked by her parents, Crown Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde, Elisabeth – who will turn 10 next month – arrived at the hospital and began shaking hands with the hospital’s officials. She received a bouquet of flowers from a little girl as did her mother.
Inside, the Princess went up to the microphone and in a shy but firm voice officially opened the hospital by saying this:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very happy that I can give my name to this new children’s hospital today. Together with you, I hope that many children will find help here. I know they can count on your daily commitment. The Princess Elisabeth Children’s Hospital now gets a special place in my heart.”
Elisabeth then pulled back a curtain to reveal a plaque commemorated to the hospital’s opening.
Then she and her parents were given a tour of the facility. Already some children are being treated there.
Elisabeth already has another facility named after her – a scientific research station in Antarctica!
To see a video of Princess Elisabeth’s speech, click here.
Source: Nieuwsblad
One month since a right-wing zealot murdered 77 people in attacks in Oslo and Utøya Island, a memorial service was held for those who died. At Spektrum Arena, the Norwegian royal family gathered with the relatives of the victims and the emergency workers, 6,700 in total. King Harald V was one of those who spoke during the ceremony.
 Click here for more images “I maintain a belief that freedom is stronger than fear,” said His Majesty, who blinked back tears as he spoke.
“It is good to be together at this time … As a father, grandfather and spouse I can only begin to sense some of the pain you feel. As King of the nation I feel for every one of you.”
“There is so little that has not already been said. The last four weeks have been hard for us all, but that is also why it is good to be together.
“My thoughts have been with those of you who were directly affected by the terrorist actions and those who have lost someone you loved.”
“I firmly believe that we will uphold our ability to live freely and openly in our country,” the King said.
Harald also praised the work of the emergency workers.
On a screen, the names of the dead were listed along with photographs of them smiling. Their families wept and one man was led out of the hall when he became emotional.
In attendance at the ceremony were Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria. Those two had laid flowers at Oslo Cathedral. Also there were the Prime Minister and diplomats of the other Scandinavian countries.
Sources: Reuters, Telegraph
On Friday, Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander attended the Global Water Partnership in Stockholm. The meeting was marking 15 years since GWP originally met in 1996. Willem Alexander has been advocate for clean water and proper sanitation for a long while, and has been a patron of GWP since 1998.
 Click here for Daylife.com gallery At this year’s event, he gave a speech concerning water and sanitation.
“Today you truly have a global reach, and are active in every corner of the world. Your partners work for government, businesses and NGOs. Members of the GWP family come from different sectors and traditions but they are united by this concern – how can we develop, manage and share our increasingly scarce supplies of water,” the Crown Prince said.
“Our central message focuses on basic sanitation. Despite impressive development gains since 2000, we are simply not making enough progress – 2.6 billion continue to lack adequate sanitation but also the knowledge to understand the importance of sanitation to their potential development and dignity.
“We are not keeping pace with demographic growth, which means that according to current trends, by 2015, more people, not fewer, will lack safe sanitation facilities. Daunting statistics, and behind them, immeasurable human suffering, a disheartening case of global inequity, lost opportunities for economic growth, and growing environmental degradation.
Willem Alexander went on to talk about the importance for clean water and the need to provide it.
“There is no wastewater, only water that is wasted! This is a concept we all need to promote. To achieve water security we must share the common view that wastewater is a resource. It is a resource that deserves more attention from politicians, decision-makers, and policy planners.
“Let’s all join in a concerted effort to ensure polluted water is treated before it’s returned to the environment. But we need a 21st century model. Business as usual is not the answer. Over-engineered massive trunk and branch systems which are prohibitively expensive, difficult to maintain and prone to break-downs are not the answer. Given the mind-boggling price tags for many of these systems, it is not surprising that often the work never even gets started.
“21st century systems should employ cascading use,” Willem Alexander said. “Cleaning water for drinking and personal hygiene, cascading down to grey water which can be ‘cleaned enough’ for industrial use, environmental recharge or agricultural. Do you know that about 50 million hectares of agriculture currently depends on wastewater? We have to expand this practice while doing it better by promoting the guidelines of WHO for the safe use of wastewater, excreta and greywater in agriculture.”
He then discussed how the issue of water is affecting places such as Pakistan and sub-Saharan Africa.
“Flooding is on the rise causing immeasurable human suffering along with devastating economic impacts. Last year flooding in Pakistan along the Indus River severely affected 20 million people with an economic impact of nearly $10 billion U.S. dollars. By the way, this week more than 700 thousand people have been affected by rain and floods in Pakistan and we hardly even hear about it in our media anymore!
“Sub-Saharan Africa is already encountering increased temperatures and evaporation rates, greater rainfall variability along with more pests and diseases. In this region we have proof that Gross Domestic Product and rainfall are closely correlated, with GDP falling dramatically in drought years, as well as in flood years. As we sit here today, drought is contributing to a terrible tragedy in the Horn of Africa. Some 10 million people are at risk in this region as two years of drought and poor governance have forced food prices beyond the reach of most families.
“In South Asia, an overwhelming 85% of total water use goes towards agricultural needs. At the same time, agriculture is also an extremely inefficient user of water: water productivity, measured as crop per drop, is one of the lowest in the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, 97% of agricultural production is dependent on rainfall and only 3% of the cultivated area is irrigated. This has led to urgent calls for greater investment both by governments and donors.”
At the close of his speech, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander thanked the GWP for its hardwork and pointed out how the Partnership has grown and could affect the future.
To read the speech in its entirety, click here.
Speech: Het Koninklijk Huis
On a day few Norwegians would ever forget, King Harald V took to the airwaves late in the night to address his people following the explosion in downtown Oslo and the shootings of youths on the island of Utøya, west of the capital.
 Click here to learn about King Harald V “Today we have witnessed horrific acts both in Oslo and Utøya. Our thoughts go naturally to the survivors and the relatives. I would like to thank all those who have helped to rescue people out of this situation,” said the visibly upset King.
“In such a horrible situation it is important to stand together and support each other so that we can rise up again.”
The terrorist attacks are the worst for Norway since World War II. So far, seventeen are confirmed dead in the dual attacks, but officials say that number may rise.
32 year old Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik is in custody and it is believed he is behind both the bombing and the shooting at a summer camp on Utøya.
With the country shocked and in grief, it is for its royal family, particularly King Harald to lead Norwegians towards healing.
“Now it is important that we stand together and support each other. The fact that we do not let fear prevail. As we support each other we come through this terrible situation that we have experienced,” the monarch said in his speech.
Sources: VG, ABC Nyheter
This week saw royal watchers, historians and the Irish diaspora closely watch the first state visit by a British monarch to the Republic of Ireland. Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Dublin on Tuesday to mark warming relations between Great Britain and Ireland after centuries of animosity. For years, there was talk of the Queen making such a visit and it finally materialized.
 See more pics from May 17th 2011 here But not everyone was celebrating. Protests and even a bomb threat occurred throughout the visit as plenty of Irish voiced their disdain over a British head of state setting foot in their country. Security in Dublin was unprecedentedly high and there were dozens of arrests. All this showcased that despite closer ties, Ireland and the UK still have healing to do.
Even so, Queen Elizabeth was welcomed by those who didn’t mind having the British monarch on Irish soil. One of the first things she did was lay a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance with Irish President Mary McAleese, who is credited with making this state visit possible.
“I think it is an extraordinary moment in Irish history, a phenomenal sign and signal of the success of the peace process and absolutely the right moment for us to welcome (the queen) onto Irish soil,” McAleese told RTE television.
The Garden of Remembrance commemorates those who fought for Irish freedom and having the Queen laying a wreath there was a sensitive moment.
She said nothing and didn’t show any emotion when a band played the British and Irish national anthems at the Garden.
Later on, she and husband Prince Philip visited Trinity College, where they met with several students taking a break from finals. The couple also received a tour of the College and saw the Book of Kells, a 9th century Biblical manuscript.
 See more pics from May 18th 2011 here Wednesday saw more visits to sensitive but poignant spots. The Queen was shown around Croke Park Stadium, where in 1920, British forces shot dead 14 people.
Later in the evening, during the state dinner, Queen Elizabeth II addressed the pain many Irish feel about British treatment over the decades. Dressed in a white gown with shamrocks sewn on and a golden harp sewn on her left shoulder, she opened her speech in Irish Gaelic: “A hUachtarain agus a chairde” – which means President and friends.
“Together we have much to celebrate: the ties between our people, the shared values, and the economic, business and cultural links that make us so much more than just neighbours, that make us firm friends and equal partners.
“Madam President, speaking here in Dublin Castle it is impossible to ignore the weight of history, as it was yesterday when you and I laid wreaths at the Garden of Remembrance.
“Indeed, so much of this visit reminds us of the complexity of our history, its many layers and traditions, but also the importance of forbearance and conciliation. Of being able to bow to the past, but not be bound by it.”
The Queen went on to mention Northern Ireland and the peace relations since 1998.
“What were once only hopes for the future have now come to pass; it is almost exactly 13 years since the overwhelming majority of people in Ireland and Northern Ireland voted in favour of the agreement signed on Good Friday 1998, paving the way for Northern Ireland to become the exciting and inspirational place that it is today.
“I applaud the work of all those involved in the peace process, and of all those who support and nurture peace, including members of the police, the gardai, and the other emergency services, and those who work in the communities, the churches and charitable bodies like Co-operation Ireland.”
She then talked about the close ties between the two countries, more than the political links as she closed her speech.
“There are other stories written daily across these islands which do not find their voice in solemn pages of history books, or newspaper headlines, but which are at the heart of our shared narrative. Many British families have members who live in this country, as many Irish families have close relatives in the United Kingdom.
“These families share the two islands; they have visited each other and have come home to each other over the years. They are the ordinary people who yearned for the peace and understanding we now have between our two nations and between the communities within those two nations; a living testament to how much in common we have.”
“These ties of family, friendship and affection are our most precious resource. They are the lifeblood of the partnership across these islands, a golden thread that runs through all our joint successes so far, and all we will go on to achieve.
“They are a reminder that we have much to do together to build a future for all our grandchildren: the kind of future our grandparents could only dream of.
“So we celebrate together the widespread spirit of goodwill and deep mutual understanding that has served to make the relationship more harmonious, close as good neighbours should always be.”
During the speech, President McAleese mouthed the word, “wow” several times. The Queen’s speech was praised by many prominent Irish, such as Peter Sheridan, chief executive of the peace-building charity Co-Operation Ireland. “Somehow when you focus on the future that the Queen and the President pointed to, the dark, horrible past takes on a new perspective.”
 See more pics from May 19th 2011 here Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who runs the most vocal party in Northern Ireland for independence from Britain, had this to say.
“Queen Elizabeth’s acknowledgment that the relationship between Britain and Ireland has not been entirely benign is a gross understatement. This will be forgiven if the future policy of her government is about building an entirely new future based on genuine equality, and mutual respect.”
The next day, the Queen’s final day of her state visit, saw her in Tully where she visited Ireland’s Horse Valley. There, the Queen and Prince Philip saw up close the best of Irish horses.
In the evening, Her Majesty relaxed a little at the Dublin Convention Center for some music, fashion and theatre. She saw a fashion show, traditional Irish dancing, and some performers by Westlife, the Chieftains and Mary Bryne. When the Queen walked out on stage, she received a standing ovation by the 2,000 guests in the audience.
With her Irish visit done, many could say this was one of the 85 year old monarch’s most poignant engagements ever – and she pulled it off. By speaking Irish, showing sensitivity to the past and hope for the future, Queen Elizabeth II likely built a bridge between Ireland and Great Britain. Hopefully, nothing will destroy what she did this week.
Sources: AFP, Irish Times, Telegraph, RTE
On Wednesday, the Emperor of Japan released a video to the nation where he where he spoke about his feelings of despair over last week’s 9.0 earthquake and tsunami. But Emperor Akihito also expressed hope that the Japanese people will overcome their troubles. This was the first time Akihito ever spoke to the Japanese via video.
 REUTERS/Issei Kato “I am deeply hurt by the grievous situation in the disaster-hit areas,” the Emperor said in the video released by the Imperial Household Agency. “The number of people killed is increasing day by day, and we do not know how many people have fallen victim.”
“I sincerely hope that people will overcome this unfortunate time by engendering a sense of caring for other people.”
“I was greatly moved by the bravery of the survivors who are encouraging themselves in trying to live on through this enormous disaster,” the Emperor said.
“I hope that those affected by the earthquake will not give up hope and strive to survive, while taking care of their health.
It is being said that Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko, urged the IHA to issue such a video as a way of showing solidarity with the people.
“I, from the bottom of my heart, hope that we will all continue to hold hand in hand, paying consideration to one another, overcome this unfortunate period,” Akihito said, adding that he was praying for the nation.
Source: The Japan Times, Washington Post
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