The Royal Correspondent

On August 31, 2011, Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja along with the crown princely couple, welcomed South African President, Jacob Zuma and his lovely wife, Mrs. Tobeka Zuma, to Norway this afternoon.

After an official welcoming ceremony the royal family of Norway along with President Zuma, Mrs. Zuma, and many dignitaries from Norway and South Africa attended a lavish gala dinner at the palace in Oslo.

To view photos as well as to watch a video news report please click the links below:

• Photo, Article and Video 
• Gallery One 
• Gallery Two
• Photo with an Article
• Video
  

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/Reuters/S.L. Solum

A Happy Birthday to Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan one of the most inspiring, intelligent, compassionate, and beautiful women on the planet turns 41 years old today.

To learn more about Queen Rania please click the links below:

• Official Website for Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan 
• Biography 
• Article
  
• Gallery of Photos 
• Gallery Two 
• Gallery Three 

Photo courtesy of: Wikipedia

Here is a video from France 3 about the exhibition, Fastes et Grandeur des cours en Europe, currently on display at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.  Also included in the news report is the exhibit L’histoire du Marriage Princier held at the Musée Océanographique de Monaco through November 2011.

Click here to watch the video.   

Photo courtesy of: Palais.mc

Her Majesty Queen Anne-Marie of Greece celebrated her 65th birthday in London, England today with her husband, King Constantine II, their five children, and dozens of grand-children. Also, celebrating with the family was Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain (sister of King Constantine II.)  Unfortunately, Queen Anne-Marie’s sisters, Princess Benedikte and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark were not in attendance.

Earlier in the week, Their Royal Highness Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana of Greece celebrated their first wedding anniversary on the island of Spetses.  The Greek magazine, Gossip, caught up with the royal couple, who were staying at the lovely Hotel Poseidon.  When asked why they decided to return to Spetses, Prince Nikolaos replied, “We wanted to live it again the last day and decided to come to the hotel were we spent our last day as singles … Spetses has a special place in our hearts.”  Princess Tatiana added, “We wanted to relive the moments of our wedding. I am very excited and full of feelings about tonight’s evening…”

To view photos of the couple in Spetses please click here. 

Sources: MDR and GossipTV.gr

Photo courtesy of: Zimbio by Pascal Le Segretain

This evening in Stockholm, Sweden, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel attended the Polar Music Awards.  Also in attendance were Their Majesties King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia.   This award ceremony honors “…one contemporary musician and one classical musician.”  The prize is awarded to those for:

… significant achievements in music and/or musical activity, or for achievements which are found to be of great potential importance for music or musical activity, and it shall be referable to all fields within or closely connected with music. (source)

According to the newspaper, Washington Post, singer Patti Smith along with Kronos Quartet “…received the prestigious 2011 Polar Music Prize from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf.  Each award is worth $159, 000.” (source)

To view photos as well as to learn more about the Polar Music Awards please click the links below:

• Gallery One 
• Gallery Two
  
• Gallery Three 
  
• Gallery Four
  
• Video
  
• Official Website for the Polar Music Awards

On August 30, 2011, H.R.H. Princess Maxima of the Netherlands was in Alkmaar this afternoon to inaugurate Oranje Huis, a shelter for women and their children who are victims of domestic abuse.

To learn more about Oranje Huis as well as to watch a video please click the links below:

• Gallery One 
• Gallery Two (includes a video and article) 
• Gallery Three
  
• Gallery Four
  
• Photo from Koninklijk Huis
  
• Article with a Photo
  

Photo courtesy of: Zimbio/M.Porro

Here is the RBB documentary, Hochzeit in Potsdam, about Their Imperial and Royal Highnesses Prince Georg Friedrich and Princess Sophie of Prussia and their wedding.  At the 3:47 mark begins a lengthy interview with the couple.

Here are several old and interesting news reports from KHON and KITV about Hawaiian royalty.  Click the links below to watch:

• Hawaiian Ali\’i at I\’olani Palace 
• Hawaiian Royalty and their Legacies
• King Kalani Kauikeaouli Kamehameha III

Photo: Author’s own

On August 27, 2011, T.S.H.s Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attended the 100th anniversary of the Monte-Carlo Golf Club.

According to the newspaper, Monaco-Matin, the princely couple were accompanied by “…the president of the golf club, Henry Rey, and his wife.”  Over 200 distinguished guests attended this schwing-ding gala event; furthermore, they had the pleasure of listening to Prince Albert give a speech about… golfing.

To watch a video as well as to view photos please click the links below:

• Gallery One 
• Gallery Two
• Video 

Photo courtesy of: YFR

After spending the day at one of the largest refugee camps in Kenya, H.R.H. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Danish politician, Søren Pind, and others travelled across the border to Ethiopia to met with the local people.

Finally, during last evening TV2 and DR telethon, Africa Now, over 110 million Danish Kroner was raised to help those in East Africa.  In doing her part, the crown princess’s personal charity,  The Mary Foundation,  donated 200,000 Danish Kroner for aid relief in the famine stricken region in East Africa.  Click the links below to view the latest photos and video:

• Gallery One 
• Gallery Two
  
• Video

If you would like to learn more about the Mary Foundation please click here. 

Photo courtesy of: Sn.dk by Jeppe Jensen

Harry’s Arctic Heroes is a:

… two-part documentary in which Prince Harry joins four disabled Afghanistan veterans, two of them amputees, on a trek to the North Pole. Filmed over a year, the soldiers – Captain Martin Hewitt, Captain Guy Disney, Sergeant Steve Young and Private Jaco van Gass – undertake grueling training in the UK and Norway, in preparation for the Arctic expedition.

Click here to watch Part One of the series (the second half will be released soon.)

Photo courtesy of: The Guardian

The title of this documentary, Secret Letters – Wallis Simpson.  Click the links below to watch this interesting program about the late Duchess of Windsor.

• Part One 
• Part Two 

Photo courtesy of:  TFS