Yearly Archives: 2011

Dutch Royal Family

H.R.H. Princess Maxima of the Netherlands Receives a Book of Poems

According to the official website for the Dutch royal family, Het Koninklijk Huis, H.R.H. Princess Maxima of the Netherlands received a first edition of  the book, All Poems, by the late Argentinean writer, Jorge Luis Borges.

Borges is considered one of the most important Latin American writers of the twentieth century, though he saw himself primarily as a poet. All Poems brings together about five hundred poems he wrote. Part of that work has not been translated into Dutch. source

To view one dinky photo please click here.  To learn more about the late author, Jorge Luis Borges, please click here.

Source: Koninklijkhuis.nl

Monaco Princely Family

H.R.H. Princess Caroline of Hanover Attends an Art Exhibition

On September 21, 2011, H.R.H. Princess Caroline of Hanover as well as hundreds of guests attended the highly anticipated Arternative Light art exhibition held at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille.  This exhibit:

… aims to discover the “secret gardens” of artists from all backgrounds, according to its organizers.  Thirty-six artists (painters, photographers, filmmakers, sculptors, actors, writers, etc.). Reveal their hidden talents and new facets of their work have not yet been exposed, like Robert Redford and his wife, painter Sibylle Szaggars Redford, who was present at the opening[Mr. Redford did not attend.  He’s filming a new movie.]  

Five of the Mr. Redford’s art work along with pieces by other artists showcasing their works at the exhibition will be for sale, according to AFP news.  The proceeds will be donated to various charity organizations in Monaco.  If you are interested in viewing the exhibition, Arternative Light, it runs through September 25.  Admission is free.

To view photos please click here and here.

Source: AFP news  Photo courtesy of: E.Dulière

German Princely Families

Frederic, Prinz von Anhalt, “I Have Shingles and I was Hit by a Car!!”

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The world’s most annoying yet extremely entertaining faux prince, Frederic von Anhalt, is back in the news to the thrill of all.

So what’s been happening with him these past few weeks? Well, he recently announced to TMZ that he has Shingles, “… I was feeling sick and my face swelled. I was itchy and bumps everywhere!  So I went to the doctor and they told me I have Shingles and that it is highly contagious!”  

Ew.

As if things couldn’t get any worse the faux prince he was recently hit by a car in Beverly Hills, CA.  Apparently, Frederic was jaywalking between Camden Drive and Brighton Way when a silver Honda Civic catapulted the faux prince several hundred feet into the air then landing spread eagle onto the freshly paved streets in Beverly Hills.  Miraculously he was able to immediately contact TMZ to tell them that, “… [I] damaged my meniscus and [that] I expect to be on crutches for the rest of the year.”

Get well, Fred!

 Photo courtesy of: Zimbio

Dutch Royal Family

Prinsjesdag 2011: Video, Photos, and Audio.

On September 20, 2011, Prinsjesdag took place at the Ridderzal (Hall of Knights) in Den Haag, Netherlands.  All the major Dutch royals attended this important event including Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, H.R.H. The Prince of Oranje, and H.R.H. Princess Maxima of the Netherlands.

After arriving in the golden carriage to the Ridderzaal, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands addressed members of the Dutch Senate as well as members of the House of Representatives.  In her speech — written by the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte — the queen spoke about tough economic times that will affect many in the Netherlands:

The year ahead will be a year of tough savings measures that will hit everybody.  The economic and social uncertainties are putting our stamina to the test.  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.

Remaining upbeat about the situation, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix went on to state, “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.” 

There are lots of photos from the Prinsjesdag 2011 so please click the links below to view.

 

 

Royals in General

Royals in New York City to Attend the ASF Centennial Ball on October 21, 2011

On October 21, 2011, Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, T.R.H.s Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, His Excellency Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland and his wife Dorrit Moussaieff, Her Excellency Tarja Halonen, President of Finland and her husband, Dr. Pentti Arajarvi, will be in New York City to attend the American Scandinavian Foundation Centennial Ball.

The event will take place at the Hilton Hotel beginning at 6:30pm.  The host of the evening will be actress and director, Liv Ullmann. During the centennial ball there will be, of course, cocktails, a gala dinner, awards handout, and dancing to follow.

If you would like to see some of your favorite royals at this black tie event come Friday October 21, 2011, in NYC, there will be a press line outside of the Hilton Hotel starting at 6pm.  Or, if you would like to purchase tickets to the centennial ball — ranging from $500 to $5,000 — you may do so by contacting the ASF organization.

*Many thanks to Ms. Gyan from the American-Scandinavian Foundation for this information.   🙂

Photo courtesy of: Kongehuest.no

Monaco Princely Family

H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco Visits the country of Georgia

On September 18, 2011, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco arrived in Georgia for a three-day official visit to the country that was once apart of the Soviet Union.  Upon his arrival at the airport, Prince Albert was greeted by the President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili as well as other local politicians.  Soon, the sovereign prince and the president were off to visit several cultural heritage sites in Mestia, Georgia, specifically, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the town known as Lanchvali:

… Lanchvali, where there is a monument that was built in the 12th century. The current construction work in Lanchvali will restore the original appearance of the neighborhood. They also visited a house that was built in the 4th century in the Lanchvali neighborhood, tasted traditional Svanetian dishes and listened to Svanetian songs… they also visited the Lagami village and toured the ancient church there.

After a long day of sightseeing the prince attended a musical at the Batumi Opera House in the city of, well, Batumi.

This afternoon, September 19, Prince Albert and President Saakashvili visited the town of Kvareli where the president “… explained the technology of harvesting grapes and processing them  to Albert II while making some wine with him.”  Then, they were off to visit an archeological site in Dmanisi, then a meeting with members of the National Olympic Committee of Georgia, and finally Prince Albert visited the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi where he gave a speech.

One important stop during the prince’s whirlwind of a day was a visit to the home of former Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, where the prince presented a medal of honor to his parents.  If you don’t know who Nodar Kumaritashvili was, he was the young man who was tragically killed during a practice run at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

To view photos from today’s events please click here.

Sources: President.gov.ge, News.az and Trend.az

Photo courtesy of: Palais Princier de Monaco (thank you!)   🙂