Monthly Archives: March 2011

Monaco Princely Family, Royal documentaries

H.S.H. Princess Grace of Monaco: Her Last Interview and A French Documentary About Her Life

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On June 22, 1982, the American television program, 20/20, interviewed H.S.H. Princess Grace of Monaco two and a half months before her death on September 14, 1982.

This in-depth interview with journalist Pierre Salinger is quite interesting to say the least.  The late Princess discussed her life in Monaco, her family, the United States, her friends, her movie career, and much, much more.

So, if you have never seen this interview please click these links and enjoy:  Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, and Part Six.

And, finally here is the French documentary, Grace Kelly: Princess of Monaco. Click the links to watch:  Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, and Part Twelve

Spanish Royals

Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain in Athens, Greece

Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain was in Greece yesterday to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the arrival of troops of the Crown of Aragon to the Duchy of Athens.

According to Casa de su Majestad el Rey (the official website for the Spanish royal house), Her Majesty Queen Sofia had a full schedule in front of her on day One:

 

In the morning, Her Majesty visited the Acropolis along with Miguel Fuertes, and the director of the Institute Cervantes, Carmen Caffarel, Toured the Proplylaea, the latest restoration of the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike.
In the afternoon, Her Majesty accompanied by the director of the Cervantes Institute, and Institute director Cervantes in Athens, Eusebi Ayensa, chaired the opening of the exhibition ‘A Sea of Laws’ in the Institute headquarters of the Greek capital, Athens.
This exhibition, organized with the European Institute Mediterranean, reflecting on the formation of the cultural legacies in the Mediterranean, showing that beyond the violence, others forms of interaction between the peoples have left a long legacy more peaceful and lasting as in the case of imprint of the Catalan legal tradition in navigation and trade.  The exhibition comprises of books, documents, and items from the 14th to the 16th centuries that reflect the cultural and diplomatic relations between Spain and Greece during this period.
To watch a video of Her Majesty Queen Sofia at the Acropolis please click the link:  RTVE.es To view photos please click the link here and here.
Source: Casareal.es Photo courtesy of: Hola.com and Noticias.terra.es

German Princely Families

Matilde Borromeo and H.S.H. Antonius zu Fürstenberg on holiday in St. Moritz

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Since their announcement of their engagement interest in Countess Matilde Borromeo and her fiancé, H.S.H Prince Antonius zu Fürstenberg, has peaked for many royal watchers.

With that being said, the couple are currently featured in this month’s Italian Vanity Fair magazine whereupon the press found the couple on holiday in St. Moritz, Switzerland. There is a semi-lengthy article, in Italian obviously, with many photos so click the link to view and read:  Vanity Fair

Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg

H.R.H. The Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg in Turkey

Recently, as in today,  H.R.H. The Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg was in Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey.  The reason why he was there:  To discuss trade and economics with various politicians from Turkey.

According to the Luxembourg government’s official website:

HRH Hereditary Grand Duke and the Minister Jeannot Krecke also had a working meeting with Minister of State in charge of Foreign Trade, Mehmet Zafer. The two sides stressed the great potential that exists in developing economic and trade relations between the two countries. While criticizing the stalled negotiations with his country’s accession to the European Union, the Minister Zafer praised Luxembourg’s support for his candidacy.

During the interview with the finance minister, Mehmet Simsek, the excellent political relations between Luxembourg and Turkey have been highlighted. It is therefore necessary to ensure that entrepreneurs of both countries meet more often. Jeannot Krecke regretted that insufficient attention has expressed a Luxembourg industrial world for this mission. According to Minister Simsek, Istanbul has the ambition to become a regional financial center, and in this context, the Luxembourg financial center can serve as a model.

To learn more about this trip as well as to see photos please click the links: Article One and Article Two

Source: Cour Grand-Ducale de Luxembourg

Monaco Princely Family

The Funeral for the Late H.S.H Princess Antoinette of Monaco

On March 24, 2011, at 10am inside the Cathédrale de Monaco, the funeral for the late H.S.H. Princess Antoinette took place.  The entire Princely family of Monaco was there including the de Massy family as well as friends and dignitaries of Monaco.

The Roman Catholic funeral service, led by Monsignor Bernard Barsi, was a lovely one and the speech by H.S.H. Princess Antoinette’s granddaughter, Melanie-Antoinette de Massy, was touching.  A lovely tribute to her late grandmother.

After the service, at 12pm, the family travelled to the Chapelle de la Paix (Chapel of Peace) where H.S.H. Princess Antoinette’s private burial was held.

There are many photos from the funeral service as well as a video; however, I do not feel comfortable posting photos of a grief-stricken family.  With that being said, if you would like to see the images from today please click the links: Paris Match, Zimbio.com ,  DayLife,  and a Video

Source: Nice-Matin

Uncategorized

A Post for A Legend

RIP, Ms. Taylor.  🙁

For those of you who live in Los Angeles, CA, LACMA is having an exhibit entitled Elizabeth Taylor in Iran: Photographs by Firooz Zahedi.

In 1976 Elizabeth Taylor visited Iran for the first and only time. Accompanying her was Firooz Zahedi, today a successful Hollywood photographer but then a recent art school graduate just learning his craft. Iran provided an exotic and engaging locale for Taylor, a tireless global wanderer still at the height of her fame. For Zahedi, who had left Iran as a child, this was a reintroduction to his own country, which he experienced not only through the camera lens but through Taylor’s eyes. It was a remarkable journey for both as documented by Zahedi’s vivid photographs, shown together here for the first time. The pair traveled to the main tourist sites: ancient Persepolis, where the Tent City erected in 1971 for the 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire was still standing, Shiraz home of poetry and wine, and Isfahan renowned for its beautiful tile-clad buildings.

The exhibit runs through June 12, 2011… you shouldn’t miss it.

For more information please visit the website for LACMA

Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg

Happy Birthday to Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

On March 22, 1956, María Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla was born  in Havana, Cuba.

The Grand Duchess’s life has been an interesting one to say the least.  When Maria Teresa was just a wee tot she and her family fled Cuba during the revolution in 1959 and moved to New York City.  In time the family moved to Europe.  After graduating high school the lovely Maria Teresa Mestre enrolled at the University of Geneva in Switzerland where she majored in political science.  It was during her time at university that she met and eventually married the handsome and never aging (a then) Hereditary Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.

On February 14, 1981, the couple married in a beautiful Catholic ceremony at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.  Today, the couple have five children, two grand-children, and the people of Luxembourg admire her for her compassion, kindness, and warmth.

Yeah, she’s awesome.  🙂

So, Happy Birthday to the lovely Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg!