His Royal Highness Prince Laurent of Belgium Injured in a Ski Accident in Austria.

prins_laurent_van_belgic3ab2On Tuesday, February 19, 2013, His Royal Highness Prince Laurent of Belgium was injured in a skiing accident on the slopes in Lermoos, Austria.

According to the newspaper, Tiroler Tageszeitung, the prince suffered an “…internal hematoma near the liver…” after the accident.  Prince Laurent is currently under observation at the University of Innsbruck Hospital in Austria.  His doctors confirmed that his “…life is not in danger and is expected to be released on Friday.” 

For more information about the prince’s accident please click here (in French).

An Interview With Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine of Sweden.

madeleineWith only four months to go until Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine of Sweden marries her boyfriend, Mr. Christopher O’Neill at the beautiful Slottskyrkan in Stockholm.

Recently, the princess decided to sit down for a brief interview regarding her upcoming wedding.  Here is what she had to say:

There are less than four months until the wedding. How is the planning going?
Less than four months to go! Time flies when you’re having fun. We’re busy planning. Even though I’m in New York working for Childhood, the planning is going very well. We’re getting a fantastic amount of help from back home, and the support from our families is making things much easier for Chris and me.
 
A wedding takes a lot of planning, especially a royal wedding. Who is helping with the planning?
There are so many people involved in the planning, who are putting in a great deal of time and energy. We don’t want to single out any individuals — it’s a team effort, and there are a lot of people involved. We’re so grateful for all the help we’re getting! 
  
Christopher O’Neill has both American and British citizenship. Will there be a best man and bridesmaids at the wedding like in the UK and the US?
Yes and no. Chris will have a best man by his side, but I won’t have bridesmaids. Just like my mum and my sister, I’ll have bridal attendants — that’s a wedding tradition that I want to continue.
  
Will the wedding be broadcast on TV?
We want to make our wedding as accessible as possible. But there hasn’t been a final decision on broadcasting it yet.
  
Has the guest list been finalized?
Yes, I think we can safely say so. The invitations will be sent out by 1 April, so there’s not much time left. It’s been hard, because we wanted to invite everyone, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible. 
  
Has a decision been made on whether it will be a morning or afternoon wedding?
We’ll be having an afternoon wedding, followed by a dinner. 
  
Where will the wedding dinner be held?
The wedding dinner will be held at Drottningholm Palace, which I’m very pleased about. Drottningholm Palace means so much to me — it’s where I was born and grew up.

 Interview and photo courtesy of Kungahuset

Their Majesties King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun of Bhutan Attend a Gala Dinner in Bangladesh.

TMBhutanOn the evening of February 18, 2013, Their Majesties King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun of Bhutan attended a gala dinner held in their honor and hosted by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms. Sheikh Hasina.  The dinner , held at the Prime Ministers residence, wrapped up the royal couple’s five-day visit to Bangladesh.

Her Royal Highness Infanta Elena of Spain Attends the Opening Ceremony of the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships.

Infanta ElenaOn February 19, 2013, Her Royal Highness Infanta Elena of Spain attended the opening  ceremony of the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships held at the Palacio de Congresos in La Molina.

According to the Spanish royal court:

“…the IPC Alpine Skiing international competition is for people with disabilities. More than 160 skiers from over 40 countries will participate in the six events including Downhill, Super Giant, Giant, Slalom, Super Combined and the Team Event.”

Photo courtesy of Casa Real

 

Members of the Belgian Royal Family Attend a Special Mass in Laeken.

BelgiumAPTheir Majesties King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde, Queen Fabiola, and Their Royal Highnesses Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz attended a special Mass held at the l’Église Notre-Dame in Laeken on February 19, 2013.

The purpose of this special Mass was to “… celebrate and remember deceased members of the royal family…” according to the Belgian royal court.

TRHs Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Asturias Attend the Premios Nacionales de Cultura. (VIDEO)

NCAOn February 19, 2013, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Asturias attended the Premios Nacionales de Cultura (National Culture Awards) 2011   for 2012 held at the Palacio Real de El Pardo in Madrid. During today’s ceremony the prince gave a speech and presented 53 awards to worthy recipients.

Click here to watch a video news report.

Photo courtesy of Casa Real