On the morning of Wednesday, April 20, 2022, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands received credentials from the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, His Excellency Adnan Mohd Ja’afar, the Ambassador from the Republic of Benin, His Excellency Eusèbe Agbangla, and the Ambassador from the Federal Republic of Somalia, His Excellency Yonis Yassin Hashi.
The presentation of the credentials was held at Paleis Noordeinde in Den Haag, Netherlands.
On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will carry out a joint engagement in London on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
Their Royal Highnesses will visit the headquarters of two maternal health organizations, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (COG).
Per a press release:
On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II of Jordan visited the King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, Jordan.
The King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) was established in 2001, honorably bearing the name of His Majesty the late King Hussein of Jordan. The KHCC is accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) as a disease-specific Cancer center, making it the first center in the developing world and only the sixth worldwide to earn such a distinction.
KHCC is led by the Director-General, Dr. Asem Mansour, and the Medical Director and Deputy Director-General of the KHCC, Dr. Hikmat Abdel Razeq.
According to the Royal Hashemite Court, Crown Prince Al Hussein toured the:
“…KHCC’s pediatrics facilities, accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Ghida Talal, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center, commending the efforts of the KHCC’s staff, and the intensive care they provide to Cancer patients.
During the tour, the Crown Prince listened to a briefing by Princess Ghida, who noted that the center has become the first destination for cancer patients in the Middle East.
KHCC’s CEO and Director-General, Dr. Asem Mansour, noted that the center receives around 400 new cancer cases among children annually and hosts nearly 90 percent of cancer pediatric patients in Jordan.
Dr. Mansour added that the center has a 352-bed capacity and receives 14,000 inpatients annually, and 250,000 cases at outpatient clinics, noting that it includes over 300 specialized doctors and 1,000 nurses.
Two floors at the KHCC have been designated for child patients, with specialized clinics, intensive care units, and chemotherapy facilities, in addition to the ‘Heroes Cave’ child waiting area, which was refurbished upon Crown Prince Al Hussein’s request.“
On Tuesday, April 19, the Royal Hashemite Court announced that His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan has returned home to Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman after having back surgery for a Thoracic Herniated Disc at a hospital in Frankfurt, Germany.
Prior to the surgery, His Majesty had been experiencing intermittent pain in the spinal cord after years of parachuting while serving in the Jordanian Special Forces, but the pressure on the nerve due to the herniation has increased lately, which calls for undergoing surgery urgently, according to medical advice.
Upon his arrival at Marka Military Airport, His Majesty was warmly welcomed home by various members of the Jordanian royal family including His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and numerous senior Government as well as royal officials. Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan was by His Majesty’s side during his stay in Germany.
On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, Emperor Naruhito of Japan planted seedlings (hand sowing) in the back gardens at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
According to NTV Japan, Emperor Naruhito planted:
“…two types of rice Uruchi rice and Mangetsumochi made from glutinous rice.
His Majesty, wearing a gray jumper and black walking shoes, carefully sprinkled the seeds in a small basket evenly over the plot. Rice cultivation at the Imperial Palace was started by Emperor Showa and passed on to his heirs. Emperor Naruhito values rice cultivation, which is the center of Japanese farming culture.
The seedlings grown from seed will be planted by the Emperor in the paddy field in the middle of next month, and the rice harvested in the fall will be used for the “Niiname-no-Matsuri” of the Miyanaka ritual, and the rooted rice will also be used for the Shinto ritual of Ise Jingu.”
If you’re interested in learning more about the Japanese method of rice farming, which is actually quite interesting, please click here.
On Monday, April 18, 2022, His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain held an audience with members of the Spanish SAILGP team at Palacio de La Zarzuela in Madrid.
The team recently participated in the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix.
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco will receive a prestigious conservation award from The Perfect World Foundation during the 2022 Arctic Ocean Gala held at the Gothenburg Stock Exchange in Gothenburg, Sweden on May 5. Previous recipients of the conservation award include Sir David Attenborough, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. Wangari Maathai, the late Dr. Dian Fossey, and Miss Greta Thunberg to name a few.
The sovereign prince will become the ninth recipient of the honorary conservation award. The award is presented annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the global awareness of the importance of protecting wildlife, nature, and the environment. Prince Albert II is also being honored for his life-long commitment, dedication, and work in ocean conservation. Moreover, his personal foundation, Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco (FPA), is dedicated to the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development such as limiting the effects of climate change and promoting renewable energies, preserving biodiversity, managing water resources, and combating desertification.
Prior to the gala and award ceremony, Prince Albert II will inaugurate The Perfect World Foundation’s latest project, Project Ocean, which aims to spread knowledge about, the location, salvage, and recycling of ghost nets and other lost fishing equipment in our oceans.
Thereafter, the sovereign prince will plant a tree in the Attenborough Forest at the Gothenburg Botanical Garden. The purpose of the planting of the tree is to draw attention to The Perfect World Foundation’s work in promoting biodiversity.
In the evening, Prince Albert II will be honored at the glamorous Arctic Ocean Gala dinner where he is expected to give a five-minute speech.
The Royal Correspondent 