Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh hosted a lovely garden party this afternoon at Buckingham Palace.
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Their Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie of York and His Royal Highness Prince Andrew of York also attended today’s party.
Please click here and here to view photos.
On the morning of May 30, 2013, Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde of Belgium arrived at the Palais Royal de Bruxelles to participate in a discussion under the theme, “…Women Empowerment: The Intersection of Power & Agency and Economic Advancement together with the International Center for Research on Women, Washington DC (ICRW)…” according to the Belgian royal court.
In the afternoon, the princess arrived at the Résidence Palace to attend a presentation of a UNICEF report regarding the challenges, opportunities, and situations worldwide for children with disabilities. Princess Mathilde is Honorary President of UNICEF Belgium.
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales continued his three-day private visit to Armenia this morning with a visit to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in Yerevan.
To learn more about today’s visit as well as to view photos please click here and here.
On the morning of Thursday, May 30, 2013, Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands began their one-day tour of the provinces of Gelderland and Utrecht.
According to RVD, today’s visit is “…part of a series of twelve visits that brings the King and Queen, after the change of rule on April 30, 2013, to all provinces in the Netherlands where they will have a chance to meet the people…” and vice versa.
To view photos from today’s tour please click here and here.
Sixty years ago today a New Zealand man named Edmund Hillary and a Sherpa from Nepal named Tenzing Norgay ascended to the world’s highest and most dangerous peak, Mount Everest.
Since then thousands of men, women, seniors, and a teenager — yes, I said a teenager — have summated Mount Everest. Into the Death Zone and back again. Hundreds have died. Frozen solid in the snow on the infamous mountain. But, none of the climbers who have ascended Mount Everest since May 29, 1953, are as famous as Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. For they were the first.
In honor of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s famous achievement Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh attended a reception at the Royal Geographical Society in London this evening to commemorate the 60th anniversary Hillary and Norgay’s climb to the top of Mount Everest. Her Majesty and the duke as well as guests watched archival footage about the climb, viewed an exhibition, and met with Mr. Peter Hillary and Mr. Jamling Norgay (sons of Edmund and Tenzing).
Meanwhile in Kathmandu, Nepal, there were also celebrations marking the historical ascent. This morning the President of Nepal, Mr. Ram Baran Yadav, received a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who sent her warmest congratulations:
“On the 60th Anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest I wish to send my warmest regards to the Government of Nepal and re-affirm the strong ties that exist between our two countries. The news of the successful ascent reached me at a particularly memorable time, the day before my Coronation. The Everest Expedition was an historic example of UK-Nepal co-operation and I hope that the special relationship between our two countries will continue to grow in the years to come.”
And, on the summit of Mount Everest and the base camps below, well, all is quiet as the Spring climbing season is coming to a close. The landscape, though beautiful, is unfortunately littered with trash leftover by insensitive climbers. As a result, dozens of courageous Sherpas climb the mountain several times cleaning trash and collecting frozen remains of those who never made it out of the Death Zone.
Tenzing at the top, 1953
Click here to view old photos of photos of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay after their summit.
Archive footage after the climb.
The documentary, Hillary on Everest
Trailer for the documentary, Cleaning Mount Everest
Photos courtesy of Wikipedia and Life
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales continued his three-day private visit to Armenia on Wednesday, May 29, 2013. This afternoon the prince met with the President of Armenia, Mr. Serzh Sargsyan, at the Presidential Palace in Yerevan. This evening the prince will attend a concert at the Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet.
For more information about The Prince of Wales’s visit please click here.
This morning in front of the lovely Palais Princier His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco met with several bike riders participating in the Tour de Half France (a charity bike ride around the South of France).
After posing for the press and a couple handshakes later the sovereign prince wished the bikers a fantastic day and sent them on their merry way.
The end. 🙂
The Royal Correspondent 