Princess Madeleine of Sweden’s fiancé turns down title

Tags

princess, princess madeleine of sweden, royal family, royal wedding, royals, royalty, sweden, titles and styles

With the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Mr. Christopher O’Neill just three weeks away, the royal court announced yesterday that Christopher wishes to remain working in business as a private citizen and to not pursue Swedish citizenship (he is already a United Kingdom/United States dual citizen). For these reasons, he cannot take Madeleine’s titles and become Prince of Sweden and Duke of Gastrikland and Hälsingland.

The idea of men marrying into their royal wives’ titles is still new in Sweden; the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel was the first such case. However, Prince Daniel was already a Swedish citizen and stepped down as the CEO of the gym company that he owned before his wedding. Apparently in Sweden, members of the royal court are not allowed to be involved in business. (That’s probably for the best, as it decreases the likelihood of a conflict of interest.)

With that in mind, it is likely that after the wedding Madeleine will be known as Princess Madeleine, Mrs. O’Neill. Three of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s sisters married non-royals and lost the title of Princess of Sweden and the right to use the style of Royal Highness because their marriages were not approved by the reigning King. (They were allowed to use “Princess” before their names as an honorific.) Madeleine’s marriage has been approved by Carl Gustaf, so she may not lose her style and title; something more definitive may be announced in the next three weeks.

Furthermore, the Swedish Royal Court has also published a website devoted to the wedding (Swedish language version here) and released the couple’s monogram.

Courtesy kungahuset.se. Monogram designed by Vladimir A. Sagerlund.

The wedding will take place June 8, at 4 PM Stockholm time, or 7 AM California time. Still no word yet on a web stream.

The Netherlands has a new king

Yesterday, Queen Beatrix formally abdicated the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and passed it to her son Willem-Alexander. The ceremony was short and simple, with Beatrix signing the act of abdication, followed by Willem-Alexander, his wife Máxima, and various members of the Dutch government as witnesses. The ceremony was followed by a balcony appearance, where the newly-minted Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands introduced the Dutch people to their new King.

Photo by Howard Stanbury. (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

A few hours later, Willem-Alexander was formally inaugurated in the Nieuwe Kerk before the members of the States General, the Dutch parliament.

Video courtesy The Telegraph.

What I will take away from the events of yesterday is the love the Dutch Royal Family has for each other, the love the Dutch people have for their Royal Family, and a feeling like the Dutch know how to have a good time. The Royal Family – Willem-Alexander, Máxima, and Princess Mabel (wife of the injured Prince Friso) all made sure to offer Beatrix a supporting hand, as she often got a wistful look. (I know I thought several times that Beatrix looked like she needed a hug.) The crowd in Dam Square outside the palace punctuated the day with their cheers – especially during the abdication ceremony, as they could be heard from inside. Everybody seemed to be decked out in orange, the national color (in reference to the royal House of Oranje-Nassau), with hats of every size and shape.

All told, the events seemed to cover about 14 hours or so, and even though I had to start watching at midnight California time and only caught a few quick naps over the course of the day, I’m so glad I watched. Who knows when the next inauguration or coronation will be, so it was fascinating to be able to take this look at the next generation taking its place. (And, yes, Máxima was absolutely stunning in her royal blue and sapphires. Everything a young, modern Queen should look like without overshadowing her husband. As if anything could upstage that massive ermine robe…)

Lang leve Koning Willem-Alexander en koningin Máxima! (Long live King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima!)

Baby Cambridge Fundraiser for charity begins today

Tags

charity, duchess of cambridge, kate middleton, prince william, royal baby, royal family, royalty, united kingdom

Image courtesy Baby Cambridge Fundraiser.

Today marks the 2nd wedding anniversary of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and in honor of their soon-to-arrive first child, a group of royal bloggers have launched a fundraiser for one of Kate’s charities, East Anglia Children’s Hospices.

This week is Children’s Hospice Week, a week devoted to raising awareness of children with life-threatening illnesses and the work children’s hospices to in taking care of these children and their families. The goal is £3,000 ($4,656.58) by August 31.

You can learn more at babycambridge.net, or donate here. The link at the top of the sidebar will remain until the end of the fundraiser.

Please consider giving. Thank you.

(PS Dutch inauguration fun starts tonight!)

National Princess Week: My Favorite Princesses, Part 2

Tags

denmark, duchess of cambridge, kate middleton, national princess week, princess, princess isabella of denmark, royals, royalty, united kingdom

I know I said these princesses were in “no particular order,” but that’s not entirely true. I figured it’d be too obvious if I started with Kate – the princess that I write about most of all – right off the bat.

Of the princesses I’m listing, Kate (officially known as Princess William of Wales, Duchess of Cambridge, etc.) is the newest, but I enjoy her fresh approach to princessdom. She is very open to doing walkabouts and visiting with the people that come to see her at appearances. She’s very low-key as a royal so far – eschewing servants and overly-extravagant homes – but that will change as William moves up the ranks and takes on more royal duties. This may also sound like an odd thing to say, but she’s very uninhibited as a royal. She’s not afraid to try a native dance or a custom-designed smoothie, things I can’t say I’d be able to do if I were in her shoes. I can’t say I’d be able to laugh at a forced joke or hear 75 people say the exact same thing to me. Maybe it’s something they teach in princess lessons.) And, as must be patently obvious by now, I love her style. It’s classy yet modern and isn’t bogged down in cutesy additions. I think she’s making a strong yet quiet start as a royal, and I’m excited to see what she does as a full-time royal.

Last, but certainly not least is little Princess Isabella of Denmark. She’s only 6 as of this writing, but she’s probably the cutest royal out there right now (the Dutch troika of Amalia, Alexia and Ariane come close, though), and (to put it flippantly) teaches the masterclass of Royal Adorableness. We don’t get to see her much, being 6 and all, but when we do, she’s a little ball of spirit. (I refer you to the summer 2010 photocall at Gråsten Slot, when the paparazzi caught Isabella licking a window.) You just never know what thing she’s going to try to get away with next…

Photo by Bill Ebbesen. (CC BY 3.0)

National Princess Week: My Favorite Princesses, Part 1

Tags

countess of wessex, crown princess victoria of sweden, national princess week, princess, royals, royalty, sophie, sweden, united kingdom

For the record, these aren’t in any particular order. I think there are so many facets to each of these princesses that trying to arrange them into a neat little list would be difficult. So here we go.

First in my list is Sophie, The Countess of Wessex (formally known as The Princess Edward, Countess of Wessex). She can be a bit of an unknown, seeing as she’s not one of the super-popular members of the British Royal Family. I mostly see her at royal events on the continent, as she and Prince Edward are usually the ones sent to represent the Queen. However, every so often, I hear from Sophie or about her and she comes across as extremely likable. She once visited a school, where a young girl told her that a princess was going to be coming to visit. Sophie is said to have replied, “I’ll let you in on a secret. I am her.” Beyond that, she gave an interview to the crew behind the recent documentary “Our Queen,” and confessed her nervousness before big state events. I don’t always like to think of royals as “just like us,” but her self-effacing style made me like her very much. In the fashion stakes, Sophie has been ramping up her game recently (possibly in a bid to make sure she isn’t overshadowed by younger, more stylish relatives/in-laws… who knows), and I enjoy seeing her try out new styles and looking fabulous while doing so.

Photo credit Grand-Ducal Court / Guy Wolff

Next is Crown Princess Victora of Sweden. She seems to genuinely care about her country, and you can tell she loves her family. Hers was the first royal wedding I watched after “becoming” a royal-watcher, and the fact that she and Prince Daniel were so obviously in love was wonderful to watch. Beyond that, she’s beaten an eating disorder, and deals with dyslexia, but doesn’t let that stop her. She just seems like a very lovely sort. There’s also this:

Source and owner unknown.

People of Sweden, your future Queen is photobombing her husband. I love it.

Succession to the Crown Act passes Parliament

Tags

duchess of cambridge, kate middleton, princess, royal baby, royal family, royals, royalty, succession, united kingdom

While its occurence during National Princess Week is a total coincidence, it’s a great day for the future of British princesses, as the Succession to the Crown Bill passed the House of Lords today. This means that if William and Kate’s first child is a girl, she will become Queen regardless of whether she has any younger brothers. The bill also amends the Act of Settlement 1701 (which removed any royal who married a Catholic from the line of succession) and repeals the Royal Marriages Act 1772 (which required the consent of the monarch for all marriages for descendants of Sophia of Hanover, nearest Protestant relative of Queen Anne of Great Britain).

 

The new bill allows those royals who marry Catholics to remain in the line of succession (though, due to the monarch’s role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Catholics still may not inherit the Crown), and only requires the first six people in the line of succession to obtain the monarch’s consent to marry. Under this bill, Prince Edward’s children, Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn, will be able to marry whomever they want, without ever needing consent from the Crown.

 

The bill, while being retroactively dated to October 2011, does not apply retroactively beyond that, so Princess Anne and her descendants will not jump ahead of her younger brothers in the line of succession, and it does not apply to any other peerages, so Prince Andrew’s daughters will not be able to inherit the Duchy of York and Lady Louise will not be able to inherit her father’s titles since she has a younger brother.

 

The only step that remains is for the Queen to give Royal Assent, but that has not been scheduled yet. (I expect it to occur before the baby is due in July.) Royal Assent is essentially a formality, though it is required before a bill can become law.

 

If you’d like to learn more about the bill, you can read about it here and track its progress here.

National Princess Week 2013 begins today

Tags

national princess week, princess, royals, royalty

It’s National Princess Week again (as long as you’re in the toy aisle at a Target store). Again, Target has kept this pretty low-key, as I only saw one little sign marking its arrival, and the princess-pink oval was not much bigger than the palm of my hand.

So again, I’ve chosen to mark the week in my own way: by celebrating princesses and what makes them special. I’ve already spoken my mind on why we need princesses in the world and some of my favorite princess media, and honestly, none of my opinions have changed much on those fronts. You can read my past Princess Week posts here.

This year, I’m going to take a look at some of my favorite princesses and share why I like them so. Look for more this week!

Netherlands and Sweden live stream updates

Tags

abdication, beatrix of the netherlands, maxima of the netherlands, princess, princess madeleine of sweden, royal family, royal wedding, royals, royalty, sweden, The Netherlands, willem-alexander of the netherlands

With the abdication of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and subsequent inauguration of King Willem-Alexander fast approaching (April 30) and the marriage of Princess Madeleine of Sweden not long after that (June 8), news is starting to be announced regarding live streams of these events.

Dutch broadcaster NOS has scheduled four live streams on their NOS Konigshuis YouTube account, including an interview with Willem-Alexander and Máxima and a documentary about Beatrix’s reign. I have not heard of anything else, but other means of watching online may present themselves in the next few weeks. I suggest subscribing to their YouTube account, so their videos are more likely to show up when you log in.

A little further north, Sweden is preparing for the wedding of Princess Madeleine to her British-American fiance, Chris O’Neill, and Swedish broadcaster SVT has announced that they have the rights to broadcast the wedding. It’s still a little early for more details, but SVT also broadcasted Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding and last month’s funeral for Princess Lilian, and offered web streams for both events. (Additionally, the invitations, sent out on April 1, list the dress code as white tie, which means all sorts of pomp and circumstance, gowns, orders, and tiaras! My little sparkle-loving heart is very pleased right now.)

Experiencing Technical Difficulties, Please Stand By…

I apologize to anyone who has tried to navigate the site recently and seen many missing images. I just received an email from Flickr informing me of a software bug they discovered that may have potentially affected the privacy settings of any photos uploaded toward the end of last year, and in attempts to minimize privacy concerns, Flickr automatically changed the privacy of some of my photos to “private,” which, it turns out, changes the filename of my photos and breaks all the links to places where they have been embedded, namely here.

I am in the process of fixing all of the broken Flickr links. Hopefully there won’t be too many. (Any photos uploaded from official sources like the Swedish Royal Court page can’t be fixed, as they become unavailable after a time. I unfortunately can’t do anything about that.)

As a way of apology, I offer a picture that is of the internet’s highest currency: cats. Specifically my cat.

Zoe, snoozing in the sunlight at the foot of my bed. Photo by me.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announces abdication

Tags

abdication, beatrix of the netherlands, prince friso of orange-nassau, royal family, royals, royalty, The Netherlands, video, willem-alexander of the netherlands

Today, at 10 am California time, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands took to the Dutch airwaves to announce that she will be stepping down as Queen effective April 30.

Unlike, say, the United Kingdom – where every monarch in the modern era (except one) has held the throne until death – abdication is almost the norm for the Netherlands. Beatrix’s mother Queen Juliana abdicated in 1980, and Juliana’s mother Queen Wilhelmina abdicated in 1948. In fact, the last Dutch monarch to die while still on the throne was King William III (Wilhelmina’s father) in 1890.

There is some speculation that beyond the reasons Beatrix gave for her abdication (her age and the opportunity for her son to begin his reign in an anniversary year) is the fact that Beatrix has been making many trips to London, where her second son Prince Friso is still in grave condition (though doctors say he has progressed to a state of “minimal consciousness”). Stepping down from the throne would allow her to spend more time with Friso’s family.

Beatrix’s son, Willem-Alexander, currently Prince of Orange, will be “inaugurated” on April 30, which also happens to be the national holiday Queen’s Day, Queen Juliana’s birthday, and the anniversary of Beatrix’s accession to the throne. Willem-Alexander will be the first Dutch King since William III’s death, ending 123 years of female rule in the Netherlands. (As of right now, however, Willem-Alexander only has daughters. His eldest, Princess Catherina-Amalia, will take the title Princess of Orange upon her father’s accession.)

I have to say, I really love Beatrix. She reminds me a little of my grandmother, and of all the monarchs I follow, she seems to be game for almost anything and seems to enjoy her job the most.

Video courtesy YouTube. (That’s Beatrix in the blue, escorted by the young girl in the massive pink top hat. Willem-Alexander and his wife, Princess Máxima, are following behind.)

After her abdication, Beatrix will retake her title as a Princess of the Netherlands, so I’m sure she’ll still be around to a degree, but I will miss seeing her all over the place. Especially when she wears hats like this:

Photo by Jonas. (CC BY-NC-ND)

Here’s wishing Her Majesty best of luck in her upcoming retirement.