Queen Sonja Becomes Third Queen To Miss Christmas Celebrations Due To Illness

  December 25, 2016 at 11:48 am by

This winter season has not been kind to Europe’s Queens! Queen Sonja of Norway has joined Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Silvia of Sweden in suffering from a serious cold which forced her – like the other two ladies – to miss out on Christmas festivities with the rest of the Norwegian Royal Family. King Harald V and the Crown Princely Family attended this morning’s Christmas church service at … Continue reading →

Danish Royals Attend Christmas Day Service in Aarhus

  December 25, 2016 at 11:20 am by

Members of the Danish Royal Family this morning attended the Christmas Day church service at Aarhus Cathedral. Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik were joined by the Crown Prince Couple with their two eldest children, Prince Christian and Princess Isabella, and Prince Joachim and Princess Marie with Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix. The four youngest grandchildren – Prince Vincent, Princess Josephine, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena – did not attend the … Continue reading →

Princess Alexandra of Kent Celebrates Eightieth Birthday

  December 25, 2016 at 6:00 am by

The ever-elegant Princess Alexandra of Kent today celebrates her eightieth birthday. She was born on Christmas Day 1936 as the second child and only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. She and her two brothers, Prince Edward and Prince Michael, lived in the family’s country home Coppins for most of their childhood – their father was killed in action in August 1942 … Continue reading →

Happy Holidays from The Royal Forums

  December 25, 2016 at 3:00 am by

On behalf of the team at The Royal Forums and The Royal Forums Blog, we would like to wish all our members and readers a safe and happy holidays, and an exciting start to 2017! With over 56,000 members, and 1,650,000 posts, the Forums are growing each year and we would like to thank everyone who contributes to make the Forums what it is. We look forward to ‘seeing’ you all … Continue reading →

Zara and Mike Tindall Suffer Miscarriage, Spokesperson Says

  December 24, 2016 at 10:09 am by

A spokesperson for Zara and Mike Tindall confirmed this morning the sad news that the couple had lost their unborn child through miscarriage. “Very sadly, Zara and Mike Tindall have lost their baby. At this difficult time, we ask that everyone respects their privacy,” the spokesperson said. No further details will be provided. The Tindalls had announced in late November that they were expecting their second child in Spring 2017; … Continue reading →

Flashback Friday: Princess Eugenie Christened At Sandringham

  December 23, 2016 at 7:30 am by

December 23, 1990: The clan Windsor gathered at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate for Christmas, and another special occasion – the christening of Princess Eugenie of York. At nine months old, Eugenie is one of the oldest royal babies to wear the Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace christening gown commissioned in 1841 by Queen Victoria for her first child’s christening. The reason for the delay (which meant the gown had to be left … Continue reading →

Emperor Akihito Celebrates 83rd Birthday With Record-Breaking Crowd

  December 23, 2016 at 5:29 am by

Japanese Emperor Akihito today celebrates his 83rd birthday, and as is customary, appeared on the balcony of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo with other members of the Imperial Family to greet well-wishers. 33,000 people crowded into the Palace area to catch a glimpse of the monarch, beating the previous most-attended event in 2009 to mark the Emperor’s 20th anniversary on the throne (just over 30,000 people attended that event). Appearing … Continue reading →

Belgian Royals Attend Palace Christmas Concert

  December 21, 2016 at 7:02 pm by

Members of the Belgian Royal Family today attended the annual Christmas concert held at the Royal Palace in Brussels to mark the holiday season and thank the royal court staff for their work throughout the year. King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, the Duchess of Brabant, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, Princess Eléonore, Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz were all present for the concert, which saw performances by the La Monnaie Du Munt … Continue reading →

Monaco’s Princely Family Release 2016 Christmas Card

  December 21, 2016 at 2:44 pm by

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène of Monaco have released their 2016 Christmas card, featuring a gorgeous photo of themselves with their twins – Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella – next to a snow-frosted Christmas tree decorated in red and gold. “May the joy and peace of the holiday season be with you in this New Year, 2017,” the card inscription reads in three languages (French, English and Italian). … Continue reading →

Frederik & Mary Pay Visit to Cafe For Copenhagen’s Homeless

  December 21, 2016 at 9:52 am by

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary this morning paid a private visit to the Morgencafé in Copenhagen that provides breakfasts for the city’s homeless. The cafe also works to “improve the lives of socially disadvantaged” and aims to reduce the number of people without a home. Frederik and Mary met with volunteers who distribute food, clothing and sleeping bags to the homeless. They also spoke with people who take up the … Continue reading →

God Jul From Norway! Royals Release Christmas Photos

  December 20, 2016 at 5:55 pm by

The Norwegian Royal Family has released a few photographs from their Christmas photo session, that took place in the Dronningparken. King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus gathered near one of the park’s gazebos, and shared gingerbread, tangerines and mulled wine around a fire pit. Also coming from the Norwegian Royal Court today was the announcement that the Crown Princess … Continue reading →

Extended Windsor Clan Gather For Annual Christmas Lunch

  December 20, 2016 at 2:31 pm by

Over fifty members of the extended Windsor family today gathered at Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s annual family Christmas lunch. Many were seen arriving or departing from the Palace through the entrance gates, giving unsuspecting tourists a fascinating story to tell. The Duke of Cambridge drove a Range Rover containing his wife and children (who were only just seen by photographers) and brother Prince Harry; while the Prince of Wales … Continue reading →

Queen Elizabeth To Hand Over 25 Patronages At Year’s End

  December 20, 2016 at 8:02 am by

Buckingham Palace has announced this morning that Queen Elizabeth is handing over twenty-five of her patronages to other members of the royal family at the end of the year. Several of the transferred patronages have already had their new patrons confirmed: the Duchess of Cambridge will take over The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (Wimbledon), and Prince Harry will take over the Rugby Football Union after being vice-patron since 2010 … Continue reading →

Spreading The Christmas Cheer: William, Kate & Harry Attend The Mix’s Christmas Party

  December 19, 2016 at 3:22 pm by

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry today attended the annual Christmas party hosted by The Mix, which helped celebrate the holiday season with volunteers from a number of charities providing support to vulnerable young people. The royal trio spoke with volunteers and counsellors about different ways to provide assistance, helped decorate baubles and watched as gingerbread houses were constructed. Kate – wearing a red and green printed … Continue reading →

Merry Christmas From The Haga Palace Bernadottes

  December 19, 2016 at 9:56 am by

As they have done for the past few years, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel have released a video and photograph of their family to mark the Christmas season. The couple are shown walking through the Tyresta National Park with their children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar. They are later seen roasted marshmallows, apples and sausages in a fire pit, before wishing everyone a merry Christmas.

Happy National Day Bhutan! Royal Family Celebrate in Trongsa

  December 17, 2016 at 5:03 pm by

Bhutan has celebrated its 109th National Day today with festivities in the town of Trongsa, located in the centre of the country. The Royal Family were present, with King Jigme Khesar leading the celebration. “We may be a very small country with a small population, but our people have always been strong, intelligent and capable. But since that alone does not suffice in this day and age, we have also worked … Continue reading →

The Family Wessex Enjoy A Day at the Races As James Turns Nine

  December 17, 2016 at 4:38 pm by

The Queen’s youngest grandchild, James, Viscount Severn, celebrates his ninth birthday today; and spent the day with his family at Ascot Racecourse for the annual Christmas Meeting. He was seen cheering on the horses from the stands alongside his sister, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, with a betting slip clutched firmly in his hand. Earlier, James and Louise walked through the parade ring with their parents – the Earl and Countess of Wessex … Continue reading →

The Duchess of Cornwall Attends The Sovereign’s Parade

  December 16, 2016 at 12:45 pm by

Representing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Duchess of Cornwall has attended the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst today. Wearing a dark green double-breasted military-style coat with fur trim, Camilla inspected the 156 Officer Cadets who were passing out at the end of the term having completing their Commissioning Course. The Duchess delivered a speech during the ceremony, in which she congratulated the graduating officers (and their … Continue reading →

Flashback Friday: Dutch Prince Announces Engagement

  December 16, 2016 at 7:00 am by

On December 16, 2000, the engagement between Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands – youngest son of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus – and Laurentien Brinkhorst was announced. The couple had a brief press conference at Huis ten Bosch alongside the groom’s parents, as well as the Brinkhorsts, Laurens-Jan and Jantien. They married in May 2001, and have three children: Eloise, Claus-Casimir and Leonore.

Princess Alexandra Makes Annual Visit To St Christopher’s Hospice

  December 15, 2016 at 4:22 pm by

Princess Alexandra of Kent today visited St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham, south-east London, continuing a long-standing tradition of paying a pre-Christmas visit to the centre. She was given a tour of the centre, meeting patients and their families; before joining supporters of St Christopher’s from various businesses for afternoon tea. Alexandra was also shown the float the hospice will enter into the London New Year’s Day Parade, which has been designed to … Continue reading →