A round up of all the news from Europe's royal families for the last seven days....
Sweden
Presidents and pregnant princesses dominated the Swedish royals this week. Princess Madeleine announced she is expecting her first baby with husband, Chris O'Neill. The brand new royal, due in March 2014, will be fifth in line to the Swedish throne.
Baby will make three for Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Chris O' Neill
The royal mummy to be was out and about a few days later in her role as patron of My Big Day, a foundation that helps seriously ill children see their dreams come true. She's been its patron since 2001.
Princess Madeleine's first official public appearance since confirming she is expecting a baby was in support of the work of My Big Day - she's seen here with the organization's general secretary, Helene Benno.
Just a day after the impending arrival of their second grandchild was confirmed, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia welcomed the President of the United States to the royal palace in Stockholm. Barack Obama was passing by on his way to the G20 summit in St Petersburg and held bilateral talks with the king.
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia welcome Barack Obama to the royal palace in Stockholm
It capped a busy week for the king and queen who have continued their tour of Sweden marking Carl XVI Gustaf's forty years on the throne. They started off in Östergötlands in the east of the country on September 3rd where their day included a tour of a project to increase the number of oak trees in Sweden. And then it was off to the south east corner of their kingdom for a day in Sodermansland on September 4th. There they were treated to lunch at a restaurant school.
The king and queen of Sweden finding out what goes on in a school for chefs before trying some of the students' work
The king also held an audience with the ambassador from Azerbaijan and was presented with the 2013 one krona coin by the central bank. And he gave out the Stockholm Water Prize, handing over the award to Dr Peter Morgan for his work to improve the health of millions with clean water and sanitation projects.
King Carl XVI Gustaf presents the Stockholm Water Prize to Dr Peter Morgan
(photo Henrik Montgomery/TT Nyhetsbyrån)
Crown Princess Victoria handed out the Junior Water Prize as she got back into full swing after the summer. She also attended a seminar at Uppsala University where former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, gave a speech. And her last appearance of the week combined water and seminars as she took part in a day long seminar on marine life in Stockholm which focused particularly on the health of the Baltic Sea.
Crown Princess Victoria at The Sustainable Seas seminar in Stockholm on September 5th 2013
(photo Vilhelm Stokstad/ TT Nyhetsbyrån )
The Queen oversaw the beginning of the Sister Silvia programme for this year which will lead to sixty nurses specialising in care for people with Alzheimers and dementia being trained over two years. She met several of the students and talked to them about health education.
Queen Silvia of Sweden with Rizgar Rashid who is training to be a nurse on the programme launched by the queen
(photo Rickard L. Eriksson)
Norway
King Harald of Norway visited Kvam in Gudbrandsdal in central Norway to see repairs to homes and businesses needed following floods in May this year. He spent time with homeowners to find out what work they'd needed to carry out following the damage caused when heavy rains hits rivers in the area.
Earlier this week King Harald of Norway met Agnes and Einar Moen who had to rebuild their home after floods hit Kvam in central Norway in May 2013
The king also spent a day in Ostfold, south of Oslo, where he visited a sports park in Hobøl and spent some time watching ski jump practices. He then went to a school and helped to bury a time capsule which is due to be dug up again in 2100.
King Harald on his visit to Hobøl being shown a new set of skis by young ski jumper, Arnt Nicolai Christensen
Denmark
Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik have been on their summer sea tour this week. The annual event takes the couple to several ports around the coast of Denmark to meet people from around the country. They started this year in Skagen where they held an official reception as well as enjoying a carriage ride and visiting an old windmill.
Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik at the Skagen museum
Then it was off to Læsø where they visited the salt baths and the former home of avant garde artist, Asger Jorn, where some of his work is displayed before seeing some wool being dipped ready for use.
Wool dipping on the summer tour stop in Læsø
The Danish queen then hopped on board another boat to travel out to the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm which she inaugurated. There was also a visit to Vordingborg where the royal couple helped mark the 100th anniversary of the Taiping Barracks before the tour ended in Møn where they spent time meeting the crowds that had gathered.
Prince Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, on his summer tour
The Crown Princess has been in Morocco on a trip with the Mary Foundation to see projects helping women and children affected by domestic violence. She saw the work of a centre for women who have suffered physical and mental abuse, based in Rabat, and spoke to women who had been affected by domestic violence.
Princess Mary of Denmark in Rabat meeting some of the staff at a centre that helps women who have suffered domestic abuse
She also visited women's rights associations and spent some time meeting organisations that try and help women who have been marginalized by society. The last day of her visit was spent at a centre for abused women in Casablanca.
Mary at a centre for women who have suffered domestic abuse - Casablanca, September 4th 2013
The visit also included talks an a visit to the mausoleum where Mohammed V and Hassan II are buried.
Mary signs the guest book at the Mohammed V Mausoleum on the opening day of her three day trip to Morocco
Prince Joachim and Princess Marie led tributes to soldiers fallen in the service of Denmark in a ceremony on September 5th 2013.
Prince Joachim and Princess Marie during a ceremony for the fallen soldiers of their nation
Prince Frederik was getting all environmental as he opened Nature Day at a school in Vordingborg in southern Denmark. The campaign is run by the Danish Society for Nature Conservation and the Outdoor Recreation Council.
Prince Frederik of Denmark looking for insects on the forest floor as part of
Nature Day, September 2nd 2013
The prince ended the week in Buenos Aires where he was taking part in the IOC meeting to decide the venue for the 2020 Games - his first chance to vote on a games venue since becoming a member of the committee in 2009.
Spain
It was Olympics all the way for the Spanish royals this past seven days. Prince Felipe spent the best part of the week in Buenos Aires taking part in the lobbying and presentations to the IOC to try and win the Olympics in 2020 for Madrid.
Prince Felipe and Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, at the final presentation before the IOC voted on where the 2020 Olympics would be held
Princess Letizia joined her husband for the last two days of the process - the first time the couple have been seen together in public since the summer rumours of problems in their marriage.
The Prince and Princess of Asturias after his presentation to the IOC in a bid to win the 2020 Olympics for Madrid
Madrid was eliminated on the first vote and the couple left for Spain after one last evening event. Back in the Spanish capital, King Juan Carlos had an audience with the president of Ecuador, Evo Morales.
King Juan Carlos with the Ecuadorian president, Evo Morales, on September 3rd in the
Zarzuela Palace
The Infanta Cristina, now living in Switzerland, has put her home in Pedralbes on the market. The asking price is around 9.8 million euros.
United Kingdom
Princess Anne was also in Buenos Aires for the vote on the 2020 venue - she's been a member of the IOC since 1976.
The Princess Royal with Masato Mizuno of the Tokyo bid which won the job of hosting the 2020 Games
Earlier in the week she'd carried out a series of engagements in Aberdeenshire including a seminar on women in business. Her brother, Edward, spent a day in Northern Ireland where he attended a reception in Belfast for young people who have won the gold Duke of Edinburgh award and then went to a garden party at Hillsborough Castle, the Queen's official residence in Northern Ireland. His wife, Sophie, spent a day at the RAF base in Wittering in Cambridgeshire meeting families and finding out about the work that goes on there.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex at the RAF base at Wittering on September 5th 2013
The Duke of Gloucester spent several days in Croatia where he visited the Royal Anglian Regiment based there and spent time at the Croatian Conservation Institute in Zagreb.
The Duke of Gloucester with the Royal Anglian Regiment based in Zagreb in Croatia. The engagement was part of a tour of the country for the duke.
And the Duke of Kent was out and about. He attended a concert held by the European Union Baroque Orcestra in central London - he is a patron. And on September 4th he presented the Queen's Award for EnterpriseTrade to Shand Engineering from Grimsby before going on to officially open the Lincolnshire Heart Centre and tour the HQ of connectivity firm Rakon International in the county.
The Duke of Kent during his day in Lincolnshire , September 4th 2013
The Prince of Wales attended the installation of the new Chief Rabbi, becoming the first member of the Royal Family to take part in the event. The prince wore a dark blue velvet Kippah bearing the Prince of Wales feathers and he was warmly welcomed by the new Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, who called the visit an honour for the whole Jewish community. The outgoing Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, told those at the ceremony that Prince Charles' presence was a testament to his 'greatness of heart' to all faiths.
The Prince of Wales with the new Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the UK and the Commonwealth, Ephraim Mirvis, on September 1st 2013
Later in the week, the prince was left mourning the loss of one of his oldest friends. Hugh Van Cutsem, who died at the age of 72, had been a confidant of Charles for many years. His son, Edward, was a page boy at Charles' wedding to Diana and his granddaughter, Grace, was a bridesmaid when William married Kate Middleton in 2011 - she famously covered her ears on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Hugh Van Cutsem, close friend of Prince Charles, who died this week
At the end of the week, the prince joined his parents at the Braemar Gathering in Scotland. The annual event, held near Balmoral Castle, has been a royal favourite since the time of Queen Victoria who first attended in 1848. This year it marked the second time Prince Philip has been seen in public since his stay in hospital early in the summer.
The Queen with Prince Philip and Prince Charles at the Braemar Games, September 7th 2013
The Duke of York visited Pop Up Piccadilly in central London - part of a scheme to offer a quick, easy and short term way for new businesses to sell on the High Street. Pop Up Piccadilly started in August and will offer firms and individuals the chance to sell their goods in one of the busiest shopping areas of London. Prince Andrew also attended a reception marking the fortieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK. And at the end of the week, it was confirmed that the prince had been stopped by armed guards in the grounds of Buckingham Palace and asked to prove who he was. Scotland Yard later apologised. The incident came just two days after a man was arrested on suspicion of burglary after being found inside the Palace.
Monaco
A wedding in Monaco attracted a lot of attention as Princess Caroline's eldest child, Andrea Casiraghi, wed his long term partner, Tatiana Santo Domingo, in the royal palace. The ceremony was private with a few photos released afterwards. The couple have been together for eight years. Andrea Casiraghi is second in line to the throne, behind his mother, and his marriage gives succesion rights to his son, Sacha, born in March 2013 and who is now third in line.
The wedding of Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo, August 31st 2013
Princess Charlene continued her initiative to teach children to swim and enjoy water safely with a visit to Cabreton in France on September 1st.
Princess Charlene of Monaco continued her attempts to promote water safety this week
And the princess was involved in a different kind of sport at the end of the week attending a petaque competition with her husband, Prince Albert II, before he headed to Buenos Aires in his role as IOC member.
Albert and Charlene of Monaco at a petanque tournament
Belgium
King Phiippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians began their 'Joyeuses Entrees' this week. The tour of their country to introduce themselves as monarchs got underway in Louvain and to mark the occasion the royal household launched a new twitter account to keep followers up to date with Philippe's progress.
The first photo released on the Belgian monarchy's new Twitter account showed King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on their tour of Louvain on September 6th 2013
Earlier in the week the queen and king had overseen the beginning of the new school term for their children with Philippe taking heiress Elisabeth to class alongside brother, Gabriel, and littlest sibling of all, Eleonore. Their brother, Emmanuel, attends a different school to help with his educational needs and mum Mathilde got him to class on his first day.
King Philippe of the Belgians takes his children to school at the beginning of the new school term
And Princess Claire got her working year off to a rosy start when she attended a flower festival in Roeulx. She also unveiled a pink rose grown especially in her honour and named, appropriately enough, Princess Claire of Belgium.
Two princess Claires together - Princess Claire of Belgium with the rose named after her
The Netherlands
The King and Queen of the Netherlands this week received a book of dreams - a permanent record of the hopes and aspirations of people from around the Netherlands at the start of their reign. The book is subtitled 'An Inspiration for the King' and contains a selection of the 6,500 wishes that were sent in by people. King Willem-Alexander also opened an exhibition based on some of the dreams in the book.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima open the exhibition based on the dream book given to the couple on September 5th 2013
More books for the king when he received a copy of a history of the parliament of the Netherlands in the 19th century from one of its authors, J.Th.J. van den Berg. And he also received the ambassadors of Libya, Denmark and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Queen Maxima visited a mentoring initiative in Vlissinglen in the south west of the country which works with young people in search of jobs.
Queen Maxima visits an organization aiming to help young people find work and build careers
(photo Bart Homburg)
She also visited the Manteling Foundation which supports over 1000 carers. The organization also supports hospices as well as trying to allow those who are terminally ill to receive care in their last days in their own homes.
Queen Maxima during her visit to the Manteling Foundation on September 3rd 2013
The queen also opened the newly renovated Botanical Gardens in Leiden - the work on the oldest botanical space in the country began last year.
Queen Maxima at the opening of the renovations at the Botanical Gardens in Leiden on September 4th 2013
It was back to the Olympics at the end of the week with King Willem-Alexander travelling to Buenos Aires for the IOC meeting. He gave up his membership of the committee earlier this year after his accession to the throne but he was made an honorary member at the meeting over the weekend.
King Willem Alexander thanks the IOC for his honorary membership at the meeting in Buenos Aires
But the final act of the family this week was to issue a public thank you for the support they had received following the death of Prince Friso in August. The letter, signed by his widow and daughters, expressed their gratitude for the help shown.
The letter of thanks issued by the Dutch royal family this week following the death of Prince Friso
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