Royal round up, week ending January 18th 2014

A round up of all the news from Europe's royal houses for the week ending January 18th 2014...

United Kingdom

Zara Phillips gave birth to a daughter on January 17th 2014 at the Royal Gloucestershire Hospital, a fourth great grandchild for Elizabeth II.  The little girl, whose name is yet to be confirmed, is sixteenth in line to the throne and a first child for Zara and her husband, Mike Tindall.  Zara and her daughter went home the same day - the family are living at the estate of her mother, the Princess Royal.

Zara Phillips, the Queen's eldest granddaughter, has given birth to a little girl who is now sixteenth in line to the throne of Great Britain

Also on January 17th 2014, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Harry has completed his attachment as an Apache helicopter pilot and will be moving to a desk job based in London.  His main focus will be organising large scale events.  The prince had spent three years with 3 Regiment Army Air Corps.  It is understood that Prince Harry hopes to bring the Warrior Games to England although this is yet to be confirmed.

Prince Harry of Wales time as a helicopter pilot is over and he will no w be based in London where he will organise large scale events for the Army

On January 13th it was confirmed that the eldest child of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor, had undergone successful eye surgery.  Lady Louise, who is now ten, was born with exotropia - a condition which causes the eye to turn outwards.  This operation is one of a series of interventions which has helped restore her sight to full capacity.  On January 16th 2014, the Countess of Wessex attended an engagement close to her Frimley Park home in Surrey when she spent time with the 5th Frimley Brownies. The countess, who is president of the Girlguiding Association, joined in activities and then had tea with the girls.

The Countess of Wessex tucks into a cupcake during her visit to the Brownies group in Frimley on January 16th 2014

On January 17th it was announced that Princess Beatrice is to take up an internship at Sony Pictures.  She will be based at their London headquarters.  And during the week, the Royal Family also released information on some of the gifts they have received in the past year.  The official list only details items gifted during overseas visits.  The Queen received jewellery during her state trip to the United Arab Emirates but another trip saw her presented with a chocolate version of Windsor Castle.  Prince Charles received lots of toys to pass on to Prince George while Princess Anne's gifts included a book called 'Your Arms Remind Me of Pork Luncheon Meat' when she visited Canada.  Slightly more on trend, Prince Harry was given a leather flying jacket by Michelle Obama when he visited America in 2013.

Prince Harry with the First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama, on his visit to Washington in 2013

Sweden

King Carl XVI Gustaf began his week by attending a conference in Salen in central Sweden about society and defence - it ran for two days, starting on January 12th 2014.  There were several speakers talking about security issues while the Swedish prime minister, Frederik Reinfedlt, talked about the country's role in a globalized world.

King Carl XVI Gustaf arriving in Salen on January 12th 2014 for a conference about defence and society

And on January 16th 2014 the Swedish king opened the ski-SM competition in Umea.  It will run for several days with several ski titles being decided.

King Carl XVI Gustaf at the ski-SM event he opened on January 16th 2014 in Umea

On January 15th 2014, Queen Silvia held a meeting of her Care About the Children Foundation at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

Queen Silvia at the meeting of the Care About the Children Foundation meeting at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on January 15th 2014

Crown Princess Victoria made her first public appearance after injuring her foot while skiing over the Christmas break.  On January 15th 2014, the princess was in Stockholm to present the Tobias Prize for 2014 to blood cell researcher, Sten Eirik Jacobsen Waelgaard.  The princess was determined to make her own way to and from stage and surprised the audience by jumping up and down the stairs to the podium without the aid of her crutches.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden with Sten Eirik Jacobsen Waelgaard, recipient of the Tobias Award, in Stockholm on January 15th 2014

On January 16th, Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel visited the Homework Foundation with which they are heavily involved.  The foundation aims to help children and young people who might otherwise fall out of education without achieving their full potential.  The Crown Princess and Prince Daniel Foundation is one of the supporters of Homework.  The couple met young people who have been helped - the foundation provides mentoring to children in socially deprived areas.

The royal couple listen to some of the stories at Homework, a foundation to help young people in deprived areas reach their full potential

Prince Carl Philip presented the Jerrings prize on January 13th - a sports award that is voted for by the public.  This year's winner was the golfer, Henrik Stenson who received the prize at a Sports Gala in Stockholm.

Henrik Stenson was voted the winner of the Jerrings prize and received the award from Prince Carl Philip at the Sports Gala in Stockholm on January 13th 2014

And on January 14th 2014, the prince presented the Prince Bertil and Princess Lilian Sports Foundation Scholarships for the year at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.  The foundation aims to promote sport by helping providing training for leaders.

The winners of this year's sports scholarships from the Prince Bertil and Princess Lilian Sports Foundation receiving their prizes from Prince Carl Philip at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on January 14th 2014

Spain

On January 13th 2014, it was announced that the Infanta Cristina would be in court a month earlier than expected to answer questions about allegations of tax fraud and money laundering on February 8th 2014. The infanta, who denies any wrongdoing, is understood to have been in Barelona speaking to her lawyers. Meanwhile, Prince Felipe held five audiences on the same day at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.  The prince met a group of property registrars, representatives from a maritime organisation, the Governing Board of the Madrid branch of the College of Canal Engineers and the Board of the Financial Markets Association.

Prince Felipe with the board of the Financial Markets Association with whom he held an audience on January 13th 2014

On January 14th 2014 King Juan Carlos I held an audience with the president of the government of the Carnary Islands, Paulino Rivero Baute, in his office at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.

King Juan Carlos with the president of the government of the Canary Islands, Paulino Rivero Baute, at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on January 14th 2014

On the same day, Queen Sofia and Princess Letizia carried out their first joint engagement, without any other royals present, inside the Zarzuela Palace when the princess helped the queen hand out the decorations from the Civil Order of Social Solidarity.

Queen Sofia of Spain and Princess Letizia of Asturias at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on January 14th 2014

On January 15th, King Juan Carlos received the letters of credentials of seventeen new ambassadors to Spain at the Zarzuela Palace.  The audiences are normally held individually but since the king underwent two hip operations at the end of 2013, he has held large scale audiences for new ambassadors.

King Juan Carlos receives seventeen new ambassadors at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on January 15th 2014

On January 16th 2014, Prince Felipe was at the monastery of Yuste in Cuacos de Yuste in Caceres to present the Carlos V European Award to Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Union.  The award is given for work strengthening European ties.

Prince Felipe of Asturias presents Juan Manuel Barroso with the Carlos V European Award on January 16th 2014 at the monastery of Yuste

The following day, King Juan Carlos held an audience with Juan Manuel Barroso at the Zarzuela Palace.  And also on January 17th reports emerged that the President of the European Union had been to the opera with Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia.  The royal couple and the president saw Tristan and Isolde.

King Juan Carlos of Spain with the President of the European Union, Juan Manuel Barroso, at an audience at the Zarzuela Palace on January 17th 2014

On January 17th 2014, Prince Felipe was spotted in Jaca in the north east of Spain at an ice hockey match where he handed out the medals at the end of the game.  Like his visit to the opera with Princess Letizia earlier in the week, this wasn't on the official agenda of the Royal Household but became known through social media before being reported on.  

One of the twitpics of Prince Felipe at an ice hockey match in Jaca on January 17th 2014

Norway

King Harald began his week with several audiences at the Royal Palace in Oslo on January 13th 2014.  He met the Chief of the Navy as well as Brigadier Kurt Pedersen and Commodore Nils Andreas Stensones. King Harald held an audience on January 16th with the secretary general, again at the Royal Palace in Oslo.  And on the same day, the king visited Norway's newest university - Norway's Life Sciences Royal University in As in Akershus in the south of the country.  

King Harald of Norway at his country's newest university where he was given a tour by the principal, Mari Sundli Tveit on January 16th 2014

On January 14th 2014, Queen Sonia opened a special exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of the ending of the Treaty of Kiel which ended Denmark's rule of Norway.  The event is the beginning of a year of commemoration marking the bicentenary of the months in which Norway resisted attempts to cede the entire country to Sweden and set up a constitution before entering a union with Sweden.  

Queen Sonia of Norway at an exhibition marking the events of 1814 when Norway was ceded from Denmark to Sweden

Belgium

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde held a second New Year reception at the Royal Palace in Brussels on January 14th 2014 where they welcomed ambassadors to the country.  They had held their first reception of the year on January 10th 2014.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians at the New Year reception held at the Royal Palace  in Brussels on January 14th 2014

On the same day, King Philippe had held his weekly meeting with Belgian Prime Minister, Elio di Rupo.  On January 16th 2014, the king opened a new exhibition at the WIELS modern art gallery in Brussels dedicated to the Belgian artist, Walter Swennan.  He also took part in a workshop about the role of the art gallery in bringing communities together.

King Philippe at the WIELS art gallery in Brussels on January 16th 2014

On January 15th 2014, King Philippe had opened the 92nd Brussels European Motor Show in Brussels.  The same day, King Albert II visited the motor show.  It was the second engagement of the week for the former monarch who had been to an exhibition about Ferdinand Porsche at Autoworld in Brussels on January 13th 2014.  And on the same day, Queen Paola had held an audience at the Belvedere Chateau in Brussels for representatives from the organisation Missing Children Europe.

King Philippe views an electric car made in Belgium at the Brussels European Car Show which he opened on January 15th 2014

Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima led the royal family at the annual New Year receptions for the first time. On January 14th 2014, they met several hundred members of Dutch society at the first reception at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.  On January 15th 2014, again at the Royal Palace, they welcomed the Diplomatic Corps.  Princess Beatrix and Princess Margriet were also in attendance.  The king, queen and Princess Beatrix along with Pieter Van Vollenhoven had met Dutch ambassadors on January 13th 2014.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands at the New Year reception for members of Dutch society on January 14th 2014 at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam

Denmark

Crown Prince Frederik joined his country's prime minster, Helle Thoring Schmidt, at the opening match of the European handball championships being held in Denmark.  The first game, on January 12th, saw Denmark beat Macedonia.

The future king and the current prime minister of Denmark at the opening games of the European Handball Championships in Copenhagen on January 12th 2014

Crown Princess Mary completed her trip to Myanmar which started on January 10th 2014.  In the later stages of her visit, the princess met the country's prime minister of Rakhine State and attended a briefing by the Danish Refugee Council, both on Saturday 11th January.  Earlier the same day, the princess had visited the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.  On Sunday January 12th 2014, Princess Mary went to the Say Tha March Gyi camp on the border with Pakistan where she met women and children forced to leave their homes and being helped by the Danish Refugee Council.  The princess comforted a fifteen year old boy who had recently lost his mother.

Words of comfort for a grieving son - Princess Mary of Denmark helps console a young boy who had recently lost his mother during her visit to Myanmar

The princess visited another camp, Sat Roe Kya, for Buddhists who have been forced to leave their homes where she met a mother of six who has just set up her own business.  

Princess Mary joined in games with children at the Sat Roe Kya camp on her visit to Myanmar on January 12th 2014

Crown Princess Mary paid a visit to Royal Copenhagen, porcelain makers, on January 15th 2014 to open a new building and to present three scholarships.  

Princess Mary of Denmark on her visit to Royal Copenhagen on January 15th 2014

Princess Benedikte completed a trip to Malaysia which ran from January 11th to January 16th 2014.  She was there as president of the Olave Baden-Powell Association which promotes girl guide organisations throughout the world.  Princess Benedikte attended a reception held by the Queen of Malaysia and a lunch given by Princess Azizah.  On most day of her visit, Princess Benedikte attended meetings related to girl guiding and guide associations.  Her trip also included several engagements linked to work on reducing diabetes including a large seminar in Kuala Lumpar on January 16th 2014.

Princess Benedikte of Denmark with the Queen of Malaysia during the princess' visit to the country between January 11th and January 16th 2014

Monaco

A new official portrait of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene was released on January 16th 2014 showing the couple at their palace.

The new official portrait of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene released on January 16th 2014

On the same day, the royal couple accompanied by Princess Stephanie attended the opening of the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo.

Albert, Charlene and Stephanie of Monaco at the opening of the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo on January 16th 2014

Earlier in the week, January 14th 2014, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene had been in St Agnes in France for the presentation of the restored tabernacle of the church in the village, Our Lady of the Snows.  There were also made honorary citizens of St Agnes.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco in St. Agnes, France on January 14th 2014

Luxembourg

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The royal household announced that Prince Felix and Princess Claire, who married last summer, are expecting their first baby.  The new arrival, due in June, will be third in line to the hereditary dukedom.

Prince Felix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg on their wedding day - they are expecting their first baby in June 2014

On January 15th 2014 the Grand Duke and Duchess and the Hereditary Duke and Duchess held a New Year reception at the Ducal Palace for members of the state and on January 16th 2014 for ambassadors and representatives of European institutions.

The royal family of Luxembourg at one of the two New Year receptions they held at the Ducal Palace on January 15th and January 16th 2014

The Colour Blue

Blue is the colour for the most senior royal women of Europe at the moment.  Two major royal events in January 6th 2013 saw a queen regnant and two queens in waiting turn out in royal blue as royal duties got underway again after the Christmas break.  In Copenhagen, Queen Margethe II of Denmark led the royals in the reception for the diplomatic corps in a deep blue satin dress.  The event, at the Christiansborg Palace, involved dozens of dignitaries who met a queen at her most majestic.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Crown Princess Mary in royal blue for one of the most important official receptions of the royal year on January 6th 2013

Her daughter in law, and future queen consort, also chose royal blue for this important royal engagement.  Crown Princess Mary's outfit was more fitted and quite severe by her standards but added to the very regal air of the whole event.

Crown Princess Mary with her husband, Frederik, at the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 6th 2014

In Spain, the annual Pascua Militar in Madrid saw Princess Letizia choose royal blue for her first major outfit of 2014.  But the princess was only adding a dash of colour with her blue jacket as her full length dress was black velvet. Queen Sofia chose black and white in a sombre start to the Spanish royal year.  

Princess Letizia of Spain in royal blue and black at the annual Pascua Militar on January 6th 2013.  The royal family is seen here attending the reception after the event at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid

The trend for royal blue at these most important of royal occasions began last year when Queen Maxima of the Netherlands chose an outfit in that colour for the accession ceremony of her husband, Willem-Alexander, on April 30th 2013.  The new heiress to the Dutch throne, Catharina-Amalia, and her sisters as well as the outgoing monarch, Beatrix, were also in this regal colour.

Blue for the girls - the queen consort, the former queen and the future queen of the Netherlands all in royal blue on the day the country got its first king in over 100 years

And just months later, another new queen consort chose royal blue for the official portraits marking the beginning of her reign.  When Philippe became king of the Belgians, his wife was photographed in blue as the royal house announced them as monarchs.  Mathilde of the Belgians chose cream for accession day but the first portraits of her as a queen are in blue.

Queen Mathilde of the Belgians in her official portrait marking the accession of her husband to the country's throne.  This is the photograph that will go into the history books as the first of the first Belgian born woman to become queen of the country.

It seems that in all corners of Europe, the colour blue reigns when it comes to looking regal.

The Royal A - Z of 2013

It's been a busy year for Europe's royals...here's the A-Z of all they got up to in the past 12 months...

A is for ABDICATIONS with not one but two European monarchs stepping aside in 2013.  The abdication of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on April 30th 2013 gave the country its first king in 123 years while the decision of Albert II to step aside, leaving on July 21st 2013, was a shock to the country and the continent.  The two long serving monarchs enter retirement with successful reigns to look back on.

Here's to us - King Albert II of the Belgians and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands both abdicated in 2013

B is for BABIES as a new generation of royals was born. The daughter of Lord Frederick Windsor, Maud Elizabeth Daphne Marina Windsor, became the first woman ever guaranteed succession rights ahead of a younger brother in the British Royal Family on her arrival in August 2013.  Sacha Casiraghi, born in March 2013, gained succession rights in Monaco on the marriage of his parents, Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo, in September 2013.  If his uncle, Albert II, has no legitimate children then Sacha is highly likely to be sovereign prince of Monaco one day.  But there was no question over the succession rights of George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, born on July 22nd 2013.  The first born son of the first born son of the first born son of the Queen of Great Britain will be king himself one day.

The boy who will be king - George Alexander Louis of Cambridge is christened on October 23rd 2013 at St James' Palace, London

C is for CATHARINA-AMALIA who at the age of just 10 years became the youngest heir to the throne in Europe.  Since her father's accession as King of the Netherlands on April 30th 2013, she has been known as the Princess of Orange.

Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands became Europe's youngest heir to the throne in April 2013

D is for DIAMONDS after Kate, Duchess of Cambridge was photographed wearing a tiara for the first time since her wedding in 2011.  The duchess was seen wearing the Lotus Flower tiara on her way to a reception for the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace in December.

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge in the Lotus Flower tiara in December 2013

E is for ELISABETH who became heiress to the throne of Belgium on July 21st 2013, the first time a woman has been first in line.  On her own accession she will become the first queen regnant of Belgium but for now is known as the Duchess of Brabant.

Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant, became the first heiress to the throne of Belgium 

on July 21st 2013

F is for FORTY which was the number of choice for Europe's royals this year.  Mathilde of Belgium celebrated her fortieth in January 2013 as a princess but became a queen before the year was out.  Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his wife, Mette-Marit, both turned forty in the summer and on September 15th 2013, Prince Daniel of Sweden marked his fortieth birthday.  But the celebrations for that were overshadowed by his father-in-law's jubilee that same day.  King Carl XVI Gustaf marked forty years as his country's king with a tour of Sweden and a weekend long party that culminated with dancing in the streets of Stockholm.

The special picture produced by the Swedish royal house to mark the 40th jubilee of King Carl XVI Gustf who became monarch on September 15th 1973

G is for GLAMOUROUS GRANDMOTHER as Princess Caroline of Hanover became a granny twice over in less than a year.  The heiress to the throne of Monaco welcomed her first grandson, Sacha Casiraghi, in March 2013 and had extra Christmas shopping to do when her daughter, Charlotte, gave birth to a son called Raphael on December 17th 2013.

Princess Caroline of Hanover hands out gifts at the annual Monaco Christmas children's party just hours before her daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi, made her a grandmother for the second time 

H is for HEALTH SCARES with several European royals in hospital this year.  Queen Elizabeth II was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London in the early part of 2013 as a precautionary measure following a bout of gastroenteritis.  The Queen's first hospital stay in a decade lasted just one night with Elizabeth II discharged around 24 hours after being admitted.  Her husband, Prince Philip, ended up staying far longer when he spent the best part of a fortnight in hospital over the summer of 2013 - the only official word on his condition was that it involved exploratory abdominal surgery.  King Juan Carlos of Spain underwent two hip operations in the year while Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway stepped out of public life for nearly two months at the end of the year after an operation on a herniated disc.  And at the end of the year, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was taken to hospital following a minor ski-ing accident left her with a sprained foot.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden suffered a minor injury while ski-ing at the end of 2013

I is for ISABELLA OF DENMARK who started school this year.  The eldest daughter of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Mary, looked far more at ease than her parents as they prepared to head off to class on the big day.

No first day nerves here - Princess Isaballa of Denmark gets ready to start school in August 2013

J is for JOHAN-FRISO, PRINCE OF ORANGE-NASSAU who died at the age of 44 on August 12th 2013.  He had suffered head injuries in a ski-ing accident in Austria in 2012 and never fully recovered consciousness.  He was buried close to his mother's home on August 16th 2013.

Prince Johan Friso died on August 12th 2013

K is KARAOKE as Prince William sang on stage with Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift at a charity fundraiser for Centrepoint at Kensington Palace in November.  The Duke of Cambridge belted out 'Livin' On a Prayer' with the stars who luckily managed to cover up William's not no tuneful rendition of his favourite karaoke song (he gave the royals his own, special version of it at Zara Tindall's wedding in July 2011).

William, Duke of Cambridge sings with American rock royalty at a charity fundraiser for Centrepoint in November 2013 

L is for LOOKING TO THE FUTURE as the Prince of Wales begins to take on more foreign duties for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.  In 2013, the prince attended the Heads of Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka for the queen, the first time in four decades that Elizabeth II wasn't there.  It's a sign that the monarch intends to share these overseas engagements with the prince on a more regular basis.

The Prince of Wales at the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting in November 2013 in Sri Lanka

M is for MARRIAGES  with several royal weddings over the course of 2013.  Princess Caroline of Monaco's eldest son, Andrea Casiraghi, married his long time girlfriend Tatiana Santo Domingo in the summer and so guaranteed the principality's succession as the wedding gave his young son, Sacha, the right to inherit the throne.  The Luxembourg royals dusted down their hats and tails for the second year in a row as the Grand Duke and Duchess' second son, Felix, married his girlfriend, Claire Lademacher, in a romantic ceremony.  The Dutch royals found a reason to smile again after the unexpected death of Prince Johan Friso when the whole family attended the wedding of the king's cousin, Jaime Bourbon-Parma, and Viktoria Cservenyak as the autumn started.  But the biggest royal wedding of the year was the marriage of Princess Madeleine of Sweden to Chris O'Neill in Stockholm on June 8th 2013.  The bride wore Valentino, the groom cried and the future queen, Estelle, almost stole the show with her cute antics during the ceremony.  A honeymoon baby for Madeleine completed the fairy tale.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden married Chris O'Neill on June 8th 2013 in Stockholm

N is for NEW MEDIA as Europe's royal houses increased their Twitter and Facebook presence in a sign of the times.  Spain's heirs, Felipe and Letizia, went on a Twitter tour of the country in the autumn when they posed for photos in a hectic three day visit to different locations which all ended up on social media.  Britain, Sweden and Belgium's royal houses all increased their social media presence but it was Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway who took the lead by becoming the royal ruler of Twitter.  Her tweets included photos of puppies and images of her family as it went about its daily royal duties.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway in one of several twitpics posted in 2013

O is for OLYMPIC DREAMS as Prince Felipe of Asturias led the bid to bring the Summer Games of 2020 to Madrid.  The candidacy was the favourite to win going into the IOC vote in Buenos Aires but was eliminated in the first round of votes despite the prince's impassioned plea to bring the Olympics to Spain.

Felipe and Letizia of Spain after the prince's speech to the IOC as part of Madrid 2020's bid to win the summer Olympics

P is for PHILIPPE, the new king of the Belgians.  The fifty three year old succeeded his father, Albert II, on July 21st 2013 in one of the biggest surprises of the royal year.  The new king gave his country its first Belgian born queen consort in Mathilde and the royal couple immediately began a tour of the cities and provinces to introduce themselves as monarchs.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians with their children on the day of the king's accession, Jul 21st 2013

Q is for QUIRON CLINIC, MADRID where King Juan Carlos underwent two operations in the last part of 2013 on a hip replacement that had become infected.  The king recovered well from both interventions but the main activity was outside the hospital where his family played musical cars to visit him. Juan Carlos' second daughter, Cristina, returned from Switzerland to see her father but her brother and his wife made sure they weren't seen with her as the scandal around her husband's financial affairs continues to rumble.  In the middle of it all was Queen Sofia who spent endless time at her husband's bedside and was seen with every member of her family who made the visit to the clinic.

King Juan Carlos poses with some of the medical team who looked after him on his first stay in the Quiron Clinic, Madrid in 2013

R is for REFUGEE CAMP following Crown Princess Mary of Denmark's controversial visit to Jordan in August 2013.  The princess went to meet people displaced from their homes by the conflict in Syria but Mary had to leave sooner than she intended after an unrelated protest in another part of the camp.

Princess Mary during her visit to a refugee camp in Jordan for those who had to leave their homes because of the conflict in Syria

S is for SYDNEY which became the place to go for Europe's royals for a rousing reception and lots of public love.  First, Prince Harry headed off to the harbor to review the fleet for his granny and was all but mobbed in the process with tens of thousands trying to shake his hand or steal a kiss.  Then, Australian born Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and her husband, Frederik, arrived in the city at the end of October to help mark the 40th anniversary of the Danish designed Sydney Opera House.

Harry gets more handsome - the prince during the fleet review in Sydney in October 2013 where he brought the city and the country to a semi-standstill

T is for TRIATHLON which is the basis of the Ironman competition that Prince Frederik of Denmark took part in on a rainy day in Copenhagen in the middle of August 2013.  The prince was photographed swimming, cycling and running in the rain being cheered on by his wife and children.  It was just one hard sporting feat that the prince tackled this year - not long afterwards, he headed off to Florida to train with one of the crews for the 2013 Americas Cup.

Crown Prince Frederik taking part in the 2013 Ironman of Copenhagen competition in August

U is for UNDERGROUND as the Tube in London got plenty of royal help to mark its 150th anniversary.   The Prince of Wales attended one event but it was the visit of the Queen, Prince Philip and the Duchess of Cambridge to the underground that really grabbed the headlines, especially after the pregnant duchess sported a 'baby on board' badge.

The Duchess of Cambridge with her 'Baby on board' badge which London Underground bosses presented to her when she visited in March 2013 as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Tube

V is for VANITY FAIR BEST DRESSED LIST  which included several European royals this year. Princess Madeleine of Sweden, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess of Asturias all got a nod.  The year saw several fashion comparisons for Kate and Letizia but both continued to define their own style.

On trend, as always.  Letizia, Princess of Asturias does Gatsby chic in the autumn of 2013 during her visit to America

W is for WILLEM-ALEXANDER, the first king of the Netherlands for over 100 years.  The new monarch ascended the throne on April 30th 2013 following the abdication of his mother the same morning - the festivities for the event lasted three days and were attended by members of all of Europe's royal families. The new king and his consort, Maxima, began a tour of other European courts to introduce themselves as monarchs soon afterwards.

King Willem-Alexander might be the first man to rule the Netherlands in 123 years but he's still outnumbered by the girls.  The king is seen here on the day of his accession with his consort, Queen Maxima and their children along with his mother, now known as Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands

X is for X-TREME with several European royals surprising everyone with some daring moves this year. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark abseiled as part of her training with the Danish National Guard, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway parachuted into his fortieth birthday party, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden enjoyed some high speed car racing and Prince Harry trekked to the South Pole to raise money for charity.

Prince Harry reached the South Pole on December 13th 2013 after a trek of over two weeks across Antarctic ice in temperatures of -45 Celsius

Y is for YORK which staked a late claim to be the final resting place of Richard III after it was confirmed that his body had been found under a car park in Leicester.  The last of the Plantagenets was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and his body taken to Leicester soon afterwards.  His burial place, at Greyfriars in the city, had long been lost but the discovery of bones under a council car park led to an investigation into whether they were the kings or not.  Once it had been confirmed that the skeleton was that of Richard III plans were made to bury him in Leicester Cathedral.  But a judicial review was granted to members of the Plantagent Alliance who claim the king would have wanted to be buried in York.  The final decision will be made in 2014.

Richard III, King of England.  Experts confirmed this year that remains found beneath a Leicester car park are those of the monarch and a row began over where he should be reburied

Z is for ZARA who along with Madeleine will be making the headlines in 2014 as both are expecting babies.  Zara Tindall, the only royal godparent for Prince George, will present Elizabeth II with her fourth great grandchild in the early part of the new year and in February 2014, Princess Madeleine of Sweden is due to give birth.  It's already been reported that Madeleine is having a girl - which will mean that the Swedish line to the throne will contain just one man.  Europe's royal girl power continues.

The future's bright - Zara Tindall will become a mummy in 2014, one of several royal new arrivals expected during the year