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

Royal Review of 2013 - a year of surprises

Europe's royals have had a busy year.  But when the dust settles and the ink dries on the history books, 2013 will be remembered for the arrival of a future king and the departure of two monarchs.  The impending birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby was known about as the year began but the abdications of Beatrix of the Netherlands and Albert II of the Belgians were both unexpected in their own ways and changed the royal landscape of Europe rapidly and decisively.

 

Memories of times now past - the reigns of Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands and Albert, King of the Belgians both came to an end in 2013

 

The abdications brought the continent two new monarchs, two new consorts and two new families of young princes and princesses.  Overnight, the average age of the continent's monarchs and heirs dropped by several decades.  But the events also changed attitudes towards monarchies and suddenly questions were asked about the ongoing reigns of just about every other European king or queen and the likelihoods of them, too, leaving their posts for a younger generation to fill them were raised.  Nowhere more so than in Spain where in a strange day in September the country was set abuzz with whispers, unfounded and wrong, that Juan Carlos I was about to leave his palace by a back door and his crown with his son and heir. 

 

 

Three generations of Spanish royalty together and, despite a day of fevered rumours, there was no change in the order of seniority in the family in 2013

 

The Spanish king did have to contend with ill health and with more controversies around his family.  If 1992 was an annus horribilis for Elizabeth II, 2013 is added to a list of similar bad years for the Spanish royals who spent the year experiencing the same turbulence that hit them in 2012 and 2011 as well.  It was a more peaceful year for the Norwegian and Danish royals with regular public appearances and some high profile overseas trips including King Harald's visit to Turkey and Crown Princess Mary's humanitarian trip to a camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan.

 

 

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark meets young Syrians in a refugee camp in Jordan earlier in 2013

 

And the personal part of royal life was in the spotlight as well.  Mathilde of Belgium began the year with her focus on her fortieth birthday, perhaps not knowing that within six months she would become the first Belgian born queen of her country.  In the Netherlands, the royal family was left devastated by the unexpected death of Prince Johan Friso.  The second son of Beatrix died of complications of the injuries sustained in an avalanche in Austria in 2012 - he had been unconscious since the accident and died in the Netherlands after being brought back there from treatment in London earlier in the year.

 

 

Prince Johan Friso, brother of the king of the Netherlands, died in 2013 at the age of 44

 

In Sweden the royal family was at the centre of the country's life for the whole of 2013.  Princess Madeleine's wedding, in June 2013, was greeted with widespread celebrations and the announcement of her pregnancy just a few months later brought more happiness.  But it was the year of events marking the 40th jubilee of King Carl XVI Gustaf that really focused the joy of a nation on the royal family.  The year ended with the 70th birthday of Queen Silvia and more national celebrations which topped a spectacular year for Sweden's royals.

 

 

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, with Queen Silvia at his side, toasts his people on September 15th 2013 - the 40th anniversary of his accession to the Swedish throne

 

But it was the birth of a future king in Great Britain that captured the most attention.  While Monaco had also welcomed a possible future ruler when Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo welcomed a son in March, it was the birth of George Alexander Louis of Cambridge that really caught the popular imagination around the world.  The arrival of a fourth generation of monarch in the British royal family secured the succession well into the 22nd century in the year that Queen Elizabeth II marked the 60th anniversary of her coronation.

 

 

The first glimpse of a boy who will be one of the most photographed in the world - George of Cambridge leaves hospital on July 23rd 2013 with his parents

 

Over the next few days, there's a chance to look back at these royal highlights and plenty more in the Royal Review of 2013.

 

Royal round up, week ending November 30th 2013 - Belgium and the Netherlands

A round up of all the news from Europe's royal houses for the week ending November 30th...the focus now on Belgium and the Netherlands

Belgium

 

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians held a reception on November 27th 2013 for members of the B-Fast team who had been to the Philippines to help those affected by Typhoon Haiyan earlier in the month.  The members of the team - the Belgian First Aid and Support Team, set  up in 2000 to offer overseas emergency help - met the king and queen at the Laeken Palace.

 

 

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were joined by Belgian prime minister, Elio di Rupo, for the reception at the Laeken Palace on November 27th 2013 for members of the overseas emergency help team, B-Fast

 

The rest of the king's week was taken up with audiences.  On November 25th he held his regular meeting with prime minister, Elio di Rupo, who also attended the B-Fast reception later that week.  On November 29th 2013, King Philippe met the Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, at the Royal Palace in Brussels and later that same day the king held an audience with Belgium's employment minister, Monica de Coninck.  And Queen Paola made just her second public appearance since her recent operation when she attended a concert in Brussels on the afternoon of November 30th organized by the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and Equinox. 

 

 

Queen Paola of the Belgians at a concert in Brussels on November 30th 2013

 

Princess Astrid spent most of the week in India on a trade visit where she carried out a series of engagements to promote Belgian business.  The trip, from November 23rd to November 29th, was made on behalf of the king and the princess was accompanied by several ministers.  And Prince Laurent and Princess Claire attended the 25th annual Caius de Promethea awards in Brussels on November 27th which celebrate cultural and architectural achievements.

 

 

Princess Astrid of Belgium writing in the visitors' book at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, in New Delhi during her five day visit to the country.  The memorial commemorates70,000 Indian soldiers who died in World War One fighting for the British army

 

 

The Netherlands

 

 

King WIllem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were present at the start of a series of events to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of the modern kingdom of the Netherlands.  On Saturday November 30th they visited the spot at Scheveningen where Prince William Frederick of Orange landed on November 30th 1813, eighteen years after his father, William V, had fled to England to escape the French invasion.  Later on November 30th 2013, the king, queen and former queen, Beatrix,  took part in ceremonies in The Hague before the whole royal family attended the annual Kingdom Concert at the Circus Theatre.   

 

 

 King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima take centre stage at the end of the concert held on November 30th 2013, the day the Netherlands began two years of celebrations to mark the bicentenary of the formation of this kingdom

 

Earlier in the week, the king and queen had hosted a symposium at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on the genetics and the secrets of the human genome.  Princess Beatrix was also present at the event, one of two lectures organized every year by the Royal Palace Foundation.  On the same day, King Willem-Alexander was at the Nooreinde Palace in The Hague to receive the credentials of the new ambassadors form Japan and Lesotho.  Willem-Alexander's engagements for November 27th also included receiving a copy of the first permanent stamp to bear his image as a king.  The event took place in The Hague.

 

 

 The first stamp bearing the image of Willem-Alexander as King of the Netherlands was unveiled in The Hague on November 27th 2013

 

On November 28th, King Willem-Alexander was in Nieuwegen to see the work of a night school offering support to adults who need help with language and learning.  On the same day, the king attended the jubilee conference of  the Aedes Housing Association where he heard speeches and debates on issues including care and the price of housing.

 

 

 King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands at the housing conference in ’s-Hertogenbosch he attended on November 28th 2013 to mark the 100th anniversary of Aedes - an association of

housing associations

 

On November 29th the king held a farewell audience with the outgoing Turkish ambassador, Z.E. Uğur Doğan, at the Eikenhorst Villa in Wassenaar.  And later that same day he was back in Amsterdam, at the Nieuwe Kerk, to receive copies of the new biographies of his predecessors on the throne of the Netherlands, Kings William I, II and III.

 

 

 King Willem-Alexander receives biographies on three earlier Dutch kings at a ceremony in Amsterdam on November 29th 2013

 

Queen Maxima was in the Schipol district of Amsterdam on November 26th 2013 where she opened the new barracks of the Royal Military Police in the district - the building has been named after her.

 

 

The queen of the Netherlands opens the Queen Maxima Barracks in Schipol on November 26th 2013

 

On the dame day, Princess Beatrix attended the jubilee conference of PUM - an organization which channels voluntary work from managers and businesspeople in the Netherlands to areas of the world where expertise is needed.  It took place in Rotterdam.

 

 

 Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands at the conference held to mark the 35th anniversary of the foundation of the PUM organization.  The event took place in Rotterdam on November 26th 2013

 

Royal round up, week ending September 28th 2013

A round up of all the news from Europe's royal houses for the week ending September 28th 2013....

 

Spain

 

The Spanish royal family was hospital bound this week.  King Juan Carlos went into the Quiron clinic in Madrid for an operation on his left hip which had become infected following a replacement in November 2012.  Before he was admitted, the king embarked on a whirlwind of activity.  On Monday 23rd September he had audiences with two senior Moroccan politicians, Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah and Karim Ghellab.  On Tuesday 24th September, just hours before he was admitted to hospital for his operation, he received sixteen ambassadors who had been due to present their credentials over the coming week.  Normally granted individual audiences, all sixteen took part in a unique event where they handed over their letters in rapid succession.

 

 

The king of Spain receives sixteen new ambassadors to his country in a huge audience granted on the day he went into hospital, Tuesday 24th September 2013

 

The king went into hospital around 3pm on the afternoon of September 24th 2013 and his surgery started just before 9pm.  Queen Sofia arrived at the hospital just as the operation got underway and was quickly joined by the Infanta Elena and the Prince and Princess of Asturias.  All four emerged, smiling, around midnight to share news that the operation had been a success. 

 

Queen Sofia of Spain was the first to speak to journalists following the operation on her husband's left hip at the Quiron clinic in Madrid

 

The following day, the queen again led family trips to the hospital but this time the king was also visited by his youngest daughter, the Infanta Cristina, as well as his eldest grandchild, Froilan.

 

 

The Infanta Cristina of Spain visits her father in hospital on September 25th 2013

 

Queen Sofia has maintained a steady stream of visits and at the end of the week was accompanied again by the prince and princess of Asturias and their daughters, the Infantas Leonor and Sofia.  And visiting granddad in hospital provided a first chance to step up the microphones for he future queen, Leonor, who told those waiting for her at the end of her visit that Juan Carlos was doing well.

 

 

The Infanta Leonor of Spain at the hospital in Madrid where her grandfather, Juan Carlos, is being treated after an operation on his left hip

 

During the week, royal activities continued.  On the same day that his father went into hospital, Prince Felipe was at the airbase at Talavera la Real where he was given a tour of the work going on there. 

 

 

 The Prince of Asturias in the maintenance hangar at the airbase at Talavera la Real on September 24th 2013

 

The prince also visited the Peugeot Citreon facility in Vigo for the launch of two new models and he ended his week with a military event in Marin.

 

 

 Prince Felipe gets a tour of the car making process that goes on at the Citreon facility in Vigo when he visited to mark the launch of two new cars on the market

 

The princess of Asturias held an audience with organisers involved in the day of work run by My Europe for young people. But Queen Sofia has had the highest profile in the last few days.  The queen spent September 23rd in Madrid presiding over the opening of an international conference on the investigation of neurodegenerative conditions designed to bring together some of the world's leading experts on Alzheimers, Parkinsons and Huntingdon's diseases.

 

 

Queen Sofia at the opening of an international conference on neurodegenerative diseases in Madrid on September 23rd 2013

 

Another opening for Sofia on September 26th when the queen was at the start of the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of Royal Academy of Spain.  The exhibition launched by the Spanish queen will run until January 2014.  And at the end of the week, Queen Sofia was at the inauguration of an education conference in Madrid.

 

 

Queen Sofia at the beginning of the education conference she helped launch in Madrid on September 27th 2013

 

The Netherlands

 

More operations for royalty, this time in the Dutch ruling family, where Princess Beatrix was admitted to hospital on September 22nd after breaking a cheekbone in a fall.  The former queen was operated on successfully and is now recuperating at home.

 

 

Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands is recovering after an operation for a broken cheekbone

 

King Willem-Alexander received the ambassador from Bangladesh on September 23rd in The Hague.  And on September 27th, the king opened the European Cancer Congress in Amsterdam, the first time the Netherlands has hosted this event.

 

 

King Willem-Alexander receives a commemorative medal from Cornelis van de Velde, President of the European Cancer Congress, which he attended in Amsterdam on September 27th 2013

 

Queen Maxima was in New York for three days during the week where she gave a speech to the UN Inter Agency meeting on Inclusive Finance.  The Dutch queen also attended a dinner held to mark global partnership where she gave another speech.  And Maxima finished her American tour by opening the new Delegates Lounge at the UN Headquarters alongside UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon.

 

 

 Queen Maxima of the Netherlands with UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, on September 24th 2013
 

Norway

 

The week began with a visit to Scotland for Queen Sonia who attended the opening of a Maggie's Centre in Aberdeen alongside Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay.  The duchess is the patron of the organization which has opened sixteen centres around the UK since it started in Edinburgh in 1996.  It was founded by name of Maggie Keswick Jenckes who used her own personal experience of cancer to develop care that suited patients and their families.  She died in 1995. The building for the latest centre was designed by Norwegian firm, Snøhetta.

 

 

 Queen Sonia of Norway with the Duchess of Rothesay at the opening of the Norwegian designed Maggie's Centre in Aberdeen on September 23rd 2013

 

Crown Princess Mette-Marit was also on her travels, flying to New York for the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting.  Set up in 2005 by former US president, Bill Clinton, it aims to bring the right people and resources together to confront global challenges.  The princess also met Jørgen Ole Haslestad, the chief executive of a Norwegian fertilizer company called Yara which had received special recognition at the meeting for its work towards increasing food production around the world in an environmentally friendly way.  Mette-Marit was also promoting women's health as part of her role with UNAIDS, a United Nations programme to combat HIV and AIDS.

 

 

 Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway with Jørgen Ole Haslestad at the Clinton Initiative in New York on September 24th 2013

 

Crown Prince Haakon Magnus organized a conference for businesses and academic institutions looking at enhancing skills and resources to help improve Norway's future. The two day event took place in Trondheim with the heir to the throne leading meetings and seminars.

 

 

 Crown Prince Haakon Magnus at the conference he organized in Trondheim, starting on September 27th 2013

 

Belgium

 

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde began their week with another of their Joyeuse Entrée, this time visiting Limbourg in the east of Belgium.  They had a working lunch in Hannelt before greeting the two thousand school children who had turned out to greet them.

 

 

The king and queen of the Belgians, Philippe and Mathilde, in Hannelt on their visit to Limbourg on September 24th 2013

 

The following day the king and queen gave an audience to Jacques Rogge, now honorary president of the COI, at Laeken Palace. 

 

 

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde with Jacques Rogge and his wife at Laeken Palace on September 25th 2013

 

Later in the evening, Philippe and Mathilde attended a concert held for three kings.  The event, at the church of Notre-Dame de la Cambre in Ixelles, featured a performance by the violinist, Lorenzo Gatto, and was given to mark the accession of King Philippe, to celebrate the twenty year reign of King Albert II and to remember King Baudouin.  September 26th was taken up with audiences for the king who met the winner of l'Epee du Roi 2013, Simon Derwael, and the new ambassador for the United States, Denise Campbel Bauer.  He also met with the President of the council of the French community, Jean-Charles Luperto. 

 

 

Philippe and Mathilde at a concert given in honour of the three most recent kings of Belgium on September 25th 2013

 

On September 27th, the king and queen had another Joyeuse Entrée this time to Antwerp where they were heckled for the first time on their tour.  They moved on to help inaugurate a new museum about the Red Star Line.  On the same day, Prince Laurent represented King Philippe at the centenary celebrations for the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium.

 

 

The king and queen of the Belgians on their visit to Anvers on September 27th 2013

 

Denmark

 

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary visited a new container ship in Copenhagen on September 25th 2013.  The ship, one of the largest in its class, was named the Majestic Maersk by Mary before being opened up for a quick viewing before it went into service.

 

 

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik during their tour of the Majestic Maersk which was named by the princess on September 25th 2013

 

Princess Mary also became a cover girl when she appeared on the front of the 80th anniversary edition of Australian Women's Weekly.  The princess has given an interview to the magazine with an insight into a day in her life - and she has royal company in the magazine (more later in the roundup).

 

The barefoot princess.  Australian born Princess Mary of Denmark on the front of a special edition of one of Australia's best known magazines

Princess Marie presented the Innovation Storm award in Copenhagen on September 25th with the main award going to a company called Universal Robots.  The next day, the princess was in Budapest on September 26th to take part in a European Congress on autism in her capacity as patron of Denmark's National Autism Association. 

 

 

Princess Marie at the Innovation Storm awards in Copenhagen on September 25th 2013

 

Sweden

 

After the packed schedule of the jubilee festivities, there was no let up for the Swedish royal family this week.  King Carl XVI Gustaf began his seven days by opening a tourism initiative called Visit Djurgården in central Stockholm on September 23rd.  On the same day, he held farewell audiences for the ambassador of Japan, Yoshiki Watanabe, and China, Lan Lijun.

 

 

King Carl XVI Gustaf with the outgoing ambassador of Japan, Yoshiki Watanabe, at his farewell audience in Princess Sybilla's apartments in the Royal Palace on September 23rd 2013

 

On September 24th, Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria attended the opening of the Swedish Church's General Synod in Uppsala.  The day began with a special service before the 251 members of the synod came together for their meeting.

 

 

 Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria in Uppsala on September 25th 2013 at the opening of the General Synod of the Swedish Church

 

The queen kept up the mother and daughter duties the following day when Silvia joined her youngest child, Princess Madeleine, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm for a meeting of the World Childhood Foundation International Council where they heard about the organization and its work.

 

 

Queen Silvia and Princess Madeleine hear about the work of the World Childhood Foundation on September 25th 2013

 

The same day, Crown Princess Victoria was at the Royal Palace meetings experts working on developing children's memory and concentration skills.  And it was announced that the princess would be patron of the pink ribbon campaign, focusing on finding a cure for breast cancer and helping women with the condition.

 

 

Crown Princess Victoria is the patron of the 2013 pink ribbon campaign which will run through October to raise awareness of breast cancer

 

Prince Daniel was in Lund to talk about the Foundation that bears his name on September 23rd.  And Prince Carl Philip opened a new motor speedway facility for people with physical disabilities in Kumla.  He was given a tour of the circuit before taking part in an exhibition drive with five other racers.

 

 

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden with Sven Brygg of the Kumla Disability Motor Club at the opening of a new circuit on September 28th 2013

 

United Kingdom

Prince Charles has given an interview to Australian Woman's Weekly to mark its 80th birthday.  The prince has been talking about Camilla, William and Harry and his charities.  But he missed out on the cover - that honour went to Princess Mary of Denmark.

 

 

The photo accompanying an interview the Prince of Wales has given to Australian Women's Weekly to mark its 80th edition

 

The Duchess of Cornwall was in Scotland, where she is known as the Duchess of Rothesay, to open Maggie's Centre alongside Queen Sonia of Norway.  The duchess has been patron of the charity since 2008 and has already visited several of its sixteen other centres.

 

 

The Duchess of Rothesay with Queen Sonia in Aberdeen on September 23rd 2013

 

Prince Harry attended a reception for an emergency response organization called MapAction in London on September 26th.  The prince is patron of MapAction which has helped in over forty major emergencies in the last ten years.  The prince was given a demonstration of how the response activity works in a mocked up situation at the reception.

 

 

Prince Harry with the Chief Executive of MapAction, Liz Hughes, in London on September 26th 2013

 

The Duke of York was in Vietnam where he presented scholarships bearing his name at the British University.  He met the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bui Thanh Son, and went on to have lunch with local entrepreneurs.  He met the Deputy Prime Minister, Nguyen Thien Nhan, and later the Chairman of the National Assembly, Nguyen Sinh Hung, before completing his tour with a dinner marking British Education.  Earlier in the day he had held meetings with the Vice Chancellors of the British University in Vietnam and later with the British Council Alumni Leaders Group.  Meanwhile, the Countess of Wessex was in Qatar where she visited the Qatar Foundation and Qatar Science Technology Park in Doha.

 

 

The Countess of Wessex was in Qatar this week and here she is seen taking Qatari donors on a tours of the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital at Doha International Airport on September 23rd 2013

 

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended the Goldsmiths' Fair in London on September 23rd - the duke is Liveryman and Honorary Freeman, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. The Duke also attended the Horace Walpole Birthday Dinner at Strawberry Hill in Twickenham on the same day in his capacity as patron of the Strawberry Hill Trust.  On September 26th, the Duke was in Bristol where he presented the Queen's Award for Enterprise to Metryx Limited before opening the renovated Pegasus House for Airbus Operations Limited in Filton.  He spent the afternoon visiting the Bristol and Bath Science Park.  The Duchess opened a new building at King Edward's School in Godalming, Surrey on the same day.  The Duke of Kent was also on school duty - on September 24th he visited Repton school in Derby and Foremarke Preparatory School in Milton, Derbyshire.  During his day in the county he also saw work at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Burnaston.  The day before he had been across the border in Nottinghamshire where he visited the Attenborough Nature Reserve as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations for the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

 

 

The Duke of Kent in Nottinghamshire on September 23rd 2013 to mark 50 years of that county's Wildlife Trust

 

And at the end of the week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced that their son, Prince George, will be christened on October 23rd 2013 at St James' Palace in London with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, conducting the ceremony.  There is still no word on godparents.

 

 

The next chance to see Prince George of Cambridge will be on October 23rd 2013 when he is christened in London