The Royal Representative

This is a nice follow-up to the Monaco photo set! Watch Charlotte Casiraghi’s first interview. It is delightful. She is with her uncle, Prince Albert II.

*Fuller translation needed*

First question, about her interest in riding:
I started to ride when I was very young, and it is a sport I have practised for a very long time, and it was a great pleasure for me to participate in the jumping of Monaco. Event was held in the Fondelle tent; they now wished to have it in the harbour and it was a challenge.

Question about her participation :
It was very difficult for me because I haven’t been able to train in the last 3 weeks, so I had to leave my horse in the hands of my trainer, so it is fairly difficult to resume competition without any prior recent training. Fortunately, my horse has extraordinary concentrating powers, (or attitude, or smarts) and he was able to carry me (or support) in that slightly difficult moment, given my injury.

Question about her ambitions as a professional:
For the time being, I am trying to achieve good results in the amateur competitions. Well see how the season develops, but why not ?

Charlotte Casiraghi, equestrian

Princess Charlotte Louise Juliette of Monaco (1898 – 1977), mother of Prince Rainier III ca. 1921 Read more…

Grimaldi, HSH Prince Albert II, Monaco, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Hanover, Princess Stephanie

8th April 1970: Princess Margrethe

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Countess Alexandra of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederick, Crown Princess Mary, Denmark, Martin Jorgensen, Prince Henrik, Queen Margrethe

Lady Diana Frances Spencer, Princess of Wales, was born this day in 1961.

The precocious Diana was the daughter of Johnny Spencer and Frances Roche.

At the time of her birth, Diana’s father was titled Viscount Althorp. On his father’s death in June 1975, Johnny became Earl Spencer. Now the daughter of an Earl, Diana became known as ‘Lady Diana’.

The Spencer family consisted of two daughters, Sarah and Jane, when Diana was born. She had an elder brother named John, but sadly he died at birth. Shortly after Diana’s debut in the world, she was followed by a younger brother, Charles Edward.

Lady Diana married Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales at St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 29th, 1981. As neighbors on the royal Sandringham estate, their families had known each other for many years, and Lady Diana and The Prince had met again when he was invited to a weekend at Althorp in November 1977.

During her marriage, Diana undertook a wide range of royal duties as the Princess of Wales. She especially focused on charities and projects set up to help those in need.

Charles and Diana had two sons, Princes William and Harry, within two years of one another. Both Princes are extremely active today in charities that Diana was particularly fond of during her life.

Though Diana and Prince Charles divorced in 1996, she was still considered a part of the royal family and was styled ‘Diana, Princess of Wales’.

On August 31st of the following year, Diana died in a tragic car accident in a Paris tunnel. Though still alive when pulled from the wreckage, her two companions – driver Henri Paul and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed – were dead at the scene. Diana died later at the hospital.

The Queen gave an extremely rare live address to the nation on September 5th from Buckingham Palace. In her speech, Her Majesty stated:

No-one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her. I for one believe there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. I share in your determination to cherish her memory.

See the official Royal website’s tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales.

Diana, Princess of Wales

For the first time in its 173-year history, Burke’s Peerage and Gentry is to include illegitimate offspring – the children of peers, baronets, knights and landed families born out of wedlock.

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It is with a massive amount of sadness that I say goodbye to my “baby beak”: Cheekers the cockatiel.

Many of you have seen her picture on the Help page of my website. She is listed as my ’secretary’ who helps me with all of my email. Cheekers could also be heard inserting her opinion in the background of many of my podcasts at RoyaltyNow!.

She was a good little friend who is sorely missed. My other two buddies, Percy and Feathers, will miss her, too.

For anyone who has female birds: get them checked regularly to prevent the possibility of egg binding. Egg binding is the inability of a female bird (hen) to pass a developed or partially developed egg. The inability to pass the egg quickly could result in the death of the hen.

Even if your bird has been laying eggs just fine, keep in mind that egg-laying could pose just as many complications for a bird as any human pregnancy. It’s a big deal for one’s body to go through, so keep an eye on your little hen.

Mandy: Personal

Charles Spencer, brother of the late Diana, is getting a divorce from his wife Caroline. Both wanted to keep it private, but a judge has ruled that they cannot block reporting of the hearing.

The judge said that he would be in “dangerous territory” to grant couples privacy merely because they are well-known, as it “potentially gives privilege to one group in the community over and above others.”

No one – aside from the circle of people involved – should be given access to someone’s private affairs in a court of law. Whether they are famous or not, who wants to hear this sort of thing? Let them retain their privacy. If the judge is so concerned about “giving privilege to one group over others”, then make it legal for everyone to keep their family matters private if they so wish.

This new culture of invading everyone’s personal space is very disconcerting. Just because a few desperate celebrities wanted everyone to know the minutiae of their lives doesn’t mean we all feel that way, Earl Spencer included.

Any legal eagles out there that want to expound on this issue? I’d  be glad to hear from you!

Via Telegraph.

Charles Spencer, divorce

The heir to the throne turns 27 today! Many happy returns.

Prince William

Get a Voki now!

blogging, Prince William

RoyaltyNow! can be found at Podcast.com. Subscribe to the show through Podcast.com or through the show’s homepage at: http://royaltynow.podcastpeople.com

podcast, RoyaltyNow!

A very happy ten years to HRH Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

A few days earlier the Countess was seen with their daughter, Lady Louise, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The Royal Family was watching the Trooping the Colour ceremony celebrating the Queen’s official (read: national) June birthday.

HRH Prince Edward Earl of Wessex, HRH The Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor, Trooping the Colour

Queen Rania with two of her four children:

Queen Rania