I’ve rediscovered some of my royal collection. My favorite item is the signed stamp cover from Countess Mountbatten, eldest daughter of the late Viceroy, Lord Louis.
Arriving on Kapiti Island
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The official Maori greeting
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Holding a Kiwi (weka) bird
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Wearing the traditional Kiwi feather cape
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Opening the Supreme Court Building in Wellington
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Flashback: Maoris greet the Queen in 1954 on her first foreign royal tour
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Flashback: 12–30 March 1970: The Queen participated in the James Cook bicentenary celebrations and introduced The Prince of Wales and The Princess Anne to New Zealand. This tour marked the first ‘walk-about’ in a Royal visit.
Her Majesty wears the traditional Kiwi cape
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Prince Philip talking to Maoris
Flashback: April 1983 – Diana visits Gisborne, New Zealand
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Royal Rep’s Top 5
The people have decided. Here are your top favorite posts/categories:
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He made it! Prince William has kicked off his New Zealand/Australia tour. See the photos here!
There is no going back. As he walked off the aircraft at Auckland International Airport, Prince William must have known it: the next significant stage in his development as a senior royal is under way.
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ITN’s coverage of Prince William’s New Zealand visit:
If you have ‘tweens’ or teenagers, chances are you’ve heard the term “BFFs”. The catchy abbreviation stands for “Best Friends Forever”, a term that’s taken seriously by some of Europe’s royals.
Take the Scandinavian troika of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, and Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria: all three are close friends and, like most European royals, are distantly related through Britain’s Queen Victoria.
These three all have close ties with one another, as they share a unique position of being the heir to a throne. The burden is eased knowing that they can talk and share ideas with someone who understands the pressures. Both Frederik and Haakon have always regarded Victoria as a “lillesøster” (little sister), attending royal ceremonies and performing official duties together whenever they can.
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“We share experiences from travel, and talk together on complex issues where we need to exchange ideas,” says Princess Victoria.
“We always have a really nice time together. Meeting points are obviously not as frequent as you want. Full calendars sometimes prevent you from being united, but I am very fond of both the Crown Princes and grateful for their support.”
One of their joint outings occurred when Frederik, Haakon, and Victoria visited the Antarctic as patrons of the International Polar Year, a project which allowed them to schedule working time together. They all have a keen interest in the environment and are usually seen together for such causes. In December 2009, they spent time in Frederik’s homeland of Denmark, where they attended the opening of the Bright Green Expo in Copenhagen.
Previously, Victoria was the only unmarried royal among the group, and would often accompany her princely “brothers” and their wives at royal functions. Now Victoria is escorted by Daniel Westling, her fiance, who will become a royal prince and the Duke of Västergötland upon their marriage on June 19th. The Crown Princess will walk down the aisle the same day her parents married in 1976.
The Scandinavian triumvirate are so close that Victoria was named godmother to Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Christian, the eldest children of Prince Haakon and Prince Frederik, respectively.
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The Crown Princesses of the Netherlands and Belgium are close friends through their royal husbands. Even their countries are intertwined. Belgium was once a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but gained independence in 1830. Both nations remain close allies.
Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and BFF Princess Mathilde carry out several engagements for their respective countries, but try to make it a joint effort as much as possible.
Many say that the pair work ‘seamlessly‘ when they attend events together. The opening of a new museum in Leven, Belgium, was no exception: Maxima and Mathilde smiled and greeted the crowds with warm enthusiasm and clearly enjoyed each other’s company as well.
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Mathilde and Maxima have a lot in common. Close in age, they both married heirs of thrones; both women are university-educated; they speak several languages fluently; and both were successful career women when they met their husbands.
Argentine-born Maxima was working at the New York branch of Germany’s Deutsche Bank when she began dating Prince Willem-Alexander. Mathilde was employed as a speech therapist when she met her future husband, Prince Philippe, during a casual game of tennis.
The pair of princesses also share a love of being hands-on, attentive mothers. Maxima has three girls and Mathilde has two boys and two girls. Mathilde is godmother to Maxima’s middle daughter, Princess Alexia.
Add your favorite royal pairings in the comments below!
From the Telegraph:
Prince William has echoed the environmental beliefs of his father at a charity event. Should the Princes take an active role in how Britain is run?
Speaking as a teacher, I think the Princes – especially William – need a better education first. Being well-educated in this day and age is of immeasurable value. This is what we tell our children, and the Princes should be no exception. Their money and position gives them carte blanche to attend only the finest institutions, and they should not take that for granted.
Training with the country’s armed forces is, of course, admirable and right. When kingship calls upon William, however, he needs to be educated across the board in everything from political science to conservation. The military is only a part of the responsibilities, just as art and geography are only part of the education.
Will the Prince be ready? Should Harry be at the forefront with him?
What are your thoughts?
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