I was thinking back to the Trooping the Color ceremony in 1981, the day some brazen nut decided to shoot at the Queen. This particular event reinforces why I admire the Queen so much.

Her Majesty was still riding in the Trooping Ceremony at that time, and on this June day she cantered down The Mall atop her trusty horse, Burmese. Suddenly a young lad named Marcus Serjeant burst from the crowd and fired six shots at Elizabeth, causing Burmese to panic. It was just a starter pistol and the shots were blank, but the Queen didn’t know that and neither did anyone else. Regardless, Elizabeth calmed Burmese and rode on. Police grabbed Serjeant and hauled him off to jail.

All Elizabeth knew was that she hadn’t been shot, so the show had to go on. One is the Queen, after all.

Whenever I see that footage, I get a chill down my spine. It’s fear, it’s amazement, and it’s admiration all at once. Her Majesty’s reaction kept public panic to a minimum, staving off a mass exodus from The Mall where people could have been trampled and killed. She is amazing.

Then I find out that Queen Victoria had a similar incident – once by accident, the second time by design. It seems that this royal sangfroid runs in the blood!

While out for a drive in their carriage, the diminutive Queen and her husband, Prince Albert, were attacked by a youth firing a gun. The shots, thankfully, were blanks. He quickly removed himself from the scene, leaving the couple in shock. The next day, Albert and Victoria made a point to go out in their carriage along the same route to see if the person would attempt to shoot at them again. The royal couple were determined to catch a glimpse of their assailant. Nearing the same area along their route, out of the scenery burst the young man, brandishing a gun and firing like mad. Again, they were blanks. The prankster was caught in the act this time by a policeman. Both Queen and Consort were satisfied to learn his identity – twenty-two year old John Francis – and have him taken away.

Don’t mess with these two

Public emotion ran high over the incident, with tributes pouring in from every corner thanking God for sparing Her Majesty. People were also agog over the couple’s bravery, though some said their actions were foolhardy. It had been a close call.

The title of this post is “Cool Queens”, but I have got to give Albert credit, too. He was no shrinking violet! So in times of trouble, may we always remember the spine of steel exhibited by the Royal Family. God Bless them and their example.

Royal births abound this year! Lady Davina Lewis, daughter of the Duke of Gloucester, has just given birth to her first child, and her sister Rose is expecting her first child in July. Now the ever-handsome Peter Phillips has announced that his wife Autumn is also expecting.

Due this December, the baby will be the first great-grandchild for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. It is touching that Peter is the first one of their grandchildren to have a child of his own – he was the Queen’s first grandchild, the son of HRH Princess Anne.

There were a few raised eyebrows over the sale of Peter and Autumn’s wedding photos to Hello! magazine. Married in 2008, the couple gave Hello! exclusive access and were paid a considerable sum of money for allowing the magazine to publish their photos. The Court and the Family were less than thrilled, so I wonder if the couple will allow a photo shoot with the new baby?

Congratulations to the Royal Family and especially to Peter and Autumn.

Royal Updates for July 2010.

Prince Albert gets engaged to Charlene Wittstock, and Princess Victoria of Sweden marries her Daniel. What the heck would Diana be like today, had she lived? What’s up with Crown Princess Letizia of Spain? Welcome to the latest edition of RoyaltyNow! Click here to view the latest!

It’s that time – we need to start planning a party for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. But where? When?

I am asking all of you who love the Queen as much as I do to start throwing around ideas for a celebration here in the U.S. Should we do regional parties (East/West) or try to meet up at one big party? I am open to suggestions.

The Queen is breaking a record with this jubilee; it is a landmark celebration claimed only by Queen Victoria thus far. We will celebrate the longest reign in British history in our own lifetime!

Any comments or thoughts, please send me an email using the contact form in the links above. Thanks, and God Save The Queen!!

- Mandy

Prince Albert of Monaco has proposed to his girlfriend Charlene Wittstock.

The Palace of Monaco officially announced the engagement of HSH Prince Albert II with Ms Charlene Wittstock on June 23rd. This is the first marriage for the 52-year-old prince and for Charlene, 32.

His Highness is the son of the late Prince Rainier III and the American actress-turned-princess Grace Kelly. Albert succeeded to the throne upon Rainier’s death in July 2005.

Charlene Lynette Wittstock is of South African nationality. Born on January 25th, 1978 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, she is a former Olympic swimmer and described by the Palace’s official statement as ‘a youth worker’.

Charlene’s engagement ring is as stunning and large as that of Albert’s mother, Princess Grace:

Stylelist.com says:

Her pear-shaped engagement ring, set in unique gray gold, is the “Tethys” design created by Parisian jeweler Maison Repossi. The sparkler’s huge center stone is embellished with round diamond brilliants.

Many congratulations to them both!

My final post before vacation focused on the royal jewels that might be seen at Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding. The royal women certainly did not disappoint; everything sparkled and looked magnificent.

I saw some tiaras that were amazing as well as amazingly out of place. Let’s check it out, but a word to the wise: this post is picture-laden. It may take a moment to load.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

The Cuban-born lovely usually wears beautiful jewels that fit her appearance, but in this instance, the tiara was too big. It seemed to weigh too heavily for someone as petite as Maria Teresa.

According to Royal Magazin, the origin of this Empire Diamant tiara is not known. The tiara’s design of laurel leaves dates to around the mid of the 19th century. It had been worn by Grand Duke Henri’s mother, Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte.

Princess Birgitta of Sweden

Crown Princess Victoria’s aunt Birgitta was seen wearing the Nine-Prong Diamond tiara, also known as Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara. It was big, but not as intricate or tall as that of Grand Duchess MT.

Queen Sophie’s tiara was put forward as a possibility for Queen Silvia, the mother of the bride (below). Instead, Her Majesty opted for the Braganca Diamond Tiara. This tiara once belonged to Empress Amalie of Brazil, whose sister was Queen Josephine of Sweden. After her death, it was inherited by Josephine and became a fixture among the jewels of the Swedish Royal Family. Interestingly, Queen Silvia’s mother Alice was Brazilian.

This easily rivals the Luxembourg Empire Diamant tiara above, but because Silvia’s hair has more body, it seems to compliment the tiara rather than allow it to overshadow her.

Her suite of jewelry was the Pink Topaz set worn by Queen Louise of Sweden (Lord Mountbatten’s sister). It was originally the wedding gift of the Russian Tsar Paul to his daughter, who married a German Grand Duke. Their daughter, Augusta, married the infamous Kaiser. It was Augusta’s granddaughter, Victoria, who would bring the suite into the Bernadotte dynasty when she married Prince Gustav of Sweden.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden

The sister of the bride sported the Connaught Diamond Tiara, a delicate looped headpiece that was simple and elegant.

The Connaught once belonged to Princess Margaret of Connaught. It was a wedding gift from her parents, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Duchess Louise Margarete (formerly of Prussia). Margaret, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, married the future King Gustav Adolf in 1905.

Crown Princess Maxima of the Netherlands

Maxima wore a very sparkly yet subtle tiara to the nuptials.

The Diamond Bandeau Tiara has adorned the heads of Dutch queens and princesses for generations. It is made up of twenty-seven large diamonds set on a platinum band.

Princess Mabel of the Netherlands

Mabel’s nutty “trouser gown” detracted from her headpiece, but if you did happen to notice it, you’ll recognize that it is the very same tiara she wore on her wedding day to Queen Beatrix’s son Prince Friso.

Thanks to Mad Hattery, I discovered that Mabel’s tiara is the second setting of the Mellerio Sapphire Tiara. It is topped with 11 large diamonds that look like lollipops.

I don’t know what possessed her to wear the outfit that she did, but the color was nice anyway!

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Mette Marit (l) chose to wear Queen Maud’s Pearl tiara to highlight her elegant bone structure and eye-catching platinum locks. This tiara was also worn by Mette Marit’s sister-in-law, Princess Martha-Louise (r), for her wedding to Ari Behn.

While Martha-Louise wore the tiara high on her head, the Crown Princess tilted the prongs back, creating the illusion of a smaller headpiece.

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This tiara came down from Queen Maud of Norway, a sister of King George V of Great Britain. She had married Prince Charles of Denmark, who had been presented with the opportunity to become King of Norway. He accepted, and they became Queen Maud and King Haakon.

Princess Martha-Louise wore the Norwegian Amethyst Necklace Tiara. Like many royal tiaras, it is easily converted into a necklace and has matching earrings. The tiara was a gift to her mother Queen Sonja from King Harald.

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

The Danish Crown Princess wore Queen Ingrid’s Ruby Parure Tiara. It is a tiara frequently worn by Mary, and completely apropos for this wedding: inherited by Queen Luise of Sweden, she eventually passed it to her daughter, the future Queen Louise of Denmark, as a wedding present.

Many thanks to The Immense Glitter of Two Danish Royal Weddings, Royal Jewels and Royal Magazin (again)!

As if the wedding wasn’t sweet enough already:

I love Princess Vic. What a great wedding! It will go down in royal history.

Since her engagement last February, Crown Princess Victoria has been waist-deep in wedding business: choosing her gown, flowers, and most importantly, her jewels.

Many details have not been made public yet, but one important tidbit we do know is that Victoria has chosen the Cameo tiara as her headpiece. One of the oldest jewels in the Swedish royal family’s collection, the Cameo tiara was worn by the princess’s mother, Silvia, when she married King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Owned by the French Empress Josephine, it was inherited by her granddaughter and namesake, Duchess Josephine of Leuchtenberg, who brought it to Sweden when she married the future King Oscar I. It has been passed down by the Bernadotte dynasty ever since.

We know what Victoria will be wearing for a tiara, but what about the other royal women attending the ceremony? What cascades of jewels will be adorning regal heads – and gowns – across Europe? Take a look at Royal Jewels of the World, Royal Dutch Jewels, and Royal Magazin for an idea of the magnificence that may appear on the day.

For more possibilities,

Princess Madeleine Possibilities:

Princess Mathilde possibilities:

Princess Maxima Possibilities:

Some Queen Silvia possibilities:

Princess Martha-Louise Possibilities:

HRH The Crown Princess of Sweden is getting married in a month, and you can rest assured that The Royal Representative will cover it!

The funny thing is, my husband’s cousin is getting married the same day – June 19th – and we will be on the other side of the country celebrating her wedding. What to do?

So, with a huge amount of gratitude and happiness, I announce today that Marilyn of Marilyn’s Royal Blog will be covering the wedding of Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling here at The Royal Rep while I’m en famille out west.

Thanks to Marilyn for helping, and here’s to wedding fever! :)

Sweden’s Princess Madeleine has called off her wedding plans.

Amid the preparation for elder sister Victoria’s wedding this June, Madeleine, 27, has been dealing with numerous issues in her relationship. Madeleine had been engaged to lawyer Jonas Bergstrom since August 2009, but recently rumors cropped up over his alleged infidelity. Her mother, Queen Silvia, even made a public statement of support to try and quell speculation but to no avail – the engagement was called off, a rare thing for royalty.

The princess said in her engagement interview that she and Bergstrom became engaged during their holiday to Capri in early June 2009. On August 11th, the pair officially announced the engagement during a formal photo call in front of the royal family’s summer home Solliden. Madeleine showed off her ring to the media, and Jonas lovingly held his arm around her. The news of a broken engagement, therefore, comes as a surprise to many.

The Royal Court issued a statement: “After careful consideration, Princess Madeleine and Jonas Bergström jointly decided to go their separate ways.”

I wish Madeleine the best and hope that she finds her “Prince Charming” one day soon.