RoyaltyNow! presents Prince Harry in NYC, the Belgian Royals, Prince Charles’ 40th anniversary, and more! Majesty Magazine Review for July 2009 – http://royaltynow.podcastpeople.com/posts/33626.
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.
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.
Accession of King Umberto II of Italy
May 9th marked the 63rd anniversary of the accession of King Umberto II and his Belgian-born wife, Queen Marie-José, to the Italian throne. On May 9, 1946, Umberto’s father, King Vittorio Emanuele III abdicated in his son’s favour.
I highly recommend the blog The Cross of Laeken for more information on the Italian royal couple.
The last Savoy to have reigned in Italy died March 18, 1983 in Geneva, at the age of 79. He lived 44 of his 83 years in exile. His funeral was ignored by the Italian authorities (only the Italian consul in Lyon was present), but it was attended by ten thousand Italians who made their way to the abbey of Hautecombe near Aix-les-Bains in High Savoy, France. The funeral was attended by the King and Queen of Spain, the King and Queen of the Belgians, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Prince Rainier III of Monaco with his son and heir, Prince Albert, the Duke of Kent represented the Queen of the United Kingdom. The King of the Bulgarians, the King of Romania and the King of the Hellenes paid their last respect to King Umberto. The Vatican was represented by the Apostolic Nuncio in France.
http://radicalroyalist.blogspot.com/2009/05/accession-of-king-umberto-ii-of-italy.html
Thanks to Harold for the information!
Happy St. David’s Day to all Welshmen! :) This patron saint of Wales is celebrated annually on March 1st.
I present The Queen’s 21st birthday speech, which laid the groundwork for her eventual reign.
