The Queen Silvia of Sweden Rap

HM Queen Silvia of Sweden is going to be 70 on 23 December. Celebrations have been sprinkled all over advent in December as the queen intends to spend the birthday proper with the family in preparation for Christmas. One such event was held at the Oscar Theatre in Stockholm, and the show contained an extra surprise for her.

Royal Christmas Traditions

Many Royal Christmas traditions we can think of are actually much younger than expected. But some are older than we were told, too. In his book A Royal Christmas published by Elliott & Thompson, Jeremy Archer traces the influence the British Royal family had on the way Christmas is celebrated in the United Kingdom. And in other countries other Royal families are leading in defining Christmas traditions.

Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Estelle, Prince Daniel

Emperor Frederick II: Expert Falconer

German historians in the 19th century promoted Emperor Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire to diplomatic wonder worker. They showed him as a mild monarch and philosopher of enlightened tolerance. This contrasted starkly with his treatment of Muslims in Sicily. His reading habits were not those of a philosopher, either.

Emperor Frederick II

Empress Helena of Rome

Roman Empress Flavia Iulia Helena is one of the few early church saints whose existence is a historical certainty. She must have been an energetic lady even in high age. She shared the Roman Emperors penchant for putting up representative buildings and went on a spending spree to erect numerous churches. According to legend, she was one of the first archaeologists as well as an avid collector of bric-a-brac.

The Prince, The Princess, And The Perfect Murder

If you think that marrying serial divorcee Wallis Simpson was the only blunder of the hapless Duke of Windsor, then here is a book to set you straight. It is also a book for all conspiracy theorists to enjoy. This conspiracy theory is well enough documented to hold water. It was a conspiracy to keep the promiscuous and rather stupid Prince David Prince of Wales out of a sordid murder trial. The price to pay was freedom of a murderess and princess. The Prince, The Princess, And The Perfect Murder by Andrew Rose was published by Coronet.

Emperor Frederick II and His Muslim Subjects

19th century historians stylized Emperor Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire into an epitome of tolerance and diplomacy. This was just the end of centuries of history writing and myth building around his person. They were based on the assumption that he had been on friendly terms with Muslim rulers in the East, an avid scholar of all things Arab, and accepting Islam as a religion equal to Christianity.

Emperor Frederick II

The Man Who Didn’t Want to be King (Part Two)

Prince Valdemar of Denmark was three times nominated for the crowns of two European countries. Instead of becoming a ruling Prince or King, he remained with the Danish navy. What had happened?

Prince Valdemar and Princess Marie of Denmark

Queen Mum: The Official Biography

Bad news first: You have to get through 1,000 pages from cover to cover. The meticulous retelling a life spanning more than a century takes up space. So many words, yet the author managed to skip everything relevant. If you belong to circles where you are expected to have this book lying around, you might want to put four legs on it and use it as a coffee table. Or is that a gin table?

The Man Who Didn’t Want to be King (Part One)

Prince Valdemar of Denmark was three times shortlisted for the crowns of two European countries. Instead of becoming a ruling monarch, he remained with the Danish navy. What had happened?

Prince Valdemar of Denmark

The Royal Horror Picture Show

Denmark has its latest scandal in form of a picture. The press has dubbed it the Royal Horror Picture Show. Artist Thomas Kluge is proud of it. he Royal family is reputed to have given a positive verdict on it. But what do you think of it?

The Wonder of The World: Emperor Frederick II

Hohenstaufen Frederick II Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and King of Sicily was and still is regarded as a medieval thinker and philosopher. Many believe that he was breaking a lance for enlightenment and tolerance. Proof thereof is his supposed friendship with Muslim leaders. Question is: Is there any viable proof for this claimed friendship?

Emperor Frederick II

King Albert II of The Belgians Feels The Pension Pinch

Are you retired and have to live on a state pension without subsidy by private pension schemes? If so, you will understand the predicament of King Albert of the Belgians after he retired in July 2013. It is quite obvious that the meager handouts from the government are leaving him and his wife Queen Paola destitute and freezing in a hovel.

King Albert II of the Belgians

Celia Countess von Bismarck (1971 to 2010)

Celia Countess von Bismarck was born as Celia Demaurex in Geneva in 1971. She married and got divorced from Carl-Eduard Count von Bismarck, but kept the family name after the divorce. She died in Geneva of cancer at the age of 39.

Celia Countess von Bismarck

King Solomon's Alchemy

Archaeologists are constantly digging deeper in Jordan. As they do so, more light is shed on the historical time when King Solomon reigned over the Kingdom of Israel. A copper mine found 40 years ago was proven to date back to the 10th century B.C. It provides a probable solution to Solomon’s filled treasuries on grounds of a well-known alchemy formula called commerce. 

Riches Are The Problem in Europe's Youngest Monarchy

Pope Francis announced a first decision in the scandal surrounding the controversial Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst: The German bishop will remain in office for the time being but may no longer exercise his office. Is this the end to a much-discussed church scandal? It should be the start of some soul searching for a very rich church pledged to help the poor and the needy.

Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst

Royal In-laws: Prince Philip's Mother

For most of us, the Duke of Edinburgh has been around for a lifetime. If asked, no one could be more British than he; and his unique sense of humor has become an epitome of what it means to be British. Like consorts before him, his family history is not always straight forward; and his mother was an original of rare quality: Princess Alice of Battenberg.

Princess Alice of Battenberg and family

Rent a Kent

How are the old woman and her even older man earning the money for their £120,000 rent? Already, these old age pensioners are facing severe deprivations. Princess Pushy and her Prince Michael of Kent have to cope with unfair businessmen and a critical Royal family, not to mention the bloodthirsty media and unfavourable public opinion.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

Princess Irmingard of Bavaria (1923 to 2010)

Princess Irmingard of Bavaria was a granddaughter of Bavaria’s last king Ludwig III. In 2000, she published her memoirs about her childhood and the Second World War. She received the Price for World Peace from the Brücke 7 Foundation for her engagement in keeping the memory about the Holocaust alive. 

Irmingard Princess of Bavaria

Princess Pushy and a Matter of Rent

Princess Pushy, also known as That Austrian, and her husband, Prince Michael of Kent, have finally agreed to pay a paltry £120,000 rent for their apartment in Kensington Palace. And to pay it themselves, not have it paid by the Queen as hitherto. It has to be noted, though, that this rent is still heavily subsidized by the tax payer. 

Princess and Prince Michael of Kent

Luxemburg Wedding in The South of France

Last year, HRH Prince Guillaume Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxemburg got married to Countess Stephanie de Lannoy (now HRH Princess Stephanie Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxemburg). This year, it was the turn of HRH Prince Felix of Luxemburg to get married to Claire Lademacher. And Royal families can do private when they want to, Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo proved just that in Monaco some months ago.

TRH Prince Felix and Princess Claire of Luxemburg

40 Years on the Throne: Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

On Sunday, the Swedish Royal family united to commemorate the jubilee of King Carl XVI Gustaf on the Swedish throne. The pregnant Princess Madeleine stole much of the attention. And Prince Daniel's 40th birthday went (almost) completely unnoticed. It is a tough life for the diffident husband of Crown Princess Victoria having been born on the day of his father-in-law's accession to the throne.

Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

Gstaad Wedding for Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo

Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo were married at the Palace in Monaco on Saturday August 31, 2013. It was a civil ceremony held privately for friends and family only and not accessible for the public. The religious wedding will follow in December in Gstaad, Switzerland, and can be expected to be private again.

Parentage Lawsuit Against HM King Albert of the Belgians

Delphine Boel lodged a lawsuit in Belgian courts against King Albert of the Belgians. She claims to be a love-child from one of Albert's numerous extramarital affairs. She wanted to get at him before, and failed; then she tried his children. Now she retracted the lawsuit against them and restarted her initial try. And none of these twists and turns has anything to do with her case.

Prince Johan Friso of The Netherlands (1968 to 2013)

Prince Johan Friso of The Netherlands was the second son of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and the younger brother of King Willem-Alexander. He died on August 12, 2013, at the royal residence Huis Ten Bosch in The Hague at the age of 44. The family funeral was held on August 17, 2013, in Lage Vuursche near the residence of Princess Beatrix. There will be no state funeral.

HRH Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands