Princess Máxima visits Hoorn

Princess Máxima visited the city of Hoorn today, where she took part in a microcredit related event. She visited the city’s so-called ‘Microfinancierings-ondernemerspunt’, which is complicated Dutch for what’s actually a place where young entrepeneurs can go when they have trouble setting up a business or financial plan for their business. At the ‘ondernemerspunt’ they can get advice on business matters and microcredit. The ‘ondernemerspunt’ in Hoorn is one of the 37 places in the Netherlands where people can go with their business and microcredit related issues.

Princess Máxima visited the ‘ondernemerspunt’ to inform herself about the way things work there. During the visit she was accompagnied by the Dutch state secretary of Economic Affairs, Frank Heemskerk. Pictures of the visit can be seen here.

Unlucky Mette-Marit

It seems that Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s bad luck is neverending. I summed up the past happenings at Blog Royale when she fell in the Ukraine.

This time, it is a public release from the royal house stating that Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been put on sick leave for the next three weeks by her doctor. The reason for the leave is abrasion damage to the neck vertebrae.

This means that her programme will be cancelled for the next three weeks, and that Crown Prince Haakon will be representing the Norwegian royal house at the Olympic Games in Vancouver from February 12th to February 17th on his own .  He is currently in Kazakhstan, where he will be opening a new embassy for Norway.

Princess Marilène turns 40

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Today, Dutch princess Marilène turns 40. So far, nothing is known about how she will be celebrating this milestone birthday. Since she and her husband Maurits (the eldest son of princess Margriet of the Netherlands) are living their life quite privately, it’s likely we will never find out if there has been a big party. Nevertheless I would like to use this birthday to look back at the last decade of Marilène’s life as a princess. Not everyone of you might know her very well, so here are some facts about this still very popular Dutch princess.

Marilène was born as Marie-Hélène Angela van den Broek on the 4th of February in Dieren, the Netherlands. She’s the youngest of two sisters. Her father, Hans van den Broek was minister of Foreign Affairs from 1982 untill 1992. (more…)

Archduchess Regina is dead (1925-2010)

08:40 o’clock this morning Archduchess Regina of Austria, wife of emperor son Archduke Otto von Habsburg of Austria, the country’s former crown prince, died at the age of 85 in the couple’s home Villa Austria in Pöcking in Bavaria. Regina received the last rites before she peacefully left this world in the circle of several close family members.

- My mother was the model for all of us, with her we lose a great personality who was influenced us all with her unwavering faith and her positive outlook on life, eldest son Karl said in a brief written statement. (more…)

Nikolaos and Tatiana met the press

On the occasion of their engagement, which was announced after the Christmas holidays last year, Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark and his fiancée Tatiana Blatnik met with the Greek and international press at a rather informal gathering at The Yacht Club of Greece around noon today.

With them were Nikolaos parents, King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie and they told, among other things, that the prince proposed to Tatiana during a boat trip around the Christmas holidays and that his parent’s response had been a happy “finally!” upon the news. The wedding will probably take place in Greece but no date has yet been finally determined yet, according to Swedish Damtidning however, they are leaning towards 24 August. Before the marriage, the couple will not only have the usual wedding arrangement tasks to deal with, Tatiana will also convert to the Greek-Orthodox faith and will soon be baptized in the Greek church. Marshalls, however, they have already chosen, they will be Nikolaos older brother Crown Prince Pavlos, Tatiana’s brother and one of the groom’s best friends. (more…)

Drottningholm in winter robes

The fantastic royal UNESCO World Heritage Site Drottningholm is probably associated with summer more than it is with any other season. Beautiful summer days, magnificent water fountains, lush green hedges and grass, frying direct sun over the open park, boats passing by in open water. And that’s also how it’s most often photographed. But Drottningholm in the winter is like a fairy-tale landscape, as was my experience last Saturday when I first saw it nestled in the snow.

The stunning palace, the cultural jewel of the Drottningholm Palace Theatre and all the other important and beautiful historic buildings and the huge park were all covered in white. The large fountain was at rest, the trimmed hedges were neither green nor particularly visible, and the water frozen. Everything laid in a beautiful quiet winter rest. But alone in the park, I was not. We were quite a few brave Saturday walkers who took a round through the park, some children went sledding and a few people skied as well.

Mette-Marit as a ski instructor

Snow is not necessarily something all the immigrants who come to Norway are familiar with, and since it really started snowing in December, there has been a lot of snow coming down. The organization ChangeWeNeed took advantage of the weather, and arranged a ski weekend at Hvalstad Asylum for the underage immigrants who’re residents there.

It would give them a chance to play in the snow, and learn to ski, toboggan, play in the snow and grill hot dogs over open fire. The same things that Norwegian youngsters may experience growing up.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit took the time to join in the fun, while her husband wrapped up things in Davos. Along with the mayor of Asker, she showed the immigrants how to ski, with special focus on getting up the hill, and “breaking” when going downhill, joined in on the tobogganing, and ended the day with a warm hot dog.

“I’m not sure if I’m a good skier,” the Crown Princess commented when praised by the teens. “But I’ve been skiing every day [now].”