A visitor looks at a replica of the gown worn by Empress Elisabeth during her coronation as Queen of Hungary at the newly-designed Sisi Museum at the Imperial Apartments Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria.
The museum aims to describe the true Empress Elisabeth, better known worldwide as Sisi. © GPD AP
Queen Elizabeth II confered the honour of Knighthood to Sir Donald McKinnon inside Buckingham Palace, Thursday.
Sir Donald served as Commonwealth Secretary General for eight years from 2000-2008, following a 21-year career in New Zealand politics, during which he held a number of senior posts including that of Deputy Prime Minister. © GPD AP
Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko examined a book containing photographs of Akihito's visit to Canada in 1953 - as Crown Prince - as they look at archival documents in Ottawa, Wednesday.
The Emperor and Empress are on an 11 day visit to Canada where after Ottawa they will Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.
At the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs the imperial couple were honoured, Upon arrival the guests took time to wave to well-wishers. © GPD AP
Prince Charles on Wednesday warned that mankind has only eight years in which to make the dramatic policy changes needed to prevent climate change from becoming irreversible.
The heir to the British throne used the annual Dimbleby lecture in honor of renowned journalist Richard Dimbleby to deliver a scathing attack on how man's pursuit of short-term profits has led to a prolonged assault on the environment that has left mankind cut off and isolated from nature.
Charles, long known for his ardent pursuit of environmental causes, blamed the modernist movement of the 1960s for unleashing a wholesale attack on nature as policymakers and businessmen focused on short term economic growth and material wealth.
"There was an eagerness to embark upon a new age of radical experimentation in every area of human experience which caused many traditional ideas to be discarded", Charles said, lamenting the loss of man's ability to work in harmony with nature and use resources in a sustainable way.
Instead of working in union with nature, as ancestors had done for generations, man adopted the view that mankind was the master of nature and could exploit the earth's resources indefinitely without facing any long-term costs, he said. Charles also called for financial incentives to help bring unconventional and innovative business ideas into the mainstream as Britain copes with a prolonged economic downturn. © GPD AP
* Rain or shine: the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at a Garden Party in Buckingham Palace, Tuesday. © GPD AP
© GPD; Photos by © CapitalPhotos, Frank van Beek; Dutch Photo Press, Patrick van Katwijk Dutch Prince Floris has registered the birth of his daughter Eliane at the City Office of Amsterdam Oud-Zuid, Wednesday morning. Such registration is decreed by law.
Eliane Sophia Carolina was born Sunday July 5. The baby and her mother Princess Aimée were able to leave the Amsterdam VU hospital the same day. Mother and child are doing well, although the baby cries quite a bit the Prince told reporters Wednesday.
Eliane’s sister Magali has to get used to the crying. She frowns when she hears it, he said. Floris, youngest son of Princess Margriet and Pieter van Vollenhoven, expected a more quiet household with ‘three women’ than with the four boys and father Pieter in his parental home.
Some suggestions: "You might want to ask what The Elders have been up to so far, what he thinks about current world events or where he got that giggle from. A selection of questions will be asked on the day and you can be sure he will answer them in his own thoughtful, humorous and inimitable way." © GPD; Screenshots by © Dutch Photo Press, Patrick van Katwijk Dutch Princess Mabel is to interview Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to be broadcast live via the Web site of The Elders, at 1400 GMT (1500 BST) on Wednesday July 8. Princess Mabel is Director of The Elders, an organisation launched by former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2007.
The ‘Q&A" with Archbishop Tutu is to celebrate the launch of the new Web site of The Elders. Questions can be send via the website, using #asktutu on Twitter, or by posting a video question on Youtube.
Belgium's King Albert II and Queen Paola began a three day State Visit to Romania on Tuesday.
The royal couple, who just celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, were greeted at the Cotroceni presidential palace by President Traian Basescu.
Basescu is nearing the end of his presidential term. One of the contenders for his job is the son in law of Romania's former King Mihai (Michael), Prince Radu.
The Belgian King and Queen will visit Romania's capital Bucharest and the town of Sibiu in Transsylvania. © GPD AP
Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko examined a John James Audubon book featuring a life-sized drawing of a Blue Jay during a visit to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday. The imperial couple arrived in Canada for an eleven day visit last Friday.
The Japanese visitors also visited the Senate, where they sat with Canadian Senate Speaker Noel Kinsella, his wife Ann,left, and Speaker of the House of Commons Peter Milliken.
In his speech at the state dinner Monday evening the Emperor said he was saddened by the fact Japan and Canada found themselves on opposite sides of the Second World War. "It is all the more regrettable that the relationship that had developed between our countries was disrupted by the Second World War".
"It saddens me that so many people experienced suffering and difficulties during the war. Ever since our diplomatic relations were resumed after the end of the war, our exchanges once again have been enjoying steady development thanks [to] the wisdom and ceaseless endeavours of the people of both nations", Akihito said at Rideau Hall.
Before heading to Parliament Hill the imperial couple also visited the national Peacekeeping Monument, which honours the more than 110,000 Canadians who have served around the world as peacekeepers since 1948. © GPD AP
Families of terrorist victims joined royalty and lawmakers Tuesday to unveil a memorial of 52 steel pillars in a London park _ one for each victim of the July 7, 2005, attacks on the city's transit system.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, London Mayor Boris Johnson and the Prince of Wales and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall attended the memorial service along with the bereaved. The stainless steel columns stand 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) tall in central London's Hyde Park.
"I believe the date of the London bombings is etched vividly on all our minds, as a brutal intrusion into the lives of thousands of people", Prince Charles told those gathered for the memorial. Some relatives of those who died left single white or red roses next to a memorial plaque, while the names of all those killed were read aloud. © GPD AP
Nepal's former King Gyanendra on Tuesday on his birthday and chanted slogans demanding the monarchy's reinstatement in this Himalayan nation. Gyanendra, who turned 62, smiled, received bouquets of flowers and briefly talked to supporters who lined up to greet him.
"Come back dear king, save our nation", they chanted. Gyanendra was dethroned, the centuries-old monarchy abolished, and the nation declared a republic last year. He now lives as a common citizen.
The former king assumed the throne in 2001 after his elder brother King Birendra and other royal family members were gunned down by Crown Prince Dipendra, who was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Gyanendra was an unpopular king among most Nepalese and his decision to seize absolute power in 2005 sealed his fate. He was forced to give up his authoritarian rule in
2006 following weeks of pro-democracy street protests. In a statement, the king said he was bothered by Nepal's current political and economic situation. "I am very perturbed, troubled and anguished to observe that there has not been any improvement in the conditions of my beloved fellow citizens", Gyanendra said.
Little progress has been made in Nepal since it became a republic. Three different governments have taken power in that time and a Constituent Assembly _ elected to rewrite the constitution _ has made little headway. © GPD AP
"We cannot imagine a greater honour than the presence of their Majesties in Canada to mark the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada," Canadian Governor-General Michaelle Jean said as she welcomed Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to her residence, Rideau Hall.
Japan's Emperor and Empress Michiko officially began their eleven day visit to Canada in the capital Ottawa, Monday. The imperial couple had flown from Tokyo on Friday and spent their first two days in Canada visiting sites in Ottawa and across the river in Québec.
The Japanese guests were driven to Rideau Hall in an open carriage, and were escorted by the Royal Canadian police in their distinctive red tunics. Governor-general Jean and her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond welcomed the emperor and empress.
Their visit would be a chance "to highlight the numerous and lasting ties between our peoples that have overcome the conflicts and challenges that cast a shadow over the last century", Jean said, making reference to the Second World War, when Canada interned its Japanese immigrants.
Michaelle Jean led the imperial couple into the garden, where they were asked to plant a tree - a Canadian hemlock, a species which can be found both in Japan and Canada - to mark their State Visit.
Jean said she hoped that their "presence here in Canada in this year of celebration of our friendship will open the door to infinite opportunities for sharing with Japan, to which we are forever bound in our hearts and in solidarity." © GPD; Sources: AFP, AP
Prince William participated in a 'command task' activity by young people under the leadership of a Skill Force organization instructor, during an engagement at the Tower of London, Monday.
Prince William met with senior staff for a private briefing about the charity's work, working nationally to inspire young people and prevent them from getting left behind in education.
William clearly enjoyed working the youngsters in the Tower premises. © GPD AP
Lithuania celebrated the Millennium of its name with great pomp Monday. Outgoing President Valdas Adamkus adressed the visting monarchs and presidents gathered on the Daukanto Square for 'King Mindaugas Coronation Day'.
To celebrate the Millennium, Vilnius is visited by Queen Margarethe II of Denmark, King Harald V of Norway, and King Carl Gustaf XVI and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
"In 1009 five letters were written by the hand of a convent nun: LITUA. These letters signified the name of Lithuania (Lietuva)." Adamkus underlined that the birth of a nation, like the birth of a person, is symbolized by a name. "The emergence of the name of Lithuania witnesses the historical beginnings of a political community and national self-awareness."
According to the President, "Lithuania, then and today, is not just a territorial area - it is its people who are aware of belonging to one single nation. This awareness is conveyed not only inside the country, but also through its links with the outside world, which make us richer in knowledge and spirit".
The celebrations started with a flag Hoisting Ceremony on the Daukanto Square and the address by the president after which the guests attended Holy Mass at Vilnius Cathedral. President Adamkus then opened the rebuild Palace of Rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In the afternoon the royal and other guests watched "The Song of the Centuries" concert in Vingio Park. After the concert, the President of Lithuania hosted a gala reception in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace, dedicated to the Millennium of the First Mention of the Name of Lithuanian in Written Records and the Lithuanian State Day (King Mindaugas Coronation Day).
King Carl XVI Gustaf was one of the speakers there. Other guests were presidents Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson of Iceland, Valdis Zatlers of Latvia, Lech Kaczyski of Poland, Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine, Tarja Halonen of Finland, prime minister Andrus Ansip of Estonia, and president Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia.
© GPD; Photos by © GPD AP
The United Arab Emirates' most popular newspaper suspended publication Monday for 20 days in compliance with a court ruling after being sued for a story alleging some of the Abu Dhabi ruling family's horses were doped.
The suspension against the Arabic-language Al Emarat Al Youm was issued last week by the Abu Dhabi Federal Supreme Court, which is the highest court of the Emirates. The court also imposed fines of 20,000 dirhams ($5,445) on the paper's editor and chief executive.
According to official documents, the newspaper was suspended for intentionally publishing inaccurate and untrue information about horses owned by two sons of Sheik Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a prominent member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family and the Emirates' former deputy prime minister.
The newspaper in a 2006 article alleged that their horses were drugged to enhance performance. The stable owners sued the newspaper, editor Sami al-Reyami and chief executive Abdullatif al-Sayegh for libel and defamation.
A lower court ordered the suspension, but the newspaper appealed to the high court. Al-Reyami and al-Sayegh could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. © GPD AP
Bulgaria's ex-king and former prime minister says he will resign from the leadership of his party after it failed to enter parliament in national elections. King Simeon, speaking Monday, says he's taking responsibility for the poor showing of the party.
After decades in exile in Spain, the 72-year-old former monarch returned to Bulgaria in 2001 to triumph in an election that handed his hastily formed center-right party _ National Movement Simeon II _ half the seats in the 240-seat parliament.
But in the 2005 elections, his eroding popularity resulted in just 53 seats in parliament and the party joined the incumbent Socialist-led coalition. In Sunday's election the party only received 3.01% of the votes, remaining under the 4% entry threshold of parliament. Party officials said a new leader will be elected in September. © GPD AP
* Princess Muna al-Hussein of Jordan, mother of King Abdullah II, spoke during the opening session of the Economic and Social Council High Level Segment UN ECOSOC, in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday. © GPD AP
The Dalai Lama celebrated his 74th birthday Monday in a typically jocular mood, remarking lightheartedly that the prayers being said for him might help him live to at least 100.
The Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate has now spent 50 birthdays in exile in India. Hundreds of Tibetan exiles chanted prayers and sang songs in New Delhi and Dharmsala, the northern town where he lives, to mark the birthday, setting aside nagging worries about their aging leader's successor.
The Dalai Lama has had a number of medical problems in the last two years, which have interrupted his busy schedule of international travel to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetan struggle for more freedom under Chinese rule. As he gets older, there are concerns about who will lead the Tibetan exiles and push for their cause after his death.
Fears that China will appoint a new Dalai Lama after his death have led Tibetan leaders to contemplate ideas that break with the centuries-old system of choosing a child believed to be the reincarnation of the deceased spiritual leader. Among the suggestions have been doing away with Dalai Lamas altogether or naming a successor before the current leader dies.
On Monday, however, the Dalai Lama, who traveled to the Indian capital from Dharmsala, did not focus on worries about the future. He thanked his followers for their prayers for his health and long life and joked that they would prolong his life. "I don't know about a thousand years but maybe at least a 100 years, the Dalai Lama, known for his humor and exuberance, said in a speech to his followers." © GPD AP
Jordan's Queen Noor, a founder of an international initiative to eliminate nuclear weapons, called on the presidents of the United States and Russia to advance the cause at their Monday summit by agreeing to significant cuts in their arsenals.
President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in April issued a joint statement committing themselves to the goal of a nuclear weapons-free world. The two leaders are to meet Monday in Moscow.
"We're so heartened that President Obama and President Medvedev have made that commitment. We pray they will build on that in the July 6th meeting, commit to deep reductions in their arsenals that will then help us to begin multilateral negotiations with the other nuclear countries that we hope will deter other countries aspiring to become nuclear ... to see that the movement is going against them", Noor said in an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN.
Noor is one of the founders of Global Zero, which includes current and former senior officials from nuclear powers. The organization last month presented a four-step plan aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons by 2030.
The American-born Noor, the widow of King Hussein, said materials exist in some 40 countries "to make another 100,000 bombs over the 23,000 estimated that we have today. The dangers of those materials ending up in the hands of terrorists or misused by governments is increasing by the day.'
Turning to the Middle East, Noor expressed hope that Obama could mobilize support in the United States and elsewhere to see peace realized in the region. © GPD AP
Dutch Prince Floris and his wife Princess Aimée welcomed a new baby girl Sunday. She was born at 2.50 PM in the Amsterdam Free University hospital, the happy couple announced. The girl was named Eliane Sophia Carolina.
"We are very grateful and intensely happy with the arrival of our daughter and sister to Magali (pictured)", the prince and princess said in a written statement. Eliane weighted 4050 grams at birth, it was added. Magali was born in October 2007.
Prince Floris, 34, is the youngest son of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven. He married Aimée Söhngen, 31, in 2005. They met at Leiden University, where they both studied Law.
Floris was the last of the seven princes of the two 'main branches' of the Dutch royal family to marry. "We are sold out", his father famously said after the announcement of the engagement.
Prince Floris is godson of the Royal Canadian Legion, Canada's largest veterans', ex-service persons' and community service organization with more than 500.000 members and more than 1600 branches in Canada.
This in recognition of the special relation between Canada and the Dutch royal family. Floris' mother Princess Margriet was born in Canada in 1943, during World War II.
Eliane is the tenth grandchild of Princess Margriet and Pieter van Vollenhoven. Queen Beatrix has eight grandchildren.
© GPD; Photos by © Dutch Photo Press, Patrick van Katwijk
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