News Summary R O Y A L B L O G. N L

Royal gathering at Het Loo Palace

 
Holland's Canada born Princess Margriet hosts the annual meeting of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Movement, at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, Tuesday.

Attending are Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Princess Astrid of Belgium. Other royal members of the Board are Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and Princess Haya of Jordan.

The main purpose of the IPC Honorary Board is to allow leaders of society an opportunity to support the vision of the Paralympic Movement and to strive to maintain the issue of sport for persons with a disability high on the agenda of the global community.

Honorary Board Members assist the IPC in creating opportunities for raising awareness and funding, through the Member’s network of contacts and sphere of influence. © RB; Photo: © DPP

Queen Beatrix meets head of WFP

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on Wednesday will receive Josette Sheeran, the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), at Paleis Noordeinde in The Hague.

Sheeran will hold meetings with government ministers, parliamentarians and private sector partners to discuss further collaboration in the fight against global hunger. Sheeran is scheduled to meet the Minister for European Affairs and International cooperation, Ben Knapen, and development officials as well as the CEOs and top officials of several leading Dutch multinational companies. ©RB

'King Mihai should address Parliament'

King Mihai should be invited to address the Romanian Parliament on the occasion of his 90th birthday in October, leaders of the National Liberal Party (PNL) proposed on Monday.

 
The PNL is now seeking support from other parties to put the proposal before both houses of parliament, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The social-democrat party PSD has already said it would consider the proposal.

A spokesman for the Royal House has indicated the King would be honoured and obliged should such an invitation be extended. King Mihai (or Michael in English, photographed above in Vienna for Otto von Habsburg's funeral) was forced to abdicate by the communists regime in 1947. A gala evening will be held in his honour on October 25th, his 90th birthday. © RB