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

Dutch Royal Couple visits tomb of Luther

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands marked the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation by Martin Luther by visiting the 'Schlosskirche' (Palace Church) in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. According to tradition it was at the door of this All Saints Church that Martin Luther put his 95 theses opposing the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences. That was the starting point of the Church Reformation, and brought about the protestant churches.

The Netherlands were influenced by Luther, although it was John Calvin who had a stronger and lasting effect on its culture, religion, history and tradition, King Willem-Alexander said after the visit. The Dutch Royal Couple are on a four day working visit to the German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark visited the same Church in October and presented an altar cloth she had made and designed herself. One week later the Church was visited by King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden during their State Visit to Germany.

© RB Hans Jacobs

Gråsten awaits arrival of Queen Margrethe

Forget sunny weather and pleasant temperatures. Gråsten and southern Denmark were having none of that on the eve of the arrival of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik for their annual summer stay at Gråsten Castle. Instead Thursday evening saw low temperatures, gusty winds and quite a few showers.

A weather man across the border in Germany - only a few kilometres away - quipped that it would be quite pleasant if this was April weather. But it is supposed to clear up over the weekend. Maybe not in time for the annual photo shoot, but at least before the parade on Sunday.

The Danish royals have been coming to Gråsten almost every summer since 1936, when then Crown Prince Frederik and his Swedish born wife Crown Princess Ingrid started the tradition. The Danish government had given them use of the castle which, given its location near the German border in a part of Denmark which had just rejoined the nation, held great significance for all Danes.

After her mother's death in 2000 Queen Margrethe has kept up the tradition of bringing the family together in Gråsten and eldest son Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary have started a tradition of their own, by coming here ahead of the Queen's arrival and spending time as a family.

© RB Hans Jacobs

Crown Princess Mary cancels trip to Burkina Faso

The trip of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark to Burkina Faso has been postponed after the terrorist attack on a hotel last weekend in Ouagadougou, the capital of the West African country. The action of the African branch of al-Qaeda killed at least 28 people and injured 50 people seriously.

The Danish Foreign Ministry announced Monday that the trip, planned for later this week, had to be postponed due to the security risks. "Because of the security situation, it is unfortunately necessary to postpone the Crown Princess, and my visit to Burkina Faso. But I very much look forward to complete the visit as soon as possible.", Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen stated in a press release. "I want to reiterate that I most strongly condemn the terrorist attack. Burkina Faso is a country which has shown an indomitable will to democracy, and terrorists must not be allowed to destroy the people's desire to live in peace and stability. "

Crown Princess Mary, who would have been accompanied by Danish Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen, was planning to pay special attention during her visit to the health and rights of women and the positive democratic development of the country.

Burkina Faso is one of the world's poorest countries, with a high population growth. The West African country has made progress in relation to maternal and infant mortality, and is committed to improving women's and children's rights. The situation of girls and women is still characterized by a number of challenges, including lack of access to a number of basic health services.

The Crown Princess, together with the Foreign Minister was planning to visit health facilities in the capital and in the countryside. There was also a visit planned to a clinic, where there would have been the opportunity to talk to young Burkinabé on their access to information, contraception and health care. © RB

Alexandra about divorce: no common future

"We no longer share the same values". Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg, former wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, told Danish press agency Ritzau about her second divorce. Her sollicitor on Tuesday announced the upcoming divorce of Alexandra and Martin Jørgensen. The couple had been married for eight years.

[Sept. 8: Countess Alexandra divorces Martin Jørgensen]

"We do not have the same values anymore, and I could not see us having a future together", Countess Alexandra said in the  interview with Ritzau. She added that "some basic values we all have in marriage" were no longer shared. They both thought differently about them, which made her decide to end the marriage.

"It was a big and tough decision to make", Alexandra said. She now has to help her sons Princes Nikolai, 16, and Felix, 13, come to terms with the second divorce in their young lives. The princes are the sons of Prince Joachim and Alexandra, whose marriage ended also in divorce, in 2005.  © RB

Countess Alexandra divorces Martin Jørgensen

Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg and formerly Princess of Denmark, is divorcing her second husband the Danish photographer Martin Jørgensen. The announcement was made Tuesday by Alexandra's sollicitor. No further details were given.

[Sept 9: Alexandra about divorce: no common future]

Alexandra Manley, from Hong Kong, married Prince Joachim, second son of Denmark's Queen Margrethe in a sumptuous wedding in 1995. The couple had two children, Princes Nikolai, now 16, and Felix, 13. By 2004 however the marriage was on the rocks and one year later Joachim and Alexandra divorced - the first divorce in the Danish Royal Family in well over 160 years. Alexandra remained a Princess, and was also made Countess of Frederiksborg. 

Both Prince Joachim and Alexandra found new partners. Alexandra married the handsome Martin Jørgensen, some 14 years her junior, in 2007. Both took care of the two royal grandsons, but also kept on good terms with both the royal family and Prince Joachim and his new wife Princess Marie.

© RB

Princess Marie loses battle with wind

It is a nightmare for every woman with a hat, and princesses and queens are no exceptions. Princess Marie's nightmare came true Thursday at she lost the battle with the wind when she arrived at Copenhagen's Town Hall where she was to attend a luncheon in honour of Queen Margrethe's 75th birthday.

Princess Marie tried to shield her hat from the strond wind, but the one second she let go, the wind took hold of the head gear. Husband Prince Joachim laughed, made an attempt to go after the hat, as did the Mayor of Copenhagen, but it was official who recaptured the hat, returning it shortly thereafter to the embarrassed Princess.

 

© Royalblog, Marius Cirtiu

King Philip & Grand Duke Henri celebrate abroad

* Grand Duke Henri with Crown Princess Mary

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg celebrated part of his 60th birthday Thursday abroad. He started the day in Denmark, where he took part in the festivities for the 75th anniversary of Queen Margrethe. Henri participated in the 'wake up' call, where friends and family joined in waking the Queen by singing under her bedroom window at Fredensborg Slot.

* King Philip, with Queens Letizia and Máxima

Grand Duke Henri, who came to Denmark without Grand Duchess Maria Teresa who suffered from the flu, also celebrated his cousin King Philip of the Belgians' 55th birthday on Wednesday. In his welcoming speech at the Gala Dinner at Christiansborg Slot Danish Crown Prince Frederik made special mention of it, and expressed his gratitude that the Belgian King had chosen to celebrate not only his own but also Queen Margrethe's birthday in Denmark.

* Crown Prince Frederik after his speech, with Kings Carl Gustaf and Harald, and Queens Margrethe and Silvia.

Both Grand Duke Henri and King Philip had children with a birthday as well. Henri's youngest son Prince Sébastien turned 23 Thursday, and Philip's youngest daughter Princess Eléonore was 7.

© RB; Photos by © Monarchy Press Europe, Patrick van Katwijk

European Royals get together in Copenhagen

Queen Margrethe's 75th birthday brings Europe's crowned heads to Copenhagen this Wednesday for a spectacular gala dinner at Christiansborg Palace. Only Queen Elizabeth, who will celebrate her 89th birthday next week, will skip the party as per custom, but all the other important reigning monarchs are present.

Margrethe's godson King Willem-Alexander and his wife Queen Máxima already announced last month that they were coming back to Denmark to honour Margrethe, Europe's second longest reigning monarch (after Queen Elizabeth). The king said so during his speech at the State banquet the Danish queen gave for him at Christiansborg during the Dutch State Visit to Denmark.

King Willem-Alexander is joined by the 'new generation' of kings: Felipe of Spain and Philip of Belgium, who are both accompanied by their queens, Letizia and Mathilde respectively. Also present at the dinner are King Harald of Norway, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden and Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg.

The King and Queen of the Hellenes will be present, along with other royal guests. At a second dinner, held at Frederiksborg Palace on Thursday Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel will join in the festivities. Norwegian Queen Sonja will be absent however, as she is expected in New York to open an exhibition. © RB

Danish Queen Margrethe asks Dutch King and Queen to sign window at Fredensborg

At the end of their State Visit to Denmark, Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands were invited by Queen Margrethe and Prince-consort Henrik to continue a long standing Danish royal tradition. They were asked to sign a window pane, which will be replace an as yet unsigned window at Fredensborg Palace.

The Garden Room of the Palace for instance already has many signed windows. Willem-Alexander's parents Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus signed in 1984 during their State Visit to Denmark. Queen Elizabeth ('Lilibet') and Prince Philip, King Harald and Queen Sonja, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia, but also Winston Churchill's autograph can be found here, written with a diamond on top of a pen. In the old days, Queen Margrethe suggested, the guests might have used their own diamonds as the tradition goes back to King Christian IX, 'the father in law' of Europe.

In the 19^th century Fredensborg was the gathering place of his extended family, and the guests – kingds, queens, tsar and tsarina, princes and princesses – wrote their names or littele messages on the windows. Margrethe's father King Frederik IX recommenced the tradition and Margrethe has continued it.

© RB; Photos: © Dutch and Danish Courts; © RB Marius Cirtiu

 

Related articles

Elegant Maxima attends Danish state banquet

Frederik and Mary take Willem-Alexander and Máxima to special Danish island Samsø

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark had to rise early Wednesday to arrive ahead of Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima at the port of Kalundborg, in western Zealand. There both royal couples took the ferry across to the island of Samsø.

The pretty island, which has a Dutch mayor, Mr Marcel Meijer, is self sufficient in electricity through wind energy and works towards not using any fossil fuels by 2020. Willem-Alexander and Máxima wanted to know what lessons the Netherlands could learn from the island and its forward thinking approach to sustainability. 

On the way back both couple posed spontaneously on the deck for a 'family' photo.

© RB

See video of arrival at dance performance