The Queen About to Become a Great-Granny

Peter and Autumn Phillips are close to becoming parents, giving HM The Queen her first great-grandchild.

Master Peter Phillips is Queen Elizabeth II's eldest grandson, being the son of The Princess Royal and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips.

©Rex

http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/201008033958/autumn-philips/baby-bump/pregnant/1/

Fire Consumed memorial church for Nicholas II

I visited this Disneyland-look-a-like several years ago and though it an abysmal aberration.

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Fire has destroyed a wooden church built on the site where the remains of Russia's last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family were found in the Urals.

Firefighters managed to stop the blaze spreading to other parts of the Ganina Yama monastery near Yekaterinburg.

Fire officials believe candles or stoves inside the church may have started the fire.
The monastery was founded in 2000 at the old mine where the bodies were dumped during the Revolution.

The alarm was raised at 0720 local time on Monday (0120 GMT), and 45 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze.

"Candles were used in the church which had stove heating," emergencies officials told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency.

"It is not ruled out that this became the cause of the fire."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11297475

A Romanov Treasure Trove

I had already made brief mention of this magnificent sale...

"A rare window into life in imperial Russia is due to open on Monday, when hundreds of letters, postcards, photographs and even menus from the court of Tsar Alexander III are put up for auction in Geneva.

The documents were all sent by Alexander's children, Nicholas (who later became Nicholas II), George, Michael, Olga and Xenia to their Swiss tutor Ferdinand Thormeyer.

Mr Thormeyer was born and brought up in Geneva, but emigrated to Russia as a young man where - in 1886 - he became a tutor of French language and literature to the imperial children."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11913509

A Great Source for Current Royal Postcards

Well-known royal photographer Albert Nieboer offers a great selection of postcards of current royals. Visit his website to see his many offerings.

http://royalpress.nl/

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and his girlfriend move in together

Last summer the Swedish royal court confirmed that HRH Prince Carl Philip was involved with a young Swedish girl named Sophia Hellqvist. Now the couple has moved in together into the residence the prince owns south of Stockholm.

©HOLA

http://www.hola.com/realeza/casa_suecia/2010120350217/carlosfelipe/sofia/casa/1/

Thailand's Revered King Turns 83!

Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn up at the Grand Palace today to catch a glimpse of His Majesty the King, who will travel from Siriraj Hospital to Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall to grant an audience with senior officials and dignitaries on his 83rd birthday.

©BangkokPost


http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/209747/king-grants-birthday-audiences

The Prince of Wales Christmas card 2010

A snowy scene of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall skiing has been chosen as their Christmas card photograph for 2010.

The image was taken during their stay at Birkhall on The Queen’s Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire.

©PoW

http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/newsandgallery/focus/the_prince_of_wales_and_the_duchess_of_cornwall_s_christmas__1362836118.html

The Queen Mother Thanked King George VI's Speech Therapist

A  newly-discovered letter written by the late Queen Mother thanks Lionel Logue for the marvelous work he did with her husband, King George VI, who had suffered from speech-related inadequacies most of his life.


©EPA


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/8182390/Queen-Elizabeths-posthumous-endorsement-of-Lionel-Logue.html

Famed Photographer Testino Shoots Away at Catherine Middleton

Talented and renowned photographer Mario Testino had  a session with Miss Middleton. I cannot wait to see the images...I always loved the photos Testino shot of William's mother.

©AP

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8181294/Kate-Middleton-gets-makeover-from-Mario-Testino-Dianas-favourite-photographer.html

Video of the Funeral of The Queen Mother (2002)

A very nice video footage of the state funeral for The Queen Mother.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtFioVh74lE&feature=related