DVD: Archduke Otto of Austria

Austrian television has produced a DVD about the life and funeral of the late Archduke Otoo of Austria.

I have yet to receive the copy I ordered...but it seems to be a rather nice production!

http://shop.orf.at/1/index.tmpl?shop=home&seite=home

A Royal Fabergé Exhibition

A Special Exhibition at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace
23 July - 3 October 2011

Over 100 masterpieces by Peter Carl Fabergé, the greatest Russian jeweller and goldsmith of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, will go on display in a special exhibition at the Summer
Opening of Buckingham Palace. Royal Fabergé explores how six successive generations of the British Royal Family, from Queen Victoria to Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal
Highness The Prince of Wales, have shaped the finest collection of  Fabergé in the world – unparalleled in size, range and quality.

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/royalfaberge/

A Little Danish Prince Goes to School

If you've never seen a picture of Denmark's royal family, just picture an L.L. Bean catalogue and you'll get the gist. Today, little Prince Christian, the six-year-old son of Princess Mary and Prince Frederik, donned his preppy best for his first day of school.

Accompanied by his equally chic parents, Christian started kindergarten at the Tranegard School in Copenhagen, making him the first in the family to attend a state school. His father, uncle and two cousins all attended private school.

Because Christian is not only adorable but also second in line for the Danish throne, there was bound to be some media attention on the youngster's big day. But the little prince was unfazed by the scrutiny, posing for pictures and proudly telling reporters how he packed his own school bag all by himself.

Check out pics of the adorable tyke and his beaming parents below.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/12/prince-christian-denmark_n_925924.html#s328839

A Report: Queen Sylvia's Father – A Nazi Past

A report on The Queen's father, Walter Sommerlath, has been released today.
In order to clarify Sommerlath family circumstances that had previously been uncertain, The Queen has studied letters, notes and other documents in the Sommerlath family's private possession. The Queen has also searched for information in German and Brazilian archives, in order to obtain a complete picture of her family's history.  
Former military archivist and Director General of the Swedish National Archives Erik Norberg has evaluated and supplemented The Queen's information through his own research.

Norberg's research confirms The Queen's documentation, which shows that the Jewish factory owner Efim Wechsler was able to leave Germany immediately before the Second World War with the help of The Queen's father, Walter Sommerlath. Wechsler received a coffee plantation and three plots of land in Brazil as payment for his factory in Berlin. The plantation and the plots had previously been owned by The Queen's mother.

http://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt/royalfamily/latestnews/news/reportonthequeensfatherwaltersommerlathispublished.5.70e7de59130bc8da54e80002131.html 

First Photo of the Newest Prince of Savoy

On July 21 The Italian Royal House released the first photo of baby Prince Amedeo of Aosta, born earlier this year.

The young Savoyard prince is the second son of Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Puglie, and his wife Princess Olga of Greece.

Posthumous Daughter for Prince Alireza of Iran

From The Crown Prince of Iran:

On behalf of my family,  I wish to inform our compatriots and friends of the birth of Iryana Leila daughter of our beloved Alireza, on July 26th, 2011.

We know you will join us, out of respect and love for our dearest Alireza, and allow the baby and her mother Ms. Raha Didevar to recover and thrive in peace and privacy.
 

We continue to be touched and grateful for your love and heartfelt sympathies that have been extended to us, unconditionally, since our loss.


Reza Pahlavi

http://www.rezapahlavi.org/details_article.php?english&article=535

Ay Cayetana, Por Dios...

Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva (yes, that's one name) is one of the wealthiest women in all of Spain. She is worth somewhere between $850 million and $5 billion--but not for long. The Duchess of Alba, 85, is giving it all away so she can marry the man she loves.

This sounds like a plot to the latest Nicholas Sparks novel, but we assure you, this is nonfiction to the core. So, why is she giving her vast fortune away? The duchess's six children were dubious about their mother's plans to marry Alfonso Diez, a civil servant who is 24 years younger.

To help assuage their fears that the love may not be genuine, the duchess is going to give her fortune to her children. According to an article from the BBC, the duchess's six children had been against the wedding. Earlier this year, the duchess remarked, "Alfonso doesn't want anything. All he wants is me."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/wealthy-duchess-gives-fortune-away-marry-212956415.html

The Free-loading Fergie Freebie Train Goes On!

Her ex-husband has been dubbed Air Miles Andy because of his love of foreign travel. Now it seems that the globetrotting Duchess of York should be called ‘Phileas Fergie’, after the hero of Around The World In Eighty Days.

Since news of her estimated £3million debt emerged following the so-called ‘cash for access’ scandal, in which she was accused of demanding money to arrange business meetings with Prince Andrew, the duchess has enjoyed more than 20 trips in only 14 months.

Indeed as the crisis broke in May 2010, she was living it up at model Naomi Campbell’s 40th birthday party in the South of France, staying at the ruinously expensive Hotel du Cap.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2022946/Air-Miles-Andy-heres-Phileas-Fergie-gone-word-20-trips.html#ixzz1UDrLUOUy

Monaco Royals Suing L'Express

Michel Roger, the head of Monaco's government, has railed against "false" rumours of discord between Prince Albert II and his wife, and said the couple will sue a French magazine for spreading them.

Monaco's Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene wave to guests as they leave after the religious wedding ceremony at the Monaco Palace Photo: AP

 

7:00AM BST 25 Jul 2011

"It is very distressing," Mr Roger, whose official title is minister of state, told journalists of the gossip that swirled around the wedding held over two days in early July.

Rumours that Charlene Wittstock tried to leave the principality in a huff just days before the royal wedding have already been rejected by the palace, a lawyer for the princely pair, as well as by Albert himself.

"They are all false," added Mr Roger.

L'Express magazine had reported on its website that Miss Wittstock, now Princess Charlene, interrupted preparations for the lavish celebrations and prepared to take a flight for her home country South Africa.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/monaco/8658861/Monaco-royals-to-sue-over-break-up-rumours.html 

Former Greek Royal Palace Up for Sale?

Government proposals to include a Royal palace on Corfu where Prince Philip was born has sparked off a stream of protests from around the country, mostly from residents on Greek islands who object to the sale of national heritage to pay off the country’s debts.


Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was born at the residence 90 years ago, according to museum records and residents of Corfu, one of Greece’s most popular Greek islands are up in arms over plans to include the palace in sales from state assets.

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2011/06/27/sale-of-prince-philips-birthplace-causes-uproar-on-greek-islands/