Watch his speech...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-william/8628312/Royal-tour-Prince-William-makes-Colin-Firth-joke-in-Hollywood-speech.html
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Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Prince William makes Colin Firth joke in Hollywood speech
Seaking at the inaugural “Brits to watch” dinner, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Prince William praised anglo-american efforts in the entertainment industry saying: “When American and British talent get together, magic happens.”
Watch his speech...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-william/8628312/Royal-tour-Prince-William-makes-Colin-Firth-joke-in-Hollywood-speech.html
Watch his speech...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-william/8628312/Royal-tour-Prince-William-makes-Colin-Firth-joke-in-Hollywood-speech.html
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Liechtenstein voters reject plan to legalize abortion after prince threatens to veto change
Liechtenstein voters reject plan to legalize abortion after prince threatens to veto change
September 18, 2011 - 09:46
The Associated Press
GENEVA - Voters in the tiny principality of Liechtenstein on Sunday rejected a plan to legalize abortion, following a bitterly fought campaign that saw the country's prince threaten to veto the proposed change in the law.
Opponents won the referendum with a majority of 514 votes, out of 11,510 ballots cast. The official count put no-votes at 52.3 per cent, ahead of 47.7 per cent who favoured the plan to decriminalize abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy or if the child is severely disabled.
Under existing law, women who have an abortion risk one year imprisonment, except in cases where the mother's life is in danger or she is under 14 at the time she got pregnant. Doctors who carry out an abortion can go to prison for three years.
Campaigners for the change argued that the threat of prosecution meant women had to go secretly to neighbouring Austria or Switzerland even just to get advice on their options in an unwanted pregnancy.
But opponents in the Catholic majority country warned that the proposal went too far and could lead to late-term abortions of disabled children.
Their concerns were echoed by Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, the country's de facto ruler, who said in a speech last month that he would use his veto power to block decriminalization.
The move prompted backers of the change, as well as democracy campaigners, to accuse him of interfering in the democratic process and of discouraging people from voting.
The outcome of the vote means a counterproposal backed by Liechtenstein's two main political parties is likely to come before the country's parliament and people soon.
Under the alternative proposal, which Alois has yet to comment on, abortion will continue to be a criminal offence in Liechtenstein. But having an abortion abroad wouldn't be punished anymore.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Exclusive: Descendants of Grand Duchess Vladimir Gather to Honor Her
A group of descendants of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna Senior and Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia gathered at Contrexeville.
The Grand Duchess spent long visits in this French resort, where she went to partake in cures.
Contrexeville is located in a beautiful region near the famed town of Vittel, France. Famed for the purity of its waters, it served as a destination for those, who like the Grand Duchess Vladimir, believe in the restorative and curing power of natural spring waters.
Grand Duchess Vladimir was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She married Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, third son of Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. In St Petersburg, the Grand Duchess Vladimir became one of the leading luminaries of the social whirlwind, if not herself the most radiant sun in the dying twilight of the Romanov dynasty. Beloved by many, mistrusted by some, admired by her indomitable nature and ambition, Grand Duchess Vladimir was a force to be reckoned with. Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna were both awed by her presence and fearful of her influence.
Maria Pavlovna Senior became a widow in 1909 after the untimely death of her husband, who had not yet reached his sixty-second year. In widowhood she continued her incessant traveling schedule around Europe, while also continuing to lead a second (and rival) court in St Petersburg.
During the Great War she organized a chain of hospitals and did amazing work to save the lives of countless thousands of wretched wounded soldiers.
Revolution caught her away from St Petersburg. Also trying to escape the Bolshevik menace, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna recalled running into her aunt. Olga encountered Maria Pavlovna at the port of Novorossik in early 1920: "Disregarding peril and hardship, she stubbornly kept to all the trimmings of bygone splendour and glory. And somehow she carried it off... When even generals found themselves lucky to find a horse cart and an old nag to bring them to safety, Aunt Miechen made a long journey in her own train. It was battered all right--but it was hers. For the first time in my life I found it a pleasure to kiss her..."
Maria Pavlovna eventually made it to the Black Sea and there boarded a steamer and headed to exile. Soon after landing in Italy, Maria Pavlovna made her way through Switzerland to Contrexeville, where illness and deteriorating health, due in no small measure to the privations suffered between 1917-1920, finally took a deadly toll. She died at Contrexeville on 6 September 1920. Her children surrounded her death bed.
One of her most lasting legacies to her descendants was the Grand Duchess's magnificent jewel collection, most of it making it out of Russia. In fact, some of her jewels were eventually purchased by the English royal family, most importantly, a Russian-style tiara still owned and used by The Queen.
A few years ago the Swedish government found a bag of precious objets d'art. These were long-forgotten jewels owned by the Grand Duchess. One of her devoted friends had handed the bag to the Swedish legation in St Petersburg, from where it was sent in the diplomatic mail to Stockholm. Astonishingly, everyone forgot about the treasure until the Swedish Foreign Ministry inventoried its archive and found the parcel. The jewels were auctioned off in 2010 and the proceeds, which ascended to several million dollars, were divided among the descendants of the Grand Duchess Vladimir's grandchildren: Fürstin Maria of Leiningen, Princess Kira of Prussia, Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, Countess Elisabeth of Toerring-Jettenbach and Princess Marina, Dowager Duchess of Kent.
Part of the proceeds were destined to restore the Contrexeville's Russian Orthodox chapel and the tomb of the Grand Duchess Vladimir. This September the Mayor of Contrexeville sponsored an exhibition on the Grand Duchess Vladimir's years at Contrexeville. Curated by French auctioneer Cyrille Boulay, the exhibition's opening was attended by a small group of Grand Duchess Vladimir descendants, among them: Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia and her son Grand Duke George Michaelovich, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and his wife Princess Barbara, Prince Karl Vladimir of Yugoslavia and his wife Princess Brigitte, and Archduchess Helen of Austria and her brother Count Hans Veit of Toerring-Jettenbach, Head of House.
The Grand Duchess spent long visits in this French resort, where she went to partake in cures.
Contrexeville is located in a beautiful region near the famed town of Vittel, France. Famed for the purity of its waters, it served as a destination for those, who like the Grand Duchess Vladimir, believe in the restorative and curing power of natural spring waters.
Grand Duchess Vladimir was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She married Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, third son of Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. In St Petersburg, the Grand Duchess Vladimir became one of the leading luminaries of the social whirlwind, if not herself the most radiant sun in the dying twilight of the Romanov dynasty. Beloved by many, mistrusted by some, admired by her indomitable nature and ambition, Grand Duchess Vladimir was a force to be reckoned with. Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna were both awed by her presence and fearful of her influence.
Maria Pavlovna Senior became a widow in 1909 after the untimely death of her husband, who had not yet reached his sixty-second year. In widowhood she continued her incessant traveling schedule around Europe, while also continuing to lead a second (and rival) court in St Petersburg.
During the Great War she organized a chain of hospitals and did amazing work to save the lives of countless thousands of wretched wounded soldiers.
Revolution caught her away from St Petersburg. Also trying to escape the Bolshevik menace, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna recalled running into her aunt. Olga encountered Maria Pavlovna at the port of Novorossik in early 1920: "Disregarding peril and hardship, she stubbornly kept to all the trimmings of bygone splendour and glory. And somehow she carried it off... When even generals found themselves lucky to find a horse cart and an old nag to bring them to safety, Aunt Miechen made a long journey in her own train. It was battered all right--but it was hers. For the first time in my life I found it a pleasure to kiss her..."
Maria Pavlovna eventually made it to the Black Sea and there boarded a steamer and headed to exile. Soon after landing in Italy, Maria Pavlovna made her way through Switzerland to Contrexeville, where illness and deteriorating health, due in no small measure to the privations suffered between 1917-1920, finally took a deadly toll. She died at Contrexeville on 6 September 1920. Her children surrounded her death bed.
One of her most lasting legacies to her descendants was the Grand Duchess's magnificent jewel collection, most of it making it out of Russia. In fact, some of her jewels were eventually purchased by the English royal family, most importantly, a Russian-style tiara still owned and used by The Queen.
A few years ago the Swedish government found a bag of precious objets d'art. These were long-forgotten jewels owned by the Grand Duchess. One of her devoted friends had handed the bag to the Swedish legation in St Petersburg, from where it was sent in the diplomatic mail to Stockholm. Astonishingly, everyone forgot about the treasure until the Swedish Foreign Ministry inventoried its archive and found the parcel. The jewels were auctioned off in 2010 and the proceeds, which ascended to several million dollars, were divided among the descendants of the Grand Duchess Vladimir's grandchildren: Fürstin Maria of Leiningen, Princess Kira of Prussia, Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, Countess Elisabeth of Toerring-Jettenbach and Princess Marina, Dowager Duchess of Kent.
Part of the proceeds were destined to restore the Contrexeville's Russian Orthodox chapel and the tomb of the Grand Duchess Vladimir. This September the Mayor of Contrexeville sponsored an exhibition on the Grand Duchess Vladimir's years at Contrexeville. Curated by French auctioneer Cyrille Boulay, the exhibition's opening was attended by a small group of Grand Duchess Vladimir descendants, among them: Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia and her son Grand Duke George Michaelovich, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and his wife Princess Barbara, Prince Karl Vladimir of Yugoslavia and his wife Princess Brigitte, and Archduchess Helen of Austria and her brother Count Hans Veit of Toerring-Jettenbach, Head of House.
The Grand Duchess Vladimir
Top: Archduchess Helen at her great-grandmother's tomb; Above: the iconostasis inside
the Russian Orthodox Chapel at Contrexeville.
The Grand Duchess Vladimir's former palace in Contrexeville.
The Russian Orthodox Chapel at Contrexeville.
Top: Count Hans Veit Toerring-Jettenbach, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna
and Grand Duke George of Russia. Above: Prince Alexander and Princess Barbara
of Yugoslavia.
Archduchess Helen of Austria, Cyrille Boulay, Prince Alexander and
Princess Barbara of Yugoslavia.
Princess Barbara of Yugoslavia.
Princess Brigitte of Yugoslavia and Princess Barbara of Yugoslavia.
Prince Karl Vladimir of Yugoslavia.
Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia.
Archduchess Helen of Austria and Princess Brigitte of Yugoslavia.
Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia.
Archduchess Helen of Austria and Baron Sambucy de Sorgue, a grandson of the
late Count of Paris.
©Eurohistory.com
REPRODUCTION NOT ALLOWED WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Archduchess Sophie of Austria Talks to HOLA
Archduchess Sophie of Austria, Fürstin of Windish-Graetz, has given an exclusive interview to HOLA.
The meeting took place at one of her husband's homes near Caserta. During the photo shoot, in which several aristocrats modeled some of Archduchess Sophie's designs, she reminisced about the loss of her son Alexis.
She believes that her sojourn into fashion is more a "mental need," not a financial one at all. Since the tragic death of her second son, Prince Alexis, Sophie and her husband Fürst Hugo have relied on their Catholic faith for strength.
" Throughout this difficult time without my son son Alexis, I have lows points, but I rely on our faith which lifts me."
The family continues keeping Alexis present in their every-day life. "My children Maximilian and Larissa decided that their brother's room ought to be left untouched, just as he left it before departing us." She also said, "I usually do not dream about him, but I do find myself speaking to him throughout the day..."
http://www.hola.com/realeza/2011090254267/sofia-habsburgo-hola/
The meeting took place at one of her husband's homes near Caserta. During the photo shoot, in which several aristocrats modeled some of Archduchess Sophie's designs, she reminisced about the loss of her son Alexis.
She believes that her sojourn into fashion is more a "mental need," not a financial one at all. Since the tragic death of her second son, Prince Alexis, Sophie and her husband Fürst Hugo have relied on their Catholic faith for strength.
" Throughout this difficult time without my son son Alexis, I have lows points, but I rely on our faith which lifts me."
The family continues keeping Alexis present in their every-day life. "My children Maximilian and Larissa decided that their brother's room ought to be left untouched, just as he left it before departing us." She also said, "I usually do not dream about him, but I do find myself speaking to him throughout the day..."
http://www.hola.com/realeza/2011090254267/sofia-habsburgo-hola/
The Romanovs at Contrexeville – Exhibition
The city hall of Contrexeville, France, is hosting an exhibition to commemorate the many visits of the Vladimirovich branch of the Russian Imperial Family.
Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna (née Mecklenburg-Schwerin) was particularly fond of the resort town and spent long periods at Contrexeville, where she also died soon after reaching Western Europe in 1920, after a harrowing escape from Bolshevik Russia.
Descendants of the Grand Duchess have been invited by the Mayor of Contrexeville to attend the exhibition's inauguration.
Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna (née Mecklenburg-Schwerin) was particularly fond of the resort town and spent long periods at Contrexeville, where she also died soon after reaching Western Europe in 1920, after a harrowing escape from Bolshevik Russia.
Descendants of the Grand Duchess have been invited by the Mayor of Contrexeville to attend the exhibition's inauguration.
A Future Queen Gives Her First Speech – Elisabeth of Belgium
Given how little we've heard Kate Middleton open her mouth since she became the Duchess of Cambridge, we know it's a big deal when a royal stands up and makes a formal speech.
So Belgium was stunned last week when its royals, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde, trotted out their nine-year-old daughter to make her first formal public appearance: a speech to open a new hospital.
Princess Elisabeth, the prince and the princess's eldest child, arrived to the hospital with her parents. After meeting with various hospital administrators, she gave the following address:
The royal children have already appeared in public, of course, when Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Brabant, took their four children -- Gabriel, Emmanuel, Elisabeth and Eleonore -- to their first day of school two weeks ago.
But a speech is another story. WSJ writes that having a nine-year-old make a speech in Dutch at a children's hospital is certainly a good PR move for the royal family, which is less popular in Dutch-speaking Flanders than in French-speaking Wallonia.
Because how could anyone hate a little girl in a pink dress speaking at a children's hospital? Check out the pictures below and read more at WSJ.com.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/12/princess-elisabeth-belgium-speech_n_958074.html
So Belgium was stunned last week when its royals, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde, trotted out their nine-year-old daughter to make her first formal public appearance: a speech to open a new hospital.
Princess Elisabeth, the prince and the princess's eldest child, arrived to the hospital with her parents. After meeting with various hospital administrators, she gave the following address:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very happy that I can give my name to this new children’s hospital today. Together with you, I hope that many children will find help here. I know they can count on your daily commitment. The Princess Elisabeth Children’s Hospital now gets a special place in my heart."The Wall Street Journal writes that a formal speech in public is extremely unconventional for underage royals, who are supposed to be seen and not heard while still under their parents' wings.
The royal children have already appeared in public, of course, when Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Brabant, took their four children -- Gabriel, Emmanuel, Elisabeth and Eleonore -- to their first day of school two weeks ago.
But a speech is another story. WSJ writes that having a nine-year-old make a speech in Dutch at a children's hospital is certainly a good PR move for the royal family, which is less popular in Dutch-speaking Flanders than in French-speaking Wallonia.
Because how could anyone hate a little girl in a pink dress speaking at a children's hospital? Check out the pictures below and read more at WSJ.com.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/12/princess-elisabeth-belgium-speech_n_958074.html
Cashing in on a "royal" Connection
The University of St Andrews followed the precedent set by Edinburgh by ruling that youngsters from the rest of the UK will face annual fees of £9,000 for a four-year degree.
Professor Louise Richardson, the university’s principal, said it is not a “wealthy institution”, despite its alumni including Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the fee represented a “very good deal” for students.
But the decision to impose the highest charges in Britain will infuriate Mike Russell, the SNP Education Minister, and increased speculation he will retaliate by stripping principals of some of their power.
Mr Russell said they could charge up to £9,000 per year for students from the rest of the UK, but predicted they would show restraint. He has argued that higher education should be based on “the ability to learn, not the ability to pay”.
He is due to make a statement to the Scottish Parliament next week about post-16 education and the National Union of Students (NUS) urged him to wreak vengeance by “reining in” principals
More...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8753788/St-Andrews-University-sets-36000-degree-fee-for-English-students.html
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge
+ Prince Rasso of Bavaria (1926-2011)
A family member notified us that Prince Rasso of Bavaria passed away earlier today.
He was the second son of the late Prince Franz of Bavaria and his wife Isabella, née Princess of Croÿ.
Prince Rasso was born at Schloß Leutstetten in 1926. In 1955 he married Archduchess Theresa of Austria, by whom he fathered seven children.
RIP
He was the second son of the late Prince Franz of Bavaria and his wife Isabella, née Princess of Croÿ.
Prince Rasso was born at Schloß Leutstetten in 1926. In 1955 he married Archduchess Theresa of Austria, by whom he fathered seven children.
RIP
More on the French Inheritance – The Count of Paris and His Mess
Drawing one of his daughters near, he is said to have whispered in her ear: "I will leave you nothing but hatred."
To others, he murmured: "You will have nothing but your tears to cry with."
The Count, it seems, remained true to his word, as all his six sons and five daughters recovered from his once vast family estate were six embroidered handkerchiefs and a pair of slippers.
The rest of his huge array of chateaux, jewellery, furniture and art works he had either frittered away in a frenzied selling spree or left to France in a special foundation.
But now, his nine surviving offspring may finally be about to get their hands on the fortune he did everything in his power to keep out of their clutches while alive.
Continue reading...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8753224/Prince-Henri-of-Orleanss-children-close-in-on-reclaiming-family-fortune.html
The present Count of Paris with his wife.
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