+ Princess Lillian of Sweden (1915-2013)

HRH Princess Lilian of Sweden (née Davies), widow of Prince Bertil (1912-1997), himself an uncle of King Carl XVI Gustaf, passed away at home today.

http://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt/royalfamily/latestnews/latestnews/hrhprincesslilianhaspassedaway.5.4ea495e313c19c119aa3326.html

Foto: Janerik Henriksson/Scanpix

Spain: A Right Royal Mess

The elderly man who sold me my apartment was clear about Spain's King Juan Carlos. "He is a traitor," he said.

That was more than a decade ago, and it was a shocking – almost blasphemous – thing to say. Only diehard republicans and even harder-headed former Francoists criticised the monarch. Heliodoro was one of the latter, an unreconstructed extremist who never forgave Juan Carlos for using the powers he received from General Francisco Franco in 1975 to usher in democracy. Few would have agreed.

These days, however, Madrid seethes with discontented talk about the monarchy. The upset is proportional to the awed respect once accorded by almost everyone, including journalists who decided Juan Carlos was untouchable after he stopped a coup when civil guardsmen stormed the parliament in 1981.

As the 75-year-old monarch lies in a hospital bed this week, recovering from his fourth operation in 10 months, there is talk of both abdication and of controlling his use of taxpayers' money. The king is not as weak in mind or body as Pope Benedict, but in Madrid there is also a feeling that an old institution needs shaking up – possibly with a new face.

How did it get to this? The hard-working king with the common touch was onceEurope's most popular monarch – a virtuous contrast to Britain's distant and dysfunctional royals. I recall once getting lost and driving freely through the deer park surrounding his modest Madrid palace. The royal guards were completely unconcerned when I eventually reappeared in the wrong place.

Yet, as Spaniards endure double-dip recession, government austerity and 26% unemployment, royal privileges suddenly seem less understated. The king's luxuriesare beginning to grate.

Reminders of the royal lifestyle were plastered all over newspapers again this week. Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, a stylish 48-year-old who uses a German ex-husband's title to call herself "princess", gave several interviews about her relationship with the monarch. This, she assured doubting Spaniards, was purely professional. She complained, indeed, that his family scandals were now damaging her business as a go-between in deals involving companies and governments – including in the oil-rich Middle East. "This is doing a lot of damage to my professional reputation," she said.

Continue reading...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/04/spain-king-juan-carlos-scandal/print

©Eurohistory

Royal Europe: The Last Meeting of the "Heirs'

Last month Europe's royal heirs traveled to the Netherlands for a visit to Apeldoorn, where the Prince and Princess of Orange hosted them.

Present were, from left: Guillaume and Stéphanie of Luxembourg, Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, the Princess and Prince of Orange, the Duchess and Duke of Brabant, and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.

Absent from the gathering of this very exclusive group were: Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (a shopping spree in NYC kept her from this historica event), Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (busy on official business), and Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein. No one represented Monaco since the principality's rulers lack any children and the succession is unclear.

https://www.facebook.com/Kungahuset

©Jeroen van der Meyde/RVD

Romania – Royal Orders Conferred

On Thursday, February 28, 2013, HRH Crown Princess Margarita, in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses Prince Radu and Prince Nicholas of Romania,  decorated several national and international personalities.

Crown Princess Margarita, on behalf of His Majesty the King, conferred the "Crown Order of Romania – Knightly level" to Ms. Liana Greavu, Mr.. Catalin Popescu, Mr. Sebastian Brinzas, Mr.. Andrei Dumitriu, Mr.. Dinu Zamfirescu Ms. Catherine Sofianou, Mr..Andrew Pippidi, Bishop Sophronius, Master Nicholas Licaret, Ms. Doina Uricariu, Ms. Danielle Nobs and HSH Prince Wenceslas of Lobkowicz.

During the same ceremony, HRH conferred the royal decoration "Nihil Sine Deo" to  Master Victor Rebengiuc, Mr.. Dr. Raed Arafat, Mr. Michael Flaks, Maestro Cristian Badea, Mr. Vladimir Zamfirescu, Princes Anne de Ligne and Marquis Olivier de Trazegnies.

The ceremony was followed by an extraordinary concert of the Royal Choir, composed of young talented students from the Faculty of Music in Bucharest. During the ceremony from The Peles Castle, Royal Choir received the High Patronage of HRH Prince Radu.

http://www.familiaregala.ro/news/3491/53/Decorari-la-Castelul-Peles/

©http://www.familiaregala.ro/

New Book: Russia and Europe – Dynastic Ties

Our newest book, Russia and Europe – Dynastic Ties, by Galina Korneva and Tatiana Cheboksarova, is off to the printer!

The Eurohistory version of this magnificent production is 320 glossy pages and contains nearly 100 photos more than the Russian version!

We expect it here in early April 2013!

ERHJ: Issue XC, Volume 15.6 Mailing

Dear Subscribers,

Just a quick note to let you all know that Issue XC, Volume 15.6 began mailing on Friday!

This issue completes our 15th year of publication!

We began laying down the text and photos for Issue XCI, Volume 16.1 this weekend...

To me, personally, as the publisher of EUROHISTORY, it is a great source of satisfaction, and accomplishment, to have a magazine last this very long.

I look forward to another 15 years!

 The wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg.

Lord Edward Gleichen.

©Eurohistory Archive

HRH Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia.

©Eurohistory Archive

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia.

©Eurohistory Archive 

Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

©Eurohistory Archive

UK: The Queen Hospitalized

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has been hospitalized over an apparent stomach infection that has ailed her for days, Buckingham Palace said Sunday. The monarch will have to cancel a visit to Rome and other engagements as she recovers.

The palace said the 86-year-old British monarch had experienced symptoms of gastroenteritis and was being examined at London's King Edward VII Hospital. "As a precaution, all official engagements for this week will regrettably be either postponed or cancelled," the palace said in a statement.

Elizabeth's two-day trip to Rome had been planned to start Wednesday. A palace spokeswoman said the trip may be "reinstated" at a later date.

The symptoms of gastroenteritis — vomiting and diarrhea — usually pass after one or two days, although they can be more severe in older or otherwise vulnerable people. Dehydration is a common complication.

The illness was first announced Friday, and Elizabeth had to cancel a visit Swansea, Wales, on Saturday to present leeks — a national symbol — to soldiers of the Royal Welsh Regiment in honor of Wales' national day, St. David's Day. She instead spent the day trying to recover at Windsor Castle, but appears to have had trouble kicking the bug.

A doctor not involved in the queen's treatment said that if medical officials determined she had lost too much fluid, she could be rehydrated intravenously.

Continue reading...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57572254/queen-elizabeth-ii-hospitalized-with-stomach-bug/

Spain: Royal Family Cleared in Noos Scandal

Judge Jose Castro does not consider there is any evidence, after two years of investigations, linking the Spanish Royal family to the activities of the Noos Institute.

Despite emails presented to the court by Urdangarín's co-director Diego Torres, in which the latter tried to frame the Royal family, the judge does not consider that the Royal family were in any way implicated in the  'Noos Case' involving the King and Queen's son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarín in a corruption and money-laundering scam.

This decision now ends all speculation that the King or either of his daughters, the Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma, who is married to Urdangarín or her sister, the Infanta Elena  were part of the scandal. 

Evidence does suggest that Urdangarín and Torres may have deliberately plotted to use the former's status as Duke of Palma to generate good PR for the Institute.

Judge Jose Castro says it is likely the case will end in a trial with all those implicated, plus witnesses, having to testify.

http://www.euroweeklynews.com/news/item/113366-spanish-royal-family-not-involved-in-noos-scandal

The Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca.

©Arturo Beéche

Russia: Could the Romanovs Return?

Grand Duchess Maria Romanova the head of the House of Romanov, talks to Elena Novikova of Russia Beyond the Headlines about her position and what role her family could play in modern Russia.

Russia Beyond the Headlines: The House of Romanov is celebrating its 400^th anniversary in 2013. What is the meaning of this date?

Maria Romanova: For me, the 400^th anniversary of the House of Romanovs is only a part of a great national celebration of the 400 years that have passed since the end of the Time of Troubles and the restoration of the Russian sovereignty.

How did the Romanovs come to power?

In 1598, Fyodor, the last tsar of Russia’s founding Rurik Dynasty died without leaving an heir. The next 15 years, known as the Time of Troubles, were ones of turmoil, during which Russia was invaded by the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania. A coalition of Russian nobles and peasants defeated the invaders in late 1612. On Feb. 21, 1613, a gathering of Russia’s landed nobles and a few peasants elected Mikhail Romanov tsar, establishing the Romanov Dynasty, which lasted until the murder of Emperor Nicholas II and his family by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918.

Our dynasty was offered the crown by the Great Local Church Council and Zemsky Sobor (“assembly of the land”) in 1613. This was a decision that set the outcome of the fight for liberation in stone, a historical fact that cannot be undone. This victory was won thanks to the sacrifice and valiant efforts of the representatives of all Russian social classes.

I am convinced that the 400^th anniversary of the end of the Times of Troubles will be celebrated with due splendor. However, I believe that this date we needs to be commemorated first and foremost with prayer, charity and educational campaigns.

RBTH: You were born in Madrid, went to school in Oxford and have lived most of your life in Spain. That notwithstanding, in your interviews you have frequently called Russia your true home. What is stopping you from going home?

M.R.: If I were a private person I could return to Russia at any moment. However, as head of the Russian Imperial House I am entrusted with the task of its preservation as a historical institution. In civilized countries, dynasty heads were only able to return to their homelands after the states had clearly defined their legal status.

As proven by France, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Afghanistan and many other countries whose royal houses had been banished and later returned, a legal status of a non-ruling dynasty is absolutely compatible with a republican political system and does not go against the local constitutions and laws.

I am not putting forward any political claims at all, nor am I trying to reclaim any of my ancestral property. I do not expect any preferential treatment either. However, I am justified in my hopes that the reintegration of the imperial dynasty in modern Russia’s contemporary life will be as successful as in other European countries.

Continue reading...

http://rbth.ru/arts/2013/02/21/could_the_russian_monarchy_return_23103.html

HIH Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna of Russia.

News Release: ERHJ Issue XC, Volume 15.6 printing!

It seems like we never stop here. Last week we received copies of The Other Grand Dukes, this week we received confirmation that Eurohistory Issue XC, Volume 15.6 will be delivered mid-week next.

Our printer, who also manages many accounts at UC Berkeley, just let us know that we will get the magazine on Wednesday, 27 February 2013!

All envelopes are ready to mail – labeled and with inserts about 2013 Renewals and an order form for The Other Grand Dukes.

So...here we go!

Inside Issue XC are the following articles:


1. The Romanov Connection – A Gathering of Cousins from Russia, greece and Baden.

2. The Counts of Gleichen, Part 3.

3. Book Reviews.

4. A Royal Wedding in Sunny Luxembourg.

5. The Spanish Hohenlohes.

6. Obituary: Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen.

7. Royal News.


Enjoy the reading...and we hope you will remain with us for yet another year, our 16th year in publication!