Royal Birth: Aimone and Olga of Savoy-Aosta Welcome Third Child

Princess Olga of Savoy-Aosta (née Greece) gave birth to her third child, a daughter given the name Isabella.

The birth took place in Paris, where Olga's parents, Michael and Marina of Greece, reside. Baby Isabella was born on 14 December and she joins brothers Prince Umberto and Prince Amedeo, born in 2009 and 2011 respectively.

All three children of Aimone and Olga of Savoy-Aosta have been born in Paris. The couple married in 2008 in the island of Patmos, where Olga's parents own a vacation home.

Royal Wedding: Madeleine of Sweden's wedding date

The Royal Court in Stockholm has announced that the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia's youngest child, and Mr. Christopher O'Neill will take place on 8 June 2013 at the Royal Chapel in Stockholm's Royal Palace.

Royal Gatherings signing party!

Today, at Eurohistory's office, Ilana Miller and Arturo Beéche will spend several hours autographing copies of their latest cooperation, Royal Gatherings – Who is in the Picture? Volume 1: 1859-1914.

Following this, friends of Eurohistory and the Higdon Beeche family are invited to join in our traditional Christmas Party ... if in the neighborhood come join us!

Work has already started on the second volume, to include the years 1914-1947. This second volume begins with the Russian visit to Romania, just before the start of the Great War, and concludes with the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. The book examines various royal gatherings, stormy ones in many cases, that happened during the trying years from the outset of the First World War and the arrival of much-hoped-for peace at the end of the Second World War.

In the meantime, copies of Royal Gatherings – Who is in the Picture? Volume 1: 1859-1914 are available through Eurohistory, AMAZON, MAJESTY Magazine, Hoogstraten English Bookstore and Librairie Galignani.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985460318

Thanks for your support and may 2013 bring us many more Royal books!

Here are some pages samples from Royal Gatherings – Who is in the Picture? Volume 1: 1859-1914.

We hope you enjoy them and place an order for this very unique production from Eurohistory!

Enjoy and Happy Christmas!

ROYAL GATHERINGS, Volume 1 – SHIPPING!

Just a quick note to give a sign of life and let everyone know that Royal Gatherings, Volume 1: 1859-1914, the latest collaboration between Ilana D. Miller and our founder Arturo E. Beéche started shipping last Friday!

We have ample number of copies and we hope that our subscribers and readers will take the plunge and acquire a copy, or two, or more!

:-)

Hopefully, Coryne Hall, who does book reviews for Eurohistory will get her review copy soon. Once she has finished her review, which we hope will be a good one (fingers crossed!), we will post it here.

Meanwhile, if interested in purchasing a copy of the book, you can do so by emailing us directly at:

books@eurohistory.com

or by going to AMAZON.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985460318

Luxembourg: New Royal Engagement

The Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced the engagement of Prince Felix, second son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess María Teresa, to Ms Claire Lademacher, a German-born, Swiss-educated young woman who resides in the the USA.

This announcement was expected as both Felix and Claire were spotted in Florida together. She also attended the wedding of Felix's first cousin, Imre of Austria, and brother, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume.

The date of their religious wedding is yet to be announced.


For further reading:

http://www.wort.lu/en/view/new-royal-engagement-for-luxembourg-50b36c11e4b02aeeddcecab8

http://www.wort.lu/en/view/prince-felix-to-tie-the-knot-50c99c4fe4b0876371a72bdb

UK: Change in Succession Law to Move Full Steam Ahead

All Commonwealth realms have agreed to press ahead with a bill ending discrimination against women in the succession to the British throne.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the government would now introduce the Succession to the Crown Bill in the House of Commons as soon as possible.

It means the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will become monarch, whether a boy or a girl.

The duchess, whose pregnancy was announced on Monday, is in hospital.

She is spending her second day in the private King Edward VII Hospital in central London with acute morning sickness.

The new legislation will end the principle of male primogeniture, meaning male heirs will no longer take precedence over women in line to the throne.

It will also end the ban on anyone in the line of succession marrying a Roman Catholic.

The legislation was agreed in principle at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Perth, Australia in October 2011.

Since then, the government of New Zealand has been gathering formal letters of consent from the 15 realms of the Commonwealth, with assurances that they will be able to take the necessary measures in their own countries before the change in British legislation begins.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20600543

Cambridge Pregnancy ... Further news...

The Duchess is understood to have found out last month that she was pregnant, and had not intended to go public with the news until she was at least 12 weeks pregnant.

But after being admitted to hospital with a bout of acute morning sickness, the Duke and Duchess decided to make the announcement early to avoid any speculation about her condition.

Royal sources refused to say how many weeks pregnant the Duchess is, but confirmed she has not yet reached the 12-week stage.

The Duchess, 30, is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, which means she needs to be given extra fluids and nutrition, and is likely to remain in hospital for several days.

She was taken ill over the weekend while staying with her parents in Bucklebury, Berks. The Duke was not with her at the time, as he was spending a weekend privately with friends, but he rushed to Bucklebury to join his wife earlier today and travelled with her by car to the King Edward VII hospital in London.

Continue reading...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/kate-middleton/9719408/Kate-Middleton-is-pregnant.html

UK: The Duchess of Cambridge is Pregnant!

The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby, St James's Palace has announced.

Members of the royal family and the duchess's family, the Middletons, are said to be delighted.

A spokesman said the duchess has been admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in central London with acute morning sickness and is expected to stay for several days.

Catherine and William were married at Westminster Abbey in April 2011.

The duchess was last seen in public on Friday when she visited her old school St Andrew's School in Pangbourne in Berkshire.

The royal baby will be born third in line and in direct succession to the throne.

He or she will one day be head of the armed forces, supreme governor of the Church of England and head of the Commonwealth, and subsequently head of state of 16 countries.

Continue reading...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20586343

NEW BOOK: The Other Grand Dukes – Sons and Grandsons of Russia's Grand Dukes

One year, six issues of Eurohistory and three books! – No wonder I'm exhausted!

Yet it is with great delight that we have reached this milestone and as I hold to cover jacket of THE OTHER GRAND DUKES, it now becomes quite real ... the books arrival here at Eurohistory is just weeks away!

Arturo E. Beéche, founder and publisher of The European Royal History Journal, thought of the idea for an anthology on Russia’s GrandDuchesses. That book was published eight years ago and since then it has received wide attention and praise. Consequently, a companion book on the Russian Grand Dukes became imperative. The Grand Dukes: Sons and Grandsons of Russia’s Tsars Since Paul I examines the biographies of nearly forty men whose birth gave them the right to one of the world’s most prestigious positions. All sons of Russian tsars are covered in Volume I. The sons of collateral grand ducal branches are covered in Volume II.

The biography of each of the Grand Dukes of Russia brings to life a deeply gripping human saga. These men were born into what then was one of the world’s most powerful ruling dynasties. They were not all saints; they were not all demons – they were men whose birth showered them with untold privilege. Some used their birthright for the common good; some did not. Yet, they allremain amazingly intriguing, complex, complicated and conflicted human beings. At birth they were showered with untold privilege, including a lump sum of money placed in trust for them. By the time these funds were made available to a Grand Duke, the interest alone made them amazingly wealthy. Added to thisbenefit, they derived salaries from their military appointments, investments, real estate and inheritance. Thus, the Grand Dukes were able to maintain a lifestyle only surpassed by today’s oligarchs and yesteryear’s robber barons. They were consummate spenders in paintings, art, architecture, jewels, all while acting as sponsors of talented writers, thinkers, poets, ballerinas, among many others. One was a playwright of considerable talent. Another played a role in working toward the liberation of the serfs. One was a leading admiral with a fondness for “fast women and slow ships.” Another Grand Duke lived a tortured existence as a closeted homosexual, yet became the father of nine children. Told in a two-volume set, this is their story.

Participating in this extensive research project were some oftoday’s best-known royalty authors. They included: Charles Stewart, awell-known and respected royal anthropologist, as well as one of the world’s leading experts in the rules that governed the lives of European royalty; Janet Ashton, a
well-known contributor to royalty magazines and published from the United Kingdom; Zoia Belyakova, a well-known Russian scholar with countless books to her name; Lisa Davidson, one of the leading forces behind The Alexander Palace Time Machine (www.alexanderpalace.org); Coryne Hall, a highly-respected royal author with several books and countless articles to her name; Ilana Miller, a Pepperdine University faculty member, who happens to be a leading expert on the Grand Dukes of Hesse and By Rhine; Greg King, one of today’s most talented royal biographers; Marlene Eilers-Koenig, a well-known expert on royalty and the descendants of Queen Victoria; William Lee, a university professor fromOregon with a deep love of Russia and its culture; John van der Kiste, easily the most prolific royalty author of today; Grant Hayter-Menzies, a talentedwriter and contributor to historical journals; Penny Wilson, a well-known writer and expert on the Romanovs. Finally, Arturo E. Beéche, whose vision and guidance is responsible for the royalty epicenter that
Eurohistory.com has become.

Inside THE OTHER GRAND DUKES, readers will find a wealth of information included in these chapters:

        Foreword  

A Word from the Publisher

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter I – The Sons of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich

Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich

Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich

Chapter II – The Son of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich

Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich

Chapter III – The Grandson of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich

Grand Duke George Mikhailovich

Chapter IV – The Son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich

Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich

Chapter V – The Sons of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaievich

Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich

Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich

Grand Duke Dimitri Konstantinovich

Grand Duke Vyacheslav Konstantinovich

Chapter VI – The Sons of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaievich

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaievich Junior

Grand Duke Peter Nikolaievich

Chapter VII – The Sons of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaievich

Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich

Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich

Grand Duke George Mikhailovich

Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich

Grand Duke Serge Mikhailovich

Grand Duke Alexis Mikhailovich

Endnotes Notes     

Bibliography

Name Index

Photo Section (69 images)    

Family Trees

Table #1: The Russian Imperial Family

Table #2: The Vladimirovichi and Pavlovich Lines

Table #3: The Konstantinovichi Line

Table #4: The Nikolaievichi Line

Table #5: The Mikhailovichi Line

Royalty Book: ROYAL GATHERINGS, Volume 1: 1859-1914 ON SALE NOW!

ROYAL GATHERINGS was inspired by an Eurohistory Magazine section, What's In a Photo, that has proven to be the publication's most popular feature. Co-authored by Ilana D. Miller and Arturo E. Beéche, it promises to be an excellent addition to Eurohistory's growing library of unique titles.   

Ranging from the overthrow of King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies in 1859 to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este in 1914, ROYAL GATHERINGS examines 38 group photos taken at various royalty get-togethers between those years. Each of the thirty-eight chapters focuses on one particular gathering. In each gathering the authors provided vignettes, or what Prince Michael of Greece calls "la petite histoire," on each of the royal personages featured in the chosen photograph. 

Besides written stories on each of the royalties present in any of the given group photos, the authors have also included many individual photos to accompany the text. The book contains more than 250 photos, as well as an extensive family tree that  includes most of the royalties discussed in the book. ROYAL GATHERINGS is 172-long glossy pages, hardbound.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985460318

Exhibition: The Bourbons of the Two Sicilies

The Duchess of Vendôme was invited Tuesday, November 13 at the opening of the exhibition "The Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies" by their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke and Duchess of Castro.

Among the guests were their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess Antoine of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Prince Laurent of Belgium, Prince and Princess Alvaro d'Orléans, Prince Jean of Luxembourg, Prince Charles-Emmanuel de-Boubon Parma and Princess Napoléon. Also in attendance were several political figures such as former Minister of Education, Jack Lang, the former Justice Minister Rachida Dati and the mayor of the 8th district of Paris François Lebel.

The exhibition is open to the public from November 14 to 30 in the Exhibition Hall of the Town Hall in the 8th district of Paris.

http://princejeandefrance.fr/exposition-la-maison-royale-de-bourbon-des-deux-siciles/

 The Duke of Castro, the Duchess de Vendôme, Prince Jean of Luxembourg.

Prince and Princess Antonio of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the Duchess de Vendôme.

 Princess Helene of Yugoslavia, the Duc hess de Vendôme, Prince Laurent of Belgium,

Prince Michel of Yugoslavia, Princess Antonella d'Orléans.

Princess Antonella and Prince Alvaro d'Orléans, the Duchess of Castro,
the Duchess de Vendôme.

©Prince Jean de France, Duke de Vendôme.

LIFE Magazine's Tribute to The Queen and Prince Philip

A lovely selection of photos brought to us by LIFE Magazine!

Enjoy...

http://life.time.com/history/queen-elizabeth-and-prince-philip-photos-from-the-royal-wedding-1947/#1

Great Britain: The Queen and Prince Philip Celebrate 65th Wedding Anniversary

Sixty-five years ago today, Britain rejoiced while witnessing a royal event, the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten R.N. (aka Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark).

The couple had met in the late 1930s and the young princess fell madly in love with the handsome Greek prince who had moved to England following the collapse of his parents' marriage. While living with his Mountbatten relatives, Prince Philip attended Gordonstoun in Scotland and later joined the Royal Navy. It was while serving in the navy that he first metPrincess Elizabeth.

Nearly a decade passed before the couple walked down the aisle joined forever in matrimony.

Four children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren later, the august couple reaches a milestone today – their Sixty-fifth wedding anniversary ... it surely is a first among English royals!

Very few other royal couples have reached this milestone, among them: the Count and Countess of Paris (who were married 68 years), the Count and Countess of Caserta (who were married nearly sixty-six years). Others have nearly reached the milestone (Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria and Paz of Spain – 1883-1946), but the milestone remains an exclusive "club."

We wish Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh many more years of health!

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/elizabeth-ii-and-prince-philip-celebrate-65-years-slideshow/

Exhibition: Pageant of the Tsars

The pomp and pageantry of imperial coronations were documented and promoted in lavish albums that became almost as important as the extravagant events themselves. To mark the 400^th anniversary of the founding of the Romanov dynasty in 2013, Hillwood will present a special exhibition of the albums created over the course of the family’s reign.

Over the course of their reign, the Romanovs celebrated coronations with elaborate celebrations, which included their grand entry into Moscow, fireworks, and the ruler symbolically crowning himself. Fully illustrating the grand celebration and all its details, sumptuous albums were created to spread word of the event and all its symbolism.

In the year of the 400^th anniversary of the crowning of the first Romanov tsar, the most complete presentation ever of these coronation albums, including two copies of the monumental Alexander II album of 1856 with one in its original binding, will be on display at Hillwood. Beginning with Catherine I, Peter the Great’s wife, there were a total of seven coronation albums created by the Russian tsars—each published within a few years of the event. The exhibition will feature five albums from Hillwood’s collection, plus supplemental material on loan from the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress, and the University of Texas at Austin, bringing together six of the seven coronation albums together for the first time in an exhibition in the United States.

With objects from Hillwood’s Russian decorative arts and paintings collection—the most comprehensive one outside of Russia—an exploration of the Romanovs’ lasting influence on Russian art and culture will add to the understanding of their reign and the coronation albums. Coronation books from other countries such as the Holy Roman Empire will illustrate the bearing that the West had on the Romanovs and the dynamic relationship of the cultures.

http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/whats/exhibitions/pageant-tsars

Exciting Publishing News: Eurohistory to Print RUSSIA AND EUROPE: Dynastic Ties

It is with much satisfaction and joy that Eurohistory announces a joint venture with Russian publisher Liki Rossii, publisher of some exquisite books about the Romanovs and the history of the Imperial family.

Our first joint effort is to be RUSSIA AND EUROPE: Dynastic Ties. Authored by Galina Korneva and T. Cheboksarova, renowned Russian  historians and prolific authors.

Liki Rossii describes their book as:


"The book includes fascinating stories of the life and tragic end of one of the most powerful and wealthy dynasties of the Romanovs (1613-1917) with more than 500 photographs collected from the main archives of Russia and European countries.

The vanished world of the Russian Imperial Family is still attractive in many of its aspects. Magnificent residences of the Romanovs, which were built by the best architects, and the extraordinary collections of fine arts they contained continue to attract authors and readers. For 80 years Russian archives, which could be compared with undiscovered treasure mines, were closed to a wide range of specialists around the world. Foreign archives in turn were not available to Russian researchers. The authors of Russia and Europe worked in archives in Russia, Denmark, Germany, England, and the USA, identified previously unrecognized photographs contained in Russian resources and introduced them to the reader with extensive commentary on their origins.

The “language” of original photographs is sometimes able to tell more than pages of texts about the special world of royalty and the circle of nobility. The authors also used information from Russian and foreign periodicals, memoirs and special literature. Readers will find new and well-structured materials about the main events in the lives of the Romanovs and their relatives in Europe, the masters in all kinds of art who worked on commission of the sovereigns, the state and family visits of members of European dynasties and the prominent companies that started their businesses thanks to the support of rulers.

Two chapters about Germany and Denmark and their princesses who became Russian Empresses during this period. A few chapters are devoted to the descriptions of the two-way influences between Russia and Greece, Württemberg, and Mecklenburg-Schwerin, countries where Russian Grand Duchesses lived as spouses of sovereigns."

Eurohistory's official book reviewer, renowned author Coryne Hall recently received a copy of the Russian-printed English edition of the book. Her review, which we share with you here, will also appear inside EuroHistory XC (December 2012).

Coryne tells us:

"Every now and then something comes along which is truly worth waiting for. This book was originally published in Russian and many of us having been waiting for the translation ever since – and it does not disappoint. “Russia and Europe” examines the ties between the 19th century Romanovs and the royal houses in Germany, Denmark and Greece with which they were allied by marriage. Although the book was written for Russians, every fan of the Romanovs will find something new and interesting in here. Palaces, trains, yachts and churches are all included in a real treasure trove of information.

The authors begin with Germany which, as the small German courts provided brides for many of the Grand Dukes, occupies the most space in the book. Wurttemberg, Baden, Hesse and Mecklenburg-Schwerin all have their place here, but there are also articles on the dawn of the automotive industry and the St Vladimir Brotherhood. We meet Romanovs about which less has been written – Vera of Württemberg, Elena Pavlovna and her family as well of course as Alix and Ella of Hesse and Victoria Melita.  The section on Anastasia Michaelovna is particularly interesting, covering not only Schwerin but the palaces of her relatives – Xenia’s palace in St Petersburg, Harax in the Crimea, and Borzhomi in the Caucasus.

Denmark comes next, concentrating of course on the family of the only Danish Empress, Marie Feodorovna, the former Princess Dagmar.  Much of this will be familiar to readers but it was nice to see a mention of the Kaiservilla at Fredensborg, which is less well-known, and also the Danish Ambassador, Harald Scavenius, who did so much to help the imprisoned Grand Dukes after the revolution.

The section on Greece concentrates on Queen Olga and her numerous family, including Queen Olga’s charity work, Strelna, Crete, Corfu and a lovely section on Grand Duchess Elena.

The illustrations, mostly taken from archives in Moscow and St Petersburg, are outstanding. It is really hard to pick out a highlight but for me it has to be the picture of Grand Duchess Elena sitting with her dolls – who are almost as big as the Grand Duchess herself.  Some of the photographs will be familiar to western readers but others will not.

This is an outstanding book, with detailed family trees, a huge bibliography and, rare in foreign books, an index. A “must” for all devotees of the Romanovs!"

RUSSIA AND EUROPE will be our first book of 2013 and if all goes according to schedule, it will be  one of six books Eurohistory plans to print in 2013, as we begin our business plan to focus more on newer, unique, in-house produced titles instead of used books. 

Of course, we will continue publication of our magazine as well. Eurohistory will celebrate 16 years of publication next year and we are fast approaching the 100th edition of a highly respected and widely supported magazine, now with subscribers in all continents and more than 70 countries!

Exciting news indeed!

Dear Readers,

It's done!

Both Issues LXXXVIII (August 2012) and LXXXIX (October 2012) are now printing. We have a great sense of relief to have them both finished, thus allowing us to get back on track, while we continue our work on the various book projects that we have in our hands!

Besides these two issues of EuroHistory, we have two books also printing: Royal Gatherings, Volume 1: 1859-1914 and The Other Grand Dukes: Sons and Grandsons of Russia's Grand Dukes.

It will be a very happy Christmas no doubt!

Inside Issue LXXXIX, subscribers will find the following articles:


The Republican Infante – The Rebellious Infante Enrique María of Spain and His Quarrel with the Duke de Montpensier, by Arturo E. Beéche.

A Romantic Wedding to a Dutchman for Duchess Rixa of Oldenburg, by Netty Leistra.

Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich as Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, by Violetta Wiernicka.

Obituary: Prince Albert of Saxony, by Arturo E. Beéche.

The Engagement of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, by Natasha Erbury.

What’s in a Photo – Queen Victoria at Balmoral, by Ilana D. Miller.

A Royal Tour of Southern Bavaria, by Elisabeth de Guitaut.

The Counts of Gleichen (Part 2) – The Unknown Royal Cousins, by Marlene Eilers-Koenig.

Book Reviews.

Royal News.

As always, we remain extremely thankful for your patience and continued support!

Enjoy the reading, 

Arturo E. Beéche, Founder

EuroHistory

Sotheby's Geneva: Magnificent Jewels

Sotheby's Geneva has a marvelous sale of jewelry later this month.

For our Royal jewelry readers this is a wonderful video worth watching!

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2012/magnificent-jewels-ge1205/videos.html?cmp=email_GE1205_1112_2_EXHexample3_video_hero

Exhibition: The Art of Cartier

Since 1983, Cartier has assembled jewellery, watches, clocks and other precious objects into the Cartier Collection. Sourced from private individuals, retailers or at auction, the more than 1,450 objects in this growing collection have been selected according to criteria of style but also the materials used and the techniques employed. Dating from the 1860s for the oldest items to the late 1990s, they are a material reminder of Cartier’s 165-year history and, more widely, European decorative arts and society from the end of the 19th century. Since a first major presentation in 1989 at the Petit Palais in Paris, the Collection has been shown at internationally renowned museums. For this new exhibition the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza has carefully selected more than 400 pieces representing six themes which illustrate the stylistic evolution of Cartier. The exhibition also includes prestigious private loans from the Spanish Royal Family and the Palace of Monaco. Enlargements of sketchbook pages, preparatory and production drawings from Cartier’s Archives are projected onto the walls as a reminder of the creative process that brought each of these pieces to life. These Archives are today conserved in three centres —Paris, London, and New York— and trace the life of every item, from its inception in the workshops to the day of its sale. In addition to drawings and sketches, they conserve life¬size black-and-white photographs, very rare autochromes, and plaster casts.

This exhibition is being hosted at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. It will be open between 24 October 2012 – 17 February 2013.

http://www.museothyssen.org/microsites/exposiciones/2012/cartier/index_en.html#ancla

Bucharest Honors King Michael

(Reuters) - Romania renamed a square in central Bucharest after former King Michael to celebrate his 91st birthday on Thursday, 65 years after Soviet-backed communists forced him to abdicate.

Although a return to monarchy is not on the public agenda in the EU member state, Romanian politicians are divided over their attitudes towards Michael.

While right-wing President Traian Basescu has criticized the former king for leaving the throne and last year did not attend Michael's first speech in parliament since his 1947 abdication, a leftist government showed support for the former monarch.

"Let's send him the warmest birthday wishes and sincere congratulations for what he did for Romania throughout history," said Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who is favored to win a December election against Basescu's rightist allies.

"King Michael I is a living symbol of Romania," Ponta said on his Facebook page.

Continue reading...http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/25/us-romania-monarchy-idUSBRE89O0OP20121025

King Michael and Queen Anne of Romania.

Interview with Princess Madeleine and Mr.O'Neill

Interview with Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill

Drottningholm palace Wednesday October 24, 2012

How does it feel to be engaged?
Princess Madeleine: We are both extremely happy and delighted. It is a very special day for us. 

When and how did Christopher propose? 
Princess Madeleine: Chris proposed to me at the beginning of October. It was a very romantic and intimate proposal, but more details about the proposal we want to keep to ourselves.

Christopher, were you nervous? Had you planned this for a long time?
I had been thinking about proposing for a while, but I wanted to wait until the right moment. But I have been sure all along that Madeleine was the one I wanted to marry.

Where did you meet the first time? 
Princess Madeleine: We met through mutual friends. For me it started with a great friendship. We share the same humor and we have a lot of fun together. Christopher opened up my heart, he is my soul mate.

  

Christopher, when did you know Princess Madeleine was the right one?
From the very outset, I immediately felt something special with Madeleine.

What was your first impression of Christopher?
Princess Madeleine: I appreciate Chris for his warmth and his humour. He has a very big heart and he manages to make everyone in his presence feel good. Christopher is a very thoughtful and generous person. 

Christopher, have you asked the King´s permission for Princess Madeleine's hand?
Yes, I met with The King and I asked His Majesty´s permission to marry Princess Madeleine.

What was the King´s response?
Christopher O'Neill: The King and The Queen were both happy, and touched as well, I think.
 
Christopher, do you know any Swedish?
I can say some Swedish phrases and am in the process of taking lessons so that I may speak fluently in due course.

Princess Madeleine, how do you feel about Christopher´s family?
I appreciate Christopher´s family very much. They have always been very nice to me and welcomed me with open arms. Christopher has a lovely family!

Christopher, how do you feel about Princess Madeleine´s family?
I know the Swedish royal family very well. They have been extremely welcoming to me and I felt part of the family right from the very beginning. Madeleine´s family is very warm and we have a very good time when we all see each other.

Talking about family, will you start planning for a family right away?
Princess Madeleine: Of course we look forward to getting married and someday building our own family.

Where will you live?
Princess Madeleine: For the time being we will continue to live in New York due to both of our current obligations. However, we will not exclude the possibility of moving to Sweden in due course. 
 
Christopher, what do you think about Sweden? 
Sweden is fantastic. It is such a beautiful country with very friendly people. I have mostly just been to Stockholm and Öland but I hope I will have the opportunity to visit Sweden a little more often now.
 
Lastly and most importantly, when is the big day?
Princess Madeleine: We will have to get back to you regarding that. The wedding will take place in Sweden sometime during the summer of 2013.

http://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt/royalfamily/latestnews/news/engagementbetweenprincessmadeleineandmrchristopheroneill.5.292a62ce13848168ac52a75.html