The still suffering people of Japan received some personal aid from the royals of another Asian monarchy this week. HM Queen Sirikit and Princess Soamsavali (former wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn) of Thailand donated a large number of relief packages which included rice, dried food, blankets, flashlights, medical supplies and similar items under the aegis of the Princess Pa Foundation. Also on the East Asian front, it should be mentioned that the Tibetan government-in-exile effectively rejected the letter of resignation from HH the XIV Dalai Lama. Concerned that a split could occur within the exile community and unwilling to end the four century tradition of rule by the Dalai Lama the government asked the Tibetan monk-monarch to “reconsider” his decision.
In the Middle East and North Africa, while conflict continues to rage and simmer, trouble may be brewing in sub-Saharan Africa. Economic strife has worsened the mood of the already impoverished populace in the controversial Kingdom of Swaziland, discontent which was not alleviated by the absolute monarch, King Mswati III, telling people that protests will solve nothing and that everyone needed to work harder and make more sacrificing to improve their situation. It is most unfortunate that some have compared their situation to that in Tunisia and Egypt, referring to those states as “monarchies” too. Sadly some seem to be equating monarchy with tyranny in Swaziland.
In southern Europe, HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Queen Sofia and the Prince and Princess of the Asturias met with the President and First Gentleman (?) of Ireland at the Zarzuela Palace on Monday. The visit was intended to strengthen ties between Spain and Ireland, which are already heavy trading partners. Spain and Ireland actually have quite a long history with Spain often aiding Catholic uprisings there against the English and with many Irish moving to Spain and the Spanish Empire after being driven from their own homeland. On Thursday, in the Principality of Monaco, the funeral mass for HSH Princess Antoinette was held at the St Nicholas Cathedral. Her granddaughter Melanie de Massy delivered the eulogy, remarking on the late Princess’s courage, zest for life and devotion to the Catholic Church. The family was noticeably grief-stricken but, sadly, dealing with tragedy is something the House of Grimaldi is all too familiar with.
In the Low Countries, HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and other Dutch royals rolled up their sleeves to participate in NL DOET 2011, a day to encourage volunteer work in the Netherlands. The Queen helped painting at a ‘Big Brother’ arts center in Nijmegen. Also this week the Prince of Orange was in South Africa to attend “World Water Day”, a cause he has long taken an interest in. Across the border in Belgium HM King Albert II visited the army barracks of Beverlo in Leopoldsburg on Tuesday to see new training techniques being used by the Belgian military. Naturally the military mission in Libya came up during the inspections and reviews. Belgium had contributed eight F-16 fighter jets to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya. Crossing the border again the Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg was not to be found at home as he is currently on a trade mission to Turkey trying to encourage economic opportunities for his country there.
Moving north, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Joachim and Prince Marie of Denmark, with their two eldest sons, have been on a tour of the Danish possession of Greenland, wearing seal-skin outer garments and traveling by dogsled just like the natives. On Thursday information was released that HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark recently made a trip to Afghanistan to visit the Danish troops on duty in that war-torn country. The Queen looked fit for the field but still sufficiently regal in olive-drab. The Queen praised the troops for their service and said seeing the situation for herself was very rewarding.
HRH Prince William was in the ‘Land Down Under’ this week, meeting with many people including the victims of the recent massive flooding that devastated Queensland. The professional complainers of the republican crowd had little to say as the response was overwhelmingly positive. Virtually everyone interviewed was deeply touched that the Prince would take time to come and visit them and many stressed that they could see the concern and compassion on the face of their Prince for all they had endured. The Prince will visit Victoria next and some other areas before finally returning to Great Britain.
In the Middle East and North Africa, while conflict continues to rage and simmer, trouble may be brewing in sub-Saharan Africa. Economic strife has worsened the mood of the already impoverished populace in the controversial Kingdom of Swaziland, discontent which was not alleviated by the absolute monarch, King Mswati III, telling people that protests will solve nothing and that everyone needed to work harder and make more sacrificing to improve their situation. It is most unfortunate that some have compared their situation to that in Tunisia and Egypt, referring to those states as “monarchies” too. Sadly some seem to be equating monarchy with tyranny in Swaziland.
In southern Europe, HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Queen Sofia and the Prince and Princess of the Asturias met with the President and First Gentleman (?) of Ireland at the Zarzuela Palace on Monday. The visit was intended to strengthen ties between Spain and Ireland, which are already heavy trading partners. Spain and Ireland actually have quite a long history with Spain often aiding Catholic uprisings there against the English and with many Irish moving to Spain and the Spanish Empire after being driven from their own homeland. On Thursday, in the Principality of Monaco, the funeral mass for HSH Princess Antoinette was held at the St Nicholas Cathedral. Her granddaughter Melanie de Massy delivered the eulogy, remarking on the late Princess’s courage, zest for life and devotion to the Catholic Church. The family was noticeably grief-stricken but, sadly, dealing with tragedy is something the House of Grimaldi is all too familiar with.
In the Low Countries, HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and other Dutch royals rolled up their sleeves to participate in NL DOET 2011, a day to encourage volunteer work in the Netherlands. The Queen helped painting at a ‘Big Brother’ arts center in Nijmegen. Also this week the Prince of Orange was in South Africa to attend “World Water Day”, a cause he has long taken an interest in. Across the border in Belgium HM King Albert II visited the army barracks of Beverlo in Leopoldsburg on Tuesday to see new training techniques being used by the Belgian military. Naturally the military mission in Libya came up during the inspections and reviews. Belgium had contributed eight F-16 fighter jets to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya. Crossing the border again the Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg was not to be found at home as he is currently on a trade mission to Turkey trying to encourage economic opportunities for his country there.
Moving north, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Joachim and Prince Marie of Denmark, with their two eldest sons, have been on a tour of the Danish possession of Greenland, wearing seal-skin outer garments and traveling by dogsled just like the natives. On Thursday information was released that HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark recently made a trip to Afghanistan to visit the Danish troops on duty in that war-torn country. The Queen looked fit for the field but still sufficiently regal in olive-drab. The Queen praised the troops for their service and said seeing the situation for herself was very rewarding.
HRH Prince William was in the ‘Land Down Under’ this week, meeting with many people including the victims of the recent massive flooding that devastated Queensland. The professional complainers of the republican crowd had little to say as the response was overwhelmingly positive. Virtually everyone interviewed was deeply touched that the Prince would take time to come and visit them and many stressed that they could see the concern and compassion on the face of their Prince for all they had endured. The Prince will visit Victoria next and some other areas before finally returning to Great Britain. 
I really appreciate these Royal News Roundups. Please keep them up. They are very informative, and often very encouraging! It is difficult in the States to see any media other than negative for the royals of the world, and to see that not everything is as bad as the American media portrays it is very reassuring!
ReplyDeleteReally, the Pattern in Swaziland doesn’t surprise me. Today everyone is sold on Democracy, to the point that they just assume its an automatic good and a Human Right. But they also use the term “Monarchy” as a sort of insult. Basically, if you don’t like smoothing, it’s a Monarchy, if you do like it, it’s a Democracy.
ReplyDeleteThe same is True of the US. Bluish was “King George” to the left hwo hated him, now we have “King Barrack Obama”.
No one cares how absurd this is, Monarchy is not Democracy, it’s the opposite, so bad.
And the King is right, Protests won’t solve anything. They make matters worse, usually. Look at Egypt.
Not that anyone will listen. He’s not Democratic, so just wants ot protect his power. Naturally a Revolution to depose him and create a Democracy would instantly make everything magically better…and certainly has global support…
You are completely right, Zarove. It all stems from the ingenius, sinister, and completely evil redefinition of "freedom" that revolutionaries have been spouting for centuries, perhaps millenia if we harken back to the Greek democracies and the Roman Repubic.
ReplyDeleteAll men have an innate desire for freedom. And when you corrupt a man's definition of freedom, he will follow you in the name of that perverted freedom. Revolutionaries convince people that freedom is to have a say in your government, and any system that either prohibits that, limits that, or has a place of power not accessible to the common man, must be evil and tyrannical.
They get people hooked on this false definition of freedom, and then the people will hate their monarchs, or what ever other non-democratic government they have, no matter how good they may be. And they will kow-tow to their "democratic liberators" no matter how oppressive they are. King George III and Parliament were "obviously tyrants" for taxing the colonists without a voice. But it is okay for the Federal Government to tax us far more than the British Government ever did, because at least we get to vote!
I still say King Charles I defined freedom correctly as being the state where each subject's life and property are his own. We find freedom such as this far more often under monarchy than under democracy. I support the King of Swaziland, but sadly, it seems his people are more succeptible to Jacobin rhetoric.