Royal News Roundup

The most prominent royal news story of this week was, unfortunately, a sad one. On Monday, August 12, HRH Prince Johan Friso of Orange-Nassau, younger brother of HM King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, passed away at the age of 44, leaving behind a wife and two daughters. For the past eighteen months the Prince had been mostly comatose, only since November shows signs of semi-consciousness. The second son of HRH Princess Beatrix (formerly Queen) was skiing near Lech, Austria in February of 2012 when he was buried in an avalanche and deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time. Doctors were able to save him but he had suffered extensive brain damage and was treated by specialists at Wellington hospital in London until June when he was taken back to The Netherlands as there was nothing more medical science could do for him. He died at the palace of Huis den Bosch where he was being cared for. The King and Queen were on vacation in Greece at the time and rushed home to be with the rest of the Royal Family.

Prince Johan Friso renounced his place in the Dutch line of succession and became known as Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau rather than a prince of The Netherlands in order to marry Mabel Wisse Smit. The government had refused to consent to the marriage because Princess Mabel (as she was later titled) had been acquainted with a drug lord in the past and government consent is required for the marriages of all Dutch royals in line for the throne. Prince Friso had made it clear since he was a child that he never wanted to be king anyway and was quite happy to renounce his rights to the throne to marry the woman he loved. Good enough as the two were married in 2004 with the rather unusual situation that Princess Mabel became a member of the Dutch Royal Family but not of the Dutch Royal Household. The two had a happy and devoted marriage ever after, producing two lovely daughters; Countess Emma Luana in 2005 and Countess Joanna Zaria in 2006. The family lived and worked in London.

As per the wishes of the Royal Family the funeral arrangements were minimal and strictly private. The Prince was laid to rest on Friday at Lage Vuursche near Drakesteijn Castle, where he had spent his childhood and where HRH Princess Beatrix has chosen as her place of retirement. The government issued a statement and many messages of condolence were sent but no dignitaries attended the funeral which was purely a family affair. The only foreign royal in attendance was HM King Harald V of Norway, the godfather of the late prince. A more open commemoration ceremony is expected to be held later in the year. Of course, I am sure I speak for all readers when I say that our prayers and condolences go out to the Dutch Royal Family, the people of The Netherlands and most especially Princess Mabel and her unfortunate daughters on this most tragic occasion. May God watch over them.

In other news, HRH the Prince of Wales has come under criticism (again) for supposed “meddling” in politics, which in this age of leftist media overreaction means he was talking to cabinet ministers (gasp). How many people, I wonder, can see the blatant hypocrisy of those who claim to champion equal rights for all crying foul whenever a member of the Royal Family exercises even the most basic rights of the most common subject? It is ridiculous, of course, as there is no evidence whatsoever that the Prince attempted to influence or ‘strong-arm’ anyone, only that he met with ministers to discuss issues important to him, which anyone is or should be perfectly free to do. In other news, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh met his new great-grandson for the first time this week and the Duke of Cambridge had his first official engagement since the birth of his son. Sarah Ferguson, ex-wife of HRH the Duke of York, met with HM the Queen in Scotland which has led to rumors that the subject under discussion might have been marriage plans for Princess Beatrice of York. Word has also been about that little Prince George of Cambridge may have his first overseas visit to the Commonwealth of Australia. That, in my view, would be wonderful -a real blow to the sad republican traitors in the land Down Under.

In other royal news, the Swedish royal court launched a new website in preparation for the fortieth anniversary of the enthronement of HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden coming up on September 15. Princess Isabella of Denmark had her first day of school this week and there was rather embarrassing news this week for the House of Hohenzollern as Princess Irina of Romania (aka Irina Walker) was among a group of people arrested in Oregon and Washington on charges of running a cockfighting ring. Also arrested was Princess Irina’s husband former sheriff’s deputy John Wesley Walker. Princess Irina is the third daughter of HM King Michael of Romania and Queen Anne of Bourbon-Parma. Not long ago we also reported on the legal victory of the daughters of the late Maharaja of Faridkot in India over the extensive estate of their late father. After many years in court the existing will was voided so that the daughters could claim their rightful inheritance. However, new complications arose this week as other royal cousins have started to surface and have made legal claims to a share of the family fortune for themselves. Thankfully, however, we do have a happy note to end on as this week the Kingdom of Thailand celebrated the birthday of HM Queen Sirikit, devoted wife of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, who turned 81-years old. We hope Her Majesty had a happy birthday and send our best wishes for many more to come.