News about the royals in the GALA ticker: King Harald cannot attend the memorial service for Prince Philip +++ Queen Máxima wants to help young people with her “MIND Us” foundation +++ King Carl Gustaf: The countdown to his 50th anniversary of the throne running.
Royal News 2022 in the GALA ticker
March 26, 2022
King Harald still on sick leave
On March 22, 2022, the Palace of Norway announced that King Harald, 85, had contracted the coronavirus. Three days later, the farm was still unable to give the all-clear – on the contrary. “His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen have unfortunately had to cancel their attendance at the memorial service for Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. This is because the King remains on sick leave after contracting Corona earlier this week.” , according to a statement published on March 25. Harald and Queen Sonja, 84, were supposed to attend the memorial service for the late Prince Philip in London on Tuesday, March 29. It is not yet known whether Prince Haakon, 48, will stand in for his parents and represent the Norwegian royal family at the memorial service.
March 25, 2022
Queen Máxima is committed to the mental health of young people
Queen Máxima, 50, wants to offer a new point of contact for young people with mental health problems and is therefore officially establishing a new foundation called MIND Us on March 30, 2022. An initiative that cannot be postponed, if you read the numbers. According to the Dutch royal family, “every seventh young person suffers from depressive thoughts and every third person is under pressure to perform.” 75 percent of mental health problems appear before the age of 25.
King Willem-Alexander’s wife, 54, wants to free those affected from social stigmatization. She has probably recognized from her own painful experience how important it is to break the taboo on the subject. Her sister Inés Zorreguieta, † 33, struggled with psychological problems and finally took her own life in June 2016. In a TV interview with journalist Matthijs van Nieuwkerk, 61, Máxima explained in May 2021 that Inés had suffered from depression and a personality disorder and had “been in the hospital a few times” because of it. But apparently she did not receive the professional help that could have saved her. Now her older sister is trying to offer affected people a reliable contact point, at least in the Netherlands.
March 24, 2022
King Carl Gustaf: Special competition on the occasion of his 50th jubilee
Sweden has a lot to celebrate in 2023: On September 15, 2023 King Carl Gustaf, 75, celebrates his 50th anniversary of the throne, making him the longest reigning monarch in Sweden’s history. But before that, on June 6, 2023, the 500th anniversary of Gustav Vasa’s coronation will be celebrated. Wasa liberated the Scandinavian country from the rule of the Danish king in 1523 and introduced succession – which is why the day of his coronation was declared a national holiday.
The royal family has now come up with something very special for such historic occasions. The palace has launched a competition on its official website for graphic design students to create the official symbol for the anniversary year.
The Royal welcomes Bodo Ramelow in The Hague
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The emblem must contain the Swedish royal crown and the corresponding dates, but a portrait of Carl Gustaf is not desired. Prince Carl Philip, 42, will select the best contribution together with a jury consisting of experts in the fields of design, graphics and heraldry. The winner will then be invited to one of the events in the anniversary year.
Princess Mary very concerned about her foundation partner
This news is likely to have been a shock to Princess Mary, 50: Her foundation partner Mikkel Hansen, 34, a Danish professional handball player, suffered a pulmonary embolism as a result of knee surgery. Various media, including “Spiegel” and “Sport1”, reported this on March 23, 2022. The complications occurred after a routine operation, according to the website of his club Paris Saint-Germain, where the three-time world handball player is under contract.
The wife of Denmark’s heir to the throne, Prince Frederik, 53, has been working closely with Hansen since 2017. Together with their foundations Mary Fonden and MH24, they campaign against bullying and have set up the “Anitbulli Handball” training site with sponsors.
Princess Mary with
© Dana Press
Fortunately, Mikkel Hansen is out of danger. However, according to Paris Saint-Germain, “he will no longer be with the club by the end of the season […] can play”.
March 23, 2022
Countess Eloise: “We look cute as parents”
A few days ago, baby news from the Dutch royal family made headlines. Countess Eloise, 19, is expecting a baby, various media reported. The trigger for this was apparently a photo of the niece of King Willem-Alexander, 54, and her friend Joann van den Herik, who then put her hands on the young Royal’s stomach. “Yes the rumors are true, Elo and I are expecting a baby,” the model joked. Eloise squashed the baby rumors with a cheeky TikTok video as well as a photo on her Instagram Story of her holding a glass of alcohol.
Now the 19-year-old is making fun of the headlines again. “Swipe for the famous ‘pregnant’ photo of @joannvdherik and me,” she writes on Instagram for a total of four photos that show her with her friend. In the last one, Joann can be seen again hugging her friend and lovingly laying her hands on her stomach. “We look cute as parents,” Eloise joked, teasing the press.
Princess Victoria: Daughter Estelle surprises with a new look
Oops, Princess Estelle, 10, was almost not recognized in this photo. The daughter of Princess Victoria, 44, shows up at her mother’s side during an appointment with the charity WaterAid Sweden in a new look: She wears a casual wool jacket from Designers Remix, jeans and cool Dr. Martens boots for the first time glasses. It remains to be seen whether we will see the granddaughter of the Swedish royal couple more often with the black frame. One thing is certain: Estelle looks great with it!
In addition to Victoria and Estelle, Prince Oscar, 6, also carried water canisters in the park of Haga Castle on March 22. The campaign has a serious background: The Swedish Royals and WaterAid, whose patronage the Crown Princess holds, want to make it clear that many people in the world suffer from water shortages and have to search and fetch water every day. According to the Swedish royal family’s Instagram post, the organization “is committed to improving access to clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in the world’s poorest communities.”
March 22, 2022
Prince Nikolai and girlfriend Benedikte enjoy their date night
Ah, how beautiful love must be! A few days ago, Prince Nikolai of Denmark, 22, and his girlfriend Benedikte Thoustrup spent a romantic evening for two. Snapshots in love reveal this in their Instagram story. A real rarity! The Danish student mostly shares moments with her friends or most recently recordings from the joint semester abroad with Nikolai in Paris. Queen Margrethe’s grandson, 81, has only made it to one Instagram couple photo so far – and now, exceptionally, in her story.
In the first shot, only Benedikte himself can be seen.
In the second shot, the model prince, who has walked the catwalk for luxury brands like Dior, can be seen from behind – including the red heart emoji. Despite the rainy weather, the couple, who fell in love while attending boarding school in Herlufsholm a few years ago, must have had a wonderfully romantic evening in Copenhagen.
Dutch royal family takes in refugees
Great gesture from our neighbors: The Dutch King Willem-Alexander, 54, wants to take in refugees from Ukraine. As the German Press Agency (DPA) reports, as early as mid-April, up to eight families or 20 to 30 people from Ukraine could temporarily call Het Oude Loo Castle near Apeldoorn their new home and feel safe. The court announced this week.
There is definitely enough space in the state-owned castle, located 90 kilometers east of Amsterdam. It is currently rented by the king, but the family lives in The Hague and uses the castle mainly for family gatherings. The fact that this castle is now to serve as accommodation for Ukrainians is not the first solidarity action by the royal family. On March 16, 2022, Queen Máxima, 50, visited the “Humanitarian Service Point” accommodation for the refugees in Amsterdam and was very moved by their fate. So far, more than 12,500 Ukrainian people have found their safe haven in the Netherlands.
March 21, 2022
Princess Sofia is invited to the representation dinner
Evening dresses, diamonds and tiaras: the Swedish royals are getting ready for a glamorous evening at the palace. On April 6, 2022, there will be another representative dinner, to which even Princess Sofia, 37, is invited – despite the reorganization of the royal family.
Although King Carl Gustaf, 75, has reorganized his royal family and put the focus on himself and his successor, Princess Victoria, 44, and their family, his son, Prince Carl Philip, 42, and his wife Sofia are still taking a number of appointments for the family true. These include state visits and audiences, but the well-known representation dinners have not been completely eliminated from the royal calendar.
Sofia and Victoria have one thing in common
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The glamorous events take place a maximum of four times a year, and a cross-section of Swedish society is invited. Dress code: evening suit and long dress.
Royal news from the past week
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Sources used: spiegel, de, sport1.de, Dana Press, facebook.com, teda.dk, rnd.de, dpa, instagram.com, kungahuset.se