Although smiling, waving and nodding are certainly part of royal etiquette, these are of course not the only tasks that the royal families perform when they meet in public. Our royals are sought-after speakers and guests at international events or charity events. Some relatives have more obligations, others less. The queen and king as well as the crown prince and princess are often the ones who take on most of the appointments. For the most part, European monarchs only have representative tasks; they have no influence on state affairs.
These are Europe’s monarchies
In total there are still twelve royal families in Europe. The British royal family is probably the best known. With around 3,500 appearances every year, the British Royals are the frontrunners in the event competition. You can find the well-filled schedule of the Windsors, Prince William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales and Co. here. Nevertheless, the other royal families can also keep up when it comes to attending events. At least the following monarchies also like to hang out at official events.
Spain
Since 2014, the Spanish monarchy has been represented by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and their daughters Leonor, Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofía. Spain’s king is following in big footsteps. His father, Juan Carlos, previously abolished the dictatorship and paved the way for democracy and parliamentarism. The Spanish monarchy is the highest office in the country and therefore has to meet many public appointments. In addition to the royal couple Juan Carlos I and Sofía de Greci, other official members of the royal family include Felipe’s older sisters Elena de Borbón and Cristina de Borbón.
Denmark
Denmark’s monarchy is not only the oldest in the world, but is also very popular. The Danish royals don’t believe in outdated rules and value adapting to modern times. Queen Margrethe II and her husband Prince Henrik, who died in 2018 at the age of 83, were regularly seen at diplomatic and charitable events. Her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, are now largely continuing this task. The couple has four children and therefore a busy schedule outside of their royal obligations.
Norway
The Norwegian monarchy has been led by King Harald and his wife Queen Silvia since 1991. The first heir to the throne from the Norwegian royal family is their son, Crown Prince Haakon. With his wife Mette-Marit Høiby he has two children, Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus. Mette-Marit also brings a son from her first marriage into the Royal Family, namely Marius Borg Høiby. The family propagates patchwork happiness and is extremely popular with the Norwegian people. Due to her pulmonary fibrosis, Mette-Marit is unfortunately unable to attend fewer appointments than before.
Sweden
Not only the Norwegians, but also the Swedish royals are celebrated as close to the people. This may be because not all members of the royal family have blue blood. The Swedish royal family consists of the royal couple Carl XVI. Gustaf and his German-born wife Silvia and their children Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine. All three royal children are married to non-noble partners and have already founded their own families. When the royal offspring arrives on an appointment, it’s usually colorful and loud – very friendly!
Netherlands
Compared to the other monarchies, the Dutch monarchy is not particularly old; it has existed since 1815. Princess Beatrix sat on the throne as queen until 2013, when her eldest son, the current King Willem-Alexander, replaced her. Since then, Willem-Alexander and his wife Queen Máxima have faced their busy schedule largely alone. At most, the couple’s three daughters are included.