UK: The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla

King Charles III of the United Kingdom, who succeeded to the throne on 8 September 2022 following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, was crowned in Westminster Abbey yesterday, 6 May 2023, together with his wife Queen Camilla.

It goes without saying that the coronation yesterday was a really historic event, and a first-timer for the majority of the British people, if not the world. After all it was 70 years since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It could very well be the last coronation – one should not take for granted that the Prince of Wales in due time will decide to be crowned – it is an expensive, formally superfluous and old-fashioned ceremony. The political situation at the time might dictate the then King William to abandon the tradition. Time will show.

The above sounds very negative, and that was not my intention. All in all I am very happy to be able to witness such a historic event, a wonderful celebration and manifestation of the monarchy and of the new king. I am just pointing out that the ceremony is far from a necessity and I can understand some of the criticism against it.

I wish I were in London for the coronation – it would have been wonderful to see the processions and balcony scene with my own eyes and to suck in the atmosphare. But my back would not allow me to stand for so many hours, and even if I could afford to travel to London, I have already made several large trips this year, among others to Egypt and the United States – and have more trips planned this year, including another trip to the United States. So I decided to stay home.

Watching the events on TV certainly has its advantages – you get a great view of everything. I turned on the television about two hours before the ceremony started in Westminster Abbey at 11 a.m. local time, and I kept on until BBC stopped the broadcast sometime after the king, queen and the rest of the royal family had greeted the people from the Buckingham Palace balcony. 

The United Kingdom certainly know how to do pomp and circumstance! It was a very impressive «show» (if I am allowed to use such an expression!), and at times a very moving church ceremony. We could enjoy the King's procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in the State Carriage, the order of service itself with King Charles taking the oaths –  to govern the peoples with justice and mercy, and to uphold the Churches established by law in the United Kingdom – the anointing, the investiture and crowning, the enthroning and homage, the coronation of Queen Camilla and the closing of the service with the singing of the national anthem – God save the King! And on the way out the coronation procession leaving the abbey to music including Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March no. 4! You will find more details at the official website of Westminster Abbey, including the Order of Service.

For the record, the service was conducted by the Archbishop of Cambridge, Justin Welby, supported by the Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle. The readings were given by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Colossians 1: 9-20) and the Bishop of London and Dean of His Majesty's Chapels Royal, Dame Sarah Mullally (Luke 4: 16-21).

After the service we could watch the Coronation Procession back to Buckingham Palace again. The procession was much larger in scale compared to the King's Procession and included Armed Forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, and all services of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, alongside The Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen. It was wonderful to see Princess Anne, the Princes Royal on horse behind the carriage!

The king and queen upon arrival received the royal salute in the garden of Buckingham Palace before heading for the balcony to greet the people, joined by most members of the royal family, the so-called working royals present and future. Then the royal family and invited guests went to have lunch. The celebrations continued today with garden and street parties and a concert at Windsor Castle tonight.

Audiences ahead of the Coronation

In the days ahead of the coronation King Charles received Realm prime ministers and Indigenous leaders ahead of the Coronation. These included on Tuesday 2 May Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese and on Wednesday 3 May Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Hipkins. 

On Thursday 4 May the king hosted an audience with Canadian Indigenous Leaders, RoseAnne Archibald (National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations), Natan Obed (President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami) and Cassidy Caron (President of the Métis National Council), in addition to Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada. He also hosted an audience with The King of The Ashanti’s, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Lady Julia Osei Tutu. The King also received in audience the indigenous elder, Uyunkar Domingo Peas (Spokesperson for the Sacred Headwaters of the Amazon), Marc Palahi (Chair of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance) and Atossa Soltani (Director of Global Strategy, Sacred Headwaters of the Amazon).

List of guests at Westminster Abbey

The king and queen held a reception on Friday 5 May at Buckingham palace for many of the guests who were to attend the service at Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Most of the foregn royals present for the service were also at the reception, based on the many photos published in various newspapers and other media, with a few exceptions. King Philippe of the Belgians was, for instance, not with Queen Mathilde on Friday, instead their daughter Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant turned up. And the Netherlands were represented by Princess Beatrix and Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange.

I have compiled a list of the most prominent royals and dignitaries attending the service at Westminster Abbey. The list is based what I managed to spot on TV as well as on newspaper reports, statements from the various royal courts, photos from various news agencies in social media etc. I have probably missed a few. And I might include people who were not present, because there have been contradictary reports as well. In one artice The Telegraph for instance claimed that the king and queen of Norway would be present, but the Norwegian Royal House was in fact represented by Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. If you find names that should not be on the list, please tell! 

From Buckingham Palace's press release we learn that:

The Congregation at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation Service

Published 01 May 2023

The Coronation Service of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey will be attended by a congregation of more than 2,200 people. Guests attending will include Members of the Royal Family, as well as international representatives from 203 countries, including approximately 100 Heads of State, alongside community and charity champions.

The congregation will include:

• Members of the Royal Family
• Family members and friends of Their Majesties
• Members of Foreign Royal Families
• Heads of State and Foreign Ministers
• Governors-General and Realm Prime Ministers
• Members of the Government, Parliament and Devolved Administrations, including former Prime Ministers
• Lord-Lieutenants and Lord Provosts
• Representatives from the Church and other faiths
• Representatives from the Defence Services, including serving and former Armed Forces personnel
• Representatives from The King’s patronages, including The Prince’s Trust and The Prince’s Foundation
• Members of the Diplomatic Corps
• Public Service organisations and the emergency services
• Representatives from The Queen Consort’s patronages
• Representatives from the Law
• Nobel Prize Winners
• British Empire Medal recipients
• Representatives from the Realms nominated by the High Commissions

In addition to the guests seated in the Abbey, 400 young people representing charitable organisations nominated by The King and The Queen Consort and the UK Government, will have the opportunity to watch the Coronation Service and Processions from inside St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster.

Both news media and social media have ever since the coronation date was made public in October 2022 heavily reported and discussed who were to be invited or not invited (or should not at all be invited!)

The Duke of Sussex (Prince Harry) for instance, arrived on Friday and was present at the coronation, but not seated among the members of the British royal family. He was allegedly invited to the lunch at Buckingham Palace (kind of peace offer?), but decided instead to go directly to Heathrow to fly home to Los Angeles. After all, his son Prince Archie celebrated his 4th birthday the same day. Prince Harry's  wife the Duchess of Sussex decided to stay behind in Los Angeles. She would most likely not have received a warm welcome if she had turned up, but I am sorry that she didn't. It was a life-time event after all, and even if it doesn't look so promising at present, it could have been a good opportunity to work on improving her and her husband's relations with the royal family. If the whole family had traveled to London, Alfie's birthday could have been celebrated after the lunch at Buckingham Palace, not in Los Angeles close to Archie's bedtime. Oh well. It is all just sad.

The Duke of York (Prince Andrew) was in the abbey, but not on the balcony. He is not a working royal anylonger, due to circumstances we all know.I have no idea if he was present at the lunch or not. His former wife Sarah, Duchess of York was not invited. But Queen Camilla's former husband Andrew Parker Bowles was. They are still on good terms, thankfully. All in all, the congregation at Westminster Abbey included a much larger number of «ordinary people» compared to in 1953. Some have complained that many British royal descendants were not invited, while members of the Duchess of Cambridge's Middleton family were, and some have complained that too few peers/nobles were present. But "everyone" could not be invited like in 1953 when 8000 people were present. And it would not look good if the congregation was dominated by royals and nobles. Oh well, it is impossible to suit everyone. I think all in all the list mentioned in the press release makes sense. An interesting break with tradition, however, was all the crowned heads being present this time. 

The British Royal Family (and relations)

• The Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Catherine)
• Prince George of Wales 
• Princess Charlotte of Wales 
• Prince Louis of Wales
• The Duke of Sussex (Prince Harry)
• The Princess Royal (Princes Anne) and Sir Timothy Laurence
• Peter Phillips
• Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall
• The Duke of York (Prince Andrew)
• Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
• Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank
• The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (Prince Edward and his wife Sophe)
• James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex
• Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
• The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
• Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster
• Lady Davina Windsor
• Lady Rose Gilman
• The Duke and Duchess of Kent
• George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews
• Lady Helen Taylor
• Lord Nicholas Windsor
• Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy
• Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
• Lord Frederick Windsor and Sophie Winkleman
• Lady Gabriella Kingston and Thomas Kingston
• Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto
• Samuel Chatto
• Arthur Chatto
• David Armstrong Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon
• Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley
• Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones

Prince George was one of King Charles's Pages of Honourm, together with Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Nicholas Barclay, and Ralph Tollemache, the last three are the sons of the king's friends. Queen Camilla's Pages of Honour were her three grandsons, Gus and Louis Lopes, and Freddy Parker Bowles, as well as her great-nephew, Arthur Elliot. Ladies in Attendance were her younger sister Annabel Eliot and the Marchioness of Lansdowne.

Royal Europe

Current royal and princely families

• King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
• Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
• Hereditary Prince Alois and Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
• Grand-Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand-Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
• Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco
• King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands
• Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
• King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain
• King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden

Former royal families

• Margrave Bernhard and Margravine Stephanie of Baden
• King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of the Bulgarians
• Queen Anne Marie of the Hellenes
• Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece
• Landgrave Heinrich Donatus and Landgravine Floria of Hesse
• Prince Philipp and Princess Saskia of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
• Princess Margareta, The Custodian of the Romanian Crown Margareta and Radu Duda (Prince Radu)
• Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia

Non-European royals

• Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, Asantehene of Asante and Otumfuo-Yere (Princess Consort) Julia Osei Tutu
• King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain (other sources state the Crown Prince «only»
• The Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the  Druk Gyaltsuen (Dragon Queen) of Bhutan, Jetsun Pema
• The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III
• Crown Prince Fumihito (Akishino) and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan
• King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan
• Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince of Kuwait
• King Letsie III and Queen Masenate of Lesotho
• Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said of Oman
• The Yang di Pertuan Agong (King) (Abdullah of Pahang) and The Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia (Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah)
• The Māori King. Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII and The Makau Ariki (Queen Consort) Te Atawhai 
• Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco
• The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al-Thani
• Prince Turki bin Mohammad bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz of Saudi-Arabia
• King Mswati III of eSwatini and Inkhosikati LaMbikiza
• King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) and Queen Suthida of Thailand
• King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipa'u of Tonga
• Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.

Some British peers and others

• The Duke of Norfolk, the Earl Marshal
• The Marquess of Cholmondeley
• The Lord Great Chamberlain, the 7th Baron Carrington
• Lord True, Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
• Baroness Smith of Basildon, leader of the opposition of the House of Lords
• Merlin Hay, the Earl of Errol
• Simon Abney-Hastings, the Earl of Loudoun
• Alexander Henry Scrymgeour, the Earl of Dundee
• Delaval Thomas Harold Astley, the Baron Hastings
• Barons of the Cinque Ports

Dignitaries

United Kingdom

(Some, if not all, members of the government were together with their spouses, but as I didn't spot (or could recognize) most of them I will not mention them if I not 100 % certain of their presence.)

• Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister and his wife Akshata Murty
• Oliver Dowden, Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
• Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor
• James Cleverly, Foreign Secretary
• Suella Braverman, Home Secretary
• Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary
• Michelle Donelan, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary
• Michael Gove, Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary
• Steve Barclay, Health Secretary
• Penny Mordaunt, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the Commons
• Kemi Badenoch, Business and Trade Secretary
• Therese Coffey, Environment Secretary
• Mel Stride, Work and Pensions Secretary
• Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary
• Mark Harper, Transport Secretary
• Alex Chalk, Justice Secretary
• Lucy Frazer, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary
• Chris Heaton-Harris, Northern Ireland Secretary
• Alister Jack, Scotland Secretary
• David T C Davies, Wales Secretary
• Sir Keir Starmer, Labour leader
• Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons
• Humza Yousaf, First Minister of Scotland
• Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales
• Michelle O'Neill, Vice President of Sinn Féin
• Former prime minister Liz Truss and her husband Christopher Fraser
• Former prime minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson
• Former prime minister Theresa May and her husband Sir Philip May
• Former prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron
• Former prime minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah Brown
• Former prime minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie Blair
• Former prime minister John Major (came alone, his wife was not feeling well, according to BBC)
• The Lord Mayor of London
• Joseph Morrow, the Lord Lyon King of Arms
• Antonia Romeo, Clerk of the Crown in Chancery

Dignitaries from outside United Kingdom

Only a few are listed here, all confirmed by their official websites and/or national news agencies:

• The Governor General, David Hurley, and his wife Linda Hurley
• The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, and his wife Jodie Haydon
• The State Governors of Australia
• The Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon, and her husband Whit Fraser
• The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau
• Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald (Canada)
• President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Natan Obed (Canada)
• President of the Metis National Council Cassidy Caron (Canada)
• The Governor General of New Zealand, Cindy Kiro
• The Prime minister of New Zealand, Christopher Hipkins
• Other Governors General.
• The President of Czechia, Petr Pavel and his wife Eva Pavlová
• The President of France, Emmnanuel Macron of France and his wife Brigitte Macron
• The President of Germany, Franz-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender
• The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda
• First Lady Dr. Jill Biden of the USA together with Finnegan Biden (granddaughter of President Joe Biden)
• The Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin (allegedly the first time the Vatican has been represented at a British coronation)
• EU: The President of the European Council), Charles Michel, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola
• NATO: General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg

UK: Coronation of King Charles III to take place on 6 May 2023

Buckingham Palace announced today that the coronation of King Charles III will take place at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday 6 May 2023:

The Coronation of His Majesty The King

Published 11 October 2022 

Buckingham Palace is pleased to announce that the Coronation of His Majesty The King will take place on Saturday 6th May, 2023. 

The Coronation Ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, London, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort.

The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.

Further details will be announced in due course.

UK: The State Funeral and the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II

The State Funeral and the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II, who died on 8 September 2022, took place on Monday 19 September 2022.

Screen shot of the order of service for the State Funeral.

Screen shot of the order of service for the Committal of Queen Elizabeth II.

Three ceremonies took place on Monday - the State Funeral, the Committal Service and the internment service. The latter was private, and we don't know how many who actually attended it or who. But we know that around 2000 people attended the State Funeral.

The State Funeral Service at Westminster Abbey was attended by heads of state and overseas government representatives, including members of many foreign royal families, governors general and Realm prime ministers, as the official website describes it. Other representatives of the Realms and the Commonwealth, the Orders of Chivalry including recipients of the Victoria Cross and George Cross, government, parliament, devolved parliaments and assemblies, the church, and Queen Elizabeth's patronages formed the congregation, along with other public representatives.

The State Funeral service was conducted by the Dean of Westminster, David Michael Hoyle. During the Service, the Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, read lessons. The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields, and the Free Churches Moderator, Helen Cameron, said prayers. The sermon was given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who also gave the commendation. Finally the Dean of Westminster pronounced the blessing. The Order of Service can be read here.

The Committal service at St. George's Chapel at Windsor was supposed to take place at 4 p.m., but was delayed by at least 40 minutes. The King and Queen, other members of the British royal family and representatives of other royal families were in attendance, besides past and present members of The Queen’s Household, including members  from the private estates, as stated by the official website. Also in attendance were governors general and Realm prime ministers. 

The service was conducted by the Dean of Windsor, David John Conner, with prayers said by the Rector of Sandringham, Paul Williams, the Minister of Crathie Kirk, Kenneth Mackenzie, and the Chaplain of Windsor Great Park, Martin Poll. 

Prior to the final hymn, the Imperial state crown, the orb and the sceptre was removed from the Queen's coffin and placed on the altar. At the end of the final hymn, King Charles placed the Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin. At the same time, The Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Parker of Minsmere (Andrew David Parker), «broke» his Wand of Office and placed it on the coffin.

When the Queen's coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault, the Dean of Windsor said a psalm and the commendation before the Garter King of Arms, David Vines White, pronounced HM Quen Elizabeth II's styles and titles.

The Sovereign’s Piper, Paul Burns, played a Lament and the Archbishop of Canterbury pronounced the blessing. The national anthem was sung at the conclusion of the Service. The Order of Service can be read here.

It was a day I will remember for ever, and I am pleased that I decided to take the day off to witness the events of the day on TV. It was a most dignified fare well of a very much belowed sovereign. The services were simple and magnificent at the same time. All the people along the route from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle. The procession at the Long Walk heading up to Windsor ... the removal of the crown, the orb and the sceptre from the coffin was very moving, as was listening to the national anthem being sung at the end of the service. 

A summary of the services can be read from the Court Circular 19 September 2022:

Buckingham Palace

The Coffin bearing The late Queen Elizabeth II was conveyed from Westminster Hall on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy this morning, drawn by Naval Ratings, and flanked by His Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, The King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and The King's Body Guard for Scotland (the Royal Company of Archers), followed by The King, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex, The Princess Royal, The Duke of Gloucester, the Earl of Snowdon and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and thence to Westminster Abbey.

The Lord Great Chamberlain, the Earl Marshal, the Lord Speaker and Speaker witnessed the departure of the Coffin bearing Her late Majesty from the Palace of Westminster.

The State Funeral of The late Queen Elizabeth II was held in Westminster Abbey today at 11 o'clock.

The Imperial State Crown, the Orb and the Sceptre surmounted the Coffin of Her late Majesty.

The King and The Queen Consort, The Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank and Mr. Jack Brooksbank, The Earl and Countess of Wessex with the Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Mr. Peter Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Tindall, The Earl of Snowdon, Viscount Linley and The Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Mr. Daniel and The Lady Sarah Chatto, Mr. Samuel Chatto and 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Chatto, RM, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Earl and Countess of Ulster with Lord Culloden and The Lady Cosima Windsor, The Lady Davina Lewis with Miss Senna Lewis, Mr. George and The Lady Rose Gilman with Miss Lyla Gilman, The Duke of Kent, Earl and Countess of St. Andrews, The Lord Nicholas Windsor with Master Albert Windsor and Master Leopold Windsor, Mr. Timothy and The Lady Helen Taylor with Mr. Columbus Taylor, Mr. Cassius Taylor, Miss Estella Taylor and Miss Eloise Taylor, Lord Downpatrick, The Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor, The Lady Amelia Windsor, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, The Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor, Mr. Thomas and The Lady Gabriella Kingston, Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy, Mr. and Mrs. James Ogilvy, Mr. Alexander Ogilvy, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Vesterberg, Miss Marina Ogilvy, Miss Zenouska Mowatt and Mr. Christian Mowatt.

Members of Foreign Royal Families and other Dignitaries, the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps and Senior High Commissioners, Heads of Mission and other Foreign Representatives attended.

The Dean of Westminster conducted the Service and pronounced the Blessing.

The Archbishop of Canterbury preached the Sermon and offered the Commendatory Prayer.

His Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, The King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and The King's Body Guard for Scotland (the Royal Company of Archers) were on duty.

The King's Guard was turned out with the State Colour on the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

A Guard of Honour found by the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force, with the Band of the Royal Marines was formed up in Parliament Square.

After the Service the Coffin bearing The late Queen Elizabeth II was conveyed from Westminster Abbey on the State Gun Carriage to Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner.

The Coffin bearing Her late Majesty was transferred from the State Gun Carriage to the State Hearse and thence to Windsor Castle.

The Committal Service for The late Queen Elizabeth II took place in St. George's Chapel today at 4 o'clock.

The Members of the Royal Family were present.

List of attendees

It has not been easy to compile a survey of people who attended the State Funeral at Westminster Abbey and/or the Committal Service at the St. Georges's Chapel at Windsor. I watched both events, but the cameras didn't focus much on the foreign royal families and other dignitaries. I have taken most names from various newspapers, including The Telegraph and The Guardian, but have also depended on Wikipedia and contributions on the website Nobiliana.de as well as on Twitter from Arabian Royal Agency, Rodrigo, Lucas Szkopinski and Netty Leistra (Netty Royal) among others. Some only attended the state funeral, others only the committal service, while others again, like Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan only attended the reception at Buckingham Palace the day before the funeral. I have tried to focus on the royals and royal relations, but have also included some of the dignitaries, mainly from the Commonwealth and from Europe. Most of the list consist of attendees at the State Funeral, I should add. I am sure there are mistakes and important omissions - please tell if I have mentioned some who were not present. Not all the media reports have been accurate. 

The British Royal Family (and relatives)

• King  Charles III and Queen Camilla
• The Prince and Princess of Wales
• Prince George of Wales
• Princess Charlotte of Wales
• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
• The Duke of York
• Sarah, Duchess of York
• Princess Beatrice of York & Mr Edo Mapelli Mozzi,
• Princess Eugenie of York & Mr Jack Brooksbank
• The Earl & Countess of Wessex and Forfar,
• Louise Mountbatten-Windsor 
• Viscount Severn
• The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) & Sir Timothy Laurence, 
• Peter Phillips
• Savannah Phillips (only the committal service) 
• Miss Isla Phillips (only the committal service)
• Zara and Mike Tindall 
• Mia Tindall (only the committal service) 
• The Earl of Snowdon
• Viscount Linley
• Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones
• Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto
• Samuel Chatto
• Arthur Chatto
• The Duke & Duchess of Gloucester, 
• The Earl and Countess of Ulster,
• Lord Culloden 
• Lady Cosima Windsor 
• Lady Davina Windsor 
• Senna Lewis
• Lady Rose and George Gilman 
• Lyla Gilman
• The Duke of Kent
• The Earl and Countess of St. Andrews
• Lord Downpatrick
• Lady Marina Charlotte Windsor
• Lady Amelia Windsor
• Lord Nicholas Windsor
• Albert Windsor
• Leopold Windsor
• Lady Helen Taylor and & Tim Taylor
• Columbus Taylor
• Cassius Taylor
• Eloise Taylor
• Estella Taylor
• Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
• Lord Frederick Windsor and Lady Sophie Windsor
• Lady Gabriella Kingston and Tom Kingston
• Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy
• James Ogilvy and Julia Ogilvy
• Alexander Ogilvy
• Flora Vesterberg and Tim Vesterberg
• Marina Ogilvy
• Christian Mowatt
• Zenouska Mowatt
• The Duke and Duchess of Fife 
• Countess Mountbatten of Burma
• Alexandra Hooper and Tom Hooper
• Lady Pamela Hicks
  India Flint Wood
• Edwina Hicks

Reigning European royal and princely houses

• King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
• Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
• Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sofie of Liechtenstein
• Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
• Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco
• King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
• Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands
• King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway
• King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain
• King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain
• King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden

Former European royal and princely houses

• Margravine Valerie of Baden
• Hereditary Prince Bernhard and Hereditary Princess Stephanie of Baden
• King Simeon II of the Bulgarians
• Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
• Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece
• Princess Theodora of Greece (service at Windsor only)
• Landgrave Donatus and Landgravine Floria of Hesse
• Prince Philipp and Princess Saskia of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
• Princess Xenia of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
• Princess Margarita of Romania and Radu Duda
• Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia

Royal and princely houses outside Europe

• The Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
• King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan
• The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien II
• Prince Abdul Mateen of Brunei
• Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan
• King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan 
• Princess Haya bint Hussein of Jordan (committal service only)
• Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath of Jordan (committal service only)
• The Crown Prince of Kuwait, Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
• King Letsie III of Lesotho
• The Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI (King) of Malaysia, Sultan Abdullah of Pahang, and the Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen), Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah
• Prince Moulay Rashid of Morocco
• The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said
• The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al Thani
• Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Thani of Qatar and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad
• Sheikha Amna Bint Mohammed Al Thani 
• Prince Faisal bin Turki of Saudi Arabia
• King Tupoi VI of Tonga
• The Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai

Others

• The Māori King, Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII and Makau Ariki Te Atawhai

A selection of other dignitaries

United Kingdom

• The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Liz Truss and Hugh O'Leary
• Leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer

Former British prime ministers

• Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds
• Theresa May and Sir Philip May
• David Cameron and Samantha Cameron
• George Brown and Sarah Brown
• Tony Blair and Cherie Blair
• John  Major and Norma Major

Other dignitaries

• The President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, and the First Lady, Armanda Begaj
• The Co-Prince of Andorra, Archbishop Joan Enric Vives i Sicília 
• The Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda, Sir Rodney Williams and Lady Williams
• The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne
• The President of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturyan
• The Governor-General of Australia, David Hurley and Linda Hurley
• The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon
• The President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen and First Lady Doris Schmidauer
• The Governor-General of the Bahamas, Sir Cornelius A. Smith,
• The Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis
• The  Governor-General of Belize, Froyla Tzalam and Daniel Mendez
• The Governor of Bermuda, Rena Lalgie
• The Premier of Bermuda, E. David Burt
• The President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro and the First Lady, Michelle Bolsonaro
• The President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev and the First Lady, Desislava Radeva
• The Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon, and Whit Fraser
• Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada
• David Johnston, former Governor General of Canada
• The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
• The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland
• The President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović and the First Lady, Sanja Musić Milanović
• The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala
• The President of Estonia, Alar Karis and the First Lady, Sirje Karis
• The President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde 
• The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
• The President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö and the First Lady Jenni Haukio
• The President of France, Emmanuel Macron (also Co-Prince of Andorra) and Brigitte Macron
• The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili
• The President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the First Lady, Elke Büdenbender
• The President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou
• The Governor-General of Grenada, Cécile La Grenade
• The Secretary of State of the Holy See, Bishop Paul Gallagher
• The President of Hungary, Katalin Novák and the First Gentleman, István Attila Veres
• The President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson and the First Lady, Eliza Reid
• The Prime Minister of Ireland, Micheál Martin and Sabina Higgins
• The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog and the First Lady, Michal Herzog
• The President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella
• The Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen
• The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness
• The President of Kenya, William Ruto
• The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani and the First Gentleman, Prindon Sadriu
• The President of Latvia, Egils Levits and the First Lady, Andra Levite
• The President of Lithuania and the First Lady, Diana Nausėdienė
• The President of Moldova, Maia Sandu
• The President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović and the First Lady, Lidija Đukanović
• The Governor-General of New Zealand Cindy Kiro
• Silvia Cartwright, former Governor-General of New Zealand
• The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford
• The President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski and the First Lady, Elizabeta Gjorgievska
• The Governor General of Papua New Guinea, H.E. Sir Bob Dadae 
• The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape
• The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda and the First Lady, Agata Kornhauser-Duda
• The President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa 
• The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis and the First Lady, Carmen Iohannis
• The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Denzil Douglas
• The Acting Governor-General of Saint Lucia, Errol Charles 
• The Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Susan Dougan
• The Head of State of Samoa, H.H. Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II
• The Captains Regent of San Marino, Oscar Mina and Paolo Rondelli
• The Governor General of Solomon Islands, H.E. Sir David Vunagi
• The President of Slovakia, Zuzana Čaputová
• The President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor 
• The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa
• The President of South Korea Yoon Suk-yeol and the First Lady Kim Keon-hee
• The President of Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis
• The President of Tanzania, Samia Suluh
• The Governor General of Tuvalu, H.E. Tofinga Vaevalu Falani
• The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Tuvalu Kausea Natano 
• The First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska
• The President of the USA, Joe Biden and the First Lady, Jill Biden

UK: Accession Council, funeral date set

Some events that took place in the United Kingdom today and which I find worth mentioning:

1. The Accession Council took place at St. James's Palace in London at 10 a.m, in which the new king - Charles III – who succeded to the throne on 8 September 2022 at the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II – was formally proclaimed. The proclamation read as follows:

A PROCLAMATION

Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His Mercy our late Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Second of Blessed and Glorious Memory, by whose Decease the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is solely and rightfully come to The Prince Charles Philip Arthur George: We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm and Members of the House of Commons, together with other members of Her late Majesty’s Privy Council and representatives of the Realms and Territories, Aldermen and Citizens of London, and others, do now hereby with one voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that The Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now, by the Death of our late Sovereign of Happy Memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lord Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories, King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to whom we do acknowledge all Faith and Obedience with humble Affection; beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do reign to bless His Majesty with long and happy Years to reign over us.

Given at St. James’s Palace this tenth day of September in the year of Our Lord two thousand and twenty-two.

The council was attended by members of the Privy Council, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, and senior judges and officials. In the first part of the council, the Lord President –the MP Penny Mourdant – announced the monarch's death. The clerk of the council, Richard Tilbrok, then read out the Accession Proclamation, which was then signed by the Prince of Wales (Prince William), the Queen (Quen Camilla), Prime Minister Liz Truss, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Jusstin Welby), the Lord Chancellor (Brandon Lewis) and the Earl Marshall (the Duke of Norfolk, Edward William Fitzalan-Howard), who is responsible for organising state ceremonies.

In the second part of the council, King Charles began with a declaration which read as follows:

My Lords, Ladies, and Gentlemen. 

It is my most sorrowful duty to announce to you the death of my beloved Mother, The Queen. 

I know how deeply you, the entire Nation - and I think I may say the whole world - sympathise with me in the irreparable loss we have all suffered. It is the greatest consolation to me to know of the sympathy expressed by so many to my Sister and Brothers and that such overwhelming affection and support should be extended to our whole family in our loss.

To all of us as a family, as to this kingdom and the wider family of nations of which it is a part, my Mother gave an example of lifelong love and of selfless service.

My Mother’s reign was unequalled in its duration, its dedication and its devotion. Even as we grieve, we give thanks for this most faithful life.

I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of Sovereignty which have now passed to me. In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these Islands and of the Commonwealth Realms and Territories throughout the world.

In this purpose, I know that I shall be upheld by the affection and loyalty of the peoples whose Sovereign I have been called upon to be, and that in the discharge of these duties I will be guided by the counsel of their elected parliaments. In all this, I am profoundly encouraged by the constant support of my beloved wife.

I take this opportunity to confirm my willingness and intention to continue the tradition of surrendering the hereditary revenues, including the Crown Estate, to My Government for the benefit of all, in return for the Sovereign Grant, which supports My official duties as Head of State and Head of Nation.

And in carrying out the heavy task that has been laid upon me, and to which I now dedicate what remains to me of my life, I pray for the guidance and help of Almighty God.

Thn the king took an oath to maintain and preserve the Church of Scotland., as required by the Act of Union, and signed two copies of the oath, which read:

I understand that the Law requires that I should, at My Accession to the Crown, take and subscribe the Oath relating to the Security of the Church of Scotland.  I am ready to do so at this first opportunity.

I, Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of My other Realms and Territories, King, Defender of the Faith, do faithfully promise and swear that I shall inviolably maintain and preserve the Settlement of the true Protestant Religion as established by the Laws made in Scotland in prosecution of the Claim of Right and particularly by an Act intituled “An Act for securing the Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Government” and by the Acts passed in the Parliament of both Kingdoms for Union of the two Kingdoms, together with the Government, Worship, Discipline, Rights and Privileges of the Church of Scotland.

So help me God.

At 11 a.m. the proclamation was then read out from a balcony above the Friary Court at St James's Palace by the Garter King of Arms (David Vines White), England's senior herald. The proclamation was also read in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, and other locations around the country.

2.Buckingham Palace issued the following statement by the Prince of Wales (Prince William) today:

On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign.

I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.

She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.

I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all.

My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen. I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.

By the way, we learned yesterday that Prince William had been created Prince of Wales the same day. I assume that the text will be published in The London Gazette in due time.

3. Later today the Prince and Princess of Wales together with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex together made a walkabout at Windsor to inspect the flowers and tributes. It is said that it was the Prince of Wales who took the initiative for the brothers and their spouses to do the walkabout together. While some people would say that this was to play for the gallery, I regard it as a sincere gesture. The brothers are said to have had a strained relationship for some time, so every effort to improve the relationship should be welcomed.

4. Buckingham Palace has announced that the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September at 11 a.m. The day of the funeral has been declared a bank holiday in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland by the king. Buckingham Palace has announced the following arrangements for the funeral:

The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September at 1100hrs BST. Prior to the State Funeral, The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects.

The Queen's Coffin currently rests in the Ballroom at Balmoral Castle. Her Majesty's Coffin will travel to Edinburgh tomorrow, Sunday 11th September, by road, to arrive at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it will rest in the Throne Room until the afternoon of Monday 12th September.

On the afternoon of Monday 12th September, a Procession will be formed on the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse to convey the Coffin to St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh. The King and Members of the Royal Family will take part in the Procession and attend a Service in St Giles’ Cathedral to receive the Coffin.

Her Majesty's Coffin will then lie at rest in St Giles' Cathedral, guarded by Vigils from The Royal Company of Archers, to allow the people of Scotland to pay their respects.

On the afternoon of Tuesday 13th September, The Queen's Coffin will travel from Scotland by Royal Air Force aircraft from Edinburgh Airport, arriving at RAF Northolt later that evening. The Coffin will be accompanied on the journey by The Princess Royal.

The Queen's Coffin will then be conveyed to Buckingham Palace by road, to rest in the Bow Room. On the afternoon of Wednesday 14th September, the Coffin will be borne in Procession on a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, where The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall until the morning of the State Funeral.

The Procession will travel via Queen’s Gardens, The Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard. After the Coffin arrives at Westminster Hall, The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a short service assisted by The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, and attended by The King and Members of the Royal Family, after which the Lying-in-State will begin.

During the Lying-in-State, members of the public will have the opportunity to visit Westminster Hall to pay their respects to The Queen. On the morning of Monday 19th September, the Lying-in-State will end and the Coffin will be taken in Procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, where the State Funeral Service will take place.

Following the State Funeral, the Coffin will travel in Procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch. From Wellington Arch, the Coffin will travel to Windsor and once there, the State Hearse will travel in Procession to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle via the Long Walk. A Committal Service will then take place in St George's Chapel.

UK: Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

The Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place at Westminster Abbey in London today. The funeral service took place on 17 April 2021 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, but only 30 people were allowed to attend due to the pandemic and the Covid-19 protocol. Today around 1800 people were allowed to celebrate the life of Prince Philip, among them numerous members of the British and other European Royal Families. 

In attendance were among others:

United Kingdom

• Queen Elizabeth II
• The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall
• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
• Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
• The Duke of York
• Princess Beatrice and Eduardo Mapelli Mozzi
• Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank
• The Earl and Countess of Wessex
• Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn
• The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) and Sir Tim Laurence
• The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
• The Duke of Kent
• Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

(In attendance were also members of Princess Anne's and the late Princess Margaret's family among others.)

Bahrain

• Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa

Belgium

• King Philippe and Queen Mathilde

Denmark

• Queen Margrethe II

Jordan

• Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan

Luxembourg

• Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

Monaco

• Prince Albert II

The Netherlands

• King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima
• Princess Beatrix

Spain

• King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia

Sweden

• King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia
• Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnusson

Former monarchies

Baden

• Hereditary Prince Bernhard and Hereditary Princess Stephanie of Baden

Bulgaria

• Prince Kyril, Prince of Preslav

Greece

• Queen Anne-Marie
• Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal 
• Prince Philippos and Princess Nina

Hesse

• Landgrave Donatus and Landgravine Floria

Hohenlohe-Langenburg

• Prince Philipp and Princess Saskia

Romania

• Princess Margareta (styled Custodian of the Romanian Crown) and Prince Radu of Romania

Serbia (Yugoslavia)

• Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine 

As earlier announced, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway had to cancel their attendance because the king was not well enough after testing positive for Covid-19 last week.

Among the British dignitaries were the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, the Right Honourable Dame Eleanor Laing and The Lord Speaker, the Lord McFall of Alcluith, Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP and his wife,  the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Andrew Smith and the Lady Mayoress Salma Shah.

The service was conducted by the Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle. The Order of Service can be read here.

UK: Princess Beatrice of York has given birth to a girl

Buckingham Palace as well as Princess Beatrice herself announced today the birth of a girl, born at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London on Saturday 18 September 2021 at 23.42:

Announcement of the birth of Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's baby

Published 20 September 2021

Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter on Saturday 18th September 2021, at 23.42, at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London.

The baby weighs 6 pounds and 2 ounces.

The new baby’s grandparents and great-grandparents have all been informed and are delighted with the news. The family would like to thank all the staff at the hospital for their wonderful care.

Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well, and the couple are looking forward to introducing their daughter to her big brother Christopher Woolf.

The name of the baby girl, who is 11th in line of succession to the British throne, has yet to be announced. The unnamed baby is Princess Beatrice's first child, while her husband also has a son, Christopher Woolf, b. 2016, from an earlier relationship. The baby is the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York's second grandchild and the 12th great grand-child of Queen Elizabeth II.

Death of Austin Prichard-Levy, husband of Princess Lavinia of Yugoslavia (Serbia)

The Office of HRH Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia announced today the death of Austin Prichard-Levy, second husband of Princess Lavinia, the youngest daughter of Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia by his second wife Kira, née Princess of Leiningen.

Austin died of a heart attack on 2 January 2017 in London. His death is the first royalty-related death to be registered in 2017 so far.

The press release in full:

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander is very sad to announce that Her Royal Highness Princess Lavinia’s (first cousin of HRH Crown Prince Alexander) beloved husband Austin Prichard-Levy died suddenly in London Monday 2nd January 2017 at home of a heart attack.

Crown Prince Alexander and family extend their deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of Princess Lavinia.

Austin Prichard-Levy was born 20 January, 1953 in Roma, Queensland, Australia. He married Princess Lavinia in London 4 October 1998 and they had a son Luca Orlando Christopher born in London 14 February, 2000 whose Godmother is Crown Princess Katherine. He was also loving stepfather to Nadya-Marie and Andrej Sidiropulous.

Princess Lavinia is the daughter of the late Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia (brother of King Peter II of Yugoslavia) and the late Princess Kira of Leiningen.

7 July 2005 memorial, Tavistock Square, London, United Kingdom

"In memory of those who were killed in the bomb attack on a route 30 bus near this spot on 7th July 2005".

"London will never forget them and all those who suffered that day"

The Royalty Weekend 2013 ... and more

On Saturday 6-7 April I attended for the second time the traditional Royalty Weekend conference, which took place at Ticehurst and Flimwell Church of England Primary School, Steellands Rise, Ticehurst in East Sussex, England. Just like in 2011, I write a few words about my impressions from the conference as well as from the other events during my stay in England.

The arms of the parish of Ticehurst (but not of the family carrying the same name).

This time I had opted for the B&B situated closest to the school, The Cherry Three Inn, which was as nice as the name suggested. The room I rented was nice (with free wifi!) and the food at the pub was excellent. For lunch I enjoyed a traditional English treat - lamb liver and bacon! Delicious! The pub owners, Michael and Joanne Hehir, made me feel more than welcome.

Definitely in the country side! Horses and sheep eating outside the Cherry Tree Inn.

The war memorial in High Street. Did I get a better picture this time than in 2011?

After the lunch I went for a walk in the little village of Ticehurst. In 2011, I didn't get to see the local church, St. Mary's, from the inside, so I had to make sure to explore it this time. A separate article will be published later. In the evening I joined several Royalty Weekend attendees for dinner at The Bull at Three Leg Cross. I attend the conference to get new input and get inspiration for all my royalty-related activities on among others my website and blog, but the social aspect of the «royalty-watchers'/historians' gathering» is nearly as important. It is really nice to meet old and new friends who share the interest in royal history and genealogy with me. So many knowledgeable people at the same place!

Outside The Bell, High Street.

Would you belive it - Ticehurst, a mecca for train lovers!

The food is of course also important, and The Bull certainly didn't disappoint. I never figured out what the soup of the day was made of, though - it was very green, but didn't taste so much spinach as one could have expected. I liked it, anyway! The chicken, ham and leek pie for the main course was great, and the vanilla cheesecake was heavy stuff. I might go for «sausages and mash» and «fruit crumble» next time around.

At the main door of Ticehurst and Flimwell Church of England Primary School.

When I attended the conference two years ago, we were treated by great spring weather with temperatures close to 20 Celsius degrees. When I arrived at Wadhurst railway station on Friday 5 April, sleet was in the air, and even if the weather got a little bit better during the weekend, it was still really cold. It was equally cold inside the school where the conference took place, but at least the hall where the talks and meals took place was endurable.

The editor of Royalty Digest Quarterly, Ted Rosvall, left, and the editor of The European Royal History Journal, Arturo E. Beéche, right, share the same market and had lots to talk about during the weekend.

Now back to being positive again: After the conference was opened by the compère, Revd. Richard Thornton, Ted Rosvall, the Bernadotte genealogist, founder of Rosvall Royal Books and editor of Royalty Digest Quarterly, gave the first lecture, this time with the topic The lesser-known and hidden-away royals. His run-through took us from the Bernadottes to Luxembourg (and Nassau), Prussia, Bavaria, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Montenegro, Serbia and Greece. Not all the royals were that «lesser known», at least to me, but it was a nice talk anyway, and with many great slights to watch. Towards the end of his talk Rosvall also mentioned that Queen Olga of the Hellenes' photo album was to be published soon with Prince Michael of Greece as the editor as well as the royalty portrait collection Personalities. Royalty and Celebrity in the 1870s by Harold Brown.

The writer and RDQ historical consultant Charlotte Zeepvat was the next one out with a great outline of the history of the House of Nassau through photographs, and what a fantastic subject title: «I didn't know they had royalty in Bahamas»! Yes, someone had actually said that!

After lunch, Revd. Richard Thornton challenged the audience with his «fiendish quiz». And «fiendish» it was indeed. Now, I like to think of myself as having knowledge of royalty above the average, but I soon realized that I belonged to the minor league among the many knowledgeable people in attendance! I didn't even bother to deliver the answer sheet afterwards! Ted Rosvall won the quiz as he said he would, with 27 1/2 of 40 points. Many people thought the quiz was too difficult, and it is still an open question whether the exercise will be repeated next year or not. But maybe if it was organised differently - in groups, perhaps - it could be better received?

After the quiz, Robert Golden, author of Relatively Royal (2000), The Golden Book of Royalty (2002) and Definitely Royal (2012) and a regular contributor to the magazine Majesty, held a talk themed The wider Royal Family: some of those I have known. My goodness what an impressive network he has! And so entertaining his presentation was! The lucky Golden is to attend the state funeral of King Peter II, Queen Alexandra and Queen Maria of Yugoslavia in May 2013, by the way.

Ian Shapiro, formerly with Argyll Etkin, now with his own business dealing with royal and historical memorabilia, was the last one out on Saturday with his talk about The hidden archive of Princess Irene of Prussia. The princess in question was Princess of Irene, née Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and a sister of among others Princess Alix (Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia) and Princess Elisabeth (married to Grand Prince Serge). The collection which Shapiro gave examples from, contains birthday and Christmas greetings - often illustrated by royals themselves - photos, telegrams, funeral programs, paper cuttings etc.

In the evening the group returned for yet another great dinner and nice talks.

Helen Rappaport opened the Sunday session with an update on her forthcoming book Four sisters, which deals with the daughters of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, and which is due in the spring of 2014.

The King Zog/Albanian Royal Family expert Neil Rees given several talks about the Zogu dynasty over the years, and this time he gave the story of the reburial of King Zog in Albania in 2012. I am happy (if one is allowed to use such a word about a cemetery visit) that I managed to visit King Zog's grave in Paris before his remains were moved to his homeland. I would very much like to visit the royal mausoleum one day. The key to the entrance can be received from the neighbour restaurant, I was told! Rees' book A Royal Exile: King Zog and Queen Geraldine of Albania (2010) is to be revised. His next project goes in a different direction, however, as he is to explore King Louis XVIII of France's exile at Hartwell House.

The around 75 people - some generalists, some experts on the Romanovs, the Zogus, the British Royal Family and others - will of course have their own impressions and favourites. I hope all the speakers take it the right way when I say that to me the highlight of the Royalty Weekend was Margreeth Pop-Jansen's presentation of A Remarkable Princess: Marianne of the Netherlands. What an interesting character the princess was!

There are many ways to tell stories about the royal families. One way goes through royal jewellery. Certainly not my field, but Christophe Vachaudez' presentation in words and pictures about Belgian royal jewels was well worth listening to and watching. His next book project is on the Luxembourg royal jewellery collection. The foundation-owned collection, it should be added, not the private one.

The last one out in this year's Royalty Weekend was Coryne Hall, whose latest book is Hvidøre: a Royal Retreat (2012). She is currently working on a book about royal women in nursing (Princess on the Wards. Links Between Royal Women and Nursing), which is to be published in 2014. She gave several examples in her presentation, including Princess Alice of Greece, mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Margarita of Baden and Princess Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, later Queen of the Bulgarians. Hall also showed the image of a stamp showing Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, née Princess of Luxembourg, from 1970 President of Luxembourg's Red Cross youth organisation and a trained nurse as well. I would love to get hold of that stamp one day.

All in all I enjoyed the Royalty Weekend very much - even if some topics interested me more than others, I never had a boring moment. Some speakers used less time than expected, which gave more time for socializing and purchasing books, but perhaps one or two more topics - they didn't have to be that long - could have been pressed in? Anyway, thanks to Sue Woolmans for once again being the main responsible for putting it all together, and to Richard Thornton and the others who helped out.

As for now, next year's Royalty Weekend is planned to take place at the same venue on 26-27 April 2014. The dates have to be confirmed later, of course. Those days will most likely collide with my planned trip to Seattle and Vancouver, but 2015 is not that far away after all...

Currently there is a discussion at the Royalty Weekend's Facebook page whether the conference should be moved to another location more easily reachable than Ticehurst. I can understand the wish, as another venue might attract more people than the core group of royal fans, but at the same time I find Ticehurst to be a charming place. It is also a matter of keeping the costs down, and someone has to organise it all. People like Woolmans and Thornton - and before them Paul Minet & Co. of the bookstore in Ticehurst - are few and far between. In other words, I find it difficult to make up my mind about what I actually prefer. First of all I hope the conference will continue in the years to come!

As I have already mentioned, about 75 people attended the Royalty Weekend. It still amazes me that so many people from the great republic of the United States of America travel so far for this kind of conference! There were also people from Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and Norway besides the many Britons. Have I forgotten any other nationalities?

Concerning the book sale, I didn't buy more than one during the weekend. There were several interesting titles, but I don't have much space at home for too many new books. I have to find a bigger place to live first. The last 2-3 years most purchases have been Kindle versions. Normally I prefer text books rather than photo books, but I actually ended up with Jean Louis Schlim's Prinzregent Luitpold. Erinnerungen aus königlichen Photo-Alben (August Dreesbach Verlag, Munich, 2012). The book had some useful genealogical tables as well. I considered to buy the photo book The Princely Family of Liechtenstein by Uve Harder (Van Eck Verlag, 2013) as well, but postponed it. I might drop by the van Hoogstraten bookstore in the Hague when I visit the Netherlands in September this year.

For some of us the social gathering continued on the train back to London and in a Chinese restaurant in the Soho area in the evening.

I had decided to spend a couple of days in London before returning to Norway, so on Monday 8 April I decided to visit the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery and Kensal Green Cemetery to take photographs of the royal graves there. I will return with separate blog articles about these visits later on. Upon my return to central London, I was reunited with two Royalty Weekend attendees for lunch at a pub near The Ritz. During our burger meal the news of former prime minister Baroness Thatcher's death reached us, and we hurried down to the gate in Arlington Street to see what was going on. Not much, I have to say, but an impressive number of photographers and reporters had assembled to wait for the undertakers to bring the former prime minister's body out of the hotel. No-one had the slightest idea of when this move could take place (it didn't happen until the next morning!), so we did a detour to 10 Downing Street. Not much happened there either, so when I was on my own again, I returned to Arlington Street, with a break at Hatchard's bookshop.

Outside 22 Arlington Street, where Baroness Thatcher died on Monday 8 April 2013.

Hatchard's at Piccadilly was in the middle of a reorganisation process and looked rather chaotic, I must say. The royal books section had become even smaller since my last visit, and had been moved across the room, while the other biographies had been moved to the basement. No more space for book purchases, you say? I ended up with buying Pamela Hick's autobiography Daughter of Empire. Life as a Mountbatten (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London, 2012), Helen Rappaport's Magnificent Obsession (Windmill Books, 2012, paperback edition) and Peter Conradi's The Great Survivors. How monarchy made it into the twenty-first century (Alma Books, updated paperback edition, 2013). I was interviewed by the author for the book a few years ago, but had forgotten all about it until a correspondent mentioned it to me a couple of weeks before I left for England. My list of books to read will take years go get through, I guess!

Hatchard's soon organised a Thatcher table near the main entrance. When I passed it later the same day after yet another stop outside 22 Arlington Street, I noticed through the door that more books had been added, but I didn't have the time to take another picture.

I mentioned earlier that I had lamb liver and bacon for lunch on Friday when I arrived in Ticehurst. My last dinner at this trip was also rather traditional: Steak and kidney pudding at the Hilton London Euston Hotel restaurant. But "as always" I spent the nights at Tavistock Hotel nearby.

London is a city I usually visit once a year, if I don't go to Norwich to watch football instead. In London there are certain shops I «have to» drop by. I will not bore the readers with too many details about my shopping rounds, but would like to mention the Twinings tea shop and the Stanley Gibbons stamps shop at the Strand. Yes, I can get hold of Twinings tea everywhere, but there is nothing like buying it in the old shop which Thomas Twining bought as far back as 1706! At Stanley Gibbons I wanted to buy the Sede Vacante stamps issued by the Vatican for the period between Pope Benedict XVI's abdication and Pope Francis' election earlier this year, but it turned out that the shop didn't have them. I have to get them from somewhere else. But they had the Sede Vacante stamps from 1978! But not 2005, as far as I could tell! I also added some Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother stamps issued by Tanzania to my collection.

After all the shopping on the last trip of my visit (Tuesday 9 April), I found time to visit the British Museum and the exhibition In search of Classical Greece. Travel drawings of Edward Dodwell and Simone Pomardi 1805–1806. Quite interesting! The exhibition closes on 28 April 2013, by the way.

I mentioned Norwich, where my favourite football team, Norwich City FC - the Canaries - come from. I visited the city twice last fall, but it still felt strange to go to England without going to a football match. When I attended the Royalty Weekend in 2011, the Canaries met Swansea City away and lost 0-3, but won promotion to the Premier League a month later, and were joined by the Swans. Funnily enough, the same teams played each other during this year's Royalty Weekend as well, now at Carrow Road in Norwich, and the game ended in a draw, 2-2. The Canaries still have a few games left to secure another season in the Premier League. So maybe next time I attend the Royalty Weekend, Norwich will finally beat the Swans?

Postscript 23 April 2013: A correspondent has kindly informed me that the soup I had at The Bull, which I thought was spinach soup although it didn't taste like spinach at all, was in fact a green pea soup! It must be added, as said above, that I enjoyed the soup, but just couldn't figure out what it was made of. Now I know!


Updated on Wednesday 17 April 2013 at 09:45 (superfluous link deleted), Wednesday 17 April 2013 at 19:40 (minor changes to the Ritz/Thatcher paragraph) and last time on Tuesday 23 April 2013 at 23:30 (postscript added, as well as a word that was missing from the Bul main meal description).