Sweden: Princess Ines Marie Lilian Silvia, Duchess of Västerbotten

In the Council of State at Stockholm Palace yesterday, King Carl Gustaf announced that his granddaughter had received the names Ines Marie Lilian Silvia and had also been granted the dynastic title Duchess of Västerbotten:

10 February 2025

Princess Ines Marie Lilian Silvia, Duchess of Västerbotten

On Monday 10 February, a Council of State was held at the Royal Palace on the occasion of the birth of TRH Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia’s fourth child.

At the Council of State, HM The King informed the Government that the Princess, who is eigth in line to the Throne, will be named Ines Marie Lilian Silvia and known as Princess Ines.

Princess Ines has been granted the Duchy of Västerbotten.

In accordance with His Majesty The King’s decision of 7 October 2019 regarding changes in The Royal House, Princess Ines is a member of the Royal Family but not of The Royal House. The Princess will therefore not enjoy the style of Royal Highness.

There was some confusion at first, because the king pronounced the calling name Inse and also mixed up the order of the names. The announcement from the Royal Court soon put the confusion to rest. After the Te Deum (the thanksgiving service), a photo of the princess taken by her mother Princess Sofia was released by the court.

As I commented last Friday, it was difficult to guess what name the princess would get. Ines is a nice name, but it is not a common name in Sweden and certainly not in the Swedish royal family. Her other names are more traditional. Marie comes from Princess Sofia's mother Marie Britt, née Rotman. Prince Carl Philip's beloved great aunt Lilian was married to Prince Bertil of Sweden and Silvia is of course the name of Princess Ines' grandmother Queen Silvia. 

The last prince to carry the ducal title of Västerbotten was the king's father Prince Gustaf Adolf (1906–1947). 

The updated line of succession to the Swedish throne, now with the name of Princess Ines included:

1. HRH Crown Princess Victoria (b. 1977)
2. HRH Princess Estelle (b. 2012)
3. HRH Prince Oscar (b. 2016)
4. HRH Prince Carl Philip (b. 1979)
5. Prince Alexander (b. 2016)
6. Prince Gabriel (b. 2017)
7. Prince Julian (b. 2021)
8. Princess Ines (b. 2025)
9. HRH Princess Madeleine (b. 1982)
10. Princess Leonore (b. 2014)
11. Prince Nicolas (b. 2015)
12. Princess Adrienne (b. 2018)

Sweden: Council of State to take place on Monday 10 February 2025

The Council of State, in which the name and ducal title of the nwborn daughter of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia will be announced, will take place on Monday 10 February 2025 at 11:15 a.m.

At 12:15 the same day there will be a Te Deum in the Royal Palace Church to mark the birth of the princess. At noon a salute of 21 shots will also be fired to mark the birth from the salute stations at Skeppsholmen in Stockholm, Boden, Härnösand, Karlskrona and Gothenburg. 

Sweden: Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia have become parents to their fourth child

The Swedish Royal Court announced today the birth of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia's fourth child, a girl:

7 February 2025

TRH Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia welcome their fourth child – a daughter

Today, Friday 7th February at 1.10 p.m., HRH Princess Sofia gave birth to a daughter at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm.

The baby weighs 3645 grams and is 49 centimetres long.

Prince Carl Philip was present at Danderyd Hospital throughout the birth.

The pregnancy was announced in September 2024. The couple has three boys - Prince Alexander, b. 2016, Prince Gabriel, b. 2017 and Prince Julian, b. 2021. The new princes, who is no. 8 in the line of succession to the Swedish throne, is King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia's 9th grandchild.

The updated line of succesion:

1. HRH Crown Princess Victoria (b. 1977)
2. HRH Princess Estelle (b. 2012)
3. HRH Prince Oscar (b. 2016)
4. HRH Prince Carl Philip (b. 1979)
5. Prince Alexander (b. 2016)
6. Prince Gabriel (b. 2017)
7. Prince Julian (b. 2021)
8. Princess NN (b. 2025)
9. HRH Princess Madeleine (b. 1982)
10. Princess Leonore (b. 2014)
11. Prince Nicolas (b. 2015)
12. Princess Adrienne (b. 2018)

Due to the king's decision in 2019 to "downsize" the Swedish Royal Family, the princess is not a member of the Royal House, but "only" of the Royal Family. The name and ducal title will be announced by the King in a Council of State. The date of the council has not been announced yet.

 

It is difficult to guess what the name of the newborn princess could be. As always I hope for  a traditional royal name, or at least a traditional Swedish name, but I suppose we can expect something more modern.

The Swedish Tax Agency, which has taken over the name statistics from Statistics Sweden, has, by the way, just recently published the list of the most popular Swedish names given to girls and boys born in 2024. The top ten list of names for girls born in 2024 is as follows:

1. Alma
2. Alice
3. Olivia
4. Elsa
5. Vera
6. Saga
7. Selma
8. Astrid
9. Ella
10. Signe

It would be nice with a Princess Alice, a Princess Elsa or a Princess Astrid, don't you think?

Sweden: Funeral service for Princess Birgitta to take place on Sunday 15 December 2024

The Swedish Royal Court announced yesterday that the funeral service for Princess Birgitta, who died on 4 December 2024, 87 years old, will take place on Sunday 15 December 2024 at Drottningholm Palace Church. Afterwards she will be laid at rest at Kungliga begravningsplatsen (The Royal Cemetery) at Haga. In accordance with Princess Birgitta's own wishes, the ceremonies will be a private affair where only family and others who have got an invitation will be present.

On the funeral day flags will be fly at half staff at the Royal Palace, Drottningholm Palace and Haga Palace until after the princess has been buried.

Princess Birgitta of Hohenzollern, née Princess of Sweden (1937-2024)

The Swedish Royal Court announced today 4 December 2024 the death of Princess Birgitta of Hohenzollern. 

Princess Birgitta, b. Haga in Solna outside Stockholm 19 January 2024 was the second oldest daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (1906-1947) and Princess Sibylla of Sweden, née Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and thus an elder sister of King Carl Gustaf. In 1961 Princess Birgitta married Prince Johann-Georg of Hohenzollern (1932-2016) and had by him 3 children. Since her marriage she lived for many years in Munich, Germany before moving to Mallorca after she had separated from her husband. 

The Swedish Royal Court has so far only stated that the princess died at Mallorca earlier today on 4 December 2024. The English-speaking local newspaper Majorca Daily Bulletin claims to know that she died at her home in Santa Ponsa. A friend of Princess Birgitta has, however, told Aftonbladet that she had been hospitalized lately due to a broken arm, but was about to be released from hospital when she died earlier this morning. The article doesn't explicitly say that she died at the hospital, though. Another friend of the princess has on the other hand told the newspaper Expressen that she died in a local hospital.

Princess Birgitta was at the time of her death still a member of the Swedish Royal House because she, unlike her sisters, had married into royalty. 

The court writes that details about the funeral service. which will be a private affair («Gravsättning sker i kretsen av Prinsessans familj») will be given later. In accordance with her wishes she will be laid at rest at Kungliga begravningsplatsen (The Royal Cemetery) at Haga.

Updated (4 December 2024 at 21:41):

After my blog article was updated the Swedisn Royal Court has made an English version of its press release, which I quote in full:

4 December 2024

HRH Princess Birgitta has passed away

HRH Princess Birgitta, sister of HM The King, passed away on the island of Mallorca on Wednesday 4th December 2024. The Princess was 87 years old.

On the occasion of the death of HRH Princess Birgitta, the following statement is made by HM The King:

“With great sadness, I have today received the news that my sister, Princess Birgitta, has passed away. My sister was a colorful and forthright person who will be deeply missed by me and my family. Together with all my family, I send my condolences to Princess Birgitta's children and grandchildren.”

Princess Birgitta was the widow of Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern (1932–2016) and lived on the Spanish island of Mallorca for many years. Princess Birgitta leaves behind her three children and their families.

Flags at half mast

HM The King has ordered the flags at Drottningholm Palace and Haga Palace to be flown at half mast on the 5th December.

Funeral arrangements

Her Royal Highness will be laid to rest at the Royal Cemetery in Haga Park in Stockholm, in keeping with the wishes of The Princess. The burial will take place in the presence of The Princess’ family.

Additional information regarding Princess Birgitta’s funeral will be provided at a later date.

Norway: A project to build a sarcophagus for King Harald and Queen Sonja has been started

© 2019 Dag Trygsland Hoelseth 

In the Norwegian government's proposal for the state budget 2025, which was presented today, the government has proposed to allocate NOK 20 million in project funds for the acquisition of a sarcophagus. The acquisition is carried out by the Royal Court.

The sacrophagus will be used as the final resting place for the king and queen in The Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Palace. Snøhetta, which among others was beind the Opera House in Oslo, has been chosen to design the sarcophagus. According to today's press release from the Royal Court, the status of the project is that the work "to design the sarcophagus has begun in an early phase".

The mausoleum was inaugurated in 1949 and includes the double sarcophaguses of King Haakon and Queen Maud (in white marble, see the photo above) and King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha (in dark green marble). The coffin of Queen Maud was after her funeral kept at Akershus, where it waited for the construction of the mausoleum, which is a additio to the Akershus Castle Church. Due to the war the work was stopped and was not finished before 1948. The work on the sacropahgus was, however, not finished before the year after. In December 1949 Queen Maud's coffin was brought from the crypt of Gamle Aker Church, where it had been kept since Apri 1940, to Akershus Castle.  

For more details (in Norwegian) and photos of the mausoleum please read the article "Det kongelige mausoleum" at Slektshistoriewiki (the Norwegian genealogy wiki).

Norway: The Royal House reorganized

The King of Norway has decided to change the way the Royal Family has been categorized, as shown at the official website today.

Earlier there were two categories – the Royal House and the Royal Family:

The Royal Family

The Royal House of Norway belongs to the House of Glücksburg. The members of the Norwegian Royal House are Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja and Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

The members of the Royal Family are in addition the Crown Prince and Crown Princess’s other children, His Highness Prince Sverre Magnus and Mr Marius Borg Høiby; Her Highness Princess Märtha Louise, Miss Maud Angelica Behn, Miss Leah Isadora Behn, Miss Emma Tallulah Behn and Her Highness Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner. 

As of today we can read:*

The Royal House of Norway

The Royal House of Norway belongs to the House of Glücksburg. The members of the Norwegian Royal House are Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja and Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Ingrid Alexandra. 

[...] 

Other royals

In addition to the members of the Royal House, HH Prince Sverre Magnus, HH Princess Märtha Louise, and HH Princess Astrid also hold royal titles.

* See also the subpage about the "Other royals".

An article on the subject in English can be read at Newsinenglish.no today. The Head of Communication at the Royal Court, Guri Varpe, has explained the changes to VG.no today: "The changes on Kongehuset.no have been made to clarify who represents the royal house, as well as who the other royals are. This is in line with current definitions of the royal house and its members"

I think it is obvious to conclude that the changes have come after the many discussions concerning Princess Märtha Louise's activities, including the claims that she has used her title for commercial gains, and her many violations of the agreement made in 2022 where she promised to differentiate more clearly between her own activities and her relationship to the Royal House of Norway, which among others meant that she would "not employ the title of Princess or refer to members of the Royal House in their social media channels, in media productions or in connection with other commercial activities". 

The changes also means among others that Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son Marius Borg Høiby, who last month was charged with among others domestic violence, has also ceased to be a member of the royal family.

I think it was a good idea to change the categories, but I would have preferred if the category "royal family" had been continued, but that it should only include those with titles. There is no reason to get rid of the the category altogether. Of course the man in the street will still use it even if not used by the Royal Court.

The changes will, for the record, have no effect on the line of succession. Many people have demanded that Princess Märtha Louise should lose her title, but it doesn't seem very likely as of now.

The King and Crown Prince have constitutional roles to play and together with their spouses belong to the Royal House, together with Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who is 2nd in line and will one day inherit the throne. In other words, those styled Majesty or Royal Highness. They are also exempted from paying taxes, cf. the Norwegian taxation act section 2-30, while other family members have to pay taxes just like other citizens.

Sweden: Princess Sofia is pregnant

The Swedish Royal Court announced today that Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia are expecting their fourth child and that the due date is some time in February 2025.

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia are expecting a child

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia are delighted to announce that The Princess is expecting their fourth child.

Princess Sofia is feeling well, and the birth is expected to take place in February 2025. During the autumn, no changes in the public schedule of Princess Sofia are planned.

The princely couple has three boys – Prince Alexander, b. 2016, Prince Gabriel, b. 2017 and Prince Julian, b. 2021. The future prince or princess will become 8th in the line of succession to the Swedish throne, and will become the king and queen's 9th grandchild. He or she will become a member of the Swedish Royal Family only and not of the Royal House, following the changes made in October 2019.

Norway: Princess Märtha Louise married to Durek Verrett

The marriage took place on Saturday 31 August 2024 at Vinjevollen (Vinje farm), Geiranger, Norway between Princess Märtha Louise, b. Oslo 22 September 1971, the daughter and eldest child of of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, née Haraldsen, and Durek David Verrett, formerly Derek David Verrett (name change in 2014), b. Sacramento, California 17 November 1974, son of David Benjamin Verrett and Sheila G. Farmer (also called Veruschka Urquhart – Farmer was her mother's name, Urquhart her father's adoped name). 

The engagement was announced on 7 June 2022.

The bride was escorted down the aisle by her eldest daughter from her first marriage, Maud Angelica Behn. The ceremony was officiated by vicar Margit Lovise Holte, using the wedding liturgy of the Church Norway. Holte is a personal friend of the bride. Pastor Michael Beckwith also gave a greeting during the ceremony. 

350 people were invited to the wedding. Among the guests were:

Norway

• HM King Harald V
• HM Queen Sonja
• HRH Crown Prince Haakon 
• HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit 
• HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra 
• Prince Sverre Magnus 
• Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner
• Maud Angelica Behn
• Leah Isadora Behn
• Emma Tallulah Behn

Sweden

• HRH Crown Princess Victoria 
• HRH Prince Daniel
• HRH Prince Carl Philip 
• HRH Prince Sofia

The Netherlands

• HRH Prince Constantijn 
• HRH Princess Laurentien

From the groom's family:

• Angelina Verrett-Byrne (sister), her husband Mike Byrne and their children Lukas Byrne and Alexandria Byrne
• Brandon Clarke (half-brother) and his wife Kim
• Maggie Alava (niece?), her husband Bryan Marks and their daughter Ava

Other guests included Prince Sverre Magnus' girl-friend Amalia Giæver Macleod, the children of the late Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen and Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner and most of their partners.

Among the sources

• Bryllup i Geiranger, Kongehuset.no 26 August 2024
• Marius Borg Høiby deltar ikke i bryllupet i Geiranger, VG.no 26 August 2024
• Kronprinsesse Victoria og prins Daniel deltar i prinsesse Märtha Louises bryllup, VG.no 27 August 2024
• Prinsessebryllupet: Disse kommer fra Dureks nærmeste familie, VG.no 28 August 2024
• Prins Sverre Magnus: Hånd i hånd med Amalie, Dagbladet.no 30 August 2024
• Salsa-festen i gang i Geiranger, Nrk.no 30 August 2024
• Prins Constantijn (54) og prinsesse Laurentien (58) av Nederland – Båndet er sterkt, Dagbladet.no 31 August 2024
• Nå er prinsesse Märtha Louise (52) og Durek Verrett (49) gift, VG.no 31 August 2024
• Trond Norén Isaksen - historiker/historian (official Facebook page) 1 September 2024

Royalty Digest Quarterly no. 2, 2024

The latest issue of Royalty Digest Quarterly - no. 2, 2024 – arrived in my mailbox on 4 July. It has been a busy summer, so I haven't much time to write a commentary until now.

The contents:

• Olivier Defrance. A Life Without Tenderness. Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma II, pp. 1–10.
• Martijn Arts: Sigismund and Charlotte Agnes of Prussia. From Palace to Nature, pp. 11–17.
• Elisabeth Jane Timms: Losing Ludwig, pp. 18–28.
• Bearn Bilker: The Princely House zu Wied – A Family Album, pp. 29–49.
• Coryne Hall: Little-Known ROYALS. Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe, pp. 50–52.
• Stephen Bunford: The Pursuit of Pleasure - the Georgian Mistresses, pp. 53–62.
• The World Wide Web of Royalty, p. 64.

The main cover photo is of Schloss Monrepos near Neuwied, one of the palaces of the Wied family, while the inserted photo is of  Princess (Fürstin) Marie, née Princess of  Nassau-Weilberg (1825–1902), who was married to Prince Hermann (1814–1836–1864). They were 4xgreat-grandparents of the current head, Prince Maximilian, b. 1999, if I have done my maths correctly.

Ted Rosvall opens his Editor's Corner this way: "The Duke of Sussex is now definitely "Persona non Grata" within the British Royal Family. This is hardly a secret and every new scandal seems to confirm it. Not to mention his easily hurt, spoiled and scheming duchess. Without being too harsh, one must probably conclude that their place in the cold is more than well deserved."

Well, we certainly agree that the ducal couple are "Persona non Grata". But I don't think it is fair to put all the  blame on them. The king, his brother and the media also have a share in my opinion, even if the couple has made the situation much worse by their TV interview, book publication etc. after moving to the States. It is all a very sad story ...

I feel that I have learned a lot about Princess Marie Louise of the Bulgarians, née Princess of Bourbon-Parma (1870–1899), wife of Prince Ferdinand (1861–1887–1918–1948) by reading Oliever Defrance's article, which was written with the collaboration of Joseph van Loon and Damien Bilteryst. What a sad marriage and what a selfish husband ...

Prince Sigismund (1896–1978), the second son of Prince Heinrich of Prussia (1862–1929) and a nephew of Emperor Wilhelm II, had an interesting life as a farmer in Guatemala and later in Costa Rica, together with his wife Princess Charlotte Agnes, née Princess of Saxe-Altenburg (1899–1989). I have read about them before, but it was a nice "return visit".

The article about king Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845–1886) by Elisabeth Jane Timms is based among others on the diary of Archduchess Marie Valerie (1868–1924), whose mother was Empress Elisabeth "Sissi" of Austria, née Duchess in Bavaria (1837–1898).

The main article of this issue is of course Bearn Bilker's Family Album of the House of Wied. The article follows the same pattern as previous family albums – a short introduction followed by a large collection of photos of various family members and then finally a genealogical table. Bilker could perhaps have mentioned Prince Wilhelm of Wied (1876–1945), who reigned as Prince (Mbret) of Albania for a short period in 1914, but at least it is mentioned in the genealogy (provided by Ted Rosvall, I gather?).

Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe (1898–1974) was certainly not among the best-known members of royal Europe, and you would have to be very interested in royal history to know much about him these days. He was the son of Prince Friedrich (1868–1945), head of the Náchod branch, and Princess Louise of Denmark (1875–1906), the eldest daughter of Crown Prince, later King Frederik VIII) of Denmark (1843–1906–1912). Prince Christian, a first cousin of among others King Frederik IX of Denmark (1899–1947–1972) and King Olav V of Norway (1903–1957–1991), married his first cousin Princess Feodora of Denmark (1910–1975), eldest daughter of Prince Harald (1876–1949). Prince Christian and Princess Feodora's second son was the notorious Prince Waldemar (1940–2020), who caused so headlines of the years for the wrong reasons ...

When Stephen Bunford writes about "the Georgian Mistresses" he refers to the various Kings named George (of Hannover and the United Kingdom), but if you read the headline fast without thinking too much, you could easily wonder if the article was about mistresses from Georgia, and that would have made it more eccentric, wouldn't it?! Bunford doesn't hide the truth about King George IV: "[He] was an egotistical, romantic, dramatic, foolhardy, untruthful, narcistic, self-interested, self-absorbed sybarite." If you want to see the full list of George's over 70 known and alleged mistresses (and children) you should see Anthony Camp's website https://anthonyjcamp.com/pages/anthony-j-camp-nos-1-29.

Finally, the column The World Wide Web of Royalty this time brings you genealogical news of Hohenlohe-Öhringen, Lippe-Weissenfels, Schleswig-Holstein, Austria and Bavaria.

Information about Royalty Digest Quarterly can be found at its editor's website Royalbooks.se. See earlier presentations of RDQ here. See also its Facebook page. 

This article was last time updated on Tuesday 20 August 2024 at 21:20 (a link was corrected).

Luxembourg: Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume to become Lieutenant-Representative in October 2024

In his speech on Luxembourg's national day 23 June 2024, Grand Duke Henri announced that his eldest son, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, is to become Lieutenant-Representative (regent/acting head of state) in October 2024. In this way the Hereditary Grand Duke will have some time to prepare for his role until the day comes when his father decides to abdicate.

The then Hereditary Grand Duke Henri was appointed Lieutenant-Représentant of His Royal Highness Grand Duke Jean by decree of 3 March 1998 (published in Memorial on 4 March 1998) and became Grand Duke when his father abdicated on 7 October 2000. Before becoming Lieutenant-Représentant, Henri was an ex officio member of the Council of State from 1980.

Article 42 of the Constitution of Luxembourg says:

The Grand Duke may have Himself represented by a Prince of the blood, who shall bear the title of Lieutenant of the Grand Duke and who [shall] reside in the Grand Duchy.

This representative shall take an oath to observe the Constitution before exercising his powers.

UK: New appointments to various Orders of Chivalry announced

Yesterday Buckingham Palace announced appointments to various Orders of Chivalry:

New appointments to various Orders of Chivalry announced

Published 23 April 2024

A number of new appointments to Orders of the Garter, the Bath, the British Empire and the Companions of Honour become effective immediately.

The Order of the Garter

His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to appoint four new Companions to the Order of the Garter. The Companions are:

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester, GCVO, DStJ, CD, to be a Royal Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

Air Chief Marshal the Lord Peach, GBE, KCB, DL, to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

The Right Honourable the Lord Kakkar, KBE, to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

The Lord Lloyd-Webber to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

Background

The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain. Each year, it is celebrated with a procession and service in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

The appointment of the Knights and Ladies of the Garter is in The King’s gift (i.e. without Prime Ministerial advice). Appointments to the Order of the Garter are therefore in the same category as the Order of the Thistle, the Order of Merit and the Royal Victorian Order which are also in The King’s gift.

Today's announcement brings the number of Companions to 21 (out of a maximum of 24).

This year’s Garter Service will take place this Summer at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. 

THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH

His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to appoint His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, K.G., K.T., A.D.C., to be Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. 

Previous Great Masters have included: His Majesty The King as The Prince of Wales (1974-2022), His Royal Highness Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1942-1974) and His Royal Highness Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1901-1942). 

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath was established by King George I in 1725 although it is believed to originally date back as far as the eighth century. It is awarded to members of the military or civil service for exemplary service.

THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to appoint Her Majesty The Queen to be Grand Master and First or Principal Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. 

Previous Grand Masters have included: His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1953-2021), Her Majesty Queen Mary (1936-1953) and His Majesty King George VI as The Duke of York (1917-1936). 

The Order of the British Empire was established by King George V in 1917 to honour a broader cross section of society, both military and civilian.

THE ORDER OF THE COMPANIONS OF HONOUR   

His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to appoint Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, GCVO, to be Royal Companion of The Order of the Companions of Honour. 

This is a new appointment.

The Order of the Companions of Honour was founded by King George V in 1917 to recognise outstanding achievements in the Arts, Sciences, Medicine and Public Service. 

The appointments are effective from 23rd April 2024.

I am not the only one who is pleased to note that the Duchess of Gloucester this way is being recognized for all her work on behalf of the crown for so many years, usually without getting the public and media attention that she has deserved. 

It is also wonderful that Queen Camilla has been appointed as Grand Master of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. However, I am still a bit surprised that the mistake about King George VI has not been corrected yet. The appointmemnts were after all published yesterday. King George VI was not the Grand Master as Duke of York from 1917 to 1936, but his elder brother, who became King Edward VIII in January 1936 (and then abdicated  in December the same year), was. 

Norway: King Harald back at work, but the number of engagements will be reduced

King Harald today resumed his duties after his long absence due to having fallen ill during his vacation in Malaysia in late February. Upon his return to Norway on 3 March he was admitted to the National Hospital and had an permanent pacemaker implanted on 12 March. He was discharged from hospital two days later, but has been on sick leave until today in order to rest and recuperate. In the meantime his son Crown Prince Haakon has acted as Regent.

Today the king granted audiences to The Chief of Defence, General Eirik Kristoffersen, Brigadier Terje Bruøygard, Head of Brigade Nord (the Northern Brigade) as well as to Rear Admiral Bjørn-Erik Marthinsen, second in command of the the Defence Staff. The king will grant more audiences on Thursday 25 April and preside over the Council of State at the Royal Palace on Friday 26 April. 

The Norwegian Royal Court announced today the king was going to continue his constitutional duties, including conducting meetings and audiences at the Palace and making official visits in Norway. However, due to his age the number of engagements and scope of activities will from now on be scaled down.

The news doesn't come as a surprise due to his age and health situation, and the number of engagements have been reduced in later years as well, as for instance fellow historian Trond Norén Isaksen has pointed out, but obviously now the changes become more permanent. 

Jordan: Princess Rajwa is pregnant

The Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan announced yesterday that Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein are expecting their first child in the summer of 2024.

Crown Prince, Princess Rajwa expecting baby this summer

10 April 2024

The Royal Hashemite Court is pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein are expecting their first baby this summer.

The Royal Hashemite Court extends its sincere congratulations to Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah on this occasion, and wishes Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Al Hussein and Princess Rajwa good health and joy as they welcome their baby.

Crown Prince Hussein, the eldest son of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, married the Saudi citizen Rajwa Al Saif, a daughter of Khaled bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al Saif and Azza bint Nayef bin Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Sudairi, on 1 June 2023.

The summer baby, if a boy, will at birth become 2nd in line of succession to the Jordanian throne. The prince or princess will  be the first grandchild of the king and queen of Jordan.

Norway: King Harald on sick leave for two more weeks

The Norwegian Royal Court announced on Thursday 4 April 2024 that King Harald, who was scheduled to return to his duties next week after having been on sick leave since late February, will be on sick leave for two more weeks. This blog article might be a bit outdated as it has already gone 3 days since the announcement, but I have been on vacation in Tanzania the last two weeks, and as I have written about the king's health developments previously, I thought I should include the latest announcement as well, at least for the record:

His Majesty The King on sick leave for two more weeks

His Majesty The King is undergoing rehabilitation following his hospitalisation earlier this winter and still needs more time before returning to his constitutional duties. Therefore, His Majesty will be on sick leave for two more weeks until Monday 22 April.

During this period, His Royal Highness The Crown Prince will act as regent.

His Majesty's official engagements will largely be taken care of by members of the Royal Family:

• His Royal Highness The Crown Prince Regent, Her Majesty The Queen and Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess host a reception at the Royal Palace for recipients of the King’s Medal of Merit on 9 April.
• Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess attends the presentation of Nasjonalforeningen for folkehelsen's research awards 2024 on 15 April.
• Her Majesty The Queen visits 'Drive' in Melhus, as well as Skaun municipality on 16 April.

Crown Prince Haakon's planned official visit to the West Coast of the US will proceed as scheduled from 15 to 19 April. The Norwegian Government will, in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Norway, conduct the administration of the realm during this week.

04.04.2024

The Constitution of Norway Article 41 says that "If the King is absent from the realm unless commanding in the field, or if he is so ill that he cannot attend to the Government, the person next entitled to succeed to the throne shall, provided that he has attained the age stipulated for the King's majority, conduct the Government as the temporary executor of the Royal Powers. If this is not the case, the Council of State will conduct the administration of the realm."

The king and the crown prince take their constitutional responsibilites very seriously, so it is not often that the government (the Council of State) act as regent, at least they usually make sure that one of them is home to preside over the Council of State on Fridays. The Crown Prince is scheduled to visit San Francisco and Seattle from 15 to 18 April. I don't know the details of the visit yet, so it is too early to say if the crown prince will manage to return to Norway early enough on Friday 19 April to preside over the Council of State. If not, the Council of State will take place at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday 18 April instead.*

Earlier articles on the King's hospitalisation in Malaysia and at the National Hospital, Norway:

• 27.02.2024: Norway: King Harald hospitalized in Malaysia
• 28.02.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation
• 29.02.2024: Norway: A new update on King Harald's health situation
• 02.03.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation – temporary pacemaker implanted
• 03.03.2024: Norway: King Harald on his way home
• 04.03.2024: Norway: King Harald is back in Norway
• 06.03.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation (6 March 2024)
• 12.03.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation – permanent pacemaker implanted
• 14.03.2024: Norway: King Harald discharged from the National Hospital

* Correction: I was almost correct. The Royal Court has now updated the list of official engagements, and it shows that the Council of State will indeed take place at the Prime Minister's Office, but not on Thursday 18 April 2024 as I expected, but on Friday 19 April 2024 at 11 a.m.

Updated last time on Monday 8 April 2024 at 3 p.m. (corrected added).

Norway: King Harald discharged from the National Hospital

King Harald was today discharged from Rikshospitalet (the National Hospital) in Oslo, two days after having a permanent pacemaker implanted and 16 days after having fallen ill with an infection during his vacation in Malaysia.

The King discharged from hospital

His Majesty The King has today been discharged from Rikshospitalet and is doing well. The King is on sick leave until Monday, 8 April, for rest and recuperation.

His Royal Highness The Crown Prince Regent will take care of The King's constitutional duties during this period.

14.03.2024

Earlier articles on the King's hospitalisation in Malaysia and at the National Hospital, Norway:

• 27.02.2024: Norway: King Harald hospitalized in Malaysia
• 28.02.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation
• 29.02.2024: Norway: A new update on King Harald's health situation
• 02.03.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation – temporary pacemaker implanted
• 03.03.2024: Norway: King Harald on his way home
• 04.03.2024: Norway: King Harald is back in Norway
• 06.03.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation (6 March 2024)
• 12.03.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation – permanent pacemaker implanted

Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation – permanent pacemaker implanted

The Norwegian Royal Court informed today that King Harald this morning had a permanent pacemaker implanted.

Update on His Majesty King Harald's health situation

His Majesty The King received this morning a permanent pacemaker. The procedure was successful, and His Majesty is doing well. His Majesty will remain in hospital for a few more days.

12.03.2024

In a press conference today, the king's personal physician, Bjørn Bendz, said that the infection that the king had suffered from had affected his heart, which brought about the need for a pacemaker (VG.no).

When the king traveled from Malaysia on a medical plane on 3 March, the court told that the king would be on sick leave for two weeks, meaning that he was expected to return to his duties on 18 March 2024. But according to the physician, King Harald will be on sick leave until some time after Easter.

Earlier articles on the King's hospitalisation in Malaysia and at the National Hospital, Norway:

• 27.02.2024: Norway: King Harald hospitalized in Malaysia
• 28.02.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation
• 29.02.2024: Norway: A new update on King Harald's health situation
• 02.03.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation – temporary pacemaker implanted
• 03.03.2024: Norway: King Harald on his way home
• 04.03.2024: Norway: King Harald is back in Norway
• 06.03.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation (6 March 2024)

Norway: King Harald is back in Norway

Just before 11 p.m. yesterday the medical plane which transported King Harald from Langkawi, Malaysia to Norway landed at Oslo Airport Gardermoen. The king was then driven to the National Hospital (Rikshospitalet) in Oslo where he was admitted for further examinations. He was going to stay at the hospital for treatment and rest. Queen Sonja who was also on the plane was taken back to the Royal Palace. According to the press statement which was issued just after the king had arrived, "The transportation went well, and His Majesty’s health is improving."

The Norwegian Armed Forces also produced a press release, informing among others that the medical plane had a medical team consisting of a team leader, two anaesthetists, a nurse anesthetist and two intensive care nurses on board to assist the king.

Today the Royal Palace issued yet another update on the king's health situation:

Update on The King's health situation

His Majesty The King, as informed in recent days, has been suffering from an infection and low heart rate, requiring hospitalization and medical transportation home.

The infection has recently become more under control. His Majesty has a low heart rate and will require a permanent pacemaker.

The timing of the pacemaker implantation will be determined by when His Majesty is completely free from infection. This could take several days, so The King is likely to remain at Rikshospitalet until after the weekend.

Overall, his condition is stable and improving.

04.03.2024

According to Norwegian media, the king has received visits from his nearest family today, including the queen, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Princess Märtha Louise and later in the day also the Crown Prince Regent.

Earlier articles on the King's hospitalisation in Malaysia:

• 27.02.2024: Norway: King Harald hospitalized in Malaysia
• 28.02.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation
• 29.02.2024: Norway: A new update on King Harald's health situation
• 02.03.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation – temporary pacemaker implanted
• 03.03.2024: Norway: King Harald on his way home

Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation – temporary pacemaker implanted

Yesterday the Norwegian Royal Court issued another update on King Harald's health situation:

Update on His Majesty King Harald's health situation

His Majesty The King´s health is still improving. His Majesty will remain at the hospital for a few more days for treatment and rest before returning home to Norway.

01.03.2024 

Today the court could reveal that the king has had a temporary pacemaker implanted:

Update on His Majesty King Harald's health situation

His Majesty The King had a temporary pacemaker implanted today at Hospital Sultanah Maliha in Langkawi. 

–  The pacemaker was implanted due to a low heart rate. The decision was made earlier today, and the procedure was successful. His Majesty is doing well under the circumstances but still requires rest. The procedure will make the return back home safer, according to His Majesty The King's personal physician, Bjørn Bendz. 

The medical transportation to Norway is likely to take place within the next couple of days. 

02.03.2024

The last statement sounds a bit more dramatic than earlier statements which has mainly dealt with the king fallen ill with an infection. But I continue to believe that the king is taken well care of and that he just needs some time to get better again. I suspect, however, that the king will not be able to preside over the Council of State coming Friday as planned, even if he will return home within the next couple of days. He might be on sick leave for a while. We will surely get more information in due course.

Meanwhile the king's health situation, his vacation and the transportation home has been among the topics in the general and social media the last days. First of all, as I have already commented earlier, I don't think the king would have traveled to Malaysia if his health had not allowed it. He was just a bit unlucky that he got ill while on vacation. He should be allowed to go on vacation as everyone else, even if he is 87 years old. 

The media has also covered the flight of the medical plane which has already landed at the Langkawi International Airport. The transportation is said to cost above NOK 2 millions (as of today about 189.222 USD). The expenses will be covered by the defense budget. Of course this is a lot of money, but we are talking about the head of state here, and this is is the most efficient, secure and comfortable way of getting him home. It should not be a discussion about the form of government. A Norwegian president (God forbid!) fallen ill while on vacation would surely also be transported home the same way to make it possible for him or her to resume governing (just as in case of a monarch to resume reigning) as soon as possible.

Earlier articles on the King's hospitalisation in Malaysia:

• 27.02.2024: Norway: King Harald hospitalized in Malaysia
• 28.02.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation
• 29.02.2024: Norway: A new update on King Harald's health situation

Norway: A new update on King Harald's health situation

The Norwegian Royal Court has today issued yet another update on King Harald's health situation:

Update on His Majesty King Harald's health situation

His Majesty The King's personal physician reports that His Majesty is improving. King Harald is still undergoing treatment at the hospital.

As reported yesterday, His Majesty will remain at the hospital for a few more days, and he is being well taken care of there.

The aim is for His Majesty to be able to return to Norway by plane in a few days. The Norwegian Government is facilitating the transportation, and the Norwegian Armed Forces are responsible for the practical arrangements for his return to Norway.

29.02.2024

In other words, the king seems to be doing better and the court is now, with the assistance of the government and the Norwegian Armed Forces, preparing to getting the king home to Norway. It is somewhat worrisome that he is not coming home on an ordinary flight, but given the situation it is understandable that the government will provide a more comfortable transportation for him. We can rest assured that the king is in good hands and just hope that he will get a speedy recovery.

Earlier articles concerning King Harald's hospitalisation in Malaysia:

• 27.02.2024: Norway: King Harald hospitalized in Malaysia
• 28.02.2024: Norway: Update on King Harald's health situation