Royal News Roundup

One small correction. As a sovereign Imperial Prince, the Head of Haus Liechtenstrin is Fürst von und zu Liechtenstein, not Fürst von Liechtenstein.

From The Mad Monarchist (5 May 2012)

Starting with the embattled King of Spain, HM Juan Carlos I underwent a second hip surgery on Thursday after twisting the joint following his initial injury two weeks ago while on a hunting trip in Botswana. The trip, as we all know, has earned the King widespread condemnation and even prompted calls for his abdication with anti-monarchy agitators using the very freedoms King Juan Carlos gave the Spanish to criticize him. Republicans have been making full use of this dust up to call for an end to the Spanish monarchy, restored after the death of long-time strongman Generalissimo Francisco Franco. It seems so incredible that the discontent being caused by economic hardships, which are themselves the result of the socialist policies of the parties the Spanish people voted into office, is now being directed at the King who gave and defended the rights of the people to vote in multi-party elections and have freedom of speech, freedom of the press and so on. All because of a hunting trip. I will never understand it. This has, however, highlighted how the attitudes in modern Europe have changed so drastically and why monarchists cannot ever be content or feel secure just because a monarch is on the throne. The attitudes of the public at large must be adjusted and, sadly, in very few countries is this being done. A monarch is responsible FOR his people. He should not be responsible TO his people. Today we see the eventual result of this attitude on the part of the fickle mob. As Spain slips deeper into economic crisis we see that no lessons have been learned as so many call for an end to the monarchy (which had nothing to do with it) while demanding more of the poison that caused the crisis in the first place.

Alas, it does sometimes seem that royals try their best to put me off being a royalist (but it won’t work!). Across the border on the French Republic the French monarchist group La Nouvelle Action royaliste jumped into the presidential elections by calling on its members to vote for Francois Holland of the Socialist Party. What?! Is this some kind of joke? Not to be outdone, the Orleanist claimant to the French throne, HRH Prince Henri, Count of Paris, responded by endorsing President Nicolas Sarkozy, saying that he had the proven experience to lead France forward in the difficult times ahead (via his Twitter account). I am flabbergasted and wondering if there is something going on here that I am missing. I’ve never understood how any royalist could support a socialist candidate and as far President Sarkozy, while there may have been worse alternatives, has it not been (at least in part) his leadership that brought France to this sad condition? In the absence of a viable monarchist candidate, I don’t know who a loyal French man or woman could support. It may not be popular to say so, but I have never been more tempted to cheer for Marine Le Pen and the National Front. I still have big reservations about her foreign policy ideas but she seems to be the only major candidate talking sense on issues like immigration and the European Union. She is certainly nowhere close to being a monarchist but neither is Holland or Sarkozy and I cannot see any possible benefit for royalists or royal claimants in backing either of those candidates. Who knows, perhaps if things get really bad in France (really, really bad) and the traditional monarchists remain divided, we will have the Bonaparte clan make another bid for power. Given the current state of affairs, a Third Empire could only be an improvement.

Across the Channel in Britain, TRH the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrated their first anniversary on Sunday in a private, low-key little celebration. The papers are already buzzing with baby anticipation but, please, there is still plenty of time for that (maybe not a huge amount, but still plenty of time) and I’m sure the couple need no pressure from the press on that subject. Later in the week the Duke and Duchess met with soldiers and the families of those who participated in the Scott-Amundsen expedition to the north pole, of which Prince William was patron. The enterprise raised some £ 30 million for the Royal British Legion to care for sick and wounded British soldiers. Later the Cambridge couple went to the Imperial War Museum for the opening of a new exhibit on the First World War, looking over new displays getting ready for the centenary of the start of World War I in 2014. The Duke of Cambridge is patron of the effort and he gave a speech at the event saying, “Every exhibit, every display, every tank, aircraft and medal in its case, speaks to us of sacrifice, of the facing down of evil, of freedom bought and preserved -for us- at unimaginable cost in human lives and suffering”. The Prince also spoke about the pride it represented for the accomplishments of the people of Britain and those from across the Commonwealth who came together in a common cause to safeguard, as he put it, “the freedom of the world”. I could quibble with that assertion but, being an outsider, I will exercise my right to remain silent.

Moving over to the Low Countries, in The Kingdom of The Netherlands it was Queen’s Day on Monday, a cheerful national celebration honoring the day that HM Queen Beatrix came to the Dutch throne. This year, however, things were not quite so jubilant as usual since the absence of Prince Friso was so sadly evident. The Queen said, “It is a pity and sad that our family isn’t complete today. But I’m very grateful for all the warmth and wishes we have seen and heard here today and I will pass it on”. The Queen, Crown Prince and Princess still carried on and joined in the festivities. Over the years, in the face of some very painful hardships, the devoted Dutch people have time again rallied to their monarchy in times of trouble and always come together to help each other out. The House of Orange remains very widely popular in The Netherlands with a recent poll giving the Queen an 80% approval rating. The Crown Prince also received high marks but it was his lovely Latina bride, Crown Princess Maxima, who is the most popular member of the Royal Family amongst the populace. Meanwhile, on Thursday, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg the Palace has announced the wedding date for Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Countess Stephanie de Lannoy. The marriage will take place on Saturday, October 20th. It should be a day to remember for Luxembourg and all fans of the Royal Family around the world.

There has been some major political rumblings in the usually pacific Principality of Liechtenstein. As readers will recall, there is currently a campaign afoot to revoke the right of the Prince to veto legislation. This was undertaken by a small but radical pro-abortion lobby which campaigned previously for a referendum to legalize abortion in the officially Catholic micro-monarchy. However, the Prince threatened to use his veto if the referendum came back in favor of changing the law. The pro-abortion crowd blamed this threat for the failure of the referendum and so are now campaigning to take away that power from the monarch. However, Hereditary Prince Alois, who is currently ruling as regent on behalf of his semi-retired father Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II, is fighting back. In a speech to Parliament the Hereditary Prince said, “The royal family is not willing to undertake its political responsibilities unless the prince…has the necessary tools at his disposal,” adding, “But if the people are no longer open to that, then the royal family will not want to undertake its political responsibilities and…will completely withdraw from political life”. HSH Prince Hans-Adam II previously threatened to abdicate if the current constitution, which granted the monarchy greater powers, was not approved, which it was, overwhelmingly. The pro-abortion crowd immediately insisted that they have no intention of abolishing the monarchy but only to remove the veto power. However, the Hereditary Prince has taken the attitude that if the monarch will not have the power to act as he thinks best, they will wash their hands of the political process, which would likely mean the end of Liechtenstein altogether. I am hopefully optimistic that this latest effort to subvert Princely authority will end in failure. Höch der Fürst von Liechtenstein!

Finally, in the far north, in the Kingdom of Sweden on Monday the people were given their first public look at their future Queen when baby Princess Estelle joined the Royal Family on the balcony at the Royal Palace in Stockholm during the celebrations of the 66th birthday of HM King Carl XVI Gustaf. Crown Princess Victoria was rightly beaming with pride, as was proud papa Prince Daniel who helped his little daughter wave to the adoring crowd below. It was a great day for the monarchy in Sweden and a public assurance of the future of the House of Bernadotte. To the west, in the Kingdom of Norway, the Royal Palace in Oslo confirmed that Norway’s controversial Princess Martha Louise, with her husband and three daughters of course, will be leaving the country and moving to London. There is no word as to why or when this move will be taken place only that their children will be attending an English school and that the Princess will not be opening any of the so-called “angel schools” that have attracted some derision and criticism in her own country. The Princess will represent the Kingdom of Norway when needed but her royal duties have been very light for a long time as the Royal Family rather put some distance between Princess Martha Louise and the rest of the family due to her books and schools dealing with people talking to their guardian angels. As I’ve said before, I certainly don’t agree with the Princess on all spiritual matters, but I have a soft spot for her and I think she has been treated unfairly. Talking to angels is hardly what I would consider the most outrageous royal behavior ever exhibited. I hope she thrives in London, I think she’s a nice lady with a good heart and a credit to the King and Queen who raised her.