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Showing posts from December, 2023

Christmas & New Year Speeches

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Many reining monarchs have special Christmas traditions. One of them is the  yearly Christmas Speech. In the United Kingdom the first Christmas Broadcast was delivered by George V  in 1932 and since then has evolved into an important part of the Christmas Day celebrations for many in Britain and around the world. Each Broadcast carefully reflects current issues and concerns, and shares The Monarch's reflections on what Christmas means to them and their listeners. Over the years, the Christmas Broadcast has acted as a chronicle of global, national and personal events which have affected the Monarch and their audience.  King George V's eldest son and the new king, Edward VIII, never delivered a Christmas Broadcast, as his reign lasted less than a year. The task fell to King George VI, King Edward's younger brother, who made his first broadcast in December 1937 in which he thanked the nation and Empire for their support during the first year of his reign. Though the Christmas

An amazing royal winter wedding in Brussels

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On 15 December 1960, in the morning, King Bouduin of Belgium married Fabiola de Mora y Aragón in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace of Brussels. Then a ceremony was held at the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral in Brussels.  The witnesses were the groom's father, King Leopold III, his brother-in-law, Jean, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the bride's brother, The Marqués of Casa Riera, and the pretender to the Spanish throne, the Count of Barcelona. The bride's white silk and tulle gown, trimmed with ermine, had a high neckline, three-quarter length sleeves with a drop waist and a full skirt. It was designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga and had a 22-foot long train.  She wore the Art Deco diamond tiara given to her late mother-in-law at the time of her own marriage in 1926. The groom wore the uniform of a Lieutenant-General of the Armed Forces with the riband and star of the Belgian Order of Leopold and the collar of the Spanish Order of Isabella the Catholic. Royal Gues

A wonderful State visit in Germany

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From 3 December 2023 till 7 December 2023, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians made an official State Visit to their neighbours Germany. The royals were invited by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. This was the program: Day 1 Berlin: welcome ceremony by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender at the Bellevue Palace. Later they went to the Brandenburger Tor, the symbol of German division during the Cold War, the Brandenburg Gate is now a national symbol of peace and unity. Finally that day the German President organised a state banquet.  At the banquet Queen Mathilde wore the tiara, yes bling!, of the 9 Provinces. There were several famous guests too:  * Hubertus, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his wife Kelly.  * Domenico Tedesco, German-Italian football manager who is currently the head coach of the Belgium national team. * Belgian actor Filip Peeters, who has been expanding his career in Germany since 2000. Day 2 Berlin: Philipp