Prince Charles Napoléon and his son Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon
Photo (c) PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA / AFP
The Prince Napoléon and his fiancée Countess Olympia Arco-Zinneberg were in Ajaccio two weeks ago for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Napoléon I of the French. Prince Jean-Christophe was also joined by his father, Prince Charles. Of the visit, the Prince Napoléon stated: "It is a great pleasure to be here, just a few steps from the Bonaparte house and the imperial chapel where my family members rest, including my grandfather."
Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon and fiancée Countess Olympia Arco-Zinneberg
Olympia Arco-Zinneberg and Jean-Christophe Napoléon
Jean-Christophe Napoléon and Olympia Arco-Zinneberg are scheduled to wed at Paris in October.
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Princess Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark was born on 30 August 1946 at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen as the third and last daughter of the then Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark and his wife Ingrid (née Sweden). Anne-Marie's grandfather King Christian X was still on the Danish throne when his granddaughter was born; however, he was not to last until her first birthday. Christian X died on 20 April 1947 and was succeeded by Anne-Marie's father, King Frederick IX.
In 1959, thirteen year-old Anne-Marie of Denmark and her third cousin nineteen year-old Crown Prince Constantine of Greece met during a state visit in Copenhagen paid by Constantine's parent's King Paul of Greece and his wife Frederica (née Hannover) to King Frederick and Queen Ingrid. Two years later, in 1961, Crown Prince Constantine returned to Denmark and declared his intention of marrying Anne-Marie to her parents. When Frederick IX was told by Constantine of the plan, the Danish king locked his future son-in-law in the royal loo, while going off to fetch Queen Ingrid to tell her about the man who wanted to marry their youngest daughter!
Owing to Anne-Marie's age, the union needed to wait some years. It was not until July 1964 that the engagement of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark was announced. In the intervening years, Constantine's older sister Sophia had married Juan Carlos of Spain in 1962, and his father Paul had died in 1963 - at which time Constantine became king.
The couple were wed in great splendour at Athens on 18 September 1964. The new Queen of Greece converted from Lutheranism to Greek Orthodoxy. She wore a wedding gown by Danish designer Jørgen Bender.
In the first twenty-two years of their marriage, King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie had five children: Princess Alexia (b.1965), Crown Prince Pavlos (b.1967), Prince Nikolaos (b.1969), Princess Theodora (b.1983), and Prince Philippos (b.1986). The king and queen left Greece in 1967 after the king attempted a counter-coup against an authoritarian regime; however; they returned to the country to live in 2013.
The King and Queen of Greece frequently attend royal events around Europe. Unfortunately, King Constantine has suffered from ill-health for some time now. Yet, he has an able supporter in his wife, who has been by his side through the sorrows and joys of the nearly fifty-five years that they have been married.
We wish Her Majesty a very Happy Birthday!
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King Juan Carlos of Spain, aged eighty-one, is currently recovering at Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud in Madrid after undergoing triple coronary artery bypass surgery on Saturday, 24 August.
The first members of the family to visit the king emeritus were Queen Sofía and King Felipe VI, who went to hospital after Juan Carlos came out of surgery on Saturday.
On Sunday, 25 August, King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia visited their father and father-in-law. Queen Sofía then went to see her husband and was accompanied by her sister Princess Irene of Greece as well as closest friend and cousin Princess Tatiana Radziwiłł with husband Dr Jean Fruchaud.
On Monday, 26 August, Infanta Cristina along with her children Juan Valentín, Irene, and Miguel, went to the unit where Juan Carlos is recovering. Cristina and her family spent about a half-hour with the king; the infanta gave no comment to reporters waiting outside after she left.
On Tuesday, 27 August, Juan Carlos was visited by his wife and all three of his children, in relays. First came Queen Sofía with Infanta Elena and her children Juan Froilan and Victoria Federica. Infanta Cristina arrived on her own to see her father. Finally, King Felipe and Queen Letizia with their daughters Leonor and Sofía went to hospital to see the king emeritus.
On Thursday, 29 August, King Felipe took his youngest daughter Infanta Sofía to visit Juan Carlos.
Today, Friday, 30 August, Queen Letizia took her eldest youngest Leonor to spend time with the king emeritus. King Juan Carlos is reportedly making a satisfactory recovery.
Over the decades, the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States has compiled many reports and dossiers on various royal families around the world. In 1963, the CIA was focused on the Royal Family of Greece: in particular, on King Paul, his wife Queen Frederica, and their son Crown Prince Constantine. The report, which is available at the link below, offers fascinating insight into how a foreign intelligence agency viewed the actions of these three key members of the Greek Royal Family, and how the royals' actions were consequential in the Greek political scene at the time.
Link: The Monarchy and Stability in Greece
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HM King Juan Carlos of Spain will undergo heart surgery on Saturday, 24 August. The announcement was made today by the royal palace. It is reported that doctors noticed the need for the operation during a routine check up in June: the exact cause for this surgery has not been released, understandably.
King Juan Carlos has had a plethora of operations over the decades to deal with various ailments. In 1954, the then-Infante Juan Carlos underwent an appendectomy after being diagnosed with appendicitis. In 1981, the king required surgery after injuries he sustained while colliding with a glass door. In 1985, Juan Carlos had surgery on his right knee. In 2001, the king underwent a procedure to correct varicose veins on his right left. In 2010, Juan Carlos was in hospital for an operation to remove a benign tumour on his right lung. In 2011, the king had surgery on the Achilles tendon of his left foot as well as having a right knee replacement. In 2012, Juan Carlos had a right hip replacement after suffering a dislocation in that hip; he then underwent a left hip replacement as well. In 2013, the king had back surgery after experiencing a herniated disc; he also had a further operation on his left hip. Last year, King Juan Carlos had an additional surgery on his right knee.
Due to these health problems, it is no wonder that King Juan Carlos made the decision to withdraw from public duties earlier this year. For quite some years, the Juan Carlos has required a cane to walk - with extra assistance being necessary at times. The heart surgery of the eighty-one year-old king emeritus will take place at a private hospital in a suburb of Madrid.
HH Duke Christoph of Schleswig-Holstein was born on 22 August 1949 at Schloß Louisenlund, Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein. Christoph was the second child and first son of Duke Peter of Schleswig-Holstein (1922-1980) and Princess Marie Alix of Schaumburg-Lippe (b.1923). Christoph had joined an older sister, Princess Marita (b.1948), and was followed by a younger brother, Prince Alexander (b.1953), and a younger sister, Princess Ingeborg (b.1956).
Duke Christoph and Duchess Elisabeth
In 1981, Duke Christoph married Princess Elisabeth of Lippe-Weissenfeld (b.1957), the second daughter of Prince Dr Alfred of Lippe-Weissenfeld (b.1922) and his wife Irmgard (b.1929; née Baroness Wagner von Wehrborn). The Duke and Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein have four children: Princess Sophie (b.1983), Hereditary Prince Friedrich Ferdinand (b.1985), Prince Constantin (b.1986), and Prince Leopold (b.1991).
Duke Christoph of Schleswig-Holstein
Christoph of Schleswig-Holstein studied agricultural engineering and obtained a degree in that field. Since 1980, Christoph heads the board of the family foundation that owns the dynasty's ancestral home, Glücksburg Castle. The duke resides in Grünholz near Schwansen where he has business interests in agriculture, forestry and real estate. Christoph is the owner of the Grünholz and Bienebek estates and is one of the largest landowners of Schleswig-Holstein.
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