Queen Silvia of Sweden marks her 80th
birthday today, but who is the longest-tenured consort in Swedish
history? We discuss the German-born wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf as
she celebrates a milestone birthday. Silvia Renate Sommerlath was
born on 23 December 1943 in Heidelberg, Germany, to Walther and
Alice Sommerlath. Silvia is half German, through her father, and
half Brazilian, through her…
Emperor Emertius Akihito, the first
Japanese Emperor to abdicate in over 200 years, marks his 90th
birthday today. We take a look at his life and reign. Born on 23
December 1933, Prince Akihito was born in the Imperial Palace of
Tokyo as the elder son and fifth child of…
It’s almost time for the royal Christmas
and New Year speeches from the monarchs across Europe, but when can
you expect to watch each speech? There are three speeches on
Christmas Eve: Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, King Felipe of Spain
and King Philippe of the…
While one might think the UK had the
first royal Christmas speech, that honour goes to the Netherlands.
Queen Wilhelmina gave the first royal Christmas speech in 1931 on
the radio before King George V in the UK followed suit a year
later. Since then, monarchs from both countries have continued the
tradition – first on radio and later on television. Besides the
Netherlands and the UK…
Emperor Akihito is marking his 90th
birthday on December 23rd 2023. He took the throne upon the death
of his father, Emperor Shōwa, on 7 January 1989 and abdicated in
2018. Let’s take a look at Emperor Akihito’s life in photos:
[getty…
The old and new traditions that will mark Denmark's royal Christmas
20th December 2023
The Danish Royal Family are some of the
most open when it comes to details on how they celebrate the
Christmas holidays. Ahead of the festive season, they always send
out a press release about their Christmas plans. The Danish royals
spend the holiday at Marselisborg…
An unusual wedding tiara for a popular princess sparkles among Sweden's royal emeralds
19th December 2023
Emeralds might be the birth stone of May
but their green hue gives them a Christmas sparkle all of their
own. Some of the most stunning emerald creations belong to the
royal family of Sweden. Sweden’s emerald collection may be few, but
they make up for it in their beauty. From older pieces to the
newest tiara, we take a look at Sweden’s rare emeralds. There are a
large emerald…
The royal families of Europe use social
media to highlight their holiday celebrations from Christmas
through the New Year. Most European royal families reveal their
Christmas family photo or Christmas card on social media, but some
go above and beyond their counterparts…
Queen Silvia of Sweden was surrounded by
all her grandchildren at a special Christmas event at the Royal
Palace. The Queen, who turns 80 on 23rd December, was joined by
Princess Estelle (11), Prince Oscar (7), Prince Alexander (7),
Prince Gabriel (6), Prince Julian (2)…
A mix of private and public - how Luxembourg's royal family will celebrate a special Christmas
18th December 2023
The Luxembourgish royals are more private
about how they celebrate the Christmas holidays. But with one brand
new prince enjoying his first Christmas in 2023 and another new
family member on the way, the family is sure to have lots to
celebrate this holiday season. On Christmas Eve each year, Grand
Duke Henri’s speech is aired to the public, where he talks about
the previous year and…
