NordenBladet – Princess Estelle of Sweden’s school has cancelled classes today (06.March) after a student at the elementary school tested positive for the coronavirus last night. The school says they are gathering more information on what to do from Infectious Diseases Stockholm and the Public Health Agency, and at the moment school is only cancelled today. Further decisions will be made this afternoon with the guidance of the organisations.
A letter was sent out to the parents today cancelling classes saying they “choose to stay closed one day to wait for guidance.” They are getting clear guidance on how the school should act to minimise the risk of infection of other students.
The school said, “We have full confidence in the Public Health Authority and the recommendations of the healthcare system.”
Several students, besides the one who tested positive, are in voluntary isolation as they live in infected areas.
The Royal Court has confirmed to Expressen that it is not the eight-year-old Princess who is infected.
Teachers at the school are preparing lessons and assignments in case the school has to be closed for more than one day.
Sweden has 52 cases of the deadly virus, 31 of which are in Stockholm.
The Swedish Royal Family postponed a representation dinner earlier this week due to the virus. It was due to have taken place last night at the Royal Palace.
Last week, it was revealed that four pupils at Thomas’s Battersea in London, where Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend, were in self-isolation.
Featured image: Anna-Lena Ahlström, The Royal Court of Sweden
Norway – King Harald and Queen Sonja are currently in Jordan on a state visit. One of the things they are doing there is promoting Norwegian solar panel technology. At the same time they are considering installing full solar panels on the roof of the castle in Oslo.
The Norwegian state visit to Jordan started on Monday, and with them, they have large economic delegation. Among them are some of Norway’s largest producers of solar panels as well as experts and companies in other solar technology. On Monday, the king and queen attended a seminar where they discussed business opportunities with partners in Jordan, a country that wants to increase its commitment to renewable energy.
The Norwegian king and queen have for a long time considered doing the same as the Swedish king, who installed 1,000 square meters of solar panels on the roof of the Royal Palace in Stockholm to supply it with electricity.
In the summer of 2018, a smaller test facility was installed on the roof of the castle in Oslo and now the trial project is being evaluated to see if it will be expanded. “We need to make investigations based on the experience we did during the trial period. It will probably take some time before we conclude”, said communications manager Guri Varpe at the royal court to the Norwegian news agency NTB on Sunday last week.
It was in 2015 that the royal family in Norway started what they call “The green castle”, a series of environmental initiatives at the Royal Court. Environmental measures have been implemented at the Royal Court, the Palace, the Skaugum estate and other royal properties. The environmental work at the Royal Court is led by Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess.
Solar panels were installed on the roof of Stockholm Palace on Thursday, 19 April 2018. King Carl XVI Gustaf even got his hands dirty and helped as the panels were brought up to the roof. According to the Royal Court, once it is “running, the State Property Agency expects an annual output will at least provide twelve percent of the palace’s annual electricity consumption.”
Featured image: The Royal Palace in Oslo (Wikimedia Commons)
NordenBladet – The Swedish Royal Family has cancelled a grand reception dinner due to the coronavirus outbreak. The dinner was due to take place on Wednesday evening, with 150 guests in attendance.
A statement from the Royal Court read: “For the sake of invited guests, the representation dinner scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, will be postponed. In recent days, a number of cases of infection from the new coronavirus have been discovered in Sweden. The public health authority estimates that the risk of detecting cases of covid-19 in Sweden is high, but that the risk of general dissemination in the country is low.
“In anticipation of the continued development of events, Their Majesties, as hosts, choose to postpone the planned representation dinner at the royal palace on Wednesday 4 March. This is done with regard to invited guests.”
The King & Queen’s representation dinners are large and very formal events. Invitations to the 150 guests were sent out six weeks ago.
The representation dinners are usually attended by representatives from the diplomatic corps, the Swedish parliament, the government, as well as representatives from the world of science, culture, sports and business. The dinner is usually held in the gallery of Karl XI at the royal palace in Stockholm. Previous menus have consisted of lightly smoked duck breast with shallot crisp, and roasted Swedish pork tenderloin with broken duck.
The coronavirus outbreak was confirmed to have spread to Sweden when the first COVID-19 case was confirmed on 31 January 2020. A woman in her 20s who had recently visited Wuhan in China tested positive for the disease.
On 26 February, following the large COVID-19 outbreak in Italy and Iran, multiple infection clusters originating from these two countries arrived in Sweden. A number of individuals in Västra Götaland, Jönköping, Stockholm, Uppsala tested positive and were admitted to the infectious disease units in the respective counties. As of 1 March 2020, there have been 14 confirmed cases in Sweden.
Featured image: The King & Queen of Sweden (Bengt Nyman/CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons)
NordenBladet – On 29 February, Princess Marie met with young climate activist, Vanessa Nakate during her humanitarian trip to Uganda as Patron of DanChurchAid. Vanessa Nakate called out the Associated Press when she was cropped out of a photo with other young climate activists including Greta Thunberg at the Davos Economic Forum last January. About the scandal, Princess Marie said: “I thought it was really stupid. I can’t imagine it was made on purpose, but they should have thought about it. I can tell you we heard about you, we heard your voice, we heard about you and you have a strong voice”.
During the meeting, Princess Marie also met other young climate activists Leyna, Bonita, and Karen. Leyna, who is eight-years-old, sang a song for the Princess. Bonita, who is 15-years-old, gifted Princess Marie two children books she wore about climate change with the first chapter being appropriately titled ‘A Royal Friendship’. Karen, 11, read a poem titled ‘My Beautiful Field’ which is about her beautiful field who is going to disappear because of climate change. At the end of the poem, Karen says, “You and I will probably find a solution,” which made Princess Marie very emotional. Princess Marie, Vanessa, Leyna, Bonita and Karen also planted a mango tree that Princess Marie was gifted the day before.
About her meeting with Princess Marie, Vanessa Nakate said: “The Princess told me she thought it was really unfair that I was cut out, and it was very, very good for me to hear that someone like her actually knew I existed. She also told me that I was very powerful and very inspiring regardless of what had happened.”
After the meeting, Princess Marie attended an official reception hosted by the Danish Ambassador to Uganda Nikolaj A. Hejberg Petersen in his official residence.
On 1 March, Princess Marie attended her last official event in Uganda as she met with the Uganda Women Network which works with DanChurchAid to provide education for women with the aim of educating and supporting women’s opportunities to participate in both local and national political work.
Before leaving the country, Princess Marie joined DanChurchAid Country Manager, Peter Bo Larsen for a small press conference. About her trip, Princess Marie said: “This is a very welcoming country. People are very kind.[…] I’ve met very very strong and inspiring women. That really touched me a lot.”
She also talked about how climate change has a huge impact in Uganda: “Climate change is all around the world, you know, it’s affecting everybody. The only thing I can tell you is, coming here I really saw the impact, especially for the farmers. You never know when it’s going to rain, you can’t know when you harvest, you can’t plan anything. This is a matter of life and death, you need to be able to eat. I think this is a problem all around the world, but here it’s a problem that we need to address today.”
Princess Marie then flew back to Paris to get back to her children who she ‘missed very much,’ as she told members of the Danish media present in Uganda with her. She also admitted that she was a little bit scared by the reports on the coronavirus that she had been hearing from Denmark and France, especially as the threat grew more serious in France and some schools were closed.
NordenBladet – In early March, the Norwegian Royal Court announced that Crown Prince Haakon had to undergo surgery. The heir to the throne was admitted to hospital for one day for an operation on an exostosis in the ear canal. This week, the Crown Prince Haakon announced himself to the Norwegian News Agency NTB that he will most likely undergo the same surgery again, now on his other ear. The Crown Prince said:
“I am fine. It was not dramatic. It is simply the ear canals that have been clogged, so I had an operation. I must probably do the operation again, on the other ear. One of the things that can aggravate it is to be in cold water. I was doing a lot of wind surfing when I was younger”.
When it will happen, so far, it is not decided, but it may be this autumn. The Crown Prince told NTB the operation is not urgent. An exostosis in the ear canal is a bone outgrowth that can narrow the ear canal and may predispose to ear canal eczema and ear wax accumulation. The cause of such outgrowth appears to be a reaction in the bone tissue due to cooling or constant exposure to cold water in the ear canal. Therefore, the condition occurs especially among swimmers and surfers and is also called “surfer’s ear”. The condition is not in any way dangerous.
It was on March 4 that the royal court release the following statement:
“His Royal Highness The Crown Prince will today, on Monday, March 4, 2019, have a minor surgical intervention for exostosis in the ear canal. The surgical procedure takes place at Rikshospitalet in Oslo. As a result of the intervention, the Crown Prince will have a reduced program for the next two weeks.”
The Crown Prince has been surfing as a hobby for many years, with the Norwegian royal court publishing pictures of the family surfing as recently as 2017. The pictures were from a private holiday the Crown Prince family took in Hoddevik outside of Stadt, in the west of Norway. Some of the images were also from another surfing holiday Crown Prince Haakon had in 2016. In 2017, it was announced that His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon was asked to sit on the committee that will plan the European Championships in surfing.
Featured image: The royals on surfing (Fjordlapse Photography / Det kongelige hoff / The Royal Court)
NordenBladet – Queen Margrethe will pay a visit to Estonia in June, the Royal House announced, in conjunction with the 800th anniversary of the Danish Flag. The Queen will visit Tallinn, the Estonian capital, on 15 June. The capital shares a mythical connection to Denmark and its flag, known as the Dannebrog.
On that date 800 years ago, according to the Royal House, “According to the legend, Dannebrog descended from Heaven and helped the Danish king Valdemar Sejr win the dominion of northern Estonia.” The Danish king gained dominion over the town of Lyndanisse – which is now known as Tallinn (Taani Linn is an Estonian phrase that means ‘the Danish city’).
Queen Margrethe’s visit will coordinate with this anniversary and will also include commemorations for Estonia’s independence, which was marked last year with a visit from Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary.
The Queen will arrive on the royal yacht Dannebrog. During her visit, Queen Margrethe and Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid will open an exhibit at the Kadriorg Castle Art Museum focusing on the Dannebrog.
‘Dannebrog: The Flag That Fell From the Sky’ will feature artwork by Christen Købke, CW Eckersberg and Nicolai Abildgaard that depict this event; and CA Lorentzen’s painting, ‘The Battle of Lyndanisse’, which will be exhibited for the first time outside of Denmark.
Queen Margrethe will also participate in the opening of The Danish Queen’s Garden, the opening of a historical exhibition, and will present research scholarships during her visit.
Further tying into the Dannebrog theme, Queen Margrethe will visit the Frihetspladsen to attend an event for the Danish and Estonian flags and which will feature Danish and Estonian performers.
The Queen and President Kaljulaid will attend a concert at the Estonia Concert Hall, as well as a gala dinner in the Queen’s honour.
Queen Margrethe’s visit will wrap up with a service at Tallinn Cathedral, which was founded in 1219 shortly after the Danish conquest.
Featured image: JOHANNES JANSSON (CC BY 2.5) VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
NordenBladet – King Harald V of Norway handed out the prestigious King Olav Vs Cancer Research Prize for 2019 on Tuesday. The award ceremony was in the atrium of Oslo University. King Harald presented the prize which is dedicated in memory of his father on behalf of the Cancer Society in Oslo.
Guest arrived at the ceremony from 12:30 on Tuesday with the ceremony starting soon after the king had arrived at 1pm. The Secretary General of the Cancer Society, Anne Lise Ryel, welcomed King Harald and gave a speech. The speech was followed by a song and music from well-known Norwegian artists.
King Harald then handed over King Olav Vs Cancer Research Prize for 2019 to Professor Anne Simonsen and the Norwegian Breast Cancer Group. It is the first time the prize has been presented to two winners, and the first time a whole professional environment received the prize. After a short speech by the winners, the ceremony was ended with another musical performance.
Anne Simonsen is a professor at the Department of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oslo. She is also co-director at the Center for Cancer Cell Reprogramming. Throughout her impressive career, Simonsen has focused on cellular biological research, especially the cellular mechanisms involved in how cancer occurs. She has developed a research program within the study of autophagy. She publishes very actively and has an obvious potential to make important breakthroughs in cancer research in the future.
The Norwegian Breast Cancer Group is a clinical research environment consisting of 30 doctors and researchers from all over the country who receive the prize for their large, positive significance for former and future breast cancer patients in Norway. In the future, the group will continue to work for better treatment for those affected by breast cancer.
King Olav Vs Cancer Research Prize was created on 29 April 1992 to commemorate King Olav V. The Fund, each year, awards a prize to a cancer researcher, or a group of cancer researchers, who have helped to promote the quality of Norwegian cancer research.
Featured image: His Majesty The King of Norway (Jørgen Gomnæs / The Royal Court)
NordenBladet – Here you´ll find a brief review of Scandinavian and European royal teenagers who will one day assume the throne.
Princess Elisabeth of Belgium:
Also known as the Duchess of Brabant (the title of the heir to the Belgian throne), Elisabeth will come of age on 25 October. Elisabeth, as the eldest of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde’s four children, is first in line to the throne. Her three younger siblings are Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, and Princess Eléonore.
Elisabeth currently attends school in Wales at the UWC Atlantic College and is expected to graduate in May 2020. She will one day be Belgium’s first queen regnant.
Prince Christian of Denmark:
He will one day ascend the throne after his father, Crown Prince Frederik. The 13-year-old is the eldest of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary’s four children. His three younger siblings are Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. Born on 15 October 2005, he will turn 14 later this year.
Christian was the first member of the Danish Royal Family to attend a public school. He is enrolled at Tranegårdskolen with his three younger siblings.
Prince Christian of Denmark, Photo: Kongehuset/Franne Voigt
Princess Amalia of the Netherlands:
Born Princess Catharina-Amalia, her title since her father’s ascension to the Dutch throne is the Princess of Orange. The eldest of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima’s three daughters, she has gone by Amalia since birth. Her two younger siblings are Princesses Alexia and Ariane. Her father once joked that his three daughters “The A-Team” all had names beginning with an ‘a’ to keep their “triple-A rating.” She will celebrate her Sweet 16 in December.
She currently attends Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway:
Born on 21 January 2004, Princess Ingrid Alexandra is the elder child and only daughter of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. Her grandfather, King Harald is currently on the throne. She has one younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus and one older half-brother from her mother’s previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby.
The 15-year-old is attending the private Oslo International School where she undertakes courses in English to improve her skills in the language in preparation for her future role. She will be Norway’s second female monarch.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, Photo: Julia Naglestad/Det kongelige hoff
Princess Leonor of Spain:
Leonor, who as heir holds the title Princess of Asturias, is the elder daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain. Her younger sister is Infanta Sofía.
The 13-year-old is only heir presumptive to the Spanish throne because if her parents were to have a boy, she would be bumped down to second in line as Spain still operates under male-preference cognatic primogeniture.
Turning 14 on 31 October, Leonor will be Spain’s first queen regnant since the 1800s when Queen Isabella II was on the throne.
Featured image: Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway. (Photo Julia Naglestad / Det kongelige hoff)
Source: Royal central
NordenBladet – On Friday, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway began his visit to the Pacific region. His first stop was Tonga where he was warmly welcomed by King Tupou. During the weekend His Royal Highness has highlighted climate change in Tonga.
On Saturday, Crown Prince Haakon and Norway’s Development Minister, Dag-Inge Ulstein, saw the effects of climate change on Tongatapu up close. When the glaciers in the north and south melt, the sea rises far more here than in other parts of the world. The Crown Prince also visited Tonga’s Deputy Prime Minister, Semisi Sika, on Saturday. Common challenges with climate and ocean health were topics in the conversation between the two.
Crown Prince Haakon met some of the worried villagers at ‘Ahau Beach and Kolovai Beach. They told the royal about the sea that slowly rises and penetrates into their gardens. At ‘Ahau, residents have begun planting mangroves to protect the coastline. The mangroves thrive with plenty of water, and their root system helps to bind and stabilize the soil.
Climate change is something the Crown Prince takes very seriously. To Norwegian NTB, the Crown Prince said: “Both the ocean rising, but also the storms that come and destroy the communities, affect people’s lives to a large extent. That makes an impression on me”.
Crown Prince Haakon then visited the village of Houma. Lord Vaea was the host and guide for the Crown Prince. The visit to Houma concluded the Crown Prince`s visit to Tonga. Before his departure, he had dinner with local youth where they discussed climate change. The Crown Prince then continued to the airport where he was wished a safe trip to his next stop, Fiji.
Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will visit the nations of Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. The visit will run from 5 April to 11 April. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen partnerships with small island states in the South Pacific for the promotion of common interests including seas and climate, peace and security. Royal Central will follow the visit closely and bring you the latest news from Crown Prince Haakon’s tour.
Featured image: Crown Prince Haakon during his visit to Houma. (Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen / The Royal Court / Det Kongelige Hoff)
OHMYGOSSIP — Duchess Catherine flew back from the Netherlands on a British Airways economy flight. The 34-year-old royal surprised passengers as she made her way home following her first solo engagement abroad by boarding a public aeroplane back to London’s City Airport on Tuesday evening (11.10.16).
The brunette beauty was greeted with mobile phones as she took her seat at the front of the aircraft in a stylish lavender suit and sat next to her bodyguards.
A source told the MailOnline, she had “never seen so many iPhones pop up at once”.
Catherine – who has Prince George, three, and 17-month-old Princess Charlotte with Prince William – was the first to exit the plane and was picked up in a car, which was waiting on the tarmac to pick her up after the 50-minute flight.
On her first royal engagement without her husband, Catherine had dinner with King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and their three daughters at their royal residence near The Hauge, Villa Eikenhorst.
She then met with deprived children at the Bouwkeet Makers Space in Rotterdam, Holland and showed off her repair skills at the centre, which aims to keep children off the streets and prevent crime in the neighbourhoods of Bospolder and Tussendijken.
The Duchess of Cambridge was then shown robots made of Lego constructed by the youngsters.
Catherine was introduced to nine-year-old, Driss Ben Mira, who showed the duchess the robot he had made called Meganoid.
Catherine congratulated the boy on his “amazing” creation and made him laugh by talking to the robot. Looking at Meganoid, she said: “Very nice to meet you.”
Featured image: Duchess Catherine (REUTERS/Phil Noble/Scanpix) Find more OHMYGOSSIP Royalty news HERE
