The Cathedral is Full!

An advantage of living in a small monarchy: members of the Luxembourg general public will be able to attend the October 20 wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Countess Stephanie de Lannoy, though unsurprisingly the first-come-first-served tickets quickly ran out.  For those lucky guests, the sense of their grand duchy as one extended family led by the royals will be beautifully reinforced even more strongly than usual.  Those not inside the cathedral will still be able to watch on large screens in the nearby Place Guillaume, where the newlyweds will mingle with the crowds.

Newcastle's Luckiest Lad

Visiting Newcastle on her first official visit to England's Northeast, the Duchess of Cambridge gave a cheeky ten-year-old boy who stretched out his arms a hug--and a magical moment he'll remember for the rest of his life.  Would children be nearly as excited about a president's granddaughter-in-law?  Republicans want to deprive children like Terry Campbell of unique experiences like this.  Remember that next time they claim to speak for "ordinary people."

Prince Albert of Saxony (1934-2012)

Prince Albert of Saxony, the last surviving male-line grandson of the last King of Saxony, has died in Munich at the age of 77, less than three months after his brother Maria Emanuel who had been the last undisputed head of the family.  In recent years there has been some controversy over the succession to the Saxon throne, which my friend Arturo Beéche explains in detail at Eurohistory.  This blog, like Mr. Beéche's, supports the late Maria Emanuel's adoption of his nephew Alexander (son of Princess Maria Anna and Lebanese aristocrat Robert de Afif and himself married to Princess Gisela of Bavaria) as heir (accepted by the entire family in 1997, though some members including Albert subsequently reneged on the agreement) and so hails him as Margrave of Meissen and rightful King Alexander I of Saxony.   Two thousand twelve has been a sad year for the Royal House of Saxony. Princess Maria Anna (b 1929) died on March 13, Prince Maria Emanuel Margrave of Meissen (b 1926) on July 23, and Prince Albert (b 1934) on October 6. They were all children of Prince Friedrich Christian (1893-1968), son and heir of King Friedrich August III (1865-1932). Only their sisters Princess Maria Josepha, 84, and Princess Mathilde, 76, survive of this generation of Saxon royalty.  May all three departed dynasts rest in peace.

The Discreet Tonic of Monarchy

From a European site comes this relatively encouraging article about monarchism in Romania as King Michael's grandson Nicholas, 27, moves from Britain to Romania.  While the lack of momentum towards formal restoration in the Balkans over the past two decades since the fall of Communism has been frustrating for monarchists, it is clear that many Romanians have not forgotten their royal family. But what will it take for this land of rich history and beauty to take the leap to become once again the Kingdom of Romania? 

King & Queen of Sweden in Minnesota

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are visiting the U.S. state of Minnesota, known for its Scandinavian immigrant history, this weekend.   They were welcomed at the American Swedish Institute, where a little girl presented the Queen with flowers, and toured its new Nelson Cultural Center.  Today they visit Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter to celebrate its 150th anniversary, and tomorrow return to the ASI for a dedication and gala dinner.  This is an exciting weekend for Minnesotans of Swedish heritage!  (Note to "Swedish" republicans: would anyone in Minnesota care about a foreign president visiting?  Probably not.)

Princess Maria Krystyna of Altenburg (1923-2012)

Princess Maria Krystyna of Altenburg, daughter of Archduke Karl Albrecht of Austria (1888-1951), of the Polish branch of the Habsburgs, and his Swedish morganatic wife Alice Ankarcrona (1889-1985), died yesterday in Poland at the age of 88.  As obituaries at blogs such as Royal Musings and Eurohistory make clear, her long life was deeply affected by the vicissitudes of the twentieth century, but it ended peacefully in the same town where she was born, Maria Krystyna having become a popular local figure living in a small apartment on what had been her father's estate.  Requiescat in pace.

Chinese Imperial Family Reunion

Even more so than most non-reigning royal families, relatives of China's last Emperor, Pu Yi (1906-1967), tend to keep a low profile.  Recently, however, many of them gathered to celebrate a new series of books about the imperial family.  Sadly, the article as well as some of its comments show how successful Communist anti-imperial indoctrination has been, even among the relatives themselves.  The fall of the ancient Chinese monarchy in 1911-12 was one of the first signs of how horrible the 20th century would be.  Even a relentlessly optimistic (at least publicly) monarchist like me has a hard time seeing how Imperial China could ever be restored.  RIP Pu Yi.