NEWBORN BABY DAUGHTER OF CROWN PRINCESS VICTORIA OF SWEDEN AND PRINCE DANIEL IS NAMED

The newborn baby daughter of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel has been named.  King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, announced the names of his first grandchild during a cabinet meeting on February 24, 2012.  Victoria and Daniel have chosen the names Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary.  Silvia and Ewa are in honor of the baby’s maternal and paternal grandmothers, respectively.  Princess Estelle, born on February 23, is second in line to the Swedish throne after her mother.  King Carl XVI Gustaf also announced that Princess Estelle will ill receive the title Duchess of Ostergotland, a province in southeast Sweden.  The king let it be known that “we have now been given a little Princess Estelle in Sweden and we are all, particularly me and the family, very, very happy and joyful for that.”  Photos by Corbis, Getty Images, the Royal Swedish Court and AP.

King Carl XVI Gustaf with his son, Prince Carl Philip, at a cabinet meeting on February 24, 2012, announces the names of his first grandchild: Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary. Photo by AP.

The June 2010 wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling

A photo released by the Royal Swedish Court via Facebook of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel leaving the Karolinska Hospital

PRINCE FRISO, SECOND SON OF QUEEN BEATRIX OF THE NETHERLANDS, MAY NEVER AWAKE FROM COMA

The prognosis of Prince Friso, the second son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, following his skiing accident in Lech, in western Austria, on February 17, 2012, has been announced publicly.  The prince, who never regained consciousness, suffered massive brain damage.  Dr. Wolfgang Koller, head of the trauma unit at Innsbruck University Medical Hospital, where Prince Friso was taken for treatment, announced that, “At the moment, it can’t be predicted whether he’ll ever regain consciousness.”   Dr. Koller added, “Due to the length of time he was covered under the snow, his brain was deprived of oxygen,” he said.  “This led to cardiac arrest, which lasted about 50 minutes.  The patient had to be reanimated during this entire period.  Fifty minutes of reanimation is a very long time, one could say, too long.”  It is expected that the family will look for a suitable rehabilitation center for the prince.  Since the tragic accident, the prince’s family have been regular visitors to his bedside.  Prince Friso, 43, married the former Mabel Wisse Smit in 2004 in Delft.  Prince Friso and Princess Mabel are the parents of two daughter, six-year-old Countess Luana and five-year-0ld Countess Zaria.  Photos by Corbis and Getty Images.

The news conference in Lech, Austria, giving the prognosis of Prince Friso, February 24, 2012.

Wedding of Prince Friso to Mabel Wisse Smit in Delft, the Netherlands, 2004.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands holding the first born daughter of Prince Friso and Princess Mabel, Countess Luana, 2005

A photo taken in April 2011 in the Netherlands celebrating the Queen's Day, the Queen's birthday.

Prince Friso and Princess Mabel with their daughters, Countess Luana and Countess Zaria, in a photo taken at Lech, Austria in February 2011. A year later, tragedy struck the family in the same city.

CROWN PRINCESS VICTORIA OF SWEDEN GIVES BIRTH TO HER FIRST CHILD, A DAUGHTER

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, gave birth to her first child in the early hours of February 23, 2012.  The baby, a girl, is second in line to the Swedish throne, was born at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.  She measured 20 inches and weighed in at just over 7 pounds.   Crown Princess Victoria, 34, and her husband, Prince Daniel, 38 (the former Daniel Westling), were married on June 19,  2010.  The birth of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel’s daughter, is the first royal birth in Sweden in nearly thirty years.  In 1982, Queen Silvia had given birth to Princess Madeleine.

During a news conference, Prince Daniel, who admitted to feeling “pretty nervous” during the birth, told reporters that, “my feelings are a little bit all over the place.”  He also said,  “when I left the room the little princess was sleeping on her mother’s chest and they were looking very cozy.”  Prince Daniel also remarked that the king and queen,  who had been informed of the birth, “are very happy.”  Mother and daughter, both in excellent health, along with Prince Daniel, left the hospital less than a day after the princess gave birth.  Photos by Bauer Griffin, Getty Images, AP and the Facebook page of the Swedish Royal Court.

Prince Daniel at a news conference on the birth of his daughter

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel leave the Karolinksa Hospital less than a day after the princess gave birth to a baby girl (photo: Facebook page of the Swedish Royal Court)

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE VISITS SCHOOLS IN OXFORD, LETS SLIP THE NAME OF HER COCKER SPANIEL PUPPY

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, carried out another solo engagement when she visited two schools in Oxford, Rose Hill Primary School, where she donned a special pinny with the name ‘Miss Catherine’ embroidered on the front, and Oxford Spires Academy.  Catherine visited the two schools to see the work of The Art Room,  of which she is patron.  The Art Room uses art therapy to build confidence and self-esteem in children.  During her visit to Oxford, the Duchess of Cambridge let slip that the name of her black cocker spaniel puppy is Lupo, Italian for wolf.   It turns out the brown wool coat dress with its pattern of birds by Irish designer, Orla Kiely, that Catherine wore, was popular with the public as copies of the dress sold sold out minutes after her appearance.

RPINCE FELIPE OF SPAIN AND PRINCESS LETIZIA ATTEND INAUGURATION OF ARCO FAIR

Prince Felipe of Spain and his wife, Princess Letizia , along with Spain’s Culture Minister Jose Ignacio Wert , attended in Madrid, on February 16, 2012, the inauguration of ARCO Fair Arte 2012 at Ifema.   Photos by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Europe.

BELGIAN ROYALS INCLUDING KING ALBERT II AND QUEEN PAOLA ATTEND MEMORIAL MASS AT LAEKEN

Prince Philippe of Belgium, his wife, Princess Mathilde, and members of the Belgian royal family including King Albert II,  Queen Paola, Queen Fabiola, Prince Lorentz,Princess Astrid, Princess Maria Laura, Princess Claire, andPrince Laurent Of Belgium, attended a Memorial Mass for deceased Belgian Royals at Eglise Notre-Dame de Laeken on February 16, 2012 in Laeken, Belgium.  Photos by Mark Renders/Getty Images Europe.

 

QUEEN ELIZABETH II VISITS LAMBETH PALACE FOR A DIAMOND JUBILEE EVENT AND PRESENTS WESTMINSTER ABBEY WITH HISTORIC CHARTER

Queen Elizabeth II on February 15, 2002  visited Lambeth Palace for a Diamond Jubilee multi-faith reception.  She was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.  The Queen also presented a historic Charter on February 17, 2012 during a private audience held at Buckingham Palace.  The Charter sets out how Westminster Abbey should be governed on a day-to-day basis.  Photo by Bauer Griffin.

CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE ON A SOLO ENGAGEMENT IN LIVERPOOL

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, on February 14, 2012, visited the charity The Brink  in Liverpool, England.  Her husband Prince William is currently serving in the Falklands.   The duchess, whose visit took place on Valentine’s Day, was presented with an alcohol free drink and a Valentine’s Day cupcake, cards and flowers.  She later visited Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.   Photos by Getty Images.

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK OF DENMARK, PRINCESS MARY AND THEIR CHILDREN ON HOLIDAY IN VERBIER

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, posed for photographers on February 12, 2012, with their four children, Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, while on a skiing holiday in Verbier, Switzerland.  Photos by Getty Images.

BELGIAN AND SPANISH ROYALS ON THEIR LATEST OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS

Prince Philippe of Belgium and his wife, Princess Mathilde, visited “HUB Brussels”, a worldwide network at disposal for young starters on February 9, 2012 in Brussels, Belgium.   And in Spain, Prince Felipe and his wife, Princess Letizia, attended the official opening of the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Huerta after its restoration on February 9, 2012 in Tarazona, Spain. Photos by Getty Images.

Princess Mathilde and Prince Philippe of Belgium

Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain in Tarazona, Spain