Archduke Rodolph of Austria died on 15 May 2010. He was the son of the last Emperor and Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. On 29 May 2010 a funeral mass was held at L' église Notre-Dame du Sablon in Brussels, Belgium.
Many members of the Grand-Ducal Family attended the service. I noted The Grand-Ducal Couple, Prince Guillaume, Prince Jean and his wife, Princess Margaretha and her husband Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein. Princess Marie-Astrid and her husband Archduke Carl-Christian were accompanied by their daughter Archduchess Marie-Christine and her husband Count Rodolphe.
I admire the Habsburg family. Archduke Rodolph enjoyed a long and full life. His passing is unfortunate and we express our sympathy to his family.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Presidential delegation in the Grand Duchy..
I was right, the Presidential Delegation has merited an appearance from one of our favorite royals. Our, hard working and perfectly respectable, Hereditary Grand Duke attended the Memorial Day events at the American Cemetery of Luxembourg with part of the Presidential Delegation.
Manuel Dias has shown us some love with his gallery of the event. The gallery has more than 200 new visuals of Guillaume. I've been pretty sick for the past week and more than 200 new pictures of Guillaume was a great pick-me-up. Obrigado, Manuel.
Manuel Dias has shown us some love with his gallery of the event. The gallery has more than 200 new visuals of Guillaume. I've been pretty sick for the past week and more than 200 new pictures of Guillaume was a great pick-me-up. Obrigado, Manuel.
Thanks to Marley and Jo.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Presidential delegation to the Benelux...
President Barack Obama has announced that on 29-30 May 2010 a Presidential Delegation will be in The Kingdom of the Netherlands, The Kingdom of Belgium and....you guessed it....The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The delegation will be attending Memorial Day Ceremonies marking the 65th Anniversary of the End of World War II.
This is not exactly what I would consider a high-level visit, but since this is a Presidential Delegation that will be attending ceremonies marking the end of WWII it is possible that we'll get a few pictures of our favorite Benelux royals. I'm sure you probably guessed that the possible royal attendance and/or photo opportunity is the reason I'm passing along this information.
Members of the Delegation:
The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, leading the delegation.
The Honorable Ivo H. Daalder, U.S. Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The Honorable Fay Hartog Levin, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Honorable Howard W. Gutman, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium
The Honorable Cynthia Stroum, U.S. Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Mr. Charles Payne, World War II Veteran and President Barack Obama’s Great Uncle
This is not exactly what I would consider a high-level visit, but since this is a Presidential Delegation that will be attending ceremonies marking the end of WWII it is possible that we'll get a few pictures of our favorite Benelux royals. I'm sure you probably guessed that the possible royal attendance and/or photo opportunity is the reason I'm passing along this information.
Members of the Delegation:
The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, leading the delegation.
The Honorable Ivo H. Daalder, U.S. Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The Honorable Fay Hartog Levin, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Honorable Howard W. Gutman, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium
The Honorable Cynthia Stroum, U.S. Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Mr. Charles Payne, World War II Veteran and President Barack Obama’s Great Uncle
Never fear travelers, President Obama is not listed as part of the delegation so you won't have to worry about sealed-off streets and gridlocked traffic. I know it's annoying that The President of the United States doesn't visit cities he shuts them down completely. Don't be offended my European friends it happens even in the US.
Monday, May 24, 2010
It is a truth universally acknowledged...
...that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. ~~Jane Austen
That is unless you're royal. In that case, if you haven't publicly spread yourself around to a dozen ladies a year, led some girl along for 7 years under the watchful eyes of your entire nation, or popped out a couple kids before your 21 birthday (no offense Louis, I love your little family) then you must be gay. Yawn...yawn...yawn!
It is both annoying and tiresome that a man of Guillaume's caliber must constantly have his sexuality questioned. I think that perhaps Guillaume got a taste of being followed around and having his relationship paraded in the tabloids when he dated Pia. I sincerely doubt that it is an experience that he enjoyed or would want to repeat (the same can't be said for Pia). He doesn't have a string of illegitimate children or women lining up to tell stories of lustful adventures or heartbreak. I don't take this as a sign that Guillaume is gay. In my opinion this is a sign that Guillaume is a man of integrity who values his role, the people in his life and his personal space. Guillaume isn't leading the life of a monk...He is not spending all of his non-working hours sitting at home...He is definitely sweet but surely not innocent... :)
I wouldn't care if Guillaume was gay. I would still love Luxembourg. I would still respect him and view him as capable. I would still wish him well. I would still hope and pray that he is able to find happiness in all areas of his life. There are undoubtedly people who would view it as a serious flaw in his character, but I am not one of them.
Guillaume is not gay. He simply has decided not to parade his private relationships around in public. Félix and Claire are out and about together all the time (I really do mean all-the-time) in Rome, but you don't see him dragging her to events that have press coverage. The same can be said for Guillaume. The Grand-Ducal Family is able to keep their relationships private through a combination of lack of overall interest in every move they make, discretion, and commonsense.
Why am I mentioning all of this? It's made the tabloids in Luxembourg that people over at TRF apparently believe that Guillaume is gay. I actually like most of the posters over at TRF. I think the article really is incorrect in stating that it's the best royal forum and fails to note that only a small portion of their large membership base is actually active. I didn't really see any pros and cons of his sexuality being debated.
This assumption of gayness (which is incorrect) is based largely on Guillaume's apparent inability to find a woman who has graced the pages of Slitz (sorry Carl Philip but you had to expect the backlash). Okay, maybe that isn't the exact reason, but you get my point. Which is a point that I think the author of the article is also trying to make. At least, Privat took the time to, seemingly, defend Guillaume against the gay rumors that plague him because he doesn't date in the open.
I check the headlines on Privat and Promi but I generally don't give them much thought. This is largely because I know for certain that much of the gossip about their personal lives is inaccurate. Félix is still referred to as "der playboy" when he appears to have developed into a serial monogamist some time ago. I'm not doubting that he was at one point, um, let's just say enjoying being an attractive young man but it's not who he is right now. Guillaume is not a sugar coated monk but he's not a raging playboy.
Oh deary me, how those delicious Luxembourg princes love to drive us crazy by not keeping us dutifully informed about their private lives. ;)
That is unless you're royal. In that case, if you haven't publicly spread yourself around to a dozen ladies a year, led some girl along for 7 years under the watchful eyes of your entire nation, or popped out a couple kids before your 21 birthday (no offense Louis, I love your little family) then you must be gay. Yawn...yawn...yawn!
It is both annoying and tiresome that a man of Guillaume's caliber must constantly have his sexuality questioned. I think that perhaps Guillaume got a taste of being followed around and having his relationship paraded in the tabloids when he dated Pia. I sincerely doubt that it is an experience that he enjoyed or would want to repeat (the same can't be said for Pia). He doesn't have a string of illegitimate children or women lining up to tell stories of lustful adventures or heartbreak. I don't take this as a sign that Guillaume is gay. In my opinion this is a sign that Guillaume is a man of integrity who values his role, the people in his life and his personal space. Guillaume isn't leading the life of a monk...He is not spending all of his non-working hours sitting at home...He is definitely sweet but surely not innocent... :)
I wouldn't care if Guillaume was gay. I would still love Luxembourg. I would still respect him and view him as capable. I would still wish him well. I would still hope and pray that he is able to find happiness in all areas of his life. There are undoubtedly people who would view it as a serious flaw in his character, but I am not one of them.
Guillaume is not gay. He simply has decided not to parade his private relationships around in public. Félix and Claire are out and about together all the time (I really do mean all-the-time) in Rome, but you don't see him dragging her to events that have press coverage. The same can be said for Guillaume. The Grand-Ducal Family is able to keep their relationships private through a combination of lack of overall interest in every move they make, discretion, and commonsense.
Why am I mentioning all of this? It's made the tabloids in Luxembourg that people over at TRF apparently believe that Guillaume is gay. I actually like most of the posters over at TRF. I think the article really is incorrect in stating that it's the best royal forum and fails to note that only a small portion of their large membership base is actually active. I didn't really see any pros and cons of his sexuality being debated.
This assumption of gayness (which is incorrect) is based largely on Guillaume's apparent inability to find a woman who has graced the pages of Slitz (sorry Carl Philip but you had to expect the backlash). Okay, maybe that isn't the exact reason, but you get my point. Which is a point that I think the author of the article is also trying to make. At least, Privat took the time to, seemingly, defend Guillaume against the gay rumors that plague him because he doesn't date in the open.
I check the headlines on Privat and Promi but I generally don't give them much thought. This is largely because I know for certain that much of the gossip about their personal lives is inaccurate. Félix is still referred to as "der playboy" when he appears to have developed into a serial monogamist some time ago. I'm not doubting that he was at one point, um, let's just say enjoying being an attractive young man but it's not who he is right now. Guillaume is not a sugar coated monk but he's not a raging playboy.
Oh deary me, how those delicious Luxembourg princes love to drive us crazy by not keeping us dutifully informed about their private lives. ;)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
EuroMoney....
Team Guillaume was front and center at the EuroMoney Conference in Riyadh. Guillaume gave a key note address during the first day of the conference. He highlighted many of the qualities that make Luxembourg an excellent place to invest and do business. He also touched on positive aspects of the Saudi economy.
The entourage met with the Saudi Minister of Finance and the Minister of Commerce and Industry. In addition to Guillaume the Belgian Minister of Economy and the ambassadors to and from Belgium were present.
The articles haven't really covered much of Minister Jeannot Krecké's role during this visit despite his importance for the mission. I'm rather disappointed by this.
Luxembourg International Military Tattoo...
The Grand Ducal Family was out in force at the annual Luxembourg International Military Tattoo. The Grand Ducal Couple was present. Prince Louis was all smiles as he and his wife made the rounds. Tessy looked very nice in a causal suit and darker hair (no more blonde highlights please).
RTL has a gallery containing more than 700 photos.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Busy, Busy G...
It has been a busy day for our hard working Hereditary Grand Duke and Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade.
They met with The Governor of Riyadh Province, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz. Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz who serves as Special Advisor to Prince Salman was also present. Prince Mohammed is also the son of Prince Salman (as his name indicates). The royal guests were joined by, Abdullah Yahya Al-Ma'alai, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg. Michael Lastschenko, Belgium's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, was also in attendance. Bilateral ties and areas of mutual interest were discussed.
If you're wondering why the Belgian diplomats are present...FYI, in nations where Luxembourg has no embassy the diplomatic interests of Luxembourg and services for Luxembourg citizens are met by either The Belgian Embassy or The Royal Netherlands Embassy.
Team Guillaume met with The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. A host of Saudi officials and princes were also present. They discussed investment potential in the petroleum industry of Saudi Arabia, the development of renewable energy, oil reserves, production, and stabilization of the petroleum market.
Guillaume gave a speech at the symposium "Luxembourg: The Business Hub in Europe." The symposium was attended by members of the Belgian and Saudi diplomatic court, businessmen, princes, and officials. Guillaume and his 40 person entourage (it was 100 in Russia...GuiGui rolls deep) were promoting Luxembourg as a business hub and place to establish a European corporate office.
Guillaume also met with Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. He presented Prince Alwaleed with The Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau. The order is the second highest distinction of The Grand Duchy. One wonders what Prince Alwaleed or his Kingdom Holding Company could have done to merit such an honor?? In fairness, the order is frequently awarded to foreign royals but they are generally heads of state not minor princes.
The order is generally awarded for meritorious service or outstanding loyalty to The Grand Duke or The Grand-Ducal House. Additionally, all members of The Grand-Ducal House (not just the sovereign and his or her children) are born members of the order and receive their insignia upon majority. Hey, guess who is outstandingly loyal to both The Grand Duke and The Grand-Ducal House and is constantly engaged in bubbly and good humored promotion of Luxembourg and The Grand-Ducal House?????? >>>>ME<<<<
They met with The Governor of Riyadh Province, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz. Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz who serves as Special Advisor to Prince Salman was also present. Prince Mohammed is also the son of Prince Salman (as his name indicates). The royal guests were joined by, Abdullah Yahya Al-Ma'alai, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg. Michael Lastschenko, Belgium's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, was also in attendance. Bilateral ties and areas of mutual interest were discussed.
If you're wondering why the Belgian diplomats are present...FYI, in nations where Luxembourg has no embassy the diplomatic interests of Luxembourg and services for Luxembourg citizens are met by either The Belgian Embassy or The Royal Netherlands Embassy.
Team Guillaume met with The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. A host of Saudi officials and princes were also present. They discussed investment potential in the petroleum industry of Saudi Arabia, the development of renewable energy, oil reserves, production, and stabilization of the petroleum market.
Guillaume gave a speech at the symposium "Luxembourg: The Business Hub in Europe." The symposium was attended by members of the Belgian and Saudi diplomatic court, businessmen, princes, and officials. Guillaume and his 40 person entourage (it was 100 in Russia...GuiGui rolls deep) were promoting Luxembourg as a business hub and place to establish a European corporate office.
Guillaume also met with Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. He presented Prince Alwaleed with The Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau. The order is the second highest distinction of The Grand Duchy. One wonders what Prince Alwaleed or his Kingdom Holding Company could have done to merit such an honor?? In fairness, the order is frequently awarded to foreign royals but they are generally heads of state not minor princes.
The order is generally awarded for meritorious service or outstanding loyalty to The Grand Duke or The Grand-Ducal House. Additionally, all members of The Grand-Ducal House (not just the sovereign and his or her children) are born members of the order and receive their insignia upon majority. Hey, guess who is outstandingly loyal to both The Grand Duke and The Grand-Ducal House and is constantly engaged in bubbly and good humored promotion of Luxembourg and The Grand-Ducal House?????? >>>>ME<<<<
Monday, May 17, 2010
The King and Guillaume...
Shortly after GuiGui & Co. arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia they were received by The King.
Guillaume gave The King greetings from The Grand Duke. The King, likewise, asked Guillaume to convey his good wishes to The Grand Duke. They also discussed bilateral ties between their nations.
Guillaume gave The King greetings from The Grand Duke. The King, likewise, asked Guillaume to convey his good wishes to The Grand Duke. They also discussed bilateral ties between their nations.
Hello and Goodbye...
HRH The Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie of Luxembourg met his Qatar counterpart HH The Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The focus of the meeting between the two excessively named heirs was the continued development of ties between their nations. Maybe they also spent a few minutes discussing how difficult it was for them as children to learn to spell all their names and titles.
Team Guillaume has left Qatar. Presumably, they have since arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Luxembourg delegation is scheduled to take part in a convention and various other activities aimed at promoting Luxembourg and sealing existing ties. They will remain in Saudi Arabia until Wednesday.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Qatar Continued...
The visit of our dear Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie and Minister Jeannot Krecké is continuing. The dynamic duo visited the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. They discussed the Qatar Foundation's projects and were given an idea of the projects that are in the works.
Guillaume, Jeannot, The Emir of Qatar, and The President of Brazil attended the Emir's Cup final at Khalifa Stadium (pictured). I'm sure our magnificent Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie (hey, they started it) is easily spotted in the picture...that's The President of Brazil in the khaki pants and The Emir is sandwiched between Guillaume and The President. Our poor Minister Krecké was relegated to the second row. I don't know what stadiums look like where you live but where I live deluxe armchairs are crystal glasses aren't standard...not even in luxurious Luxembourg.
On a totally unrelated note, while reading the Qatari news for blurbs about the visit of Team Guillaume. I noticed that it's a super busy week for The Emir. Just this week The King of Lesotho, The President of Brazil, GuiGui & Co. and at least a dozen other high ranking delegations from various nations were popping in and out of Qatar. I think that our hard working Hereditary Grand Duke and Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade both need a vacation but now I also think that The Emir could use one, as well.
Guillaume, Jeannot, The Emir of Qatar, and The President of Brazil attended the Emir's Cup final at Khalifa Stadium (pictured). I'm sure our magnificent Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie (hey, they started it) is easily spotted in the picture...that's The President of Brazil in the khaki pants and The Emir is sandwiched between Guillaume and The President. Our poor Minister Krecké was relegated to the second row. I don't know what stadiums look like where you live but where I live deluxe armchairs are crystal glasses aren't standard...not even in luxurious Luxembourg.
On a totally unrelated note, while reading the Qatari news for blurbs about the visit of Team Guillaume. I noticed that it's a super busy week for The Emir. Just this week The King of Lesotho, The President of Brazil, GuiGui & Co. and at least a dozen other high ranking delegations from various nations were popping in and out of Qatar. I think that our hard working Hereditary Grand Duke and Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade both need a vacation but now I also think that The Emir could use one, as well.
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