Mix of joy and sadness as Holland's Queen Beatrix celebrates 30 years on the throne

There were jubilant scenes across The Netherlands on Friday as the country celebrated Queen's Day, which this year marked the 30th anniversary of Queen Beatrix's reign.

The focus of the 2010 festivities was south-west Zeeland province, where the 72-year-old monarch, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Crown Princess Maxima and other royals seemed to be making a concerted effort to put the tragic events of last year's event behind them.

At the 2009 celebrations, a 38-year-old man killed himself and seven innocent bystanders by driving his car into the crowd that had assembled to watch the royal family pass by in an open-top bus.

On Thursday the royal family had gathered in the town of Apeldoorn, where the tragedy occurred, to watch Queen Beatrix unveil a monument to the victims of the attack.

Princess Maxima and other members of the royal family wept as they joined relatives of those killed and guests to lay single white roses next to the stone memorial, which takes the form of a box full of balloons.

The motive of the attack remains a mystery, though it's thought the driver's target was the royal bus. But with the commemoration over, the following day was one of celebration.

And not even the rain could dampen the spirits of the royal party, who were seen laughing and joking as they followed the fun in the town of Wemeldinge.

As the Queen met local residents, Maxima – dressed in a striking red dress and black-and-white print coat – delighted the crowds by pulling pitchers of beer on a shuffleboard.

Held every April 30, the annual Queen's Day national holiday marks Queen Beatrix's official birthday and the anniversary of her ascension to the throne.

With her family the monarch usually visits one or more places on the day to be shown regional dances and crafts. Meanwhile, across the country, people dress in bright orange and celebrate with games, concerts and the traditional 'freemarket', which sees everyday citizens selling items in the streets.

Willem-Alexander and Maxima get on their bikes for castle tour

They aren't many countries in the world where the bicycle is a more popular way of getting around than The Netherlands.

Even the country's royal family seem to be big fans of the mode of transport.

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima both got on their bikes to cycle round Castle Duivenvoorde, situated near The Hague, on Wednesday.

The royal couple looked to be having a ball as they toured the grounds on a visit to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a museum.

The 38-year-old princess, who recently joined Spain's Queen Sofia for a humanitarian event in Kenya, chose a summery short-sleeved dress and grey cardigan for the occasion.

The castle building, which dates from 1631, underwent a major restoration in 1960 after its last owner entrusted it to the care of a foundation.

Since then it has been open to the public as a museum that aims to show the house as it was in 1717.

Princess Caroline's use of stylish accessories proves winning look at bloom competition

She constantly wins praise for her stylish and modern fashion choices, and it was easy to see why as Princess Caroline of Monaco visited the principality's annual bouquet competition.

The glamorous 53-year-old cut an elegant figure in a taupe green Grecian-style dress. But what really made the outfit was her carefully selected choice of accessories.

Around her neck the mum of four wore a crystal necklace – made up of what appeared to be jade and pearls . And she complemented this with gold around her wrists – in the form of masses of hooped bracelets and a delicate watch.

A straw-look summer bag and vertiginous Christian Louboutin shoes finished off the chic ensemble.

Caroline was accompanying her brother Prince Albert to the exhibition of flowers, which is in its 43rd year.

Unlike last year, there was no sign of her husband, Ernst of Hanover, however. Caroline and her husband have not been pictured together for some time.

There has been wide speculation in the press that they are on the road to divorce, after Ernst was pictured kissing another woman on the beach in Thailand. But Caroline did turn up to support her husband at his assault trial in January.

Never-before-seen pic shows Queen Elizabeth II as a baby

It was no doubt a treasured family snap. A mother looks adoringly at her cherub-faced baby, who giggles at the camera.

The proud mum in the picture, taken in 1927, was the then Duchess of York. And the impossibly cute little youngster was Princess Elizabeth – the future Queen of England.

It was snapped shortly before her parents left on tour of Australia and New Zealand.

During the painful six month separation – the little Princess was left at home with her nanny - the picture was no doubt of great comfort to the Duke and Duchess.

It is just one of many that have been released to mark the monarch's 84th birthday on April 21. They form part of a new exhibition showcasing the work of royal photographer Marcus Adams which opens at Windsor Castle on Saturday and runs until February 6 next year.

Also part of the collection are several photos taken of the ten month old Princess while her parents were away. These were sent to them as reassurance their daughter was healthy and happy back in England.

Accompanying the snaps was a note written by Elizabeth's nanny, Clara Knight. "If Mummy looks into my wide open mouth with a little magnifying glass she will see my two teeth. Elizabeth is quite well and happy," she wrote in the letter, dated March 8, 1927.

from Hellomagazine.com

Princess Ingrid joins grandparents at reopening of Oslo Cathedral

Little Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway enjoyed a trip out with grandparents King Harald and Queen Sonja on Sunday.

The six-year-old royal, who was also joined by mum Crown Princess Mette-Marit and dad Crown Prince Haakon, was by their side for the official reopening of Oslo's cathedral.

Dressed in a warm beige coat and cream leggings, she held her grandpa by the hand as they waited outside the 17th-century cathedral, which has been closed for renovation since 2006.

At one point the little heir, who is second in line to the Norwegian throne, also received some words from grandmother Queen Sonja.

It seems the youngster is gradually getting used to the limelight, but she still seemed timid when it came to posing for the cameras.

The little one hid shyly behind her dad's hand as the adults chatted to assembled clergy members, who included the Bishop of Oslo, Ole Christian Kvarme.

The reopening of the revamped building is set to be marked by a month-long series of services, concerts, guided tours and cultural events.

Queen Margrethe's birthday gala and Princess Madeleine of Sweden's absence

Arm in arm with her fiancé Daniel Westling, and with her brother Prince Carl at her side, Crown Princess Victoria was wearing her usual radiant smile as the trio attended Queen Margrethe's birthday celebrations.

But there was no sign of the other Swedish sibling, Princess Madeleine, or her fiancé Jonas Bergstrom, who are said to be in the midst of a relationship crisis.

A question mark had been hanging over the couple's attendance after a spate of stories stating they are on the brink of splitting up and have been living separate lives since January.

There was no official word on why they weren't at the event – an evening at the theatre – though it is possible they could have been amongst the group of royals affected by the travel chaos caused by the volcanic ash cloud currently hovering over Europe.

Those who were unable to make it included Victoria and Madeleine's parents Queen Silvia and King Carl Gustaf, and Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway arrived without her husband, Crown Prince Haakon. His plane was grounded in London and he was expected to arrive by car, late on Thursday.

She was kept company as she arrived at the theatre in Copenhagen by Crown Princess Mary and her husband Frederik.

Some 1,200 guests were in attendance, and well-wishers gathered outside to catch a glimpse of the royal invitees, who also included Prince Joachim and Princess Marie – stunning in a silk scarlett gown.

But the biggest cheer of the night was reserved for Queen Margrethe, a vision in an elegant emerald green dress.

Celebrations were due to continue on Friday with a banquet lunch hosted by the city of Copenhagen and a dinner at Fredensborg Palace.

Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday celebrations kick off with glam gala dinner

The much-anticipated celebrations for Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday got underway in Copenhagen on Tuesday night with a glamorous gala banquet.

The Danish monarch, who turns 70 on Friday, was joined at the Christiansborg Palace dinner by her husband Prince Henrik, as well as her sons and daughters-in-law.

Also present was her younger sister Princess Benedikte and her German husband, Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

The queen chose a glorious cerise gown for the occasion, where she delivered a heartfelt speech in front of the 375 assembled special guests, who included Danish prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and other dignitaries.

"Tonight I have the opportunity to send greetings and give thanks to the whole country for everything I have received over so many years in the form of kindness and warm attention from everywhere," she said.

Accompanied by Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary looked chic in a flowing short-sleeved red number and diamond tiara.

Meanwhile, Prince Joachim's French wife Princess Marie was the picture of elegance in a long-sleeved white gown and intricate jewelled headdress.

After the dinner, which included a starter of lobster jelly with seafood, followed by roast fillet of beef for mains, and cake alongside plums marinated in cognac for dessert, Danish TV station TV2 treated the monarch and her guests to a special birthday concert.

The line-up included music, comedy and magic from Danish stars, as well as Cliff Richard, who himself turns 70 later this year, singing his hit song Congratulations.

The banquet is just the start of several days of celebrations for Queen Margrethe over the next few days. On Thursday evening there will be a gala performance in Copenhagen's Royal Theatre featuring music and dance recitals. Then on Friday morning, the queen will greet well-wishers from the balcony of the Amalienborg Palace, before taking a carriage ride through the streets of Copenhagen to a lunch at City Hall.

That evening, there will be another dinner and dance at Fredensborg Palace, the Danish royal family's spring and autumn residence.

from Hellomagazine.com

Denmark gets ready to celebrate the 70th birthday of Queen Margrethe

The people of Denmark are gearing up to celebrate a very important date – the 70th birthday of their beloved Queen Margrethe, which falls on April 16.

In the weeks leading up to the big day, there have already been exhibitions, books, a TV documentary, concerts and galas in her honour.

To mark the coming occasion the monarch also held a press conference in Fredensborg Palace, north of Copenhagen (pictured). During it, she put paid to recent rumours that she might pass the crown on to her son Prince Frederik and retire to France with her French-born husband Prince Henrik.

"I will continue for as long as I'm able," she told journalists. "I'm not going to slow down, there is still much to do, important things to accomplish."

Two weeks ago the Moesgaard museum in Aarhus opened an exhibition titled Queen Margrethe and Archaeology, which documents the sovereign's early interest in the subject. And the queen herself was at the Skovgaard museum in Viborg last week to attend the opening of a collection of her paintings, ranging from works from her childhood to those completed in the present day.

Meanwhile there have been further exhibitions in the museums of the royal palaces of Amalienborg and Frederiksberg, the first displaying photos and objects from significant points in her life, and the latter detailing important moments from both the sovereign's private and public lives.

The exhibitions, books and other things are only a taster of what's to come, however. The main event starts on Tuesday with a dinner in Christiansborg Palace, where there will also be a music gala featuring popular Danish artists and foreign performers, including Cliff Richard.

Two days later there'll be another gala in the royal theatre and the big day starts at midday on the 16th when Margrethe and her family will gather on the balcony of Amalienborg Palace to greet their subjects in the courtyard below as she does every year.

From there the Queen and Prince Henrik will journey by carriage to the centre of the city to the Town Hall, where they will be honoured with a lunch and various musical and theatre performances.

Following this the monarch and her husband will take to the balcony of the Town Hall to wave to well wishers. The day will end with a gala dinner in Fredensborg Palace – a spectacular end to a special birthday.

from Hellomagazine.com

Intimate details of Queen Margrethe's younger years revealed in new books

As Denmark prepares to celebrate the April 16 70th birthday of Queen Margrethe, the publishing world has paid its tribute to the sovereign in the form of two books.

They are Margrethe, My Life in Images and Three Sisters, which is about the Queen and her two younger sisters Princess Benedickte and Anne-Marie of Greece.

The first book is based on various conversations the queen had with the author along with hundreds of photos from her life, some chosen by her. In it she speaks of her childhood, her adolescence, her middle age, the love of her life, her pride in her children and the wives they have taken.

For example, of Prince Frederik's other half, Princess Mary, she says: "I have to say I am very happy with Frederik's choice. Now the princess has spent various years in Denmark and I think she is doing so well… I am so happy with her and the two of them are so happy together."

Three Sisters is full of revelations about the relationship between the three daughters of King Frederik and Queen Ingrid (pictured with their children – from left – Benedikte 13, nine-year-old Anne-Marie and 16-year-old Margrethe), especially concerning their childhood and teenage years, when they spent the most time together.

Readers may be surprised to learn of the bad temper of little Princess Margrethe, who once bit her sister Benedikte on the arm. Or how it affected her, aged 13, when the law of succession was changed and the fact that her mother couldn't have any more children meant that she was now heir to the throne.

"Mother and father talked with me about my future as queen, but for the others, nothing will change," she said. "They talk more about it in school, and I find that very unpleasant."

The queen also revealed that she wasn't allowed to wear lipstick until she was 15, and it was only when she was 17 or 18 that she could wear eyeshadow "from time to time".

On the subject of jewellery she tells how she sometimes wears a ruby horseshoe brooch. It is her lucky charm – a present her father gave her when she was officially named heir to the throne, aged 13.

Margrethe's two sisters haven't only participated in the writing of the book, they've also given extensive interviews to the national magazine Billed-Bladet to celebrate their older sister's landmark year.

In the magazine, Queen Anne-Marie talks about how her sister has battled with and overcome shyness over the years, and also of the strong bond between all three sisters that was strengthened by the death of their mother in 2000.

"We've always been very close, but maybe it's more important now because she isn't here any more to be the one that draws us all together," says Queen Anne-Marie. "Now we have to fix things ourselves."

For her part Princess Benedikte expresses her "admiration" for her sister and her "unlimited creativity". She says: "She can do so many things. I'm not creative at all – she got all the creativity and the artistic ability."

Princess Maxima joins Queen Sofia of Spain in Nairobi

They are both leading royal figures; one the future queen of the Netherlands, and the other the matriarch of Spain.

And aside from their regal statuses, Crown Princess Maxima and Queen Sofia have found further common ground together, thanks to their desire to help those in need.

The two ladies were united by their humanitarian efforts this week, as they flew from their respective countries to attend an official meeting in Nairobi.

Prince Willem-Alexander's wife and Sofia - who has been married to Spanish king, Juan Carlos, since May 1962 - were quite evidently delighted to see other, warmly embracing as they came face to face in the Kenyan capital.

Both were attending the Africa-Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit, an event aimed to help end global poverty.

After addressing the gathering on Wednesday with mum-of-three Maxima by her side, Sofia was seen spending the following day with the people of Mathare Valley - reputed to be one of the most deteriorated shantytown villages in Africa.

While there, the 71-year-old royal threw herself into interacting with the locals, from helping to prepare a traditional meal and visiting the homes of residents, to admiring many pieces of handmade beaded jewellery.