Prince William’s second day in New Zealand was spent mostly in Wellington, the country’s Creative Capital City.

His first stop was at the National War Memorial which honors the men and women who had given their lives in the course of duty. He inspected the guard during a ceremony and then laid a rose on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. He was accompanied by Prime Minister John Key.

Prince William then proceeded to Wellington to open the building of the Supreme Court. Upon his arrival, he was greeted in the traditional Maori way: The ‘hongi’ is performed by pressing one’s nose to another’s. In the photo above, he is greeted by Sir Ralph Ngata Love. (More photos below)

See the video below for a glimpse of the welcome ceremony. This report mentions that Prince William was given a photo of his mother Princess Diana, from her own visit there in 1983. And, a revelation that we won’t see the prince kissing any babies in the crowd because it breaks royal protocol!

Read More – Prince William’s Visit to New Zealand (Day 2) – Photos and Video

Happy happy birthday to the following royals, nobles and friends of royals!

18 – Princess Claire of Belgium (1974)

18 – Marie Theresa von Lattorf Liechtenstein (2004)

19 – Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, sister of King Carl Gustaf (1937)

19 – Princess Kalina of Bulgaria (1972)

19 – Princess Margriet of the Netherlands (1943)

20 – Princess Mathilde of Belgium (1973)

20 – Tassilo of Bulgaria (2002)

20 – Sophie, Countess of Wessex (1965)

21 – Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (2004)

23 – Caroline of Monaco, Princess of Hanover (1957)

via Royal Forums

Royal fever has come to the lands down under with the visit of Prince William to New Zealand. Prince William arrived in Auckland on January 17, 2010 and promptly began a round of engagements in his first official overseas trip on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

On his first day, Prince William visited Eden Park, which is undergoing renovations in preparation for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Auckland’s Mayor John Banks and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key joined him at the Park. The prince got a chance to demonstrate his rugby skills during a pickup game with  members of the Pakarunga under 10 rugby team.

In the afternoon, the royal boarded the America’s Cup yacht NZL40 at the Waitemata Harbour to take a sail around Auckland (photo above). And he wasn’t just a passenger too. Prince William took the helm from Team NZ skipper and America’s Cup yachtsman Dean Barker during the sail.

Prince William finished his first day as a guest of honor at a hangi. The traditional Maori feast involves food cooked using heated rocks inside a pit oven. Governor General of New Zealand Anand Satayanad hosted the feast at the Government House in Auckland.

Prince William will be in New Zealand until January 19, 2010, after which he will go to Australia.

Check out the video and gallery photos below for more details on Prince William’s first day in NZ!

images via Zuma Press

114 years ago

Princess Charlotte of Luxembourg (photo on the right) was born on January 23, 1896. She became Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg on January 14, 1919, after the abdication of her sister Marie-Adelaide. She died in 1985.

109 years ago

Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom died on January 22, 1901 at the age of 81. She ascended to the throne at the age of 18, and reigned for 64 years, the longest (to date) of any British monarch. She died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

Upon the death of his mother Queen Victoria, King Edward VII (born Albert Edward) began his reign at age 60.

102 years ago

Princess Sybilla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was born on January 18, 1908. A great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, she was the mother of the reigning King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf. She died in 1972.

74 years ago

On January 20, 1936, King George V of the United Kingdom died in Sandringham House. He reigned for 26 years (May 6, 1910 – Jan. 20, 1936).

King Edward VIII acceded to the British throne upon the death of his father, King George V. He abdicated in December of that same year, giving way to the reign of King George VI, the father of the reigning Queen Elizabeth II.

19 years ago

The reigning King Harald V acceded to the throne of Norway on January 17, 1991, after the death of his father, King Olav V.

public domain image via Wikimedia

I was finally able to see this movie for myself! Since it’s limited release on Christmas Day, I’ve waited for ‘The Young Victoria’ to come to my town. I’ve read many of the glowing reviews and psyched myself up for a movie-going treat. And I wasn’t disappointed!

You’ve probably seen the stills, the preview videos and the reviews. But nothing compares to seeing the movie on the big screen. All those gorgeous details to enjoy! The subtlety of the acting, the emotion and, of course, the warmth of a great love story.

For ‘The Young Victoria’ is a love story at its core. It is the story of how the young Queen Victoria found her partner in love and in life: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg. But it is not just like any other love story. Woven through the film is the story of how the young royal first found within herself what she needed to fulfill her destiny, and then the wisdom and courage to share that destiny with a man who would “play the game with her”.

Read More – Five-Crown Review: ‘The Young Victoria’

Over the Christmas break, photos emerged of Kate Middleton playing tennis with her family. Did you see the images when they were posted elsewhere online? I did, and remembered the paparazzi ban that Queen Elizabeth issued in November (The British royal family will take legal action against photographers taking photos of the family in “private” situations).

When I saw Kate’s tennis photos, I wondered how the ban would play in her situation. While she and Prince William have been together for years, she is not officially part of the royal family, not until they get engaged, anyway. But with the current reports saying that Kate’s family lawyers are suing the photographer, it appears that the Queen’s ban might also cover Kate, though informally.

Buckingham Palace’s reaction to the recent reports is to say that this is a “private complaint”, and to make it clear that it is not the royal family filing the suit in this case. Which is true. Kate’s family is the one taking action. But their lawyers, Harbottle & Lewis, are also the ones who represent the Queen.

The suit, then, has many interesting possible angles.

For one, the photos were taken at the Restormel Manor, a part of the Duchy of Cornwall. The Middletons were staying there at the time, and it’s not clear whether they were guests of Prince Charles or not. Now, does the suit have legs because of the location, which is a private property of a member of the royal family, though no royal was in the photos (Prince William wasn’t there)?

Or is it because the taking of the photos may be considered harassment of a private family, regardless of the Queen’s ban? Or does it point to a more proactive and deliberate approach taken by the British royals, with a view toward protecting the future bride of Prince William (and Prince Harry, for that matter)?

Too many questions? Well, just consider this then, do you think Prince William was involved/consulted in this decision by the Middletons to sue the photographer?

image via Zuma Press

Prince William showed today just how busy and varied a working royal’s schedule can be. Over the course of a few hours, the prince visited a school, a hospital and a military base.

Prince William’s first engagement of the day was at the St Barnabas Hospice. He was accompanied by his aunt, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, during the visit which allowed time for chats with both patients and staff.

In the afternoon, Prince William opened the Life Skills Centre of Eresby School. The school, located in the town of Spilsby, provides training and educational opportunities to students with learning difficulties.

Prince William once more showed that he has inherited his mother’s warmth and capacity for empathy. When I look at these photos, I really feel that he doesn’t do these things just because it his his job. There is a genuine caring attitude and a desire to touch the lives of other people that endear him to those he meets.

Read More – Prince William’s Full Working Day

Happy happy birthday to the following royals, nobles and friends of royals!

11 – Karl Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduke and Prince of Austria (1961)

12 – Gustav Frederik Philip Richard, Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1969)

13 – Princess Maria Louise of Bulgaria (1933)

13 – Elisabeth-Anne de Massy of Monaco (1947)

15 – Marie-Christine, Princess Michael of Kent (1945)

15 – Iñaki Urdangarin, Duke of Palma de Mallorca (1968)

15 – Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (1982) and Prince Philip of Yugoslavia (1982)

15 – Archduke Philipp of Austria (2007)

17 – Farah of Iran (2004)

via Royal Forums

118 years ago

Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, and eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, died of pneumonia on January 14, 1892. He was 28 and was about to be married to Princess Mary of Teck at the time of his death.

117 years ago

On January 10, 1893, Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania (right) married his distant cousin Princess Marie of Edinburgh in Sigmaringen, Germany. The couple had six children. Prince Ferdinand became King of Romania in 1914, reigning until his death in 1927.

38 years ago

After the death of her father King Frederik IX, Queen Margrethe II ascended to the throne of Denmark on January 14, 1972. She is the first female monarch since Margrethe I, who reigned in the 14th century.

5 years ago

Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, age 77, died on January 10, 2005. She was the eldest daughter of Leopold III and Queen Astrid of Sweden.

image via US Library of Congress

In December last year, Queen Elizabeth went to Oxford University to reopen the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. The British Monarchy’s channel on Youtube released this video of the visit. It shows her arrival, and welcome by a crowd of flag-waving students. We also see a small part of the activities inside, including the unveiling of a flag to mark her visit.

The little girl who presented the Queen with a posy gave a wonderful little curtsey! Very cute!