10 Significant Events in the Royal Calendar of the European Royals for the Week

Royals of Europe's Calendar of Activities for this week are in full swing with foreign visits, gala dinners, garden parties, and surprise appearance of The Queen. Since turning 96 this year, every public appearance of Her Majesty surprises the royalists.  😍

1. National Day in Norway - Finally, after two years (due to the pandemic), Norway was able to celebrate its National Day in a traditional way on May 17, 2022. 

King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja

The Norwegian royal family watched public parades and appeared in the Castle balcony to greet the cheering crowd.

Princess Martha Louise and her three daughters

It's a public holiday in Norway observed every 17th of May to commemorate the Norwegian constitution signing on May 17, 1814, one of the oldest written constitutions in the world that's still existed today.

King Harald V, Queen Sonja, The Crown Prince couple, Princess Martha Louise, and the king's sister, Princess Astrid

The Crown Prince couple's family wearing the traditional costume of Norway

During the National Day, Norwegian dressed up in their traditional costumes, called bunads. It's a fun celebration in Norway where adults and children graced the streets waving flags, attending festivities, and wearing colorful costumes.

2. State Visit in Sweden - King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia received the Finnish President, Sauli Niinisto, and his wife, First Lady Jenni Haukio. 

The King and Queen of Sweden received the Finnish President and First Lady

The state visit aims to promote the good relations between Finland and Sweden, and foster international understanding.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia

The King and Queen

The Swedish royal family also hosted a state banquet in honor of the Finnish president and members of the Finnish delegations. 

3. State Visit in Spain- King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia received Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the Kingdom of Qatar, and his first wife, Sheikha Jawaher Bint Suhaim Al Thani at the Palacio Real de Madrid. 


The reigning Emir of Qatar (born on January 3, 1980) has three wives but usually, the one who will accompany him on a state visit is his first wife whom he married in 2005. 

Qatar is one of the fewest monarchies in the world where the constitution remained Absolute - the monarch carries power both in the state and government. 


Although the succession is hereditary, the next ruler is determined through appointment from the monarch and the Council. The current Crown Prince is the Emir's fourth son.

The Spanish King and Queen hosted a gala dinner in honor of the Qatari royals but Queen Letizia did not wear a tiara because the Qatari royals never wear a tiara during a foreign visit. 

4. Royal Visit to Canada - The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall began their official visit to Canada to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prince Charles

This visit of the heir-apparent is significant considering the rapid decline of the monarchists in Canada.


According to a recent poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, although the Queen is widely respected by most Canadians, they did not express the same support for her heir, seeing the monarchy as increasingly irrelevant to their lives. 


Most of the Republican supporters and those who viewed the monarchy as irrelevant are coming from the French-speaking province of Quebec. 

However, without amending Canada's constitution, the Prince of Wales will automatically become their Head of State once he will succeed his mother. And it is unclear how they would prevent his accession to the throne.

5. The Blue Climate Summit in French Polynesia- Pierre Casiraghi, 8th in line to the Monegasque throne, represented his uncle, Prince Albert II of Monaco, at The Blue Climate Summit on the beautiful island of French Polynesia. He was welcomed by the French Polynesian President Edouard Fritch.


Pierre Casiraghi welcomed by President Fritch

Prince Albert spoke at the Summit live via video conference. Pierre, the youngest son of Princess Caroline of Hanover, also delivered an introductory speech. 


French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific with Papeete as its capital.

6. Trooping the Color's Preparation - The Duke of Cambridge presented the new battalion colors to the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards, where he is the Colonel-in-Chief since 2011. The significant ceremony was held at the quadrangle of Windsor Castle where the Queen currently resided. 

The Duke of Cambridge


According to the Irish Guards' statement, the new colors are normally given to Regiments every 10 years, however, due to the pandemic, the ceremony was postponed.

The Duke of Cambridge will troop his Regiment in the coming Trooping the Colors parade, June 2, 2022, to mark the Queen's official birthday. 

The Irish Guards is one of the Foot Guards Regiments of the British Army, and one of the two Irish infantry in the British Army and was formed in 1900 during the reign of Queen Victoria. 

Prince William wore the Irish Guards uniform during his wedding in 2011.

7. Queen's Birthday - Queen Maxima of The Netherlands celebrated her 51st birthday on May 17, 2022. She was born Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti on May 17, 1971 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 


She worked as an investment banker at Deutsche Bank in New York before meeting The Prince of Orange in 1999. They met during the Seville Spring Fair on April 1, 1999 in Seville, Spain.


They got married in February 2002 and have three daughters together. On April 30, 2013, upon the abdication of her mother-in-law, her husband ascended the Dutch throne as King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands.

Queen Maxima is the first Dutch Queen Consort in more than 100 years since Princess Emma Waldeck-Pyrmont, the wife of King William III of The Netherlands, in the 19th century.

8. Royal Garden Party - The Queen's second Garden Party was held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace. 


The Queen was represented by The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Alexandra (the Queen's cousin).

9. The Queen visited Paddington station. Accompanied by her youngest son, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, visited Paddington station in London ahead of the opening of the new line named in honor of her, the Elizabeth line. 


It was the first time the Queen conducted a public engagement in the country's capital after attending the memorial service for Prince Philip on March 31, 2022. 

The Queen has not conducted any public engagement since then, just sending members of her family to attend on her behalf. However, she continues to carry her duties through virtual appearances at her sitting room in Windsor castle.

10. Princess Benedikte visited Sylt - Queen Margrethe II's younger sister, Princess Benedikte, visited the German island of Sylt located in the northern part of Germany. 


Sylt is a popular holiday resort in the North Frisian islands near the former duchy of Schleswig-Holstein, where the Danish royals rooted.


During her visit, Princess Benedikte met the island's Danish and Frisian minorities and heard about their culture and history, especially the island's historical association to the Danish royal houses. Sylt pioneered the green transition and digitalization in Germany.

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