Japan’s Princess Mako has married her college sweetheart Kei Komuro – thus losing her royal status. Under Japanese law, female imperial family members forfeit their status upon marriage to a “commoner” although male members do not. She also skipped the usual rites of a royal wedding and turned down a payment offered to royal females upon their departure from the family. She is the first female member of the royal family to skip both. The couple are expected to move to the US – where Mr Komuro works as a lawyer – after marriage. The move has drawn inevitable comparisons … Continue reading Love Wins: Japan’s Princess Mako finally marries commoner boyfriend Kei Komuro

Queen Elizabeth 11 spent Wednesday night at a hospital while undergoing “preliminary investigations,” according to a Buckingham palace spokesperson, after abruptly canceling a planned trip to Northern Ireland this week. The 95-year-old UK monarch entered the hospital on Wednesday and returned to Windsor Castle on Thursday, the spokesperson’s statement read. “Following medical advice to rest for a few days, The Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits.” She had been due to attend a church service in the city of Armagh on Thursday marking the … Continue reading Queen Elizabeth II spent a night at the hospital for ‘preliminary investigations’

Same-sex marriage has been legal in the Netherlands since 2001 but it has always been assumed that it could not apply to the crown as there would have to be an heir to the throne. Now caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte has made clear any king or queen could also marry a person of the same sex. Mr Rutte said it was all about “theoretical situations” but the next queen could marry a woman. “Therefore the cabinet does not see that an heir to the throne or the king should abdicate if he or she would like to marry a … Continue reading An Aberration: Dutch crown princess could marry woman and be queen – Rutte

London’s High Court has ruled that the will of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband to Queen Elizabeth, will remain sealed for 90 years to maintain the monarchy’s “dignity.”Prince Philip Judge Andrew McFarlane of the court’s family division ruled that Philip’s will shall remain sealed “and that no copy of the will should be made for the record or kept on the court file,” keeping with a royal convention that has been place since 1910. However, as Reuters reported, McFarlane also ruled for the request “to exclude the value of the estate from the grant of probate.” “The … Continue reading Court rules Prince Philip’s will to remain sealed for 90 years

Prince Charles, left, and Michael Fawcett. Prince Charles’ closest aide Michael Fawcett has stepped back over claims he offered a Saudi tycoon a knighthood in exchange for $2 million in donations. Fawcett temporarily stepped down from his role as the chief executive of Charles’ charity, The Prince’s Trust, after The Sunday Times’ Gabriel Pogrund and Valentine Low published allegations of his misconduct, The Times of London reports. Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz paid tens of thousands of dollars “to fixers with links to the prince” who told him they could award him an honorary CBE – the highest-ranking Order of the … Continue reading Royal Corruption: Prince Charles’ closest aide reportedly offered a Saudi tycoon a knighthood in exchange for $2 million

Japan’s Princess Mako is breaking with tradition.Kei Komuro and Princess Mako The niece of the Emperor Naruhito plans to marry her college sweetheart, Kei Komuro, by the end of the year and she plans to turn down a $1.3 million payout from the Japanese government that is traditionally paid to royal women who lose their royal status when they marry, according to The Times. Princess Mako will give up her royal titles to marry Komuro. The law in Japan requires a princess to “leave the imperial family upon marriage to a commoner.” Princess Mako and Komuro plan to have a low-key wedding before the … Continue reading Love Prevails: Princess Mako of Japan to turn down $1.3 million payout ahead of wedding to commoner

Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex is writing a memoir that’s scheduled to be released in late 2022, Penguin Random House announced on Monday. “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become,” he said in a statement. “I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story, the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned, I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think.” Continued Harry, 36, “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity … Continue reading Prince Harry announces he’s writing an ‘accurate and wholly truthful’ memoir

Prince William spoke out Monday on Twitter about the violent, racist insults hurled at three Black English soccer players after their team was defeated at the Euro Championship final.Prince William. However, Twitter users are pointing out the incongruence, noting that Prince William refrained from publicly defending his sister-in-law, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, after she disclosed the racial abuse she endured as part of the royal family. On Sunday, England’s national soccer team lost the European Championship to Italy 3-2 after a penalty shootout. Soon after, fans sent an onslaught of abusive messages and slurs to players Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho … Continue reading HYPOCRITE: Prince William is ‘sickened’ by racism yet backed royal family after Meghan interview

Officials in Eswatini, Africa’s lone absolute monarchy, have denied the King has fled following a series of pro-democracy protests in the tiny southern African country. King Mswati III has ruled the country for 35 years.King of Swaziland Mswati III. This is despite South Africa’s public broadcaster, SABC, reporting Monday that Mswati, 53, fled the Southern African country as demonstrations took a violent turn, with protesters clashing with security forces. Opposition figures continued to insist on Tuesday that he had left, without providing proof. Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku said in a statement Tuesday: “His Majesty the King is still in the country and … Continue reading Officials deny King Mswati III of Eswatini has fled

A court in Cambodia has charged three environmental activists with plotting against the government and insulting the king. The members of the group Mother Nature were arrested after they documented waste run-off into Phnom Penh’s Tonle Sap river. Cambodia’s law against insulting the king is relatively new and it is not clear how the activists have done so. The three face between five and 10 years in prison. The prosecution told the Reuters news agency that “the evidence collected by the police was an insult to the king” although they did not elaborate exactly how the law had been violated. … Continue reading Cambodia charges environment activists with insulting the king

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced the birth of their second child, a baby girl. Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on Friday morning in a hospital in Santa Barbara, California. Both mother and child are healthy and well, the couple said in a statement. Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news.” Prince Harry and Meghan said they named their second child Lilibet after the Royal Family’s nickname for the Queen, the baby’s great-grandmother. Her … Continue reading Prince Harry and Meghan announce birth of baby girl

The dress that Diana, Princess of Wales, wore on her wedding day 40 years ago is going on display at her former Kensington Palace home. The dukes of Cambridge and Sussex have loaned the dress to the exhibition, which begins a month before Diana would have turned 60. It was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel for the July 1981 wedding. The gown features a 25ft (7.6m) sequin-encrusted train, which filled the aisle of St Paul’s Cathedral. Organisers of the exhibition, Royal Style in the Making, say the dress is “now among the most famous in bridal history”. The dress … Continue reading Princess Diana’s wedding dress going on display at Kensington Palace