Clik here to view.
Book news: The male consorts of female monarchs
While much has been written about female monarchs, there has until now been no study of the roles and challenges of the men who were in the unusual position of consorts to female rulers. Therefore I am...
View ArticleMy latest article (and a radio documentary): The Sword of State and Carl XIV...
The most interesting item among the Norwegian Crown Regalia is in my opinion the Sword of State, which the then Crown Prince Carl Johan of Sweden carried in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, when he...
View ArticlePrincess Madeleine expects second child
The Swedish royal court has just announced that Princess Madeleine and her husband, Christopher O'Neill, are expecting their second child next summer. Their first child, Princess Leonore, was born on...
View ArticleSwedish general election cancelled
The extraordinary Swedish general election which it was recently announced would take place on 22 March will now not take place after all, it was announced on Saturday. This follows from an agreement...
View ArticlePrincess Madeleine and family return to Sweden
Following much recent speculation about a move to London, the Swedish royal court has confirmed that Princess Madeleine and her family have left New York, where she has been living since 2010, and will...
View ArticleAt the road's end: The 8th Duke of Wellington (1915-2014)
Ever since the 1st Duke of Wellington was one of the victors in the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815 it has been a tradition that the current Duke of Wellington goes to Windsor Castle on the...
View ArticleOn this date: Marius Borg Høiby's 18th birthday
When he entered public life fifteen years ago he was often referred to as "little Marius", but time flies and today the Crown Prince's stepson, Marius Borg Høiby, turns eighteen and thus reaches his...
View ArticleMy latest article(s): Queen Fabiola and a Danish succession dispute
I have written two articles in the February issue of Majesty (Vol. 36, No. 2), which goes on sale in Britain today. There are seven pages on the life, death and funeral of Queen Fabiola of the...
View ArticleAt the road's end: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (1924?-2015)
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who was hospitalised with pneumonia several weeks ago, died at 1 a.m. local time today, it has been announced. The King was believed to be 90 years old. Under the Saudi...
View ArticleLast rites for King Abdullah - and appointment of new heirs
In keeping with Muslim tradition, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who died in the early hours of Friday, was buried already on the same day. After funeral prayers at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque,...
View ArticleAt the road's end: Johan Martin Ferner (1927-2015), businessman and royal...
The business man Johan Martin Ferner, Princess Astrid's husband, passed away at the age of 87 at the National Hospital in Oslo at 5.25 this morning, the royal court has announced. Ferner was the most...
View ArticleJohan Martin Ferner's funeral to take place on 2 February
The funeral of the businessman Johan Martin Ferner, Princess Astrid's husband, who died on Saturday, will as expected take place in Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo on Monday 2 February at 1 p.m. As befits...
View ArticleMy latest article: Obituary of Johan Martin Ferner
Following the death of Johan Martin Ferner, the businessman who was for 54 years married to Princess Astrid, I have written an obituary which appears in the newspaper Aftenposten today. It may be read...
View ArticleFuneral of Johan Martin Ferner
The funeral of Princess Astrid's husband, the businessman Johan Martin Ferner, took place in Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo at 1 p.m. today. The chapel held a special place in the hearts of the Ferner...
View ArticleMy latest article: The Saudi succession
Yesterday I had an article in Aftenposten, Norway's largest newspaper, about the complicated but geopolitically important Saudi succession, which looks at the interdynastic rivalries and what it means...
View ArticleKing appoints female Lord Chamberlain
I have been too busy lately to find time to update this blog regularly, but one piece of news from last Friday surely deserves to be mentioned: The King has appointed Gry Mølleskog Lord Chamberlain,...
View ArticleBarbados to abolish monarchy
In a speech to party supporters, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Freundel Stuart of the Democratic Labour Party, has announced that the country will "move from a monarchical system to a republican form...
View ArticleNew British act of succession comes into force
Today is an historic day for the British monarchy as the Succession of the Crown Act 2013, which introduces gender neutral succession in Britain and the other fifteen realms of which Elizabeth II is...
View ArticleQueen Margrethe's 75th birthday celebrations on Norwegian TV
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark turns 75 tomorrow and I will, as for previous royal events, be the commentator during NRK's live broadcast of the celebrations. The broadcast will begin on NRK1 from 8.10...
View ArticleSwedish royals meet the Pope
On Monday, the Pope received Queen Silvia, who was accompanied by Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill and their daughter Princess Leonore, in audience in the Apostolic Palace. The Queen and Princess...
View Article