Belgian Crown Prince Philippe ready to be King

Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium is ready for the throne. King Albert II’s oldest son told journalists that he is ready to take over the reigns as our country’s head of state when the time comes.

Prince Philippe added: “My father is doing a good job and I try and help him as much as I can whenever he asks me to do so. I would be ready, if I were asked to step in”.


King Albert II was born 6th June 1934, the second son and third child of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid of the Belgians. On 9th August 1993, after the death of King Baudouin on 31st July, Prince Albert, Duke of Liège, was sworn in as sixth King of the Belgians.

Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant was born on 15th April 1960. On 4th December 1999 he married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, daughter of a Walloon Count of Belgian noble family and female line descendant of Polish noble families.


The couple has four children:
Princess Elisabeth Thérèse Marie Hélène, born 25th October 2001, heiress presumtive,
Prince Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie, born 20th August 2003,
Prince Emmanuel Léopold Guillaume François Marie, born 4th October 2005,
Princess Eléonore Fabiola Victoria Anne Marie, born 16th April 2008.

Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee address

The Queen's address to both Houses of Parliament, 20th March 2012

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,

I am most grateful for your Loyal Addresses and the generous words of the Lord Speaker and Mr. Speaker.

This great institution has been at the heart of the country and the lives of our people throughout its history. As Parliamentarians, you share with your forebears a fundamental role in the laws and decisions of your own age. Parliament has survived as an unshakeable cornerstone of our constitution and our way of life.

History links monarchs and Parliament, a connecting thread from one period to the next. So, in an era when the regular, worthy rhythm of life is less eye-catching than doing something extraordinary, I am reassured that I am merely the second Sovereign to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee.

As today, it was my privilege to address you during my Silver and Golden Jubilees. Many of you were present ten years ago and some of you will recall the occasion in 1977. Since my Accession, I have been a regular visitor to the Palace of Westminster and, at the last count, have had the pleasurable duty of treating with twelve Prime Ministers.

Over such a period, one can observe that the experience of venerable old age can be a mighty guide but not a prerequisite for success in public office. I am therefore very pleased to be addressing many younger Parliamentarians and also those bringing such a wide range of background and experience to your vital, national work.

During these years as your Queen, the support of my family has, across the generations, been beyond measure. Prince Philip is, I believe, well-known for declining compliments of any kind. But throughout he has been a constant strength and guide. He and I are very proud and grateful that The Prince of Wales and other members of our family are travelling on my behalf in this Diamond Jubilee year to visit all the Commonwealth Realms and a number of other Commonwealth countries.

These overseas tours are a reminder of our close affinity with the Commonwealth, encompassing about one-third of the world’s population. My own association with the Commonwealth has taught me that the most important contact between nations is usually contact between its peoples. An organisation dedicated to certain values, the Commonwealth has flourished and grown by successfully promoting and protecting that contact.

At home, Prince Philip and I will be visiting towns and cities up and down the land. It is my sincere hope that the Diamond Jubilee will be an opportunity for people to come together in a spirit of neighbourliness and celebration of their own communities.

We also hope to celebrate the professional and voluntary service given by millions of people across the country who are working for the public good. They are a source of vital support to the welfare and wellbeing of others, often unseen or overlooked.

And as we reflect upon public service, let us again be mindful of the remarkable sacrifice and courage of our Armed Forces. Much may indeed have changed these past sixty years but the valour of those who risk their lives for the defence and freedom of us all remains undimmed.

The happy relationship I have enjoyed with Parliament has extended well beyond the more than three and a half thousand Bills I have signed into law. I am therefore very touched by the magnificent gift before me, generously subscribed by many of you. Should this beautiful window cause just a little extra colour to shine down upon this ancient place, I should gladly settle for that.

We are reminded here of our past, of the continuity of our national story and the virtues of resilience, ingenuity and tolerance which created it. I have been privileged to witness some of that history and, with the support of my family, rededicate myself to the service of our great country and its people now and in the years to come.

This was the monarch's sixth address to both Houses of Parliament. She gave similar speeches in celebration of her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Silver Jubilee 25 years earlier in 1977.

The Speakers of both houses lauded the Queen's dedication to her subjects. Introducing the Queen ahead of her address to Parliament to mark her Diamond Jubilee, the House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow, praised the monarch for "sixty years of stability. Sixty years of security. Sixty years of certainty. Sixty years of sacrifice. Sixty years of service."

The Lord Speaker, Baroness Frances D'Souza of Wychwood in the County of Oxfordshire, who is also President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, stressed the Monarch's dedication the the Commonwealth.

Lord Speaker addresses Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Most Gracious Sovereign,

We, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, are assembled here today to celebrate sixty years of Your reign. We record with warmth and affection our appreciation of Your dedicated service to Your people, and Your unequalled sense of public duty over the years - service and duty to which You have only recently, and so movingly, re-dedicated Yourself.

We celebrate too Your stewardship of Your high office. You have personified continuity and stability while ensuring that Your role has evolved imperceptibly, with the result that the Monarchy is as integral a part of our national life today as it was 60 years ago.

We rejoice in this Jubilee and we give thanks for all that it represents.

At the same time, we record our gratitude for the support which You have received throughout Your reign from His Royal Highness Prince Philip, for in this year of jubilee we celebrate his service too.

This is one of the first of many celebrations to be held up and down the land. In the coming months You and the Duke will travel widely throughout the Kingdom. But today You have come to Parliament, the constitutional heart of the nation, and granted us the privilege of being the first of Your people formally to honour Your Jubilee. And where better to begin the celebrations than here, in the splendour of Westminster Hall - a hall of kings and queens for almost a millennium.

While this Hall has seen many historic events, few are permanently commemorated. So we look forward with great anticipation to the unveiling of the stained glass window which members of both Houses have commissioned in honour of this day. When placed in the window above the great doors, Your Coat of Arms and Royal Cypher will bathe the Hall in colour and be seen daily by members and staff as they walk through to their offices—and by the many thousands of visitors we receive here weekly, from both home and abroad.

For we must remember that Your Jubilee will be celebrated with joy in Your other realms and territories, and throughout the rest of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth as we know it today is of course one of the great achievements of Your reign and under Your leadership continues to flourish, with a membership of 54 countries. It is still growing. It is a tremendous force for good in the world and we are aware of its special personal significance to You.

Many of us present here today take an active part in the work of the United Kingdom Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. We work to share our experiences, to learn from one another, and to promote democracy. But our efforts are as nothing compared with those of Your Majesty in the service of Your beloved Commonwealth. Over the years You have visited all but two Commonwealth countries—some, many times—and attended all Heads of Government meetings since 1997. We look on with admiration and pride at the triumphs of some of Your recent tours and it is significant that members of the Royal Family are representing You this year at the Jubilee celebrations being held in all those lands in which You are Head of State.

Your Majesty, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled give thanks for this Your Diamond Jubilee. We look forward to the years to come and we pray that You and Your realms may enjoy the peace, plenty and prosperity that have so distinguished Your reign.

During the event a Diamond Jubilee window - a gift from the members of both Houses - was unveiled to mark the monarch's 60-year reign. It will be installed above the North Door of Westminster Hall later this year.

King Juan Carlos praised the 1st Spanish Constitution

On the 200th anniversary of the promulgation of The Spanish Constitution of 1812, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia praised the first Spanish Constitution. The constitution is known as the Constitución de Cádiz or La Pepa, since it was adopted on 19th March 1812 by the Cádiz Cortes, the national legislative assembly (Cortes Generales) of Spain, while in refuge from the Peninsular War. This constitution, one of the most liberal of its time, was effectively Spain's first. The 1812 Constitution established the principles of universal male suffrage, national sovereignty, constitutional monarchy and freedom of the press, and supported land reform and free enterprise.


In his speech, King Juan Carlos said,

Today we are commemorating the bicentennial of the first Spanish Constitution, an essential reference for the unity, sovereignty and freedom of our citizens, and one of the most important episodes in the history of our country.

We pay tribute also to Cádiz and the Cortes, a decisive link in the effort for the liberation of the homeland and symbol of a collective enterprise that benefited Spain, Latin America and the rest of Europe.

There is much that the cause of freedom owes to a people who decided to become masters of their destiny and not bowed to the difficulties.

They were times of struggle for our nation, a nation that was well above the highest authorities and noted for its dignity, its heroism and generosity.

As before the face of adversity, the Spanish people learned to give the best of itself and turn a really difficult task whose fruitful political and social lessons to our own lifetimes.

The success of the representatives in Cádiz was also possible thanks to the spirit of harmony they shared at the Oratorio San Felipe Neri which served as a refuge and meeting place for the Spanish Cortes.

No doubt those members, as representatives of national sovereignty, were guided by the highest degree of patriotism and civic engagement.

They knew how to articulate with great intelligence and high-mindedness that retained legal formulas and stimulated national sovereignty depositing it in its rightful owner, the Spanish people.

Sovereignty was asserted about the unity of the nation and recognized the rights and liberties. Pillars of coexistence between the Spanish who, then as now, remain vital.

It is fair therefore to recognize those in the midst of great uncertainty, faced political responsibility and led a formidable company of national improvement.

The flame of liberty was kept alive in Cádiz during those years of siege. The people of Cádiz encouraged and accompanied the men of state with their support and collaboration.

Reflecting on all this I cannot overemphasize the collective work of the Spanish that, less than four decades ago and in a situation of great complexity, we knew that with a firm spirit of concord, solidarity and unity, to affirm the rule of law as expressed in the 1978 Constitution.

In the work of Cádiz, realised in an historic hard transformation, we can find the reference and inspiration to tackle the serious difficulties that our country is experiencing today.

At the height of the second decade of the Twenty-First Century, the Spanish are fully aware that there are good and powerful reasons to trust ourselves.


Ladies and Gentlemen,
In this celebration we must emphasize the historical dimension and the Latin American vocation of the Constitution of Cádiz.

Prepared by members "of both hemispheres", our first Constitution was a key reference and influential for the Newly Independent States of Latin American, and for many of Europe.

In this regard we are pleased to note the weight and the international projection of the Iberoamerican Community of Nations [the Spanish Commonwealth of Nations] as a forum for cooperation and coordination that currently links more than twenty nations of America and the Iberian Peninsula and sets us apart in a world that is increasingly interdependent.

We are a family of peoples who share a wealth of historical, language, cultural affinities and, above all, principles and values ​​that include those which began to take shape in 1812.

Strengthening these ties and enhancing our cooperation will lead to greater prosperity for all.

Within a few months in this city of Cádiz which now so warmly welcomes us, we will receive the Heads of State and Government on the occasion of the Twenty-second Ibero-American Summit will encourage and continue exploring the best ways of sharing progress between our countries .

Ladies and gentlemen,
This beautiful city opened the door to the modern, democratic Spain. Here was the starting point of the long journey to our rule of law. In this first national parliament, which the painter Jovellanos called "the largest Congress, free and respectable that could be conceived."

Let us move forward with the inspiration of the great achievements of the past, for unity, freedom and welfare of all Spanish.

Palabras de Su Majestad el Rey en el acto institucional conmemorativo del Bicentenario de la promulgación de la Constitución de Cádiz de 1812

Conmemoramos hoy el bicentenario de la primera Constitución española, un referente esencial de la unidad, la soberanía y la libertad de nuestros compatriotas, y uno de los episodios más relevantes de la historia de nuestro país.

Rendimos así tributo a Cádiz y a sus Cortes, eslabón decisivo en el esfuerzo por la liberación de la Patria y símbolo de una empresa colectiva que benefició a España, a Iberoamérica y también al resto de Europa.

Es mucho lo que la causa de la libertad debe a un pueblo que decidió ser dueño de su destino y que no se doblegó ante las dificultades.

Fueron tiempos de lucha para nuestra Nación, una Nación que estuvo muy por encima de sus máximas autoridades y que destacó por su dignidad, su heroísmo y su generosidad.

Como en otras ocasiones ante la adversidad, el pueblo español supo aportar lo mejor de sí mismo y transformar una realidad difícil en una fecunda tarea cuyas lecciones políticas y sociales llegan hasta nuestros días.

El éxito de los constituyentes gaditanos fue también posible gracias al espíritu de concordia que compartieron en este Oratorio que sirvió de refugio y de lugar de reunión a las Cortes españolas.

Sin duda aquellos diputados, como representantes de la soberanía nacional, se guiaron por el más alto grado de patriotismo y de compromiso cívico.

Supieron articular con enorme inteligencia y altura de miras fórmulas de legalidad que conservaron y estimularon la soberanía nacional depositándola en su legítimo propietario, el pueblo español.

Se afirmó la soberanía en torno a la unidad de la Nación y se reconocieron los derechos y las libertades individuales. Pilares de la convivencia entre los españoles que, hoy como ayer, siguen siendo fundamentales.

Es justo, por tanto, reconocer a quienes en medio de grandes incertidumbres, afrontaron la responsabilidad política y culminaron una formidable empresa de superación nacional.

Durante aquellos años de asedio, en Cádiz se mantuvo viva la llama de la libertad. La sociedad gaditana animó y acompañó a estos hombres de Estado con su apoyo y colaboración.

Al reflexionar sobre todo ello no puedo dejar de resaltar la obra colectiva de todos los españoles que, hace menos de cuatro décadas y en una coyuntura de gran complejidad, supimos con firme espíritu de concordia, solidaridad y unidad, afirmar nuestro actual Estado de Derecho en torno a la Constitución de 1978.

En la labor de Cádiz, realizada en un difícil trance histórico, podemos encontrar la referencia y la inspiración necesaria para afrontar las serias dificultades por las que nuestro país atraviesa en la actualidad.

A la altura de la segunda década del siglo Veintiuno, los españoles somos plenamente conscientes de que hay buenas y poderosas razones para confiar en nosotros mismos.


Señoras y Señores,
En esta conmemoración histórica debemos subrayar la dimensión y la vocación iberoamericana de la Constitución de Cádiz.

Elaborada por diputados "de ambos hemisferios", nuestra primera Carta Magna fue un referente clave y de gran influencia para los nuevos Estados independientes iberoamericanos, y también para otros muchos de Europa.

En este sentido nos congratulamos al constatar el peso y la proyección internacional de la Comunidad Iberoamericana de Naciones, como espacio de cooperación y concertación que liga actualmente a más de veinte Naciones de América y de la Península Ibérica y que nos distingue en un mundo cada vez más interdependiente.

Una familia de pueblos que comparte un rico acervo de vínculos históricos, de idiomas, afinidades culturales y, sobre todo, de principios y valores entre los que destacan aquellos que comenzaron a forjarse en 1812.

Estrechar estos lazos y potenciar nuestra cooperación redundará en una mayor prosperidad para todos.

Dentro de unos meses, en esta misma ciudad de Cádiz que hoy nos acoge tan calurosamente, nos daremos cita los Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno iberoamericanos con motivo de la Vigésimo Segunda Cumbre para seguir explorando y fomentado los mejores caminos del progreso compartido entre nuestros países.

Señoras y señores,
En esta bella ciudad se abrió la puerta de la España moderna y democrática. Aquí se situó el punto de arranque del largo recorrido hacia nuestro Estado de Derecho. En este primer Parlamento nacional, que el ilustrado Jovellanos calificó como "el Congreso más grande, libre y respetable que pudo concebirse".

Sepamos seguir avanzando, con la inspiración de los grandes logros del pasado, a favor de la unidad, la libertad y el bienestar de todos los españoles.

Muchas gracias.

The King of Tonga has passed away

King George Tupou V (Tongan: Siaosi Tupou V, full name: Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou V; born 4th May 1948) passed away on 18th March 2012. He inherited the crown following the death of his father, King Tupou IV, on 10th September 2006.

His Majesty's coronation as King of Tonga, took place on 1st August 2008 in the capital Nuku’alofa (see report and photos here).

Only a month ago, His Majesty paid a visit to Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.

Tonga's new King ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho was born 12th July 1959 as the younger brother of King George Tupou V of Tonga and was officially confirmed as Crown Prince by the latter on 27th September 2006. He also served as Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia, and resided in Canberra until the death of King George Tupou V on 18th March 2012, when ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho became King of Tonga.

While in Australia the then Crown Prince Tupouto'a Lavaka of Tonga visited the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Programme (AACAP) in Mapoon, Queensland on 27th August 2009.

The new Crown Prince is His Royal Highness Prince 'Ulukalala, who married Sinaitakala Tu'imatamoana Fakafanua in August 2011, als reported here.

Her Majesty's Commonwealth Day Message 2012

Monday,12th March is Commonwealth Day 2012.

As Head of the Commonwealth Her Majesty sent this message to the Commonwealth nations:

One of the great benefits of today’s technology-based world is the range of opportunities it offers to understand and appreciate how others live: we can see, hear and enter into the experience of people in communities and circumstances far removed from our own.

A remarkable insight we gain from such windows on the world is that, however different outward appearances may be, we share a great deal in common.

Our circumstances and surroundings may vary enormously, for example in the food we eat and the clothes we wear, but we share one humanity, and this draws us all together. The joys of celebration and sympathy of sadness may be expressed differently but they are felt in the same way the world over.

How we express our identities reveals both a rich diversity and many common threads. Through the creative genius of artists - whether they be writers, actors, film-makers, dancers or musicians - we can see both the range of our cultures and the elements of our shared humanity.

“Connecting Cultures”, our Commonwealth theme this year, encourages us to consider the special opportunities we have, as members of this unique gathering of nations, to celebrate an extraordinary cultural tapestry that reflects our many individual and collective identities. The Commonwealth treasures and respects this wealth of diversity.

Connecting cultures is more, however, than observing others and the ways in which they express themselves. This year, our Commonwealth focus seeks to explore how we can share and strengthen the bond of Commonwealth citizenship we already enjoy by using our cultural connections to help bring us even closer together, as family and friends across the globe.

To support this theme, a special song has been composed for the Commonwealth, ‘Stronger as One’. There are any number of ways in which that single piece of music alone can be played or sung anywhere in the Commonwealth. And by sharing the same music with our own personal interpretations and contributions, the wonderful human attribute of imagination is nourished, and we gain insights of understanding and appreciation of others.

The Commonwealth offers a pathway for this greater understanding and the opportunity to expand upon our shared experiences in a wider world. A world in which paths to mutual respect and common cause may also be explored and which can draw us together, stronger and better than before.

Queen Elizabeth attended the Commonwealth Day Observance at Westminster Abbey, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Countess of Wessex.

This Monday is a public holiday in Victoria (as well as in the ACT and Tasmania): Labor Day, and it usually coincides with the annual Commonwealth Day. This holiday is to commemorate the granting of the eight-hour working day for Victorians. It also recognizes workers’ contributions towards the nation’s economy. 12th March also happens to be Commonwealth Day and this year's theme that has been agreed by the Queen is Connecting Cultures.

Victoria needs more pomp and circumstance rather than blandness

The Age’s and The Sunday Age’s dislike for anything royal is well-known. But this Sunday’s attack takes it to a new level. In today's editorial Return to vice-regal pomp risks alienating Victorians The Sunday Age ridiculously praises governors who breached their Oath of Allegiance by “proposing changes to the constitution that would remove references to the monarchy to allow a transition to a republic”. It might be added doing so without any reference to the people.

Too much pomp? Governor de Kretser inspecting a guard of the Royal Australian Navy.

What was Governor Alex Chernov’s crime according to The Sunday Age?

“Mr Chernov wants functions at Government House to be run on a 'non-commercial basis'. Yet at the fashion festival launch, he acknowledged the festival was 'a significant major event' and one of the 'world's leading events of its kind'. It is also an important part of the economy, and subsidised by taxpayers - as is the Governor himself while he holds the office and lives in his elegant residence with its landscaped gardens. (At the fashion party, Mr Chernov invited guests to inspect some of the rooms.)”

For The Sunday Age only a republican governor is a good governor. But the editorialist goes further by deciding what is relevant to Victorians and what is not. It’s in the same logic that s/he determines: “They [vice-regal appointments] exist for historic and legal reasons but also represent a world view and system of government that is no longer relevant to many Australians.” By the term “to many Australians” it is clear, that the opposite is equally true: To many Australians vice-regal appointments are a significant part of the political structure for the state and the federation itself. While the Monarch is absent, the Governors(-General) represent the crown. It is highly bizarre that the Fairfax editorialist expects them to act as promoters of republicanism.

Significantly The Sunday Age’s agitation led nowhere. When checking the editorial on-line, the RadicalRoyalist was the only one reading it. Doesn’t say that all about The Sunday Age's relevance?

Swearing-in ceremony of Victoria's 28th Governor

Costly presidential retirees

Yesterday police searched the home of Germany's former president Christian Wulff and seized computers as part of an investigation into his dealings with wealthy business friends . Several officers from the Lower Saxony criminal police searched the premises with the consent of the former president, meaning they did not have to obtain a warrant.


Christian Wulff stepped down as president on 17th February just hours after prosecutors said that they would seek to lift his immunity from prosecution. Despite the dishonourable "retirement" the 52-year-old will receive an annual stipend of 199,000 € annually for the rest of his life, despite the fact that he had stepped down after less than two years in office, 598 days, to be precise. Should he die before his wife, his widow, who is only 38 years old, will step in and receive the full pension for life.


But it is not only this generous pension that infuriates the German public, it is the fact that all formers presidents plus one widow – six all in all – are entitled to an office, staff and a chauffeur driven limousine. Per ex-president this adds up to one million €, or six million € in total for the state pensioners.

Graphic: What Wulff shall receive.

Barbados celebrates the Royal Couple

In Barbados Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex - accompanied by his wife, Countess Sophie - addressed a Joint Sitting of Parliament in the Senate Chamber, held in commemoration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, praised the nation for its 'resilience' and urged to learn from the past in order to move forward.

He said: "Rarely has this been more important than now as all parts of the world struggle to overcome the past few years of international economic turmoil. As legislators and as leaders you are well aware of the responsibilities and difficulties you face as you seek firstly to safeguard your country's hard won economic and social gains in so volatile an environment, and then to prosper. To respond to these challenges, you will need courage, creativity and common sense, traits which have long characterised the Barbadian spirit. With trust in the resilience of your people, confidence in the future and faith in the Almighty, Barbados' continued development will be assured."

The royal couple's two-day visit on 23rd and 24th February began, when they arrived at the Bridgetown Port on board the HMS Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Rosalie. They were met by a group of dignitaries including Acting Governor General Elliott Belgrave and Mrs. Belgrave, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, Chief Justice Marston Gibson, and Minister of International Business and International Transport George Hutson and inspected the Guard of Honour.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex joined Governor General Elliot Belgrave at his official residence along with Prime Minister Freundel Stuart.

The Barbadian visit culminated in an official state dinner at the Official Residence of the Governor General of Barbados on 24th February.

The royal couple wore co-ordinating outfits of black and white, with Countess Sophie sporting a long white gown with black ribbon and shrug detail.

The King of Tonga received by the Pope


Vatican City, 24 February 2012 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received His Majesty Siaosi Tupou V, King of Tonga. The King subsequently went on to meet with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

The cordial discussions dwelt on various aspects of the country's social and economic life, as well as on the positive contribution the Catholic Church makes in various sectors of society, and her activities of human promotion. There followed an exchange of opinions on the international situation, with particular reference to the Pacific island States.

Death of a centenarian

Her Royal Highness Infanta Dona Maria Adelaide de Bragança van Uden who could celebrate her 100th birthday on 31st January has passed away today, 24th February. She was in good health when the whole Portuguese nation celebrated the landmark birthday of the youngest daughter of King Miguel II.



On her 100th birthday she was created Grand Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite of Portugal. The official statement called her "an example of life by moral stature."

During World War II, she lived in Vienna, where she worked as a nurse. She was active in the Resistance movement, arrested and was sentenced to death by the Gestapo, after being accused of listening to the BBC. For more information about her role in the resistance, see the book, The Hand of Compassion: portraits of moral choice during the Holocaust by Kristen Monroe.

According to the Monarchist website Arautos s'El-Rei , a private family funeral will be held for Infanta Dona Maria Adelaide de Bragança van Uden . (As cerimónias fúnebres da Senhora Infanta D. Maria Adelaide serão reservadas apenas à sua Família mas em breve será anunciado o local e a hora da Missa do 7º Dia.)