A new year and we start the year busy with royal news. Here is where I will be upfront: I have not read Prince Harry’s memoirs, Spare, nor do I intend to. It does not particularly interest me, and it is breaking many records without me. Anyways, it has been a busy month. Most royal families started off the year on holiday but are now back to work with regular engagements. Denmark, for example, holds several New Year’s gatherings where the royal family meets with members of the armed forces, as well as individuals leading in their fields. However, we have no shortage of news, so onto Musings on Monarchy: January 2023 we go!
And as always, if there is an event or issue that you want to see covered in Musings on Monarchy, please let me know!
King Constantine II of Greece Passes Away
King Constantine II of Greece passed away in a private hospital in Athens on 10 January 2023. The 82-year-old former King of the Hellenes had several health problems in his later years but in early January had a stroke.
Any time anything happens with a member of the Greek Royal Family, there are immediately an infinite number of questions. I thought the Greek monarchy was abolished? It was, in the 1970s, but the family still uses their royal titles. Are they even allowed to be in Greece? After the monarchy was abolished in 1974, Constantine and his family lived in exile in London until he and his wife returned to Athens in 2013.
His funeral was held in Athens, and the burial took place at Tatoi, the former summer palace of the Greek Royal Family. Royals from across Europe attended, as he and his wife (who is the younger sister of the Queen of Denmark) are related to nearly every reigning monarch. Several monarchs attended, including King Felipe of Spain (as well as his wife, Queen Letizia), Queen Margrethe of Denmark, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (and his wife, Queen Silvia). Interestingly, the United Kingdom sent the Princess Royal. I had expected that the Prince of Wales might attend, because he was William’s godfather, or potentially even the King, as Charles and Constantine were good friends, but neither did. It still seems odd to me that the United Kingdom’s royals choose to be so separate when Europe’s other royals all seem much closer.
Queen Mathilde of Belgium Celebrates Her 50th Birthday
Queen Mathilde of Belgium celebrated her 50th birthday this past week, a milestone event for anyone. Not only did the Palace release two new portraits of Mathilde, but she also took part in a special program that aired on Belgian tv. One major element of the program was mental health, and highlighting her work. In July of 2022, Mathilde set out to walk 20km or bike 30km in each of Belgium’s provinces (one province a month) to meet with mental health professionals and those suffering from mental health issues.
Mathilde may not be the flashiest queen on the European scene, but she dedicates herself to her work. She is a fairly popular figure in Belgium, and it is easy to see why.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden Kicks Off His Golden Jubilee Celebrations
In 2022, we had Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, as well as Queen Margrethe II’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. In 2023, we have King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in Sweden. This is the first Golden Jubilee in Swedish history, so it is a fairly significant event. The celebrations started with dinner at the Royal Palace in Stockholm where the royal family met with members from each Swedish county. I am always excited to see Crown Princess Victoria out and about, so I was happy to see her there. (I very much appreciate that Jubilee celebrations across Europe seem to involve heirs in significant roles.)
The King did make some comments in an interview, explaining that he thought that laws changing primogeniture should only take affect going forward and not be retro-active. Given that the laws changed when his son, Carl Philip, was only six months old and the Crown Prince/ss title switch to Victoria, these comments did not go unnoticed. I’m not sure why he continues to discuss this, at least publicly, because Crown Princess Victoria is an excellent representative of Sweden and will do a fantastic job on the throne. (Not to mention, Carl Philip seems to be more than fine with his life.)
King Charles III’s May 2023 Coronation Plans Announced
We finally have coronation details for King Charles III! Bizarrely, coronation plans were released on Saturday evening (21 January) for the coronation weekend in May. On Saturday, 6 May, we have the coronation at Westminster Abbey and a balcony appearance. Sunday, 7 May will be a busy day with a concert at Windsor and a Big Lunch event in communities across the UK. Monday. May is the Big Help Out where everyone is encouraged to volunteer in their communities.
On the one hand, it feels quite deflated in comparison with the Platinum Jubilee celebrations last June. (70 years is a massive event, but so is a coronation.) But, the UK (and much of the world) is in a cost of living crisis and it would be absurd to be spending more than they already are. His mother’s coronation had 8,000 guests whereas he will reportedly have 2-3,000. No new crowns will be made, I suspect no gold or silver thread will be used, this will not be the ornate coronation we saw 70 years ago. This all makes sense to me, but I think that slightly different public events could have put a more celebratory tone on the weekend.
Unfortunately, I think that many people will simply take the Monday off instead of volunteering. (It is a fantastic idea in theory.) Perhaps placing the Big Lunch on the Monday could have tied it together. (I personally think that they should have an annual Big Lunch tied to Trooping the Colour so that it is at least an annual event to encourage community building.)
I hope you have enjoyed Musings on Monarchy: January 2023- what news items do you want to see?
Cheers,
The Historian
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