- Messages of condolence were issued by Queen Elizabeth II, King Harald V, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Margrethe II, King Philippe, King Willem-Alexander, Grand Duke Henri, Prince Albert II, King Mohammed VI, and King Abdullah II, among others.
- The Prince of Wales condemned the attacks and asked for a moment of silence while in Perth, Australia, at a barbecue celebrating his 67th birthday.
- Prince Joachim spoke to journalists outside the French embassy in Copenhagen, which he visited with Princess Marie (who, like the Prince Consort, is from France) and their family.
- King Felipe VI sent a message to President Hollande and, with Queen Letizia, visited the residence of the French Ambassador to sign the condolence book. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia did the same.
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| House of HM the King |
Ready for the good news? Okay. Allons-y:
--The royal baby boom delivers another round of happiness: The King and Queen of Bhutan announced that they are expecting their first child, a boy, next year. The Dragon King married Jetsun Pema in a colorful ceremony in 2011. [Straits Times]
--Also this week, Prince Jaime and Princess Viktória of Bourbon-Parma announced they are expecting their second child. Prince Jaime is the son of Princess Irene of the Netherlands and the late Duke of Parma, and is cousin to King Willem-Alexander. The couple married in 2013 and had a daughter, Princess Zita, in 2014. [NOS]
--And while we're at it, Archduke Imre and Archduchess Kathleen of Austria are expecting a second child to join their daughter, Archduchess Maria Stella. Archduke Imre is the son of Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg and Archduke Carl Christian of Austria, and is a nephew of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. [Aleteia]
--Prince Harry (don't worry, we've moved on from baby news now) in a tux is always a tonic, isn't it? Can't hurt, anyway. He was the lucky royal on tap for this year's Royal Variety Performance. [Mirror]
--The Countess of Wessex has been on a trip to the United States and Canada, and I think the important detail here is that she made friends with Turbo the Goat. [Countess of Wessex Blog]
From @turbo_goat to maple fudge, highlights from Sophie Countess of Wessex's day in Toronto! https://t.co/eIXwlB7DA5 pic.twitter.com/buZxZhjNqO
— HELLO! Canada (@HelloCanada) November 14, 2015
--Auction updates, because sparkles are their own sort of soothing: Many of you saw my tweet a while back about a tiara with an extraordinary story for sale at Sotheby's. The pearl and diamond tiara that survived the sinking of the RMS Lusitania sold for $799,265, and the auction notes are worth a read if you haven't already. Also, Christie's just sold a record-breaking pink diamond at their Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale. We talked about the royal gems at that sale previously, and that post has been updated with realized prices; the Chaumet Westminster Tiara went for $676,104. And nobody bought any of these for me. Hang on, this is terrible news (for me). Moving on... [Sotheby's, Christie's]
--More good news in Japan, where Crown Princess Masako continued inching back to public life by attending her first imperial garden party in 12 years. She was only scheduled for the opening ceremony, but opted to stay longer and chat with some guests. [Japan Times, ParisMatch]
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--While QEII met with the Prime Minister of India during his visit to the United Kingdom, the palace announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will tour India in the spring. I classify this as future good news on the sartorial front. [Express]
--And finally, the trip of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall to New Zealand and Australia has been a delight. It's impossible to pick a favorite moment: the ample opportunities for #TeamShades (with guest appearances from #TeamParasol), or Chaz's Shovel of Victory pose, or Cams and her culinary weapon, or actual proof that wearing a tiara is always the right way to go...so much goodness when these two go a-traveling. [Storify, Zimbio, Telegraph]
Coming up this week: Furry hats and more...
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