Prince Philippe at Soyuz Launch

Belgian Crown Prince, HRH Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant, travelled on Wednesday to the Kazach steppes, to Star City Baikonur, where he attended the launch of the Soyuz, on a landmark mission that will double the crew of the International Space Station.

The Soyuz TMA-15 craft carrying Russian Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk and Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne soared into the hot afternoon skies over Kazakhstan's northern steppe on a two-day journey to the orbiting station. The three will join the three crew members already on board the ISS, giving the station six permanent members for the first time.

Prince Philippe attended the very last meeting of the astronauts with the press, family and friends. He told De Winne that the whole of Belgium was with him in thoughts, and his 6-month stay at the ISS would be followed from down below. Frank De Winne, a General in the Belgian Air Force, thanked the Prince, not only for his kind words and his coming to Kazakhstan, but also for his support to space travel in general.

After that, scores of journalists, relatives and Prince Philippe, watched from a viewing stand a mile (1.5 kilometers) away, applauding as the rocket roared into the sky.

"This is very important for Belgium. De Winne represents Europe and he represents Belgium. He represents international collaboration for peaceful application of science", the Prince said.

Prince Albert in a charity football match

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco played on May 19 in a charity football match for AMADE Monaco (Association Mondiale des Amis de l'Enfance, World Association of Children's Friends), a foundation that helps children from around the world by developing infrastructure and has special ties to the Monaco ruling family, as it was first organized by Princess Grace. Princess Caroline currently heads the organization but was unable to attend the event.

The AMADE football match is an annual event that is played against current Formula 1 drivers with the opposition coming from past F1 drivers and other celebrities. The match always occurs in the week of the Monaco Grand Prix and is played at the Stade Louis II in Monaco.

This year, playing on the Formula 1 'Nazionale Piloti team' were Formula 1 drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Giancarlo Fisichella, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and Giorgio Pantano. Some of the players on the Star team were HSH Prince Albert II, Riccardo Patrese, Max Biaggi, Troy Corser, Alex Caffi and Marco Simone. Both teams were cheered on the sidelines by Monaco’s Princess Stephanie.

Advantages of Constitutional Monarchy

Alastair Endersby has twice coached England teams in the World Schools Debating Championships. He currently teaches History and Politics at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury, England. He is the Editor of Debatabase.

Constitutional monarchy is a very effective political system. A hereditary Head of State acts as an important element of continuity within a democratic system. The real powers (as opposed to purely theoretical ones – no British ruler has actually vetoed an Act of Parliament since c1720) of European monarchs are negligible. But as unelected figures above the political conflicts of the day, they retain an important symbolic role as a focus for national unity (very important in Belgium, for example). In Britain their right “to advise, encourage and warn” the Prime Minister of the day has acted as a check against overly radical policies, in Spain King Juan Carlos actually faced down a military coup in the 1980s.

Monarchy acts as a guardian of a nation’s heritage, a living reminder of the events and personalities that have shaped it. As such it is a powerful focus for loyalty and a source of strength in times of crisis, for example World War II, and a reminder of enduring values and traditions. Separating the positions of Head of State and Head of Government also makes great practical sense; the monarchy undertakes much of the ceremonial work at home and abroad, leaving the Prime Minister free to focus more effectively upon governing.

Monarchy is highly cost-effective when compared to the expense of maintaining a Presidency with a large staff and equally stringent security requirements. Royal residences are held in trust for the nation, and would require the same upkeep costs whether they were inhabited by a monarch or not. Instead monarchy more than pays its way through its generation of tourist revenue as millions visit sites associated with royalty, and through its role in promoting trade and industry abroad on royal visits.

Monarchy is preferable to the alternative; an elected Presidency. It avoids the partisan nature of a Presidency, inevitably associated with one of the political parties, and thus incapable of uniting the nation as monarchy can. In all countries public trust of politicians is sinking to new lows, another reason why an elected Presidency fails to provide a focus for national feeling. Constitutional monarchy is also a more effective system of government, vesting real power clearly in the hands of democratically accountable leaders with a mandate to govern, without all the dangers of political gridlock that can result from conflict between two differently elected bodies (e.g. in the USA or France).

Monarchy can lead public opinion. Although above party politics, modern monarchs have proved able to raise important and sometimes unpopular issues that would otherwise have been ignored. For example, in the U.K. Prince Charles has legitimised discussion of environmental issues and stimulated a lively debate about the purpose of architecture, while Princess Diana’s work with Aids sufferers helped shift public opinion.

Princess Haya attends UN Conference

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon launched a report on „2009 UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction“ on May 17, 2009 in Bahrain’s capital, Manama.

Speaking at the launch of the report was UN Goodwill Ambassador for the World Health Programme, HRH Princess Haya bint al-Hussein of Jordan (wife of Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai) who emphasised that disasters are added to the present challenges faced such as poverty, education, health, and famine. „It’s hard to motivate political leaders to focus on preventive measures to face possible disasters, because politically it’s difficult under the normal circumstances to convince the people of the benefits of such investments to face things which might not take place,” she said.


The report calls for a shift in thinking to reduce disaster risks and to adapt to climate change in order to reduce poverty. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to all nations to bolster efforts to curb disaster risk, stressing that decisive action taken now can be „one of the best investments countries can make.“

Princesses at UNESCO gathering

Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover (Princess Caroline of Monaco) was in Paris on May 14 to preside over the annual gathering of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The Annual Meeting, convened by the Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, brings together a large number of international personalities, from the worlds of art, film, music, literature, charity and public affairs.

Princess Caroline has been a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador since 2003 and uses her role in the forum to promote education and training for young women.


UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945. Its stated purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter.

Also participating at the Goodwill Ambassadors gathering were HRH Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco (sister of King Mohammed VI) and HRH Princess Firyal of Jordan (sister-in-law of the late King Hussein). Princess Lalla Meryem seeks to promote the UN body activities in zones stricken by post-conflicts and natural disasters. Speaking at the Annual Meeting she said: “My country’s commitment in this regard is as strong as its attachment to peacekeeping operations, in which it has been actively involved for almost 50 years.”

Crown Prince Haakon joins opening of "Hydrogen Highway"

HRH Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway joined the first stage of the EVS Viking Rally, from Oslo to Lier, together with internationally renowned racing car driver Henning Solberg.

The Norwegian "hydrogen highway", HyNor, was officially opened by Norwegian Transport Minister Liv Signe Navarsete on Monday 11 May, at StatoilHydro's new hydrogen station in Oslo.

The EVS Viking Rally 2009 is an international rally for hydrogen cars, electric cars and plug in-hybrid cars.

ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SOMBOR AT THE ROYAL PALACE

Belgrade, Sunday, May 10, 2009

A meeting took place at the Royal Palace in Belgrade between Mr. Dragomir Acović and Mr. Dušan Babac, the members of the Privy Council, and Mr. Veljko Suzić and Mrs. Dobrinka Golubović who informed the Privy Council about the current projects of the Royal Historical Society and Rotary Club Sombor. Also present at the meeting was Mr. Gavrilo Došen, chairman of the Monarchist Initiative. Particular emphasize was put on the project Sombor Salash Cluster, which aims at revitalization of small and medium farms, and is supported by the TAM program of the EBRD. Mr. Acović pointed up the willingness to assist these projects.

Mr. Sima Jančić, member of the Royal Historical Society (RHS), presented the archive of the Royal Palace with copies of his family archive documents related to the Royal Family, and gave HRH Crown Prince Alexander a copy of his book „Window of an Architect“ as a personal gift.

Mr. Branko Milešević, RHS member, took photographs of the Royal Compound in Dedinje, some of which are going to be exhibited during the „Museum Night“ manifestation in Sombor.

Mr. Acović and Mr. Babac were introduced to the members and friends of the RHS and Rotary Club Sombor. Mr. Acović pointed out that Sombor is one of the towns in Serbia and Vojvodina where different cultures and traditions meet, and where the idea that one’s own identity can be preserved within the community that shares the same present and future.

For the Royal Historical Society
Mladen Bulut, spokesperson