DEO JUVANTE And so help me God!
Saturday, 29 May 2010
EUROVISION 2010: ALGO PEQUEÑITO
Algo pequeñito, algo chiquitito
Una rosa blanca, una caricia, un beso dulce y un perdón
Algo pequeñito, algo chiquitito
Un gesto tierno, una mirada, un abrazo o una flor
Algo pequeñito, algo chiquitito
Un simple te quiero, con dulzura, con cariño y con pasión
Es lo que te pido amor, mi vida se derrumba, me partes el corazón
Trata pronto de cambiar, el tiempo se termina ahora de verdad
Algo pequeñito,
Algo chiquitito,
Cosas simples que ahora no me das
Que te pido con locura si no quieres terminar
Algo pequeñito,
Algo chiquitito,
En tus manos tienes la ocasión
Hoy decides si quererme o romperme el corazón
Algo pequeñito, algo muy bonito
Tu pelo al viento que se enreda entre mis manos al calor
Has sabido comprender que las pequeñas cosas son las que hacen esto arder
Ahora trata de cambiar que el resto de las cosas ya se arreglarán
Algo pequeñito,
Algo chiquitito,
Cosas simples que ahora si me das
Que te quiero con locura y siempre yo te voy a amar
Algo pequeñito,
Algo chiquitito,
En tus manos tienes la ocasión
Decidiste tú quererme y no romperme el corazón
Y no romperme el corazón
Algo pequeñito,
Algo chiquitito,
Cosas simples que ahora no me das
Que te pido con locura si no quieres terminar
Algo pequeñito,
Algo chiquitito,
En tus manos tienes la ocasión
Hoy decides si quererme o romperme el corazón
English Translation
Something Tiny
Something tiny, something very small
A white rose, a touch, a sweet kiss and a forgiveness
Something tiny, something very small
A tender gesture, a glance, a hug or a flower
Something tiny, something very small
A simple I love you, full of sweetness, fondness and passion,
is what I’m asking from you, my love, my life is falling apart, you’re breaking my heart
Try to change soon, there is really no more time
Something tiny,
Something very small,
Simple things, that you’re not giving to me anymore,
I’m desperately asking you for them, if you don’t want this to end
Something tiny,
Something very small,
In your hands you’re holding the chance
Today you decide whether you want me or you want to break my heart
Something tiny, something very nice
Your hair in the wind that gets entangled between my hands with heat
You used to know that small things are what makes it burn
Now try to change and other things will be arranged
Something tiny,
Something very small,
Simple things, give me now
Cause I love you madly and I always will
Something tiny,
Something very small,
In your hands you’re holding the chance
You’ve decided to love me and not to break my heart
And not break my heart
Something tiny,
Something very small,
Simple things, that you’re not giving to me anymore,
I’m desperately asking you for them, if you don’t want this to end
Something tiny,
Something very small,
In your hands you’re holding the chance
Today you decide whether you want me or you want to break my heart
Friday, 28 May 2010
Advogados dos pobres chamados a devolver pagamentos de despesas
Instituto da Justiça exige despacho judicial a autorizar despesas, porque detectou irregularidades
São apenas 17 euros, mas por trás do valor está um princípio. Para Laura Coelho a resposta é imediata: não está disponível para devolver um cêntimo. A indignação é partilhada por centenas de colegas advogados. Na semana passada, os profissionais que fazem defesas oficiosas - ou seja, de cidadãos sem rendimentos para contratar advogado e apoiados pelo Estado - receberam uma carta em que lhes é exigido um despacho judicial justificativo das despesas apresentadas ou, em alternativa, que devolvam os valores pagos nos primeiros meses do ano.
A carta enviada pelo Instituto de Gestão Financeira e de Infra-estruturas da Justiça (IGFIJ) está a causar confusão entre os advogados e a clarificação só deverá ser feita, explica o bastonário Marinho e Pinto, numa reunião com o ministro da Justiça, agendada para o próximo dia 1. É que em 2008 entrou em vigor um novo regime do patrocínio oficioso e a gestão de processos e pagamentos passou a ser feita por sistema informático, razão pela qual ninguém consegue responder claramente se se mantém em vigor a exigência de que a autorização de despesas seja feita por despacho de um juiz.
No caso de Laura Coelho, os 17 euros são relativos a dez processos. Feitas as contas, em média são 1,7 euros por processo, relativos a despesas com correio ou transportes. Será necessário que um juiz autorize verbas deste montante? "Se assim for, temos um sistema informático destinado a agilizar que é, afinal, complicado", comenta a advogada Teresa Frias, a quem foi pedida a devolução de 19,60 euros.
Irregularidades. Na carta do IGFIJ, a que o i teve acesso, é explicada a razão desta verificação de contas. "Este instituto tem vindo a constatar a existência de algumas irregularidades no pedido de despesas relacionadas com processos no âmbito do acesso ao direito." O Ministério da Justiça, que tutela o instituto, não esclareceu em tempo útil que irregularidades estão em causa e qual o montante global de despesas.
Marinho e Pinto admite que existam "eventuais" abusos e assegura que a Ordem dos Advogados quer resolver a situação, mas "não é de supetão". O instituto dá aos defensores oficiosos 15 dias para apresentarem despacho judicial a autorizar os pedidos de reembolso de despesas, mas o bastonário sublinha que a lei pode prestar-se a dúvidas de interpretação.
Até 2008, os honorários do advogado eram fixados, efectivamente, por despacho judicial. Mas com a automatização do sistema esse passo foi eliminado e os advogados queixam-se de nunca lhes ter sido explicado se essa exigência se mantinha para as despesas extra-honorários. "O problema é que as regras não estão definidas, designadamente quanto ao tipo de despesas que podem ser apresentadas", explica Nuno Ferrão da Silva. No seu caso, está em causa um montante de 42,33. E cada parcela está "devidamente documentada".
"Quem cria estas plataformas tem obrigação de pensar nas implicações e tem de as explicar aos utilizadores", sublinha Teresa Férias. O SInOA, assim se chama o software informático, permite fazer o registo de todos os passos dados, desde o número de sessões em julgamento a outras parcelas pagas aos defensores, como as visitas a arguidos detidos. Há um item específico para as despesas.
À falta de regras claras, todos admitem que existam abusos. Haverá quem inclua papel, tinteiros, gastos difíceis de contabilizar. No passado, havia experiências para todos os gostos: juízes que autorizavam despesas e outros que as recusavam, considerando que os honorários dos advogados já contemplam todos os extras.
À Ordem dos Advogados têm chegado queixas e pedidos de clarificação, mas Marinho e Pinto explica que apenas tomará posição após o encontro com o ministro Alberto Martins. Até lá, há advogados - como Teresa Frias - que preferem aguardar pelas explicações. Outros assumiram desde já uma decisão, com base na interpretação que fazem da lei e dos factos.
"Fiz uma exposição ao instituto, com conhecimento para a Ordem dos Advogados", explica Laura Coelho. "A minha intenção é não pagar nada." Além de considerar "completamente ridículo" que só agora o problema tenha sido levantado, a advogada lembra que o IGFIJ paga sempre tarde e a más horas. "Dizem que estão a agir de acordo com a lei, mas são os primeiros a infringir", aponta.
A portaria n.o 10/2008 permite ao instituto tomar a iniciativa de promover, sempre que considere necessário, auditorias ao sistema de patrocínio oficioso.
http://www.ionline.pt/conteudo/61813-advogados-dos-pobres-chamados-devolver-pagamentos-despesas
THE PRINCELY PALACE OF MONACO
The Princely Palace of Monaco is one of the oldest monarchial homes in the world that is still in use today. Just as it has been for centuries past the Princely Palace is still the official residence of the Monegasque sovereign and, as such, is the heart of the political and social life of Monaco. Part of the unique beauty of the palace is the blending of styles, part modern Mediterranean palace, part medieval fortress, sharing Italian and French styles as well as others. This all goes back to the palace being originally built as a military fortress, a castle, by the Genoese republic in 1191. In 1297 the castle was taken by the House of Grimaldi but the transition from military bulwark to princely palace took a long time.
Over the centuries the Princely Palace that was once a castle was attacked many times, fought over in numerous small wars including Monaco and often changed hands. Seigneur Charles I of Monaco (r. 1331-1357) expanded the fortifications and constructed new buildings which saw the first shift in style from that of a military base to a residential home. Further expansions were made under Lords Lambert and Jean II, however, battles and skirmishes continued off and on until a lasting sense of peace and security was established by the alignment with the Kingdom of France. That, of course, was during the reign of HSH Prince Honore II.
A man of refined taste and a Francophone, Honore II embellished the palace with the works of some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance period and more or less completed the change from castle to palace. By the time his reign ended he had made it a place any French or Italian prince would be comfortable in, as able to entertain as to defend. In the years that followed the Princely Palace was further refined and decorated until it became known as the ‘Versailles of the Mediterranean’. Louis I spent lavishly on furnishings, his son Antoine more on defensive works as the threat of war crept closer to Monaco again. However, with the rise of Louis XIV in France and the importance attached to the court at Versailles a long period ensued in which most Princes of Monaco spent most of their time in France rather that at home.
Some additional work was done during the reign of Honore III, though he was also often absent, and it was during his reign that the Duke of York died in the palace, giving his name to one of the bedrooms. However, toward the end of his reign the outbreak of the French Revolution brought ruin and occupation to Monaco. The Princely Family was arrested in France, the country occupied, the palace looted and later turned into a military hospital and poor house for the revolutionaries. When the Revolution and Napoleonic Wars had passed and the House of Grimaldi was restored the palace had deteriorated considerably and some areas had to be demolished and replaced with new structures.
The rebuilding and restoration increased under Prince Charles III who was the next monarch to actually spend most of his time in Monaco. He went to great lengths to try to recover as much as possible of the art work and family treasures that had been stolen and dispersed at the time of the Revolution. Subsequent monarchs, however, spent much of their time abroad and the palace lingered in the rather gloomy atmosphere it acquired during the long period of Charles’ infirmity. This did not change until the arrival of Prince Albert I and his second wife, Princess Alice. Although the sovereign was often at sea, Princess Alice put her own touch on the palace and society life in Monaco as she encouraged art, learning, music and dance. The place became something of a haven for intellectuals alongside the flow of visitors of every stripe to the booming casino at Monte Carlo.
Prince Louis II did not spend much of his life in Monaco, being in the field with the French army most of the time, his most lasting legacy being the opening of the Napoleonic museum at the palace where the bathing pavilion of Honore II had once stood. However, when his successor Rainier III married the American film icon Grace Kelly the Princely Palace was steadily lived in again and, for the first time in a long time, became a family home. Princess Grace redecorated, which drew some snide comments about what were perceived as California styles, but such attitudes did not last long. Rainier and Grace also oversaw the restoration of much of the priceless artwork at the palace while carrying out their own renovations, mostly geared toward making the palace a more practical home. It was also under Rainier III that the palace became part office as the home base of the big business that was the Grimaldis’ Monaco.
Today, although again often traveling, Prince Albert II still maintains his formal residence at the Princely Palace which, in recent years, has become as much a tourist attraction as many other Monegasque landmarks. State rooms are open to the public in the summer months, parts have the appearance of a museum, but the smart changing of the guard every day reminds all that it is still a monarchial residence.
Posted by MadMonarchist at 12:58 AM
Labels: Monaco, place, Princely Palace
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Monday, 24 May 2010
CAMILLA DUCHESS OF CORNWALL
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (née Shand, formerly Parker Bowles, born 17 July 1947) is the second wife of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to the thrones of 16 independent states. Since her marriage to the Prince of Wales, Camilla has been legally entitled to the style and title of Princess of Wales,[2] though she uses one of her other titles Duchess of Cornwall in all parts of the United Kingdom except Scotland, where she is titled as Duchess of Rothesay.[3] This preference of title reflects a desire to avoid confusion with the title closely identified in part of the 1980s and 1990s with the Prince of Wales's first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales.
A long-time friend and supporter of Prince Charles, Camilla was herself also previously married, and had two children during the union. She entered the public consciousness when it was revealed that she had become the Prince of Wales' mistress while they were both married and after their respective marriages had broken down. Following Charles and Diana's divorce, Clarence House (Charles' household) advised on Camilla's public relations, and she gradually became a significant part of royal life. Today, she supports the Prince of Wales in his official duties, and carries out engagements of her own, mostly associated with the 40 or so charities of which she is President or Royal Patron.
IS THE GEORGIAN DYNASTIC MARRIAGE OVER?
August 3rd, 2009
In February of this year Georgia celebrated what most called ‘wedding of the century’ for the country: the dynastic marriage of Prince David Bagration-Mukhrani and Princess Anna Bagration-Gruzinsky (see this blog entry).
Less than six months later, however, it appears that not even the most important dynastic considerations can save the marriage. Georgian newspapers report that the couple separated barely a month after their marriage, and it now appears that any hopes of their reconciliation are lost.
Members of the Bagration family declined to comment on the situation in any way. Princess Anna’s mother pronounced the matter ‘a strictly private affair’ and assured the journalists that no member of the family will share any information with the media. Read more…
PRINCE LALLA OF MOROCCO RECEIVES WOMEN WORLD LEADERS' PRIZE
Princess Lalla Meryem received on Thursday in Paris an international trophy awarded by the Women World Leaders Association.The Prize was awarded to the Princess for her quality as Chairwoman of the National Union of Moroccan Women in recognition of her untiring efforts to reinforce the status of Moroccan Arab and African women and her remarkable actions to promote women participation in development and progress.
On this occasion, Chairwoman of Femme Leaders Mondiales Nicole Barbin highlighted the considerable actions devoted by Princess Lalla Meryem both at the national level and at the international scene in her quality as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors.
On her part, Princess Lalla Meryem said in response to the tribute paid to her by the chairwoman of the association Nicole Barbin in presence of eminent figures: “that the award granted to her by the World Women Leaders Association is “a recognition for the daily struggle of Moroccan women for dignity and equality”,”Such a distinction is all the more important as it is granted as today to a country from the South” the Princess Aded that “In all areas women’s struggle is part of their conditions but there is an area where they invest their energy their imagination and their affection that of education of children who will in future take charge of an ever-changing world”.
The Princess received the prize during a Gala dinner held under the high patronage of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy with the attendance notably of top French officials in addition to former Ministers eminent artists and businessmen.
BRITISH ROYAL HONOURS
Anybody can recommend a British national for an honour, which consist of life peerages, knighthoods, appointments to the Order of the British Empire and gallantry awards to servicemen and women and civilians.
Nominations, sent either by government ministers or by members of the public, are divided into subject areas and assessed by eight committees comprising both senior civil servants and independent experts.
Their assessments are passed to a selection committee that produces the list that is submitted to the Queen through the prime minister.
The Queen formally approves the list of recipients. The honours are published in the official Crown newspaper, the London Gazette.
Private nominations, made by individuals or by representatives of organisations to the Cabinet Office, traditionally make up about a quarter of all recommendations.
Honorary awards for foreign nationals are recommended by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Orders for chivalry are made after a personal decision by the Queen.
Life Peers
Life peerages are the only form of peerages regularly created by the Sovereign.
A life peer becomes a baron and sits in the House of Lords on conferment of peerage.
These are titles which they hold only during their lifetime and are not passed to their heirs.
Knights Bachelor
The honour of knighthood comes from the days of medieval chivalry, as does the method used to confer the knighthood: the accolade, or the touch of a sword by the Sovereign.
Although Knights Bachelor do not comprise an order of chivalry, knighthood is a dignity which has its origins in Britain in Saxon times. They are styled "Sir" (except for clergymen who do not receive the accolade) and their wives "Lady".
Women receiving the honour are styled "Dame" but do not receive the accolade.
The Order of the Bath
The Order of the Bath is an order of chivalry and was founded in 1725 for service of the highest calibre. The order has a civil and military division and is awarded in the following ranks: Knight Grand Cross (GCB), Knight Commander (KCB) and Companion (CB).
The Order takes its name from the symbolic bathing which in former times was often part of the preparation of a candidate for knighthood.
Order of St Michael and St George
This Order was founded by King George III in 1818 and is awarded to British subjects who have rendered extraordinary and important services abroad or in the Commonwealth. Ranks in the Order are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCMG), Knight or Dame Commander (KCMG or DCMG) and Companion (CMG).
Order of the Companions Honour
This is awarded for service of conspicuous national importance and is limited to 65 people. Recipients wear the initials CH after their name.
Orders of the British Empire
King George V in 1917 created these honours during World War 1 to reward services to the war effort by civilians at home and servicemen in support positions.
The orders are now awarded mainly to civilians and service personnel for public service or other distinctions and has a military and a civil division. Ranks in the Order are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GBE), Knight or Dame Commander (KBE or DBE), Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE) and Member (MBE).
Royal Victorian Order
By 1896, prime ministers and governments had increased their influence over the distribution of awards and had gained almost total control of the system. Therefore, Queen Victoria instituted The Royal Victorian Order as a personal award for services performed on her behalf.
Today this honour is still awarded in recognition of services to the royal family. The ranks are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO), Knight or Dame Commander (KCVO or DCVO), Commander (CVO), Lieutenant (LVO) and Member (MVO).
Royal Victorian Medal
Associated with the Royal Victorian Order is the Royal Victorian Medal which has three grades: gold, silver and bronze. The circular medal is attached to the ribbon of the Order.
More than one grade may be held by the same person and the medal may be worn along with the insignia of the Order itself.
Royal Red Cross
Founded in 1883 by Queen Victoria, The award is confined to the Nursing Services. Those awarded the First Class are designated "Members" (RRC): those awarded the Second Class are designated "Associates" (ARRC).
It is said that the suggestion for the founding of this decoration was made to Queen Victoria by Miss Florence Nightingale.
Queen's Police Medal
This is awarded for distinguished service to the police force.
Queen's Fire Service Medal
This honour is given to firefighters who have displayed conspicuous devotion to duty.
REMEMBERING GRACE KELLY
Grace Patricia Kelly was born on November 12, 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to John Brendan Kelly, Sr. (or Jack Kelly), the son of Irish immigrants, and Margaret Katherine Majer Kelly, daughter of German immigrants.
Jack Kelly was a triple Olympic-gold-medal-winning sculler. Jack Kelly had a brick business was the largest on the East Coast and was a self-made millionaire. Two of Grace Kelly's uncles (her father's brothers) were well known in the arts: vaudevillian Walter Kelly and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright George Kelly.
Grace Kelly attended the prestigious Ravenhill Academy, and Kelly modeled fashions at local social events with her mother and sisters. When she was twelve, she played a lead role in a play produced by the Old Academy Players in East Falls, called Don't Feed the Animals. During high school, Kelly acted and danced, graduating from Stevens School, a small private school in Germantown, Philadelphia, in May 1947.
To her mother’s dismay, Kelly decided to pursue a career in the theater. She was performing in Colorado’s Elitch Gardens when she was offered a starring role opposite Gary Cooper in High Noon. According to Kelly’s biographer Wendy Leigh, at age 22 Kelly had been romanced by both Cooper and director Fred Zinnemann. High Noon was a popular film of the 1950s.
Grace Kelly’s Filmography
Year 1951
Film Fourteen Hours
Role Louise Ann Fuller
Director Henry Hathaway
Co-stars Paul Douglas, Richard Basehart, Barbara Bel Geddes
Year 1952
Film High Noon
Role Amy Fowler Kane
Director Fred Zinnemann
Co-stars Gary Cooper, Katy Jurado, Lloyd Bridges, Thomas Mitchell
Year 1953
Film Mogambo
Role Linda Nordley
Director John Ford
Co-stars Clark Gable, Ava Gardner
Year 1953
Film Dial M for MurderRole Margot Mary Wendice
Director Alfred Hitchcock
Co-stars Ray Milland, Bob Cummings, John Williams
Year 1953
Film Rear WindowRole Lisa Carol Fremont
Director Alfred Hitchcock
Co-stars James Stewart, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr
Year 1954
Film The Country Girl
Role Georgie Elgin
Director George Seaton
Co-stars Bing Crosby, William Holden
Year 1954
Film Green Fire
Role Catherine Knowland
Co-stars Andrew Marton Stewart Granger
Year 1954
Film The Bridges at Toko-Ri
Role Nancy Brubaker
Director Mark Robson
Co-stars William Holden, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney, Earl Holliman
Year 1955
Film To Catch a Thief
Role Frances Stevens
Director Alfred Hitchcock
Co-star Cary Grant
Year 1956
Film The Swan
Role Princess Alexandra
Director Charles Vidor
Co-star Alec Guinness
Year 1956
Film High Society
Role Tracy Samantha Lord
Director Charles Walters
Co-stars Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Celeste Holm
Kelly headed the U.S. delegation at the Cannes Film Festival in April 1955. While there, she was invited to a photo session at the Palace of Monaco with Prince Rainier III. Kelly finally met the prince in Monaco after a series of delays and complications.
After returning to America, Kelly began work on The Swan, in which she portrayed a princess. Meanwhile, she was privately beginning a correspondence with Rainier. In December, Rainier came to America on a trip officially designated as a tour, although it was rumoured that Rainier was seeking a wife.
A 1918 treaty with France stated that if Rainier did not produce an heir, Monaco would revert to France. At a press conference in the United States, Rainier was asked if he was pursuing a wife, to which he answered "No." Then he was asked, "If you were pursuing a wife, what kind would you like?" Rainier smiled and answered, "I don't know — the best."
Prince Rainier met up with Grace Kelly and her family, and after three days, the prince proposed. Kelly accepted and preparations began for "The Wedding of the Century." The religious wedding was set for April 19, 1956.
The wedding of the century
Kelly's wedding was a 40-minute civil ceremony that took place in the Palace Throne Room of Monaco on April 18, 1956, and was broadcast across Europe. To cap the ceremony, the 142 official titles (counterparts of Rainier's) that Kelly acquired in the union were formally recited. The event concluded the following day with the church ceremony at Monaco's Saint Nicholas Cathedral.
Kelly's wedding dress was designed by MGM's Academy Award-winning Helen Rose, was worked on for six weeks by three dozen seamstresses. The 600 guests included Hollywood stars David Niven and his wife Hjördis, Gloria Swanson, Ava Gardner, the crowned head Aga Khan, and Conrad Hilton. Frank Sinatra initially accepted an invitation but at the last minute decided otherwise, afraid of upstaging the bride on her wedding day.
Queen Elizabeth II flatly refused to attend on the grounds of there being "too many movie stars." The ceremony was watched by an estimated 30 million people on television. The prince and princess left that night for their seven-week Mediterranean cruise honeymoon on Rainier's yacht, Deo Juvante II.
Children
Princess Grace had three children:
Hereditary Princess Caroline Louise Marguerite, born January 23, 1957, and now heiress presumptive to the throne of Monaco; Albert II, Prince of Monaco, born March 14, 1958, current ruler of the Principality of Monaco; and Princess Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth, born February 1, 1965.
Princess Grace
As princess, Kelly was active in improving the arts institutions of Monaco, and eventually the Princess Grace Foundation was formed to support local artisans. She was one of the first celebrities to support and speak on behalf of La Leche League, an organization that advocates breastfeeding; she planned a yearly Christmas party for local orphans, and dedicated a Garden Club that reflected her love of flowers.
In 1981, the Prince and Princess celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
On September 13, 1982, while driving with her daughter Stéphanie to Monaco from their country home, Princess Grace suffered a stroke, which caused her to drive her Rover P6 off the serpentine road down a mountainside. Princess Grace was still alive after the accident, but had suffered serious injuries and was unconscious. She died the following day at the Monaco Hospital (now Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace – The Princess Grace Hospital Centre in English – in 1958), having never regained consciousness.
Legacy
The Princess Grace Foundation was founded in 1964 to help those with special needs that are not met by ordinary social services. In 1983, following Princess Grace's death, Caroline, Princess of Hanover became the President of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation. Albert II, Prince of Monaco is Vice-President.
FREDERIK AND MARY OF DENMARK: 5TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
The Danish Crown Prince and Crown Princess has released these official photos to mark their 5th wedding anniversary.
Their wedding anniversary was on the 14th of May 2009, and it was relatively low key with little coverage by the Danish press. The couple celebrated at their home.
A spokesperson for the couple stated that there were no public activities planned to mark their wedding anniversary.
These newly released photos of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess and their children show warmth and happiness in contrast to a new book by Trine Villemann claiming that the couple were experiencing marriage problems and they had spent over their $4 million budget.
Also some of the spotlight was taken away from their wedding anniversary and focused on Prince Joachim and Princess Marie's first baby, a son who was born on May the 4th.
THE PRINCE CHARLES-PHILIPPE D'ORLÉANS AND THE DUCHESS OF CADAVAL'S WEDDING
Paris, 7 September 2007
His Royal Highness Prince Charles-Philippe d’Orléans, Duke of Anjou, and Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo, Duchess of Cadaval, are delighted to announce their engagement. The Duke of Anjou and the Duchess of Cadaval first met in the summer of 2005 at a charitable gala dinner in Lisbon organized by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
The Duke of Anjou is the son of Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Michel of France. He is the nephew of His Royal Highness the Count of Paris, Duke of France, head of the royal house of France.
Prince Charles-Philippe has been the Grand Master of the Order of Saint Lazarus since 2004. He is co-founder of an international development consultancy. The Prince had a nine-year military career as an officer in the French army, during which he was decorated by France and by foreign states and international organizations. He has also received a number of honorary civil distinctions from various countries. The Prince currently resides in Paris and Estoril and is aged 34.
The Duchess of Cadaval is the daughter of Dom Jaime, 10th Duke of Cadaval, and Dona Claudine Álvarez Pereira de Melo. Diana became the 11th Duchess of Cadaval on the death of her father in 2001. The Duchess of Cadaval studied international communications at the American University in Paris. Having worked at Christie’s in London, the Duchess returned to Portugal to manage family matters, in particular the Cadaval Palace in Évora. The Duchess of Cadaval is aged 29. She is a Dame of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
The Duke of Anjou and the Duchess of Cadaval will enter into the sacred bond of marriage in June 2008 in Évora, Portugal. The ceremonies will take place in church and at the Cadaval Palace.
GOD SAVE THE BAGRATIONI HOUSE OF GEORGIA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GEORGIA
In 1783 Erekle II Bagrationi, king of Kartli-Kakheti (Eastern Georgian Kingdom) signed the Treaty of Georgievsk with Russia, according to which his kingdom (including Georgian little town Tskhinvali) was to receive Russian protection. But Russians withdrew their troops from the region, leaving Erekle's kingdom unprotected. In 1795, the Persian shah, Agha Mohammed Khan, invaded the country and burnt the capital, Tbilisi, to the ground.
After Erekle's and George XII's death, Tsar Paul I of Russia signed a decree on the incorporation of Eastern Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti) within the Russian Empire, which was confirmed by Tsar Alexander I on September 12, 1801. The Georgian Royal envoy in Saint Petersburg, Garsevan Chavchavadze, reacted with a note of protest that was presented to the Russian vice-chancellor Alexander Kurakin. In May 1801 Russian General Carl Heinrich Knorring removed the Georgian heir to the throne David Bagrationi from power and deployed a provisional government headed by General Ivan Petrovich Lasarev.
Georgian nobility did not accept the decree until April 1802 when General Knorring held the nobility in Tbilisi's Sioni Cathedral and forced them to take an oath on the imperial crown of Russia. Those who disagreed were arrested.
Newly established Russian administration started deporting the members of 1300 year old Georgian Royal Dynasty Bagrationi to Russia. On April 22, 1803, the Russian soldiers arrived at Queen's mansion and General Lazarev ordered Mariam (Maria, the Last Queen of Eastern Georgia) to get up and be ready for departure, but the queen refused to follow him. The general then took hold of her foot, to make her rise from the cushion on which she was sitting, surrounded by her sleeping children. Mariam, indignant at the attempt to take her by force, drew the dagger from beneath the cushion and stabbed Lazarev, killing him on the spot. Lazarev's interpreter drew his saber, and gave her a wound in the head, so that she fell down insensible. The soldiers burst into the bedroom and arrested the queen and her children. Escorted by a considerable armed force, they were carried away to Russia through the Daryal Pass. During her passage through Georgia, the inhabitants came out to testify their loyalty to the queen and bade her farewell. The tragic story of Queen Mariam was described in several contemporary accounts, based on the reports of eye-witnesses, and found its place in European literature of that time.
In 1811, the autocephaly (i.e. independent status) of the 1500 years old Orthodox Church of Iveria and Tron of the Patriarch was abolished, the Catholicos-Patriarch Anton II was deported to Russia.
After the conquest of Western Georgian Kingdom by Imperial Russia in 1810, the last king and the last Georgian Bagrationi ruler Solomon II fled to the Ottoman possessions in Trabzond where he died in 1815.
In 1814, the Western Georgian Patriarchate of Abkhazia-Imeretia was also abolished, by the Russian authorities and annexed to the Exarchate of Georgia, a subdivision of the Russian Orthodox Church, whose part it was until the restoration of the unified and autocephalous Georgian Orthodox Church in 1917. The Patriarchs of Abkhazia-Imeretia mostly came from the leading Georgian noble houses, and were able to support the church financially and secure its continuous involvement in the political and cultural life of western Georgia during many centuries. Their spiritual jurisdiction extended over the Kingdom of Imereti and its vassal principalities -- Guria, Mingrelia, Svaneti and Abkhazia. They considered themselves as vicars of St.Andrew who, according to a medieval Georgian tradition, preached Christianity in western Georgia, then known to the Classical authors as Colchis (Kolkhida).
In the latter part of the 16th century, Catholicos Eudemos I (Chkheidze) had to move his residence from Bichvinta (Pitsunda), Abkhazia to the Gelati Monastery at Kutaisi, fleeing the Ottoman and north caucasian pagan and muslim ethnic groups expansion into Abkhazia and western Mengrelia.
George Osborne should have thought more carefully before crossing the business secretary
24 Oct 2008 — UK
On October 21st Nathaniel Rothschild, a financier at whose villa George Osborne stayed in Corfu, alleged in a letter to the Times that Mr Osborne and Andrew Feldman, the Conservative Party’s chief executive, had solicited a donation from Mr Oleg Deripaska. He accused them of discussing routing money via a British company to make it legal under party-funding laws. Mr Osborne maintains that the idea had been Mr Rothschild’s, implicitly conceding that they had talked about such a donation.
These events are important because of the willingness of politicians to collude with rich Russians who seek to launder their reputations, the risk to the conservatives in appearing to be well off and leisurely as recession bites.
Source: The Economist
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Sunday, 16 May 2010
UKRAINIAN MONARCHY?
Ukrainian Monarchy: Illusion or Prospects?
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By Yury TOPCHIY
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KING WANTED: GOOD PAY, NO RESPONSIBILITIES
European history at the turn of the twenty-first century teems with curious amusing incidents. A decade ago, no one could have dreamed of a true monarch coming to power in Bulgaria. The restoration of monarchy is actively discussed in Italy.
Could the monarchical idea be reincarnated in Ukraine? Some will laugh at this, others will shrug it off, yet there are people treating this issue very seriously, among them Yury Topchiy, Chairman of the Throne All-Ukrainian Public Organization, better known as Gustav Vodicka, author of the controversial book The Dormant Angels’ Family.
On October 16, 1918, Charles I of Austria-Hungary announced his intention to form an alliance of four monarchies — Austro-Hungarian, Bohemian, South Slavic, and Ukrainian. Unfortunately, the Ukrainians failed to come to terms among themselves and missed the opportunity. Ukraine subsequently lost all the attributes of statehood. Was this a consequence of discarding the then traditional European monarchic system and adopting a republican one?
The Ukrainians have never had a national idea. For a long time the void was filled with the concept of independence. It was only natural, for without establishing a nation-state it was impossible to conceive the national idea. Now that Ukraine finally got its independence, the Ukrainians can determine the sense of their existence. In the romantic sense, the national idea is a cherished dream for the sake of which one can proudly sacrifice his life. In other words, the national idea cannot form with regard to a pragmatic objective, only if a given nation sets an elevated goal.
Ukraine is currently an ailing republic on an unpredictable political course. The absence of national unity, constant instability, and an overall crisis of relationships among people testify to the need for clearly defined cultural and spiritual guidelines of the Ukrainian community. This could be achieved by adopting a specific declaration changing the national political system.
A parliamentary-presidential republic has been actively propagated of late. The bill in question appears to differ little from the Spanish constitution with the king at the head of the political system and the domestic legal system consisting in democracy and universal suffrage. Note that the Spanish monarchy was restored in 1975, after fifty years. This changed Spain’s international status substantially, significantly enhancing its prestige and causing economic and cultural growth.
Proposals to change Ukraine’s political system could be described as preconditions for the establishment of a Ukrainian monarchy as a system best equipped to further the development of the Ukrainian nation. What use is an unstable republic with a figurehead for president to the Ukrainians? After all, the Constitution allows us to have a powerful and respectable state ruled by a capable monarch.
To achieve this, we need not exert Herculean efforts. Any European country wishing to replace its political system with a hereditary monarchy must abide by international legal instruments dating from the of 1814-15 congress of Vienna. Under international law, the sole legitimate claimant to the throne of a United and Independent Ukraine is the Habsburg dynasty represented by Otto von Habsburg, Titular King of Galicia [Halychyna] and Lodomeria (Volodymeria, meaning Volodymyr Volynssk), and his heirs. Only in this case would the Ukrainian Monarchy be unquestioningly recognized by the other monarchs of Europe.
We know from history that, prior to the 1917-18 revolution, territories of current independent Ukraine were part of two monarchies: Russia and Austria-Hungary. Those were the last legitimate monarchic precedents in Ukrainian history. It is only on this basis that a real claimant to the Ukrainian throne can be determined.
Nowadays, there are no legitimate claimants to the Russian throne, considering the former Russian Empire and its frontiers before February 1917, although there are quite a few Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov descendants. The thing is that, since Paul I, female succession to the throne was not legally prescribed. And nor was it possible to transfer the succession title thorough a female issue. Alexander III made the law even more rigid, banning succession by any descendants from morganatic marriages.
Russia’s last sovereign Nicholas II reaffirmed these provisos and they remained valid until his dethronement. In fact, they are still legally effective and no one can alter or annul them. Thus, under the law reaffirmed by the last [Russian] sovereign, all the existing Romanov descendants are denied the right to claim the throne of the former Russian empire ad infinitum. This is generally known. Therefore, the Kingdom of Galicia and Volodymyr and the Duchy of Bukovyna constitute the sole precedent of a legitimate monarchy in the territory of modern Ukraine, because they were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Maria Theresa von Habsburg [(1717-1780), archduchess of Austria and queen of Hungary and Bohemia (1740-1780)] signed a decree in 1772, establishing the Kingdom of Galicia and Volyn on the land of the former Poland, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. The new monarchy was conferred a coat of arms and a crown. In a way, it was a restoration of the Kingdom of Danylo of Halych who had, in his time, received certain rights in the Austrian Duchy through his son’s dynastic marriage. Thus emerged a new monarchic entity with its own elective legislature, the Landtag, and king as head of state. The title “King of Galicia and Volodymyr” (whichincluded neither Halych nor Volodymyr-Volynsk —Ed.) was then adopted by all Habsburg emperors. Later, the Habsburgs joined Bukovyna to their lands, granting it the status of a duchy. The said monarchic entities existed until 1918. Although long since factually nonexistent, their titular existence has not ceased de jure to this day.
If a monarchy is replaced by a republic, the latter cannot be regarded as a legal successor to the former, nor does this relieve the monarch of his duties and an opportunity to be reinstated. If a lawful monarch is forcefully dethroned, he can claim full restitution of property and nonproperty rights. Here it is important to note that the Habsburgs never abdicated their thrones in the Kingdom of Galicia and Volodymyr or at the Duchy of Bukovyna. If even a small part of a republic has a titular monarch, international law reads that the latter is the sole legitimate claimant to the throne of that country, if and when its political system is replaced by a hereditary monarchy.
Empires are known to have formed by the joining of separate titular territories under a single crown. And so the enthronement of a Habsburg heir would automatically transform Ukraine into an internationally acknowledged monarchy with an imperial status. Considering the Habsburg dynasty’s utmost moral prestige, a Ukrainian Empire would from the outset exert a tangible influence on the European community.
As a symbol of national unity, the Emperor of Ukraine would be a true guarantor of our independence, legality, democracy, stability, and prosperity. The consolidating strength of the throne would prevent political cataclysms, quell negative tensions, enhance national identity. God, the Emperor, and the Motherland, as three components of serving the noble cause, would instill new morals and lay the foundations of the Ukrainian national idea.
The Ukrainian monarchic prospects are gradually becoming realistic. In the spring of 2003, the popular monarchic movement of Ukraine, united within the Throne All-Ukrainian Public Organization, addressed a message to His Majesty Otto von Habsburg, recognizing him and his inheritors the sole and unquestionable claimants to the throne of a United and Independent Ukraine, and swearing allegiance to him. Otto von Habsburg replied in writing, expressing gratitude and profound affection and respect for the entire Ukrainian nation. Otto, son of the last Emperor of Austro-Hungary, creator of a single Europe, President of the Pan-European Union, the eldest honorary member of the European Parliament, favors the idea of a strong Ukrainian state built after the European standard.
Considering the age of the head of the imperial dynasty (he will be 91 in November), Ukraine can count on the enthronement of his eldest son Karl [Charles] von Habsburg. He was born in 1961 and is a retired war pilot with training in the humanities and an enviable political experience at international organizations. He is currently Director of the Unrepresented Peoples and Nations Organization at the European Union.
A very long time ago, 300 Spartans died to save Greece in the Battle of Thermopylae. Centuries later, 300 Ukrainian students died at Kruty, defending the Ukrainian Republic. No one would have to die for a Ukrainian Empire. It would only take 300 people’s deputies pressing the aye button and thus glorifying themselves and their nations, rising in defense of God, the Emperor, and Motherland.
#31, Tuesday, 21 October 2003
http://www.day.kiev.ua/261155/
FOOTBALL IN MONACO
(l to r) Marco Simone, Pierre Casiraghi (son of Princess Caroline), Daniel Ducruet (son of Princess Stephanie) and HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco pose with their trophy after a football match organized against the drivers of today's Forumla One drivers. The match was held at the Prince Louis II Stadium and benefited AMADE (World Association of Children's Friends) which is based in Monaco and under the patronage of Princess Caroline to help unfortunate children around the world.
Saturday, 15 May 2010
Friday, 14 May 2010
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Monday, 10 May 2010
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Monday, 3 May 2010
SWIMMING POOLS
I collected some interesting samples of how creative and decorative you can make a swimming pool and at the same time integrate it in the surrounding area be it a garden the seaside or the countryside. Provided there is ho weather the photos are quite inviting. Have a good swim or just a basic bath in the pools provided! Enjoy!
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