Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg gave birth to a daughter, Victoire, in Paris on May 14, 2024. This is the first child for the Princess, 33, and her husband, Nicolas Bagory.
Alexandra, the only daughter of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg married Nicolas Bagory on April 29, 2023, in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France.
Victoire is the seventh grandchild of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess.
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| All photos courtesy of HRH Crown Prince Alexander |
May 14, 2024
HRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine visited today the town of Inđija, Serbia, to see the monument to Queen Maria in the park of the same name and deliver jerseys for two basketball clubs, a donation from the Crown Prince Alexander’s Foundation for Education and Culture. On this occasion, an exhibition of photographs dedicated to the return of the remains of the Queen Mother to the Homeland in 2013 was opened as well.
Their Royal Highnesses gladly responded to the invitation of the Committee for the Building of the Monument, which is a gift of this group of people to the citizens of Indjija. This is the first public monument to HM Queen Maria in Serbia, and its author is Dr. Jelena Božović Đorđević.
The Crown Prince laid a rose on the monument to his grandmother, while the Board and members of the Kingdom of Serbia Association, who were the first to welcome the body of the blessed Queen upon her return to the Homeland, laid wreaths. Before that, HRH Crown Prince Aleksandar and Deputy President of the Indjija Municipal Assembly Mr. Lazar Vukmirović laid wreaths at the monument to King Peter the Great Liberator, which is located nearby.
"I am grateful to you for preserving the memory of my grandmother, that her spirit, her legacy, her charity, humanity and the immense love she had for our people still live in the collective memory. Queen Maria, King Peter, and all other members of the Royal Family are our role models and inspiration, and my wife and I and the entire Royal family must always look up to them, and always follow their example," said Crown Prince Alexander.
In the continuation of the visit, the Crown Prince officially opened the exhibition "Fulfilled Legacy (from London to Oplenac)" by Mr. Predrag Medenica. Mr. Uroš Parezanović, Head of Public Relations and Protocol of the Royal Palace, as one of those who carried the coffin of the late Queen, spoke about this exhibition that follows Queen Maria's journey from exile in London to her return to the Homeland and finding eternal peace in the family endowment at Oplenac next to her husband, Knightly King Alexander.
On this occasion, on the sports fields of the former Sokol Home and now the Cultural Center, the Royal couple presented a donation in the form of jerseys to the basketball clubs "Železničar" from Inđija and "Hajduk" from Beška. Representatives of both clubs expressed great gratitude for the support of the Royal couple to their teams, and the members of Železničar Club presented the Crown Prince with a gift - a basketball signed by all the players and coaches.
The jerseys are the result of a generous donation from Mr. Danilo Bijelica, CEO of the company "Intec Ltd." from Novi Sad. Namely, the jerseys were purpose-made for the 3x3 basketball tournament, which was supposed to be held at the Royal Palace, as a special send-off for our national team to the Olympic Games and other major competitions, but the plans were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to help athletes from smaller clubs, who don't have the same resources as the first league ones, the Crown Prince and his Foundation decided to donate the jerseys to these clubs from Srem, thus helping the promotion of sports and a healthy lifestyle among young people. Crown Prince Alexander is very grateful to Mr. Bijelica for his great help. It is a pity that our national team members were not able to play with this equipment, but we are very glad that we were able to help our athletes.
In his welcome, the Chairman of the Committee for Monument, Mr. Predrag Medenica said: "With the words that the citizens of Serbian Athens welcomed your grandfather, the Knightly King Alexander, we welcome you today. Our hearts are filled with joy. On behalf of the Committee for the Building of the Monument, I express my great gratitude for your visit and wish you a warm welcome. Our city has never had more important and beloved guests. Welcome, our dear King!"
The visit ended in the Temple of Holy Emperor Constantine and Empress Jelena, in front of which a solemn reception was held for distinguished guests, and then a thanksgiving service was held for the Royal couple, which was held for the first time on the soil of Vojvodina in the presence of Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine. This gave the visit a very special character.
After the service, His Royal Highness, in the company of the Elder of the temple, Father Bogoljub Milovanović, planted a tree in the church yard as a memory of this visit.
During the welcoming, Jovana Savić, a student of the Inđija High School, playing the role of Queen Maria gave a monologue especially prepared for this occasion, which talks about the life of the Queen Mother, and the member of the Committee for the Building of the Monument, Mr. Stevo Lapčević also greeted Their Royal Highnesses with an inspiring speech.
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| all photos Courtesy of HRH Crown Prince Alexander |
Belgrade, 14 May 2024 – TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine officially opened the tourist season for 2024 and invited everyone interested in visiting the Royal Palaces to join the tours organized by the Touristic Organization of Belgrade. Before the Royal Family’s return to Serbia, the Royal Compound was closed to the public, and opening it for the tourists was one of the first important decisions of the Head of the Royal Family – HRH Crown Prince Alexander.
“My wife, Crown Princess Katherine and me are very happy to open the Royal Complex for another tourist season! It is almost 23 years now since my family and I came back to Serbia, to our home where we belong. The legacy that my grandfather, King Alexander I, and father, King Peter II, left here, the history and memories of the Royal Compound are magnificent. It is very important that they are conveyed, especially to our younger generation. And I wanted the people of Serbia and the world to be able to see and feel all this history and tradition that our family home has. Since our arrival, it is no longer “a forbidden city”.
If we are not proud of our glorious past, if we are not the ones who cherish it and inform others about it, nobody else would do it for us. Organized touristic tours are the best opportunity to see this beautiful place, know our glorious past, and learn something new. We are happy to welcome you to our home”, said HRH Crown Prince Alexander.
Media representatives who joined the first tour were welcomed at the Royal Palace by Their Royal Highnesses and Ms. Jelena Stankovic, PR of the Tourist Organization of Belgrade. Accompanied by a professional tourist guide, they had the opportunity to enjoy the same tour that the tourists will be able to have at the Complex - the Royal Palace, the White Palace, the Royal Chapel of St. Andrew the First-Called, and the Royal Park.
The tourists will also, when it is available due to their obligations, be greeted by Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine. The tour is a pleasant 1 and a half-hour walk to get acquainted with the history, legacy, and culture of our country.
Ms. Jelena Stankovic thanked Their Royal Highnesses for their cooperation and emphasized once again that the Royal Compound is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Belgrade.
The Tourist Organization of Belgrade (TOB) organizes visits to the Royal Complex every weekend on Saturdays at 9:30 am and 12:30 pm. Ticket purchased from the Tourist Organization of Belgrade includes organized bus transportation from Nikola Pasic Square to the Royal Palaces - meetings for transport are at 9:30 am and 12:30 pm. The ticket price is 1,500 RSD. The number of people in a group is restricted to a maximum of 30 visitors.
For information and reservations, tourists should visit the Tourist Information Centre in Belgrade, Knez Mihailova 56, phone: +38111 26 35 622, e-mail: bginfo.knezmihailova@tob.rs, website www.tob.rs
Schools, students, and pensioner associations can visit the Royal Palaces in Dedinje in announced group visits every working day from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm with the mandatory notification to the Office of HRH Crown Prince Alexander at least 7 to 10 days ahead, over the phone +381 11 306 4014 or via e-mail: kancelarija@dvor.rs. Each group must consist of at least 10 visitors and up to a maximum of 40 visitors per group. Website: www.dvor.rs
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| all photos @Marlene Koenig |
On Sunday, May 12, I was supposed to see Hair at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. When I got home from church, I checked my email. Glad I did as the performance was canceled due to a cast member's illness. I called the theatre and exchanged the ticket for next Sunday.
I decided to relax and watch the Nationals game. I sat on the couch, browsing Facebook. One post from the local Buy Nothing Group caught my attention. One member offered seven tickets to the group for the 4 pm tour of the White House Gardens.
The White House Garden Tour is offered two weekends a year. This was the second of the first weekend. The other weekend is in October. The tickets are free.
I sent a message to the poster and said I would love to go. I got one of the tickets. Got into my car -- could have walked to her house -- and picked up the ticket. I was limited to what I could bring into the gardens. I grabbed a small fanny pack to hold my driver's license, AAA card, credit card, Metro card, phone, keys, and the ticket. The NPS and the White House allow cameras.
The sun was shining by the time I arrived at the White House. Exclusive tour because it is only for two days.
I focus on royalty here at Royal Musings, but I want to share my photos from a special day. It was a fabulous tour. The House tour does not include the Gardens. I walked past the Oval Office. The Marine band played for us.
Best Free Ticket ever!!!
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| The tour included images of presidential tree planting |
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| The South Lawn. This is where the Easter Egg roll takes place, state arrivals, ceremonies, etc. |
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| The Colonnade |
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| The United States Marine Band played for us |
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| In the background: Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial |
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| Aimed the lens to one of the residential windows, hoping to see Willow the First Cat. I asked WH staff about her. Willow has escaped from the residential area, especially if Dr. Biden leaves a door open, but Willow is usually caught and brought back upstairs. Willow is said to be sweet. Of course she is. |
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| The Rose Garden |
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| The door behind the table is to the Oval Office |
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| The Oval Office The Resolute desk given to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria is on the other side of the windows!!! |
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| Swing set for the Biden grandchildren |
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| The tour follows a path toward the Pond and the foundation. On display is The Beast, the President's car. It is a Cadillac. There are ten Beasts in the fleet. |
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| Michelle Obama's Kitchen Garden |
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| Mourning Dove |
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| This leads to the Children's Garden and the tennis courts -- not on the tour! |
Most people will never get to experience a White House Garden tour. I am thankful to the woman who had tickets to share with neighbors, so I could go.
https://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisit/white-house-garden-tours.htm
https://whitehouse.gov1.info/visit/white-house-garden-tour.html
