Simen Løvberg Sund. Royal Court |
Royal Musings
News and commentary about the reigning royal houses of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Spain, Monaco -- and the former European monarchies as well.
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
King Harald and family
Look who is one today!
© Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue |
© Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue |
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2023/03/first-photos-of-hrh-prince-francois-of.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2023/03/its-boy-for-guillaume-and-stephanie.html
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Her Majesty Margareta celebrates 75 years
March 26, 1949
Queen Anne of Romania gave birth to a daughter in Lausanne, Switzerland today. The infant princess was born at the Mont Choisi Clinic and weighed seven pounds. She was named Margarita in honor of her maternal grandmother, Princess Margrethe of Denmark.
This is the first child of Queen Anne and her husband, King Michael, who was forced to abdicate following a Communist takeover of his country in December 1947. King Michael went into exile in January 1948. He married Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma in Athens in June 1948.
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The family is now living in Switzerland.
Major Jacques Vergotti, King Michael's aide, told reporters that "the birth was normal" and that the queen and her daughter were "in fine shape."
It was noted that the infant princess "will have no claim on the dormant throne" as the succession descends "through the male line only."
Shortly after Margareta's birth, the family moved into a modest rental home in Lausanne, where they stayed for several months. It was in this house where Margarita's baptism took place. The only guests at the ceremony, apart from the King and Queen, were Queen Helen of Romania (Michael's mother), Princess Margrethe of Bourbon-Parma (Anne's mother), and Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta (Queen Helen's sister.)
Margareta's godparents were her maternal grandmother, Princess Margrethe, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who could not attend the ceremony. The family moved to Florence, Italy when Margarita was 12 weeks old.
Princess Margareta was four years old when she learned about what exile meant. She asked her mother why her father was "so sad and quiet." Queen Anne told her that her father "was upset because he lost his country." In her memoir, A War, An Exile, A Life, Queen Anne wrote: "Our children knew this right from the beginning, even if they had to grow up a little before they could understand the situation properly."
Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown, is the eldest of five daughters. She has four younger sisters: Helen (1950), Irina (1953), Sophie (1957) and Marie (1964).
Although the Romanian succession was based on Salic law (males only), King Michael knew that his eldest daughter would succeed him, and he pursued her "education with great attention." After receiving her Baccalaureate, Margareta wanted to study art at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Her parents were not thrilled with this plan. They recommended she spend a year with her grandmother, Queen Helen, in Florence.
In an interview in 2014 with the Daily Telegraph, Margareta said of her grandmother: "She taught me everything I know. Everything I am is thanks to her. She introduced me to people -- diplomats, artists, people from the UN who were working in Ethiopia, Sudan, South Africa. "
She spent several months working in a refugee camp in Ethiopia before deciding she no longer wanted to go to art school. She was now determined to go to university in the United Kingdom. After looking at several schools, Margareta attended the University of Edinburgh, where she studied "political science, sociology, and international relations."
In 2011, Margareta told Romanian historian Diana Mandache: "I wanted to study philosophy, I really liked philosophy, but I realized that I had to be a little more practical. Then, in the 70s, sociology was fashionable, so I chose it alongside international law, which I wanted for the United Nations, and political science because it could be linked to international relations and offered the opportunity to know systems. This combination of studies was very interesting. Maybe now, if I had to do it over again, I'd do something more practical."
After graduating from Edinburgh, the princess "specialized in medical sociology." In 1983, she joined the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome where she remained for three years before taking a new job with the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
Margareta left her job in the summer of 1989. She told Diana Mandache: "I realized that something fundamental was happening in Eastern Europe and I had to return to my father."
On Christmas Day, Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife were executed on the orders of Romania's Provisional government, the National Salvation Front. Demonstrations in Timișoara were spreading throughout the country and the Communist regime was about to fall.
On January 18, 1990, Princess Margareta and her younger sister, Princess Sophie, arrived in Bucharest. They were the first members of the Royal Family to visit the country since King Michael, Queen Helen, and Princesses Elisabeta and Ileana, were forced into exile.
Margareta told the press she had come to Romania to "rediscover her lost homeland." She and her sister spent eight days in the country, visiting villages, hospitals, orphanages, and nursing homes.
It was a difficult visit due to the apparent and open hostility from the Romanian government toward the two princesses.
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"Getting off the plane was quite emotional. We didn't know what was going to happen to us," she told the Telegraph.
The emotions were not muted. Speaking to Diana Mandache, she said: "Arriving on Romanian soil, I felt for the first time in my life a whole person! Before, I always had the feeling that half of my being was missing."
@Alain Morven |
Shortly after her first visit to her homeland, Margareta established her foundation, which helps Romanian children and the elderly.
Margareta became the heiress presumptive to the throne on December 30, 2007. Her father, King Michael wanted the Romanian monarchy restored, and the Parliament amended the succession law to allow for female inheritance. Following the King's death in 2017, Margareta has been styled as Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown.
Today - in 2024 - Her Majesty and her husband, Prince Radu (né Radu Duda) live in the Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest. They married on September 21, 1996, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The best way to describe Romania is to say it is a monarchy within a republic.
It is not every day that you run into members of a Royal Family. This happened to me in June 2022.
I can say that I ran into Her Majesty & Prince Radu as they walked out of the Buckingham Palace courtyard in June 2022. They were coming from Clarence House where they had dinner with the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
Her Majesty and Prince Radu had attended the Trooping of the Colour.
https://casamajestatiisale.ro/
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2022/03/hm-margareta-most-important-woman-in.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/05/interview-with-hm-margareta-custodian.html
Monday, March 25, 2024
An engagement under the radar
This engagement announcement was published in the Daily Telegraph on September 20, 2023. No fanfare, not a society writer mentioning the forthcoming nuptials. The bride-to-be is the second child of Don Eduardo Rodríguez y Legorburu, 6th Count of Asmir.
Jasper Henson will celebrate his 30th birthday one day before his older sister, Olivia, marries Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminister. He received his bachelor's degree in Modern Languages and Business Studies, Spanish and Portuguese. He is fluent in both languages. He also attended the IE Business School in Madrid.
Since 2020, Jasper has been employed by the real estate management firm, Freo Group, as a Senior Associate in Asset Management. He has worked in Spain and Portugal for nearly a decade.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-duke-of-westminster-is-engaged.html
Isabel Isabel Rodríguez-Legorburu was born in Madrid on May 25, 1988. She is Associate Director of Hotels & Hospitality for Knight Frank's Madrid office.
She has a BA in Psychology from Universidad San Pablo CEU in Madrid and a Master's in Clinical Psychology and Health from Universidad Complutense, also in Madrid. Isabel also attended the IE Business School.
She joined Knight Frank in 2019. Mr Henson was the Retail Capital Markets Consultant for Knight Frank from 2017-2020.
Their wedding has not been announced but could occur after Olivia Henson's wedding on June 7 at the Chester Cathedral.
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Prince Nicholas of Romania to reburied at Curtea de Arges
Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian throne, has announced that the remains of her great-uncle, Prince Nicholas of Romania and his first wife, Ioana, will be brought from Switzerland and reburied in Royal Archbishopric Cathedral in Curtea des Arges.
Prince Nicholas of Romania was the fourth child and second son of King Ferdinand of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was born at Pelesch Castle in Sinaia on August 3, 1903. Nicholas was named for his mother's first cousin, Emperor Nicholas II of Russia.
His first marriage to Ioana Dumitrescu-Doletti (1910-1963) caused a great scandal within the Romanian royal house as she was divorced. She was the "girl of his dreams," according to Carol's biographer, Paul D. Quinlan. Nicholas had supported Carol's return to the country and assumed his brother would consent to the marriage.
Queen Marie wrote in her diary: "I believe Nicky ... asked ... permission. This, of course, Carol had to refuse. Unfortunately, Carol last year in the pride of his return had almost promised Nicky to allow this."
Although Carol acknowledged that he understood "how it is to be hypnotized by a woman," he would not give permission for Nicholas to marry. It was "inadmissible to allow into the family a person of her stature," the king said.
Carol had a "lengthy discussion" with his younger brother. If Nicholas went through with the marriage, he would "lose his rights as a prince of the House of Hohenzollern and a member of the royal family, including all his ranks, his commissions, and titles."
The king promised his younger brother he "would respect his decision, be it for or against me. Every man is free to cut off his head."
Nicholas and Ioana were married on November 7, 1931, in Tohani, Romania. Retribution was swift. When Carol was informed about the marriage, he stated it should be kept secret. He also ordered for the marriage to be struck from the official records.
Prince Nicholas would not remain silent. He did not care if "the whole world knew he was married." Moreover, he had a copy of the marriage license, proving his marriage was legitimate. Carol, however, consulted several legal experts, as he wanted the marriage annulled. On December 7, 1931, in a Bucharest county court, Nicholas' marriage was "in violation of rules and regulations of the royal family and the Romanian Constitution."
Nicholas did not accept the court's decision to void his marriage. The battles between Nicholas and King Carol II continued for several years as Nicholas refused to renounce his marriage. In 1937, Nicholas officially "ceased to be a member of the member of the royal family and forfeits all his rights prerogatives respectively." The King provided Nicholas with a monthly allowance after Nicholas left the country.
In July 1942, King Michael gave his uncle the title, Prince Nicholas of Hohenzollern.
In July 1938, Prince Nicholas was permitted to return to attend his mother's funeral.
Prince Nicholas was the only immediate member of his family to attend Carol's funeral in Estoril, Portugal on April 7, 1953. He said: "I came because I felt it was my duty. Although I hated Carol more than I ever hated anyone in my life, he was my brother and my King."
He and his wife, Ioana settled in Lausanne, Switzerland, where Ioana died on February 19. 1963. Four months later, on June 16, 1963, Nicholas, baptized in the Romanian Orthodox church, converted to the Roman Catholic faith.
Nicholas married Maria Thereza Lisboa Figueira de Mello (1913-1997), a Brazilian, in Lausanne on July 13, 1967. They spent their final years together in Madrid, Spain, where Prince Nicholas died on June 9, 1978. He was buried next to his first wife, Ioana, in the Cimetière Chrétien (Christian cemetery) in Prilly, Switzerland.
The reburial will take place on March 29. Prince Nicholas will be interred next to his older brother, King Carol II.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/01/prince-nicholas-and-bride-arrive-in.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2023/04/prince-nicholas-and-morganatic-wife-to.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/11/nicholas-spurns-carols-request.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2016/01/romanian-government-puts-kibosh-on.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/11/nicholas-defies-his-brother-weds.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2013/04/nichoklas-refuses-to-back-down.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2008/10/ileana-and-nicholas-visit-west-point.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2012/01/nicholas-criticizes-brother.html
Friday, March 22, 2024
The Princess of Wales has cancer
More legal trouble for Rowan Lascelles
Rowan Nash Lascelles is a second cousin once removed of King Charles III, but it is unlikely that the king has ever met him. Lascelles, 46, is the son of the Hon. James Lascelles, the second of three sons of George, 7th Earl of Harewood, and his first wife, Marion Stein. The late Lord Harewood was the elder son of Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V. He and the late Queen Elizabeth II were first cousins.
It is unlikely King Charles III has ever met Rowan Lascelles.
The present Earl of Harewood - David - is James Lascelles' older brother. The late Queen did not have a close relationship with her cousin, especially after his first marriage ended in divorce. He married his second wife, Patricia Tuckwell, three years after the birth of their son, Mark.
According to the Daily Mail, Rowan is "being hunted by police after he was convicted of hurling racist abuse in a McDonald's restaurant."
A warrant for Rowan's arrest was issued on March 20 by a magistrate after he did not attend his trial in Willesden Magistrate Court where he was found guilty of "multiple offences in his absence."
He has "multiple previous convictions for racially aggravated" crimes. Lascelles also "threatened to stab a homeless supporter in the face with a knife, reported the Daily Mail.
Lascelles, who has been living in a "multiple occupation house," will be sentenced after he is arrested by the police. He has 15 previous convictions, which included "racially aggravated harassment."
The Hon. James Lascelles, 70, a musician, lives in London with his third wife, Nigerian-born Joy Ellias-Rilwan. Rowan is one of two children from James' first marriage to American-born Fredericka Duhrsson. She lives in France with her second husband, PaddyHayter. They co-founded the Footbarn Theatre, located in La Chaussée, France.
https://www.jameslascelles.co.uk/
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2021/10/council-cannot-ban-antisocial-rowan.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2019/12/rowan-lascelles-sentenced-to-jail.html
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Another Romance for Princess Olympia of Greece?
King Peter weds Princess Alexandra
Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection |
King Peter II of Yugoslavia married Princess Alexandra of Greece today in a "long-awaited and often-postponed" ceremony.
The couple was married at the Yugoslav Legation. The marriage could "stir up political developments in the Balkans," reports the New York Times.
The couple's engagement was announced in 1942, and there have been numerous "political squabbles in Yugoslavia." Serbs, who hold most of the power, opposed the marriage because a marriage made in exile by the King would not be "received well" by his people.
On the other hand, the Croatians and Slovenes, are in favor of marriage as a "political expedient."
Princess Alexandra, 23, was dressed in a white gown and "wore her hair in a rolled halo, with a white flower spray almost hiding her miniature skull cap." The 21-year-old King Peter, who wore the "light blue uniform of the Yugoslav Air Force," appeared "slightly shorter than his tall, slim dark bride."
The wedding ceremony took place in a "flower-bowered room" by the priests representing the Serbian and Greek Orthodox churches. The wedding rings were placed "on their fingers," by Peter's godfather, King George VI.
After the ceremony, the bride and groom were kissed by King George and Queen Elizabeth. Before the marriage ceremony, the wedding crowns were placed "firmly on the heads of the couple," and not held over their heads, which is the usual custom.
At the end of the wedding, the bride and groom walked around the altar three times, followed by King George VI and King George II of the Hellenes, both of whom carried lighted candles.
Other royal guests at the wedding included King Haakon of Norway, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Prince Bernhard, Princess Aspasia, the bride's mother, the Duchess of Kent, and the Duke of Gloucester.
The groom's mother, Queen Marie, did not attend the wedding due to poor health.
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Mail Call
A QVD due in August.
Maddison May Brudenell, a granddaughter of Lady Pamela Hicks, is expecting a baby in August, reports the Daily Mail. She is the daughter of Edwina Hicks and her former husband, actor Jeremy Brudenell.
The-mom-to be, who has three children from her first marriage to Nigerian-born musician Olao Modupe-Ojo, who goes by the name Jazz Purple. Their marriage ended in divorce in late 2022.
When she was in the "throes of her divorce, Maddison and her three young children, Daphne, Phebe and Moses, traveled to Canada to visit friends. It was at a lunch in Toronto when she was introduced to a Canadian welder, Bret Kapetanov. They were "instantly smitten." When her flight home was delayed she called Bret. "He said the would come and show me and the kids around. I was a hot mess with all this luggage, three kids. I had one in the pram, one on my chest, and Daphne holding my hand; but he was totally unfazed."
Lady Pamela, who will celebrate her 95th birthday in April, "loves Bret," according to her granddaughter. Brett added: "I've met her quite a few times, and we get along very well."
The couple plan to marry at St. Mary the Virgin Church in the Chiltern Hills after the birth of their child.
The reception will be held at The Grove, Lady Pamela's Oxfordshire home.
Maddison and Bret were recently interview by the Daily Mail
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13184571/Mountbatten-beauty-Maddison-Brudenell-wedding.html
Victoria - Alice - Victoria - Louis - Pamela - Edwina - Maddison
Tom Kingston's funeral
The Prince of Wales was among the guests at the private funeral of Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, today in the Royal Chapel at St. James's Palace at 11:30 a.m. William joined 140 other family members and friends who attended the service led by the Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal, Rev. Canon Paul Wright. Former Bishop of London Richard Chartres gave the homily.
Other members of the Royal Family who attended the service included Lady Gabriella and her parents, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor, the Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy as members of Mr. Kingston's family.
The funeral procession began at Kensington Palace and ended at Ambassador's Court at the Palace.
The funeral procession included cars and a mini-bus. My source recognized Prince and Princess Michael's car as he happened to see the procession. The coffin "was of light coloured wood with a brightly coloured floral arrangement."
They entered St James’s by the Clarence House gate, and the hearse left by Cleveland Row and went up St James’s St, according to my source. A reception was held in St. James's Palace after the funeral.
A memorial service for Mr. Kingston is expected to take place later this year.
Following the service, Mr. Kingston was cremated. Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella Windsor were first photographed together at the Cheltenham Festival of Horse Racing on March 12, 2015.
Thomas Kingston died on February 25, 2024 from a "traumatic head wound." He was 45 years old.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2024/02/thomas-kingston-husband-of-lady-ella.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2024/03/tom-kingston-inquest.html
Update on King Harald
Sunday, March 10, 2024
Waiting for future development
Update: The Princess of Wales has issued a statement.
Earlier today, Kensington Palace released a new photo of the Princess of Wales and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Today is Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom.
@HRH The Prince of Wales |
About ten hours after Kensington Palace released the photo, three news agencies and one photo agency, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France Press, and Getty Photos issued a Kill Notice informing clients to remove the photo from all their platforms including social media. Other news
This is not an uncommon action within the media, but this particular notice got attention because it is about the photo released by Kensington Palace. The first non-pap photo of the Princess of Wales since Christmas Day and the announcement she would undergo abdominal surgery.
This photo was taken by the Prince of Wales, not noted for his photography skills.
The AP said it removed the photo "because it appeared to be manipulated, fueling more conjecture."
The Associated Press is the world's largest news-gathering organization, a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its member newspapers.
The AP and the other organizations "initially published the photo," but later "retracted the image because at closer inspection," it appeared the "source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP photo standards."
According to the AP, the photo "shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand."
Kensington Palace has refused to comment ... for now. William could have taken more than one image and used Photoshop to make the photo look better, at least in his eyes, and, perhaps, KP's Communication staff.
Kill notices for photos and stories are more common than you think. The notices are sent to the clients and not released to the general public. One can understand the whys for sharing the Kill notice with their readers -- and the general public.
William or the staff may have tried too hard to make a perfect picture. Photoshop can turn a good photo into a stunning photograph. I love taking photos and recently upgraded from a Canon DSLR to the Canon R7 mirrorless camera. I wish I had Photoshop, but it is too expensive. I shoot wildlife, the Washington Nationals, the Royals (not the baseball team), and my vacations. I recently took this photo of a duck couple, a male mallard, and his Hybrid wife. This is the fourth year the couple has spent their spring and summer, nesting and raising ducklings before heading south for the winter.
I took this photo - it would be better if I could get the rushes out of the mallard's eye. This is a couple in love.
@Marlene Eilers Koenig |
With Photoshop or another editing program, the flaws would be removed.
I am sure William and Catherine did not realize the photo was not well edited. It is a lovely photograph. William's intention was good, but, next time, do not use a cell phone. This was a major Photoshop fail.
This is not the first time a royal photographer has caused controversy. In 1971, Patrick Lichfield (5th Earl of Lichfield) took the official photograph of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's 25th wedding anniversary photo. This was a group photo that included most members of the Royal Family.
Years later, he acknowledged he used heads from different images from the shoot to make the final photo.
@Lichfield |
Please do not turn this into another conspiracy theory!
A son for the Queen - Edward Celebrates his 60th birthday
The infant Prince is third in line to the throne, following his brothers, Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Prince Andrew. Princess Anne moves behind her youngest brother.
Shortly after the Queen gave birth to her son, her husband, Prince Philip, who had remained at the Palace the entire day, made phone calls to the Queen Mother at Clarence House, Princess Margaret, who is expecting her second child in several weeks, at Kensington Palace, the Prince of Wales at Gordonstoun and Princess Anne, who is a student at Beneden.
The Duke of Edinburgh was delighted by the birth of his fourth child. He was congratulated by members of the Household who toasted the baby with champagne.
Tomorrow, there will be 41-gun salutes at Hyde Park and the Tower of London. Naval ships will fire 21-gun salutes and "ships will be dressed with masthead flags," according to The Times.
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There will also be an RAF flyover tomorrow at 1pm.
The new prince was born in the Belgian suite in Buckingham Palace. He is now sleeping in a cradle originally made for the Queen's birth in 1926 and has been used by all four of her children. The cradle is made of "iron, cream-painted and trimmed with peace satin under a cream spotted net." The eiderdown is also made of peach satin.
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The baby's names were announced on April 20, 1964. He was given the name Edward Antony Richard Louis. The baptism would take place in the private chapel at Windsor Castle on May 2.
The Duchess of Kent did not attend the baptism of her godson as she had given birth to her second child, a daughter, Lady Helen Windsor on April 28. Princess George of Hanover was Prince Philip's sister, Princess Sophie, who was married to Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover.
The three middle names honored the three godfathers: the Earl of Snowdon (Antony), the Duke of Gloucester (at the time, Prince Richard of Gloucester), and Prince Ludwig of Hesse and By Rhine, a first cousin of Prince Philip's mother, Princess Alice.
@Studio Lisa Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection |
@Studio Lisa Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection |
Princess Margaret was also not at the baptismal ceremony. The day before - May 1 - she had given birth to her second child, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, who was the fourth and last royal baby born in 1964.
The other three children were James Ogilvy (February 29), Prince Edward, and Lady Helen Windsor.
Embed from Getty Images |
with Teasel. All four photos @Chris Jelf |
It was announced today - March 10, 2024 - that Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, has been given the Order of the Thistle by his older brother, King Charles III. Four new photos, taken on March 4 at Bagshot Park, were released to the press.
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh with his cocker spaniel, Mole, and labrador, Teal. Teasel, the new puppy, is in the background |
Lab puppy Teasel is in the background The Duke is with Mole |
with new puppy Teasel |
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-third-son-for-elizabeth-ii.html