Royal Families

royalwatcher:

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II,  the eldest son of their Majesties King Abdullah II & Queen Rania of Jordan has taken the oath for the first time on Saturday afternoon as regent during his father`s absence. The ceremony which took place at the premier’s office in Amman was held in presence of the Kingdom`s cabinet members & HRH prince Faisal bin Al Hussein, the Crown Prince’s uncle. Prince Al Hussein was appointed Crown Prince in July 2009. The Crown Prince, who was born on was born on 28 June 1994 completed his eighteenth year of age according to the lunar calendar required by Jordan`s constitution.

Clash in blogs. Didn’t mean to reblog that last post.

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royalwatcher:

Though we know our own Royal family well, the lives of some of the Queen’s Royal counterparts around the world often remain outside our awareness. Here we review the biographies and reputations of some of the most famous.

Queen Elizabeth II has steered the British Royal family into the 21st century with its approval ratings, for the most part, intact. But how do the fortunes and reputations of her royal contemporaries around the world rate in comparison?

Ruled since 15 September 1973 

King Carl was only 27 years old at his coronation, when he chose “for Sweden with the times” as his personal motto. Abba performed ‘Dancing Queen’ for the first time at his wedding to Silvia Sommerlath in 1976 and the royal couple have three children. Known as a dignified leader and keen sportsman, his reputation was seriously threatened in 2010 by allegations that he had attended sex parties hosted by a Serbian gangster, following the publication of Thomas Sjöberg’s book The Reluctant Monarch. However, despite the king’s ostensible confession, 80% of Swedes say the claims have not affected their perception of the royal family.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand 

Ruled since 9 June 1946 

The world’s longest reigning monarch is now 84 years old and celebrated his Diamond Jubilee in 2006. He has been married to his wife, Queen Sirikit, for nearly 62 years and the couple have four children and eleven surviving grandchildren, after one grandson died in the 2004 tsunami. Queen Elizabeth last visited the king, known as Rama IX, in 1996, but Prince Andrew travelled to Thailand on her behalf this year to pass on his mother’s birthday congratulations. Thailand’s king consistently tops the Forbes list of the world’s richest royals, with a fortune estimated at over $30 billion.

King Mswati III of Swaziland (hate him)

Ruled since 25 April 1976 

Despite a personal fortune of around £60 million, King Mswati rules over one of the world’s poorest countries. The polygamous king has 13 wives and attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton last year. However, he had to arrive through the back entrance of Westminster Abbey in order to avoid protesters enraged at his expensive entourage, which was reportedly 50-strong.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark 

Ruled since 14 January 1972 

After 40 years on the throne, Queen Margrethe still holds strong support within Denmark. Her Ruby Jubilee was celebrated in January this year with a parade through Copenhagen, a thanksgiving service and a gala banquet. Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe share Queen Victoria as their great-great-grandmother, and in a CNN interview earlier this year Queen Margrethe spoke about the bond between herself, Queen Beatrix and Queen Elizabeth, mentioning how well the three know each other and how they meet up “here and there”.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei 

Ruled since 5 October 1967 (coronation on 1 August 1968) 

The Sultan is Brunei’s head of state, head of government, and an absolute, benevolent monarch with an estimated net worth of $20 billion, largely earned through Brunei’s oil and gas industry. He is famous for his lavish collection of over 5,000 cars, which includes five McLaren F1s and at least 500 Mercedes-Benz’s. He and his father have both been knighted by Queen Elizabeth, and the Sultan also holds the title of Honorary Admiral of the Royal Navy since leading the passing-out salute at Dartmouth, the Navy’s officer training school. The Sultan has 11 children but divorced his third wife, a Malaysian journalist, in 2010; however he remains married to his first wife, Anak Saleha, who he married in 1967.

King Juan Carlos I of Spain 

Ruled since 22 November 1975 

When the Spanish monarchy was restored after the death of Franco in 1975, King Juan Carlos was a key player in the transition to democracy. He married Queen Sofia in 1962 and they have three children. His family’s reputation has recently suffered a blow, however, since Inaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma de Mallorca who is married to King Carlos’ daughter Princess Cristina, appeared in court earlier this year on suspicion of embezzling funds during his time as chairman of the Nóos Institute between 2002 and 2006. Though he has yet to be charged, Urdangarin has been banned from official royal functions as the king tries to distance himself from the scandal.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands 

Ruled since 30 April 1980 

When Queen Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg in 1966, claims about his involvement in the Hitler Youth caused widespread protests on her wedding day. Despite this, she is a popular monarch and her husband was widely mourned after his death in 2002. Queen Beatrix is a distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and recently turned 74, making her the oldest ever Dutch monarch.

King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan 

Ruled since 7 February 1999 

Contrary to Queen Elizabeth’s philosophy, the King of Jordan has been active within national and international politics and recently added his voice to calls for the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to resign as president. He is currently rated fourth in the RISSC publication ‘The 500 Most Influential Muslims’ and has been credited with introducing major reforms to the Jordanian economy and military since his ascension.