EUROPEAN ROYALS

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

The first time in my life when I went to a cinema was in 1953 when I was 10 years old ! What an exciting event for a little girl ! My father's mother, the grandma I didn't know very well was on visit and took me to see the film of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. Although she was already Queen since February 6, 1952 when she acceded her father King George, the coronation took place only one year later on June 2, 1953.

The film was already in color and I was so impressed ! From that day on I wanted to be a princess if not a queen ! I remember I played coronation with my friends with selfmade "golden"crowns, old curtains and other "royal" outfits.

I never lost my interest in Royals and royal families, in their history, stories, or scandals, weddings, birth and funerals. I mostly update myself on Royals when I have to wait somewhere, like the hairdresser, in the doctors waiting rooms or at the dentist and of course the TV series "Place Royale" (Royal Places).

From all European countries there are only these once who still have a "working" King, Queen, prince or Duke.

- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
- The Kingdom Belgium,
- The Kingdom of the Netherlands,
- Grand Duchy Luxembourg,
- The Kingdom Denmark,
- The Kingdom Sweden.
- The Kingdom Norway,
- Principality Liechtenstein,
- The Kingdom Spain,
- Principality Monaco,

All the other European countries are Republics and have a boring president who is elected by the people, has nothing romantic and nothing or poor to say. The one who leads the country is a prime minister, or a chancellor (Germany), except France who has a president who leads the country.



as a bride and today. She has a lot of phantasy for her hat creations !



Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands also has a penchant for "funny" hats.



I knew all these still active Royals from when I was a young girl, when they were freshly married or just had acceded their father or mother.



except Prince Albert who is Princess Grace of Monaco's son and I knew him as a boy and the Duke of Luxembourg was 12 years old when I knew him. But of course I knew their parents.

Some people think that Royals are useless and cost money. But they have success and this romantic touch. Representing a country always costs money, the president also needs body guards and new tuxedos or suits and their wives too. But they don't attract any tourists ! I think a Royal wedding brings also quiet a lot of money to the country and lots of people get a job. When you think of all the merchandising, the tourists who spent money, the Hotels, fully booked, the restaurants full and even the transport companies make money.

Now since 53 years I am living in a country with a King and a Queen, with Princes and Princesses and although they are less interesting to the press as the British Royals, I still prefer them to a President. For politics we have our Prime Minister.

COMPILED NEWS & CYBER CRUISE

Before I travelled to England the first time in 1992 I never celebrated Halloween. I didn't even know its existence. But then I was in London once at that time and people explained it to me. I found it a very nice use. Three years ago I started to decorate our Living room but really celebrating it we did not. I only invited two friends last week and served them a plate with cookies decorated with fat flies and spiders. The result was a loud scream from one of my friends who thought they were real.



My Halloween decoration

You see that's why I do celebrate virtually ! Do you like my costume ??

I went to Waterloo's Halloween party on saturday. Please scroll down and see what Waterloo has done to make foreigners feel home ! And the Belgians celebrated with them !

Blackmailing a royal family member
A member of the british royal family has been blackmailed by two men who were arrested by Scotland Yard. The blackmailers asked for 75.000 € otherwise they would publish a video showing this member nude during intercourse and taking Kokain. The identity of this member can't be revealed for legal reasons. What a pity I bed it was not Philip for technical reasons, he is too old, but who else could it be ? Apparently there are 41 members in the british royal family !



Who shot dead the Queen's rare hen harriers?
Two of Britain's rarest birds of prey have been shot illegally at the Queen's Sandringham estate.
The hen harriers were killed as they flew above trees at the Norfolk retreat. It is not the first time the treatment of animals at the Sandringham estate has caused an outcry. In 2000, the Queen was pictured wringing the neck of an injured pheasant which had been brought to her by a gundog during a shoot. Look at this sweet lady ! I always thought she would be better with animals than with her subjects !



Camilla's uber-elegant outfit puts another feather in her style hat
The Duchess of Cornwall has already firmly established a reputation for style, and the 60-year-old royal was looking more elegant than ever this week as she joined Prince Charles at an official event. Ah ! that explains why the hen harrier had been shot ! It was only to decorate Camilla's new hat ! I am sure it was Charles !



Indian gay prince would have proposed to Oprah
CHICAGO: He is the gay prince. She, the queen of talk shows. When Manvendra Singh Gohil, scion of the royal family of Rajpipla in Gujarat, met Oprah Winfrey on her show, both appeared awestruck. "Had I not been a gay, I would have proposed to you," Gohil told Oprah. First try to read his name loud, because you never know maybe Oprah will change sex to become Mrs. Mr. Manvendra Singh Gohil of Rajpipla, at least she would have a title and live in a wonderful palace and you will have to use her his new name !


Seized Elton artwork not indecent
A photograph owned by Sir Elton John and seized from an art exhibition is not an indecent image, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said. The photo, nude Klara and Edda Belly Dancing by American Nan Goldin, was taken from Gateshead's Baltic gallery by Northumbria Police on 20 September. Fortunately they changed their minds, it is completely normal that Sir Elton has unisex pictures in his collection !



Heaviest' mixed-sex twins born
A woman has given birth to the heaviest mixed-sex twins Theo and Millie, born in the UK, who weighed a combined 18lb 12oz (8.5kg). That's a lot indeed, I wonder what she ate during her pregnancy ! At least a few yorkshire puddings per day !


France stops Maori mummy's return
A French court has blocked a museum's efforts to return the mummified head of a Maori warrior to New Zealand. The reason is obvious !! I just manipulated a little a picture of the actual french President Sarkozy and you see the result ! The return was blocked because it is the head of his ancestors ! I always thought he came from Hungary but now I see his origins are in New Zealand !




Che Guevara hair sold at auction
The hair was cut from Che Guevara's head after his death
Strands of hair said to have been taken from the corpse of Ernesto Che Guevara by a former CIA operative have sold for $119,000 (£58,000) at auction. That is expensive for a few hairs ! But anyway the color doesn't suit me to buy it and have a wig made.


Fat squirrel trapped behind bars
The squirrel had "eyes bigger than its stomach"
A grey squirrel had to be rescued from a bird feeder as it had gorged on so many nuts it could not squeeze back out through the bars. Now squirrels are doing the same as certain people ! I just saw last week a woman being lifted out by firemen through the windows because she was so fat she couldn't walk anymore. But she pointed out that she would eat like a little birdie. I wonder what for a bird breed that is !