The former editor of a tabloid newspaper has said he feels "huge responsibility" for the accident that killed Diana, Princess of Wales.
Ex-News of the World editor Phil Hall told a TV documentary: "I felt huge responsibility for what happened and I think everyone in the media did."
He added: "It's difficult because we knew the full story, we knew that Diana was helping newspapers and yeah, the driver was drunk.
"But my view is that if the paparazzi hadn't been following her the car wouldn't have been speeding and, you know, the accident may never have happened."
The ITV documentary, Diana's Last Summer, focuses on Diana's "love-hate relationship with the photographers who followed her every move".
It includes interviews and pictures from the photographers who followed her before the fatal crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris.
Patrick Jephson, Diana's former aide, tells the programme: "The Paris paparazzi were a well-known phenomenon. They were a kind of circus.
"They would chase the royal motorcade on motorcycles. They had pillion passengers carrying heavy television cameras.
"It all contributed to the sense of being inside a Wild West stagecoach while bandits were attacking it."
Following is a chronology of the life and times of Princess Diana, who died aged 36 on August 31, 1997. Reuters is running a package of stories to mark the 10th anniversary of her death.
July 1, 1961 - Born into an aristocratic family, third of four children of Lord and Lady Althorp.
1977 - Meets Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, at the family home, Althorp.
February 24, 1981 - Engagement to Charles is announced.
-- July 29 - Charles and Diana marry in sumptuous ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
June 21, 1982 - First child born, William Arthur Philip Louis. Diana suffers post-natal depression.
September 15, 1984 - Second child born, Henry Charles Albert David, known as Harry.
1985 - First reports of difficulties in royal marriage.
1986 - Charles renews his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, a woman he later refers to as "the love of his life". Diana develops eating disorder bulimia. Royal couple continue public duties but lead separate lives in private.
June 1992 - "Diana -- Her True Story", by tabloid reporter Andrew Morton, is published. Diana cooperated, through friends, in the writing of the book which shows her trapped in a loveless marriage and attempting suicide to attract Charles's attention.
-- August 25 - Newspapers publish excerpts of taped telephone conversation between Diana and James Gilby, who calls her "Squidgy" and tells her repeatedly that he loves her.
-- December 9 - Prime Minister John Major announces formal separation of the couple in parliament.
September 1994 - "Princess In Love", by Anna Pasternak, published, telling of an affair between Diana and cavalry officer James Hewitt. Book is condemned but Diana later confirms she had had an affair with Hewitt and says she adored him.
November 20, 1995 - Diana gives television interview in which she admits adultery with Hewitt and says she doubts Charles's ability to handle the responsibility of being king.
-- December 20 - Buckingham Palace confirms Queen Elizabeth had written to Charles and Diana urging them to divorce.
July 12, 1996 - Charles and Diana agree divorce terms. Diana is to get a reported 17 million pound settlement, but is stripped of the title "Royal Highness".
-- Aug 28 - Charles and Diana granted a decree absolute ending their 15-year marriage.
August 7, 1997 - First media reports that Diana has found a new love, Dodi al-Fayed.
-- August 31 - Diana is killed in Paris car crash with al-Fayed.
Al 72 jaar geleden is Koningin Astrid van Belgie op 29 augustus 1935 in het Zwitserse Kussnacht om het leven gekomen door een auto-ongeluk. Haar man, koning Leopold raakte gewond.
Astrid Sophie Louise Thyra werd op 17 november 1905 in Stockholm geboren. Ze was de dochter van prins Karel van Zweden en Prinses Ingeborg van Denemarken. Op 10 november 1926 trouwde ze met de Belgische kroonprins Leopold. Na de dood van koning Albert I werd Leopold koning en Astrid koningin.
Op 29 augustus 1935 verloor Leopold in Kussnacht de macht over het stuur van zijn auto. De auto vloog over de reling en raakte twee bomen, waarna hij tot stilstand kwam. Astrid was op slag dood.
Een gebroken Leopold zal zich nooit, zelfs niet intiem, uitspreken over zijn verdriet. In gesprekken die bij zijn betreurde koningin uitkomen verandert hij steevast van onderwerp. Ook het volk kan Astrid niet vergeten. Het medelijden om de jonge prinsen en prinses die verweesd achterblijven maakt de sympathie, die er al was voor Astrid, alleen maar groter. Dat het volk zelfs vandaag nog Astrid een warm hart toedraagt, blijkt wel uit de grote eerbied waarmee men over haar spreekt en het grote aantal verzamelaars en fans die zich vooral op Astrid toeleggen. Inmiddels heeft 'de koningin uit het koude noorden die de Belgische harten kwam ontdooien' een bijna mythische status gekregen. Vergelijkbaar met prinses Diana en diens eigen voortijdige einde.
King Kigeli says he wants to hear the Rwandan people's opinion The man who ruled Rwanda until his overthrow in 1959, King Kigeli Ndahindurwa V, says he wants to return home for the first time in 48 years.
But in an interview with the BBC, he says he can only return if the Rwandan people are prepared to accept him as their constitutional monarch.
Speaking in the US, and now aged 72, he said he had discussed his idea with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame.
The president told him he was willing to consult his government on the issue.
Kigeli Ndahindurwa was the last of a line of absolutist monarchs who unified and ruled the kingdom of Rwanda until self-rule from Belgium loomed in the late 1950s.
The royal family was from the Tutsi minority - but the Belgians favoured the Hutu majority and in 1959, while King Kigeli was abroad, they organised a coup.
Tens of thousands of King Kigeli's supporters, including the entire royal family, fled the country.
Rwanda was declared a republic under a Hutu president, and thousands of Tutsis were massacred.
Three more decades of instability culminated in civil war and the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
The war was won by a Tutsi rebel group, whose leader Paul Kagame is now president.
Forced out
Now living in Washington DC, King Kigeli says he has recently met Mr Kagame - he does not say how recently - who, he says, told him that he and the royal family were welcome to return home.
But King Kigeli told him that a question must first be answered.
"The Rwandese people may or may not want me. But in order to return home, I need to know if they still want me to be their king."
Kigeli Ndahindurwa says he still regards himself as king because he was forced from his throne illegally.
He wants to return as constitutional monarch but only if the government and the people agree.
He says President Kagame did not reject the idea - he listened and said he would think about it, consult his government, and get back to him.
King Kigeli says he is still waiting for that response.
More information about King Kigeli V of Rwanda can be found on BBC News
Windsor Castle - De heer R.A.U. Juchter van Bergen Quast - Voorzitter van Vereniging Buitenlandse Adel in Nederland - is als Descendant member opgenomen in de vereniging van Descendants of the Knights of the Garter, St. George Chapel, Windsor Castle.
De heer Juchter van Bergen Quast stamt af van een Knight of The Most Noble Order of the Garter.
De Descendants of the Knights of the Garter maakt onderdeel uit van de Society of the Freinds of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter. De Engelse koningin is hiervan de patroon.
Koningin Beatrix is een van de leden van de The Most Noble Order of the Garter. Deze Orde is één van de oudste Europese ridderorden, ingevoerd in 1348 door Koning Eduard III van Engeland. De koningen van Engeland, nu die van het Verenigd Koninkrijk, zijn de soevereinen van de Orde. De troonopvolger, de Hertog van Cornwall, is vanaf zijn geboorte ridder in deze Orde. In de 19e eeuw kreeg het Britse kabinet de bevoegdheid om ridders voor te dragen. Sinds 1946 is het benoemen van Ridders weer het voorrecht van de Kroon. De Most Noble Order of the Garter is een zuiver hoofse en wereldlijke orde, die geen religieuze idealen nastreeft. Het eerste doel van de Orde is de machtige adel aan de vorst te binden. Dat de Orde uit twee keer twaalf ridders bestaat, doet vermoeden dat de Orde ooit een toernooigezelschap was.
Letizia Ortiz's transformation into one of Europe's most stylish princesses was a whirlwind one. Just six months after becoming engaged to Crown Prince Felipe of Spain, the TV newsreader made a stunning formal debut in royal circles, standing out even among the most dazzling of guests.
Since then, the cool-headed journalist has stepped effortlessly into her new role as national fashion icon, unfazed by the scrutinising eyes of the world.
AFP - Friday, August 10 08:03 am LONDON (AFP) - The brother of the late princess Diana revealed on Thursday that he has considered writing a biography about his sister, in the run-up to the 10-year anniversary of her death.
Speaking to the BBC, Spencer said that he thought many of the books chronicling the divorced royal's life were "very inaccurate" and thought that a good historian needed to confront the subject.
Asked by the interviewer if Spencer himself would do so, he replied: "I've thought about doing one but never have (it) published in my lifetime, maybe 20 years after I'm dead or something."
Spencer is perhaps best known for his emotional and outspoken eulogy at Diana's funeral, which provoked an unprecedented wave of applause through Westminster Abbey in London.
Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and his chauffeur Henri Paul were killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.
The Queen enjoyed a trip down memory lane this week as she toured an exhibition marking her 60th wedding anniversary. Pausing in front of one particular glass case the 81-year-old monarch took a moment to admire a beautiful ivory gown - the one she wore for her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip. Standing beside the Norman Hartnell creation and its spectacular 13-foot train was the groom's smart naval uniform.
The exhibition, entitled A Royal Wedding - which organisers hope will reflect the mood of public rejoicing that swept through Britain after the end of the World War II - also features film footage of the celebrations. Captured on camera were behind-the-scenes preparations for the spectacular Westminster Abbey ceremony and the sight outside of royal fans, who'd camped for up to 19 hours along the procession route to cheer on the bride-to-be as she passed in a horse-drawn carriage.
Other highlights of the collection include wedding gifts given to the then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh by Pope Pius XII, Mahatma Gandi and US President Harry Truman. Also on display are items from the monarch's jewellery collection, including a diamond bracelet presented to her by Prince Philip to mark their special day.
The exhibition is included in Buckingham Palace's summer opening, which runs from July 28 to September 25. During this time visitors have access to the Palace's lavishly furnished State Rooms where part of the royal collection can be seen. Items on display include paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer, valuable pieces of sculpture and some fine examples of English and French furniture.
Editor: Guy Stair Sainty Deputy Editor: Rafal Heydel-Mankoo ISBN: 0971196672 Size: 295mm x 230mm 2 volume set No of Pages: approx. 2,100 Full Colour Publication Date: August, 2006
Orders of Knighthood are the most exclusive and prestigious institutions in the world. Originally the preserve of royalty and aristocracy, Orders now count amongst their membership business tycoons, powerful leaders and noteworthy private individuals.
With contributions from many of the world's leading authorities and articles on American honours, World Orders of Knighthood & Merit is one of the most important works ever produced on the subject and will remain the definitive guide for many years to come.
This full-colour publication will be of great interest to academics, historians, collectors and those who are members of any of the numerous international, noble and state Orders.
150 years after Sir Bernard Burke published his famed history of the leading Orders of knighthood, Burke's Peerage and Gentry is proud to announce the publication of a major new study of the extant Orders of knighthood and merit of every state.
This eagerly anticipated publication is the result of the collaboration of many of the world's leading specialist scholars and is edited by Guy Stair Sainty (editor) and Rafal Heydel-Mankoo (deputy editor), both of whom have written extensively on Orders.
Classified in a novel and thought-provoking manner, the Orders are grouped into various sections. The first section commences with detailed histories of the surviving confraternal Orders, beginning with the famous Order of Malta and including studies of the Alliance Orders of Saint John, the Spanish Military Orders of Santiago, Calatrava, Alcántara and Montesa, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the Constantinian Order of Saint George. The second section includes histories of all the great European single class Collar Orders, by date of foundation, beginning with the Order of the Garter (England) and including the Orders of the Golden Fleece (Austria/Spain), Annunziata (Savoy), Elephant (Denmark), Seraphim (Sweden), Saint Hubert (Bavaria), White Eagle (Poland) and Thistle (Scotland). The third includes histories of the most prestigious Orders of Chivalry, notably the Orders of the Bath and Saint Michael & Saint George (Great Britain), Charles III and Isabella the Catholic (Spain), the Legion of Honour (France), the Dannebrog (Denmark), the Tower and Sword and of Christ (Portugal), and Chrysanthemum (Japan). The remaining sections include one devoted to royal dynastic Orders, another to ladies' Orders, and the largest section: State Merit Orders. The main portion of the work ends with a section on institutions of Chivalric character, such as the Spanish Maestranzas, the surviving Italian noble confraternities, the Society of the Cincinnati (the USA and France), and European provincial knightly bodies.
Each Order's foundation date, purpose, structure, investiture details, officers and membership requirements will be listed along with precise descriptions of the insignia. This lavishly illustrated full-colour publication will also contain colour illustrations of the uniforms, robes and insignia as well as many photographs and paintings of Order-related places and people, diplomas, armorial bearings and ceremonies of investiture.
The Appendix includes essays dealing with the wearing of orders and decorations, and precedence among them; noble proofs as criteria for admission to some ancient Orders, and the conferral of nobility through membership; the use of insignia as heraldic ornaments; a brief examination of Church awards and Patriarchal Orders; along with a detailed study of the “self-styled” Orders.
'World Orders of Knighthood and Merit' is one of the most important guides to national awards ever produced and will serve as an important reference for many years to come. The book will be of considerable use to state protocol officers, diplomats, historians and heraldry enthusiasts and is an essential item for any collector of medals and decorations or student of royal, aristocratic, church or military history.
LONDON (AFP) - Queen Elizabeth II's eldest grandchild could lose his place in the line of succession to the British throne if he marries his Catholic fiancee, newspapers reported Friday.
Citing sleuthing work by Catholic weekly The Tablet, newspapers said Peter Phillips' Canadian fiancee Autumn Kelly, 31, was baptised as a Catholic in Quebec.
The 1701 Act of Settlement bars monarchs or their heirs from becoming or marrying Catholics.
Phillips, 29, is the only son of the monarch's daughter Princess Anne and her first husband Mark Phillips. He was Queen Elizabeth's first grandchild and is 10th in line to the throne.
He met Kelly, a management consultant, at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in 2003. The engagement was announced last Saturday.
Kelly was baptised in 1978 at St John Fisher parish church in Pointe-Claire, a Montreal suburb.
A spokesman for the church told The Daily Telegraph newspaper that Kelly's mother Kitty had authorised the information to be disclosed, saying her daughter was proud of her religion.
Buckingham Palace, the queen's official residence, told the newspaper that a wedding date had not been set and "if a decision has to be made, it will be made at the time of the marriage."
The fact that Catholics are barred from the line of succession angers many within the church. The monarch is the head of the Church of England, but there is no restriction against the sovereign marrying a member of a faith other than Roman Catholicism.
The Guardian newspaper's People column speculated that the law would be swiftly changed if Prince William, second in line to the throne, seemed set to marry a Catholic.
Prince Michael of Kent, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth and a grandson of king George V, lost his place at 15th in the line of succession when he married Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, a Roman Catholic, in 1978.
Phillips's younger sister Zara is an accomplished horsewoman and is currently the World and European eventing champion. He has earned a cap for the Scottish Schools rugby union team.
After graduating in sports science from the University of Exeter, south-west England, Phillips worked for the Jaguar and Williams Formula One racing teams and currently works at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Like his sister he does not have a royal title and does not carry out any official engagements. He generally keeps a low public profile, although he is often seen at important national events.
Very few works have been published in English on the topics of Italian heraldry, nobility and onomatology as these relate to genealogy. Yet all three fields depend upon genealogical research. This concise presentation is not intended as a historical treatise, but rather as a simple guide for those interested in these subjects. In common parlance, heraldry (Italian araldica) refers to the study of coats of arms. Historically, the term referred to the functions of heralds, royal court officers responsible for maintaining records of coats of arms and titles of nobility. Although such officers are still attached to royal households in the United Kingdom and Spain, the Italian monarchy was abolished in 1946. Titles of nobility and coats of arms are not recognized by the government of the Italian government of the Italian Republic, but neither is their use illegal. A few private organizations in Italy recognize nobiliary titles, the Corpo della Nobilta Italiana and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta being the best known today. (such recognition requires extensive genealogical proof of patrilineal nobility.)
In the middle of the twelfth century, during the Norman rule of much of Italy, coats of arms developed as distinctive insigna painted on the shields of knights and other nobleman. In combat, friend and foe could identify the fully armored knight, whose face was concealed by a helmet, according to the colorful design on his decorated shield. The same design appeared on his surcoat - hence the term "coat of arms." With time, the right to use certain (blazons), as well as feudal titles (i.e. count, baron, etc.), passed from father to son. Since these insigna and titles are incorporeal property of particular families, it is oblivious that unrelated families which by mere coincidence share their surnames (whether Ferrar, Rosso, Smith or Jones) cannot claim these coats of arms or titles of nobility as their own. To do so would like Mr. Johnson of Wales claiming the estate of the late Mr. Johnson of New York simply because he happens to have the same surname.
The hereditary nature of coats of arms and titles of nobility is readily apparent if their historical development is considered. So closely linked is heraldry to genealogy that the Italian word for coat of arms, stemma is the Latin for family tree. In most countries, including Italy, a coat of arms is an indication of nobility (i.e. hereditary aristocracy). Genealogical research is the only means of demonstrating this.
Unfortunately, there exist in Italy and elsewhere various firms, some of which conduct genealogical research, that have deceived thousands of clients into believing themselves to be in genuine possession of coats of arms or even titles of nobility. To bolster the credibility of such fraud, these agencies , including two well known genealogical institutes in Florence, cite historical sources and sometimes attach familial lineages to their wares. Replete with ornate seals, these seemingly "official" documents provide the customer with little more than an expensive fantasy. The majority of Italians who believe themselves entitled to coats of arms are victims of such fraud. In many cases, they are the children or grandchildren of the deceived, since some vendors of fraudulent heraldry have been in business for generations!
Some family historians appropriate for themselves (or their ancestors) coats of arms or aristocratic lineages drawn from references discovered from public libraries. The researcher probably shares no more than a surname with the famous family whose history he has claimed. Thousands of ordinary familes coincidentally bear such famous surnames as Medici, Este, Grimaldi, Visconti, and Savoia, having no kinship whatsoever to the ancient dynasties which also bear these names.
Onomatology the study of proper name origins, must be approached with caution. Any native speaker of Italian knows that Ferraro derives from the word for blacksmith, and that Rosso meant redhead; the origins of toponymic names (Veneziano, Calabrese, Milano) seem equally obvisious. However, the origin of a less frequent may depend greatly upon the dialect of the region in which the family originated. In other words, the same surname might have a particular derivation in Sicily, but another root in Piedmont. Unless the researcher knows the regional origin of the family, he might attribute the Piedmontese etymology to the Sicilian surname, or vice versa. Because Piedmontese is as distinct from Sicilian as Romanian is from French, onomatologies can vary considerably. While onomastic research is more likely to be accurate when the family's region of origin is known, most firms conduct such research without this knowledge. Furthermore, onomatologies attributed to certain surnames by some authors are flawed.
Onomastic conclusions are often flawed where patronymic surnames are concerned. The surname Di Cesere for example, derives from the acient Latin root Caesar, but this etymology has little to do with the familial use of this name in Italy today. In actuality, the Italian families who bear this surname descend from medieval ancestors who bore Cesare as a given name, having no descent from the Julian emperors of ancient Rome. By way of analogy, not every Frenchman named Louis descends form the Bourbon kings of France.
The accuracy of heraldic, nobiliary and onomastic knowledge depends upon genealogy; objective interpretation of these topics can spell the difference between real family history and fanciful family folklore.
Note: Italian translation Available thanks to Luisa Belli
The representatives of dynasties in the International Olympic Committee (IOC): HSH Princess Nora of Liechtenstein (The Marquise of Mariño), HSH The Prince Sovereign (Albert II) of Monaco, HRH The Princess Royal (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), HE Shaikh Ahmad al Fahad Al Sabah (Minister in Kuwait), HRH The Grand Duke (Henri) of Luxembourg, HRH The Prince (Willem-Alexander) of Orange (Crown Prince of The Netherlands), Raja Randhir Singh (of the Royal Family of Patiala in India), HRH Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, HH Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Crown Prince of Qatar) and Prince YM Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tunku Jaafar (of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia).
The honorary members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are: HRH Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, HM King Constantine of the Hellens (Greece) and HRH doña Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz & Infant of Spain.
Should there be an doubt in anyone’s mind I wish to state the following in rebuttal of the defamatory allegations made against me on this web site, on alt.talk.royalty and in various emails. I have singled out the most invidious accusations because I do not want there to be any question that silence on my part means that there is any truth in the allegations made against me.
I have been married twice; my first marriage was annulled following a civil divorce. I remarried in a Catholic ceremony and remain married to the same person. The suggestion I have been married three times is false.
I have never been involved in any way in the “theft” of any stationary of the SMOM. I wrote a letter in 1972 on the stationary of an agency of which I was then secretary of the British Association of the SMOM, which suggested the Constantinian succession dispute could be solved after the death of the late D. Achille Di Lorenzo. As this was not within my responsibilities as officer of this agency, and as Sig. Di Lorenzo was annoyed and was a Grand Cross of the SMOM, I was asked to resign my post, which I did. I exceeded my responsibilities and recognized that I was wrong to have done so. The allegations regarding this incident by snake charmer and his aliases are completely false, however.
I was given the false Order of St George of Carinthia by a Sig. Pellicioni di Poli when I was aged 19; as soon as I found out that this was a self-styled Order I wrote to Sig. Pellicioni and resigned. I met Pellicioni just once and never saw him again. The allegations concerning a purported friendship with this gentleman are completely false. This experience inspired my ubsequent campaign against similar self-styled Orders.
I did not place any advertisement offering false titles or memberships in self-styled Orders in any journal or other medium at any time; the advertisement put in the International Herald Tribune in my name by a third party hoping to discredit me used an address that was almost 20 years out of date. The suggestion that I did so is completely false.
For more than a dozen years I have been a member of the False Orders Committee of the SMOM and Alliance Orders of St John, of which Peregrine Bertie, brother of the Grand Master, is the chairman. For my services on this committee I have received from the grand master the rank of grand officer of the Order of Merito Melitense. The Grand Master has written an introductory text for my book, and has supplied me with images of diplomas that he has received. Thus the allegations regarding my supposed bad relations with the SMOM may be seen to be completely false.
I remain a member of the False Orders Committee; I remain the Vice-Chancellor of the Priory in the US\ of the Order of St John; I continue to be a member of US professional art dealing associations as well as two major European professional organizations. I served for 7 years on the pro-bono Art Advisory Committee of the Commissioner of the US internal Revenue Service.
I was head of the International Patrons of the arts of the Vaticans Museums; I received the Order of St Gregory the Great with the consent of the late cardinal O’Connor and my name was published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis. There is no truth whatsoever that I was not awarded this honour properly. I am a member of the French Associations des Chevaliers Pontificaux.
I was given the rank of commander of the Savoy Order of Sts Maurice and Lazarus several years before the formation of the American Association of Savoy Orders, of which I was one of the first members. Last year I was promoted to grand officer of this Order. The suggestion that I unsuccessfully sought membership of this order from the American Association of the Savoy Orders is thus completely false.
The arms that I use were granted by the College of Arms to the descendants of my great-grandfather. These arms were subsequently matriculated in Scotland and subsequently confirmed for me in Spain. The Spanish confirmation included the mantle of a knight of St Januarius (not that of a Duke), and the coronet of an untitled noble (by virtue of my membership of the Constantinian Order in the rank of Justice). This coronet was subsequently granted to me and my descendants as a Crest Coronet by the College of Arms. The allegations regarding my arms are completely false. These Arms are matters of public record and these facts easily ascertained.
The author(s) of these posts, while pseudononymous, is certainly guilty of defamation and probably of criminal libel (see the definition at http://www.hamiltons-solicitors.co.uk/archive-docs/awkward-customers2.htm) I have employed a professional investigator to determine the origins of these posts and will be pursuing their author or authors by whatever legal means are available to me. I will also be taking action against the authors of various libellous statements about me published two years ago on this forum and elsewhere whose false and defamatory content have been repeated here by this poster, and for whose invention and dissemination two identified individuals on this forum were responsible. These individuals also promoted the despatch of a defamatory communication addressed to HRH the Duke of Gloucester.
If anyone has any further information regarding the posters, or any emails attacking me, I would be grateful if they would send them to me (I will preserve their anonymity if they request it.
I was given the names Guy Stair Sainty on my birth certificate and they are also included on my baptism certificate. My birth certificate is of course a matter of public record.
Guy Stair Sainty
http://www.groupsrv.com/hobby/about308628.html
THE FAMILY OF THE FRENCH PRESIDENT, NICOLAS SARKOZY (DE NAGY-BOCSA)/LA FAMILLE DU PROCHAIN PRESIDENT DE LA REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE, NICOLAS SARKOZY (DE NAGY-BOCSA)
The SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA family, with the first known ancestor Mihaly (Michael) captured and executed by the Turks in 1562, is recorded in the Béla Kempelen nobiliary with a nobility renewal in 1628 by Emperor Ferdinand II, King of Hungary/La famille SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, avec comme premier ancêtre connu Mihaly (Michel), capturé et exécuté par les Turcs en1562, est répertoriée dans le nobiliaire de Béla Kempelen avec une renouvellement de noblesse en 1628 par l’empereur Ferdinand II, roi de Hongrie. The French SARKOZY family history and evolution is very successful and rare among Central European émigré families: from the flamboyant father to the brothers and half-brother of Nicolas, all have known a extraordinary career and have occupied a more and more important place in the social, business and political spectrum of Paris/La famille SARKOZY a connu une évolution extraordinaire et rare pour une famille d'immigrants d'Europe centrale: tant le père haut en couleurs que les frères et demi-frère de Nicolas ont acquis progressivement une place exceptionnelle dans la sphère sociale, économique et politique de Paris. Nicolas SARKOZY(de NAGY-BOCSA), candidat de l’UMP à l’élection présidentielle depuis le 14 janvier 2007, ministre d’Etat et ministre de l’Intérieur et de l’Aménagement du Territoire (gouvernement Dominique de Villepin) 31 mai 2005-26 mars 2007, président de l’Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) depuis novembre 2004, ministre de l’Economie, des Finances et de l’Industrie 31 mars 2004-novembre 2004, ministre de l'Intérieur, de la Sécurité intérieure et des Libertés locales (gouvernement Raffarin) mai 2002-mars 2004, ministre du Budget et porte-parole du Gouvernement (gouvernement Edouard Balladur) 1993-1995, membre de l’Assemblée nationale 1988-2002 et 13 mars 2005-2 juin 2005, président du Conseil général des Hauts-de-Seine depuis 2004, conseiller régional d’Ile-de-France 1983-1988, vice-président du Conseil général des Hauts-de-Seine 1986-1988, maire de Neuilly-sur-Seine 1983-2002, titulaire de nombreuses fonctions du Rassemblement Pour la République (RPR) 1977-2002, conseiller municipal de Neuilly-sur-Seine 1977-1983, actionnaire du cabinet d’Arnaud Claude depuis 2002, associé des avocats Arnaud Claude et Michel Lebovici 1982-1993 et 1995-2002, associé chez l’avocat Danet 1982-1987, avocat septembre 1981, maître en droit privé 1978, licencié en droit de l’Université Paris X Nanterre, études primaires et secondaires au Lycée Chaptal et au Cours St-Louis (de-Monceau) à Paris, chevalier de la Légion d’honneur février 2005, grand-croix de l’Ordre royal et illustre de Charles III (Espagne) 21 janvier 2004, °Paris 28 janvier 1955 (catholique), X 1° (civ) Neuilly-sur-Seine 1982 et (rel) église St-Pierre-de-Neuilly 1982 (divorce en 1996) Marie-Dominique (Marie) CUCIOLI, fille de …. CUCIOLI, pharmacien à Vico (Corse), 2° Neuilly-sur-Seine 23 octobre 1996 Cécilia CIGANER ALBENIZ (Cécilia SARKOZY), née CIGANER, autorisée à porter le nom CIGANER ALBENIZ 1979, mannequin chez le couturier Serge Lepage (Schiaparelli), études secondaires à l'Institut de l'Assomption-Lübeck (Congrégation des soeurs de l'Assomption), °Boulogne-Billancourt 12 novembre 1957 (X 1° Neuilly-sur-Seine 10 août 1984 , divorce en 1989, Jacques MARTIN, animateur TV), fille d’André CIGANER, né Aron CHOUGABOV à Belz (Roumanie) 1898, fourreur à Paris, d’origine tsigane roumaine, et de Teresita (dite Diane) ALBENIZ de SWERT, °Madrid, fille d'Alfonso ALBENIZ, ambassadeur d’Espagne à la Société des Nations à Genève (°1860, ?), et de Rosaline (Rosette) de SWERT, d’Anvers, et arrière-petite-fille du compositeur espagnol Isaac ALBENIZ. SONS/FILS : a) (de Marie CUCIOLI) Pierre SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, °1985. b) (de Marie CUCIOLI) Jean SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, °1987. c) (de Cécilia CIGANER ALBENIZ) Louis SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, °28 avril 1997. CHILDREN OF CECILIA SARKOZY AND HER FIRST HUSBAND JACQUES MARTIN/ENFANTS NES DU MARIAGE DE CECILIA SARKOZY AVEC JACQUES MARTIN : d) Judith MARTIN, études primaires au Collège Ste-Marie-de-Neuilly, °1984 (parrain : Nicolas SARKOZY). e) Jeanne-MarieMARTIN, études primaires au Collège Ste-Marie-de-Neuilly, °1987 (marraine : Marie CUCIOLI, 1ère épouse de Nicolas SARKOZY). BROTHERS/FRERES : 1.1 Guillaume SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, délégué général de Mederic (actrice de la protection sociale complémentaire en France)depuis juillet 2006, président du directoire de Resalliance Conseil et conseiller en ressources humaines au groupe Resalliance depuis 2006, vice-président du Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF, anciennement Conseil national du Patronat français ou CNPF) 2000-2005, président de l’Union des Industries Textiles (UIT) 2000-2006, ancien vice -président de la Caisse nationale d’Assurance Maladie (CNAM), président-directeur général (PDG ou CEO) 1981-22 septembre 2005 puis président 2005-2006 de Tissage de Picardie, président-directeur général (PDG ou CEO) de Velveterie 1990-…. (fusionné avec Tissage de Picardie), président-directeur général (PDG ou CEO) de Tissage Rinet 1985-…. (fusionné avec Tissage de Picardie), directeur général de Tissage de Picardie 1979-1981, ingénieur commercial chez IBM France 1976-1979, chargé de mission à la Direction de la Sécurité civile au Ministère de l’Intérieur 1974-1976, chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, ingénieur de l’Ecole spéciale des travaux publics (ESTP) à Paris, études secondaires avec le Lycée Janson-de-Sailly à Paris, études primaire avec le Cours St-Louis (de-Monceau) à Paris, °Paris 18 juin 1951 (catholique), marié, 3 enfants. 1.3 François SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, chercheur en biologie et pédiatre, MBA (Institut européen d'administration des affaires ou INSEAD), diplôme d'études approfondies (DEA) de physiologie respiratoire, docteur en médecine de l'Ecole de Médecine de Paris, études au Cours St-Louis (de-Monceau) et au Cours Hattemer, °6 juin 1959 (catholique), marié deux fois, trois enfants. HALF-SISTER AND HALF-BROTHER (children of Paul SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA by his 3rd wife Christine de GANAY)/DEMI-SOEUR ET DEMI-FRERE (enfants de Paul SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA et de sa 3ème épouse, Christine de GANAY): 1.4 Caroline SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, mariée, 2 enfants. 1.5 Pierre Olivier SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA (P. Olivier SARKOZY), chef du groupe institutions financières (head of the Financial Institutions Group or FIG) chez UBS Warburg à New York depuis février 2006 et co-chef (co-head) depuis mars 2002, spécialiste en fusions et acquisitions chez Credit Suisse First Boston ….-mars 2002. PARENTS : 2 Pal (Paul) SARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, publicitaire, avec la Légion étrangère à Sidi Bel Abbes (Algérie) 1945-28 novembre 1948, études dans un collège prémontré privé du Valais en Suisse, °Budapest 1928 (protestant), X 1° (rel) St-François-de-Sales 9 février 1950 (divorce en 1959) Andrée (dite Dadu) MALLAH (voir ci-après 3); 2° Mélinda d’ELIASSY, …., fille de Ivan d’ELIASSY et de Véronique MALLET ; 3° 1964 ou 1966 ? (divorce en 1970) Christine de GANAY (X 2 28 juin 1976 Frank George WISNER II, ancien sous-secrétaire d’Etat au Département de la Défense 1993-1994, ancien ambassadeur des Etats-Unis d’Amérique en Inde juillet 1994-juillet 1997, aux Philippines 1991-1992, en Egypte 1986-1991 et en Zambie 1979-1982, °New York 2 juillet 1938, veuf de Geneviève de VIREL), fille de Philippe de GANAY et de Marie-Hélène BLANCHY ; 4° Inès …. 3 Andrée (dite Dadu) MALLAH, avocat, études au Cours Dupanloup à Boulogne, °1926. GRANDS-PARENTS : 4 GyörgySARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, °Szolnok (Hongrie) 16 mars 1896, ? (protestant), X Szolnok (Hongrie) 20 septembre 1921 5 KatalinTOTH de CSAFORD, °Szolnok (Hongrie) 12 janvier 1902 (catholique). 6 Benedict (Benoît) MALLAH, chirurgien, médecin urologue (juif séfarade, converti à la religion catholique 1917), rejoint le Lycée Lakanal à Sceaux 1904, de Thessalonique (Salonique, Grèce), °Salonique 8 juin 1890, octobre 1972, X 1917 7 Adèle BOUVIER, infirmière, °Lyon 5 mars 1891, février 1956 (catholique). ARRIERE-GRANDS-PARENTS: 8 GyörgySARKOZY de NAGY-BOCSA, °Ermihalyfalva 1862, 9 Roha JUHASZ, °Szolnok 30 août 1869. 10 Emeric TOTH de CSAFORD, °Buda 1873, X 11 Adel JENEY de BOROSJENE (et non JENEYDE de BOROSSENEI, comme indiqué dans la revue française de Généalogie et d'Histoire des familles, voir ci-dessous, Sources). 12 Mardochée MALLAH, bijoutier à Salonique, X 13 Reine MAGRISO, °Salonique 18 novembre 1868, mai 1944. 14 Henri BOUVIER, marchand de grains, °Semerieu 10 mai 1853, X 15 Caroline ROSSET, °Traize 1er novembre 1858, ? 3 juillet 1921. SOURCES : Catherine Nay, Un pouvoir nommé désir, Grasset 2007; La revue française de Généalogie et d'Histoire des familles, n° 169, avril-mai 2007; Wikipedia; The above information has been derived from several public sources, according to genealogical ethics and to the respect of private life, highly valued in France/Toutes les informations sont dérivées d’informations publiques, conformément à l’éthique généalogique et au respect de la vie privée, très important en France.
China is a communist country that has achieved the end of the landlord system, a legacy of the Kuomintang regime and the end of the feudal system, a legacy of the Qing (Manchu) dynasty, according to the official history: we have therefore to assume that there is no more hereditary political power and this view is strengthened by the collectivisation of all the rural land, made by the Communist Party since 1949.
Today, China is providing information, especially on ethnic minorities: since the Chinese political history has always been one of centralization and that this centralization has been done for the benefit of the centralized political elite (the Party elite today and the Mandarins of the dynasties before), the only areas where a natural hereditary power could be found are the ethnic minorities.
The system of nobility titles in China inspired many honour systems in Asia along these two principles: 1° the numerous descendants of the Chinese Emperors were recognized only for several generations until they became commoners: this is a feature that we can find in the royal dynasties of Thailand and Vietnam and is probably justified by the large number of descendants of the monarchs at the time polygamy was the rule; 2° exceptions to this declining principle were created for prominent collateral branches and families, such as the descendants of Confucius with the Rank of Perpetual Inheritance where the heirs succeeded to the same ranks as their predecessors. The Imperial Household of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was estimated to number 30,000 in 1549: other estimates of the Ming Imperial Family go up to 100,000. A pretender was still living in Peking in 1924. The Almanach de Gotha 1902 stated that there were approximately 6,000 members of the Imperial Family of the Manchu or Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).
As mentioned above, the descendant of Confucius was titled the Holy Duke of Yen (Yen Sheng Kung). Hereditary titles were also conferred to collaterals of the Imperial Family and to other dignitaries: Kung (translated as Duke), Hu (translated as Marquess), Po (translated as Count), Tzu (translated as Viscount), Nan (translated as Baron) plus 4 more ranks of nobility, heritable for several generations (up to 26) and each divided in 3 subranks. Recognized ethnic minorities with substantial hereditary political power before 1949 were: the 34,000 Achang in Yunnan (hereditary chiefs until 1911), the 92,000 Blang in Yunnan (hereditary headmen), the 1.1 million Dai or Shan in Yunnan (the national-minority hereditary headmen until 1911), the 18,000 De'ang in Yunnan (hereditary headmen), the 132,000 Jingpo in Yunnan (hereditary administrators until 1911), the 1.2 million Kazak in Xinjiang Uygur (nobility and tribal chiefs), the 3,000 Lhoba in Tibet (the Maide noble class until 1949), the 8.9 million Miao in Yunnan, Hunan, Sichuan and Guangxi (feudal lords until 1911), the 300,000 Naxi in Yunnan (the Mu hereditary administrator until 1911), the 300,000 Qiang in Sichuan (hereditary headmen), the 93,000 Salar in Qinghai (hereditary chief at least until 1644), the 407,000 Shui in Guizhou (hereditary headmen at least until 1644), the 242,000 Tu in Qinghai (16 hereditary headmen until 1949) and the 7.7 million Yi in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi Zhuang (noble class and slavery officially abolished in 1949).
The Dai or Shan include the former States of Chefang, Chiangsoong (Keng Sung), Jinghong (Chianghoong), Luang (Mong Long), Mawla, Mong Hing, Mengla (Mong La) and Mong Na, Mong Oo Tau, Mong Pong, Mong Wen and Ta Law: the Prince ofJinghong (Chianghoong) was or is the Head of the Autonomous Dai Region. In the Shan tradition, the former rulers and their heirs are still titled Pce (Saopha or Saopahlong).
And in Tibet, we have the Dalai Lama (not recognized by China) and the 19th King of Muli (another Dalai Lama recognized by a Tibetan lineage).
Considering what happened in other Communist countries, it would not be surprising to see these traditional families make a comeback in the political spectrum.
Burke's will be re-printing Burke's Irish Family Records (The Fifth Edition of Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland / first published in 1976) later in the year. The book will include a free searchable PDF (on CD-ROM) of the entire book and be available at the pre-publication price of GBP 79 plus postage and packing rising to GBP 149 plus postage and packing once the book is published. More details and ordering information will be released in September.
- Burke's Landed Gentry of Scotland (2001) is now available online both in hardcopy and as an e-book from the Burke's Peerage Bookshop http://www.burkes-peerage-books.com.
- Neil Bromley's The Royal Line of Succession is now available as a limited edition full colour print from the Burke's Peerage Online website http://www.burkes-peerage.net/store/Store-royalsuccession.as.... Please take a look online even if you don't want to buy the print ... it is a wonderful piece of art!
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Neil Bromley's The Royal Line of Succession
The Royal Line of Succession is an outstanding fine print taken from the original artwork designed, painted, and written on finest manuscript stretched vellum, using 23 carat gold leaf, and gouache and written with Chinese ink.
Heraldic artist, Neil Bromley, spent more than ten months designing and painting the art work during the 80th year of Queen Elizabeth the Second. This was his personal way of commemorating that historic year.
The print has been professionally photographed with intense colours that are very much true to the original work of art. The colour of the original parchment has been reproduced exactly along with all of the myriad small details throughout the work along with the raised gold detailing.
Neil Bromley has produced an exciting contemporary work with medieval influences. Burke's Peerage & Gentry are delighted to be able to offer prints of this exquisite piece of heraldic art to the public on his behalf.
Features
- The Royal line of succession from 1066 to the present day featuring seven houses of the Royal lineage from Normandy to Windsor.
- Hand-painted heraldic imagery relating to each individual King and Queen of England from Richard I to Elizabeth II along with their heirs.
- Eleven garters, Royal arms, shields and badges, complete with illuminated borders.
- Signed and numbered limited edition of 1,000 34"x 22" prints on fine art pearl 285gsm acid free paper.
- Certificate of authenticity provided with individual name of owner, signed and numbered by the artist.
About the Artist
Neil Bromley graduated with an HND in Calligraphy and Heraldry from Reigate School of Art in 1995. Whilst studying at Reigate he was awarded two bursaries from the Worshipful Company of Scriveners and the Company of Painters and Stainers. Having completed his studies he returned home to Exeter and established himself as a Heraldic Artist and Illuminator.
Bromley's work includes the painting of family crests, shields and full coats of arms, freedom scrolls, Baronial Assignations, and Grants of Arms, Heraldic work for reproduction, Calligraphic work, and the reproduction of medieval manuscript pages.
He also had a substantial hand in redrawing images for the 107th Edition of Burkes Peerage, and has since become a member of the Society of Heraldic Craftsmen. Last year he attended the 27th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences at St. Andrews and was given the award for best piece of artwork designed and painted whilst at the International congress.
All of Bromley's work is produced on vellum (calf skin) and he uses 23.5K gold leaf and gesso. The durable quality of these materials ensures that the documents will stand the test of time and are finished to the very best possible standards.
