CROWN PRINCE HAAKON of Norway began a year as a trainee
diplomat yesterday, studying a range of subjects from English and Spanish to
after-dinner speaking.
Prince Haakon, 27, will attend courses at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry for
a year with 18 other trainees. The year includes a trip to South Africa.
~*~
Anne marks her half century(BBC News)
In typical low-key style the princess is due to
celebrate her milestone birthday in private with
her family at the Royal Family's Balmoral
estate.
Arguably the hardest-working of all the Royals,
Princess Anne carries out hundreds of official
engagements every year.
She is associated with more than 200
organisations, among them the Save the
Children Fund, of which she is president, and
her own Princess Royal Trust for Carers, which
raises awareness of the UK's estimated six
million carers.
Busy schedule to continue
The princess recently told the BBC she had no
intention of giving up her busy schedule, which
last year saw her complete 700 official
engagements.
She is among several members of the Royal
family who have celebrated important
birthdays this year - most memorably the
Queen Mother, who turned 100 just 11 days
ago.
Prince William saw in his 18th birthday, Prince
Andrew his 40th and Princess Margaret her
70th.
An official celebration in the form of a grand
ball for 700 guests took place at Windsor
Castle in June to celebrate all the royal
And as a tribute to her only daughter's tireless
charity work, the Queen is due to host a
reception at Windsor Castle on November 30
with more than 600 representatives from the
charities, regiments and organisations with
which she is involved.
Anne Elizabeth Alice
Louise was born at
Clarence House on
August 15, 1950,
second child of
Princess Elizabeth and
the Duke of Edinburgh.
Just 18 months later,
her mother became
Queen and the family
moved to Buckingham
Palace.
She was taught at home in a small class by
governess Catherine Peebles before going to
Benenden School, Kent, at the age of 13, the
first sovereign's daughter to attend boarding
school.
She left five years later, with six O-levels and
two A-levels and instead of going to university
she entered the public life of the Royal Family.
Since then she has come to be regarded as
the busiest and most hard-working of all the
Royals and is well-known for her no-nonsense
approach.
Her love of horses is well-documented and in
1971 the princess was nominated as
Sportswoman of the Year by the Sports
Writers' Association and BBC Sports Personality
of the Year.
In 1976 she competed in the Montreal
Olympics as a three-day-eventer.
On November 14 1973 Princess Anne married
Captain Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey.
The couple's first son, Peter, was born in 1977,
followed by the birth of a daughter, Zara, in
1981.
Anne and Capt Philips separated in 1989 and in
1992 she married Commodore Tim Laurence.