The first dinner

Princess Lavinia and Austin Prichard Levy

Prince Vladimir and Princess Brigitta - we were having coffee downstairs

Victoria da Silva and Princess Katarina

The royal anniversary weekend began on Friday night, September 16, at 6:45, when the guests, who were staying at the Hyatt, piled onto buses for the police escort to the Royal Palace at the Dedinje Compound. Traffic is a growing problem in Belgrade, and even buses with police escorts can get caught in it.

All the guests went through the receiving line, and each guest posed for a photo with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. From there, we moved into the reception rooms for drinks and hors d'oeuvres. I soon found Princess Katarina, the Crown Prince's cousin, whom I had not seen in two years. It was time to catch up. I also spotted other guests, including two other cousins of the Crown Prince: Prince Vladimir and his wife Birgitta and Princess Lavinia and her husband, Austin Prichard-Levy. I also met Prince Nikola of Serbia and Princess Margarita of Baden for the first time.

Much to my delight, I saw Crown Princess Margarita of Romania and Prince Radu, who accompanied King Michael, who celebrates his 89th birthday in October. King Simeon and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria were also in attendance. Other royal guests who arrived in time for the Friday night dinner included Prince Philippe and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein, Princess Desiree of Sweden and her husband, Baron Niclas Silfverschiold, and Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg.

The celebrations began with a display of Serbian folk dances out on the palace's veranda. We were all invited to dinner, which was a buffet of Serbian food and wine. We could choose our own seats, and I was invited to join a table that included King Michael, Crown Princess Margarita, Prince Radu, Princess Katarina, Prince Vladimir, and Princess Birgitta.