The interview/article continues
The director of the press department, Margareta Thorgren says in a comment to Expressen that "the king and his sister have a close and warm relationship".
She further states that the royal family also likes the public's positive reactions:
- The Royal Family greatly appreciates the good and fine response they encounter with the public during all their meetings and official missions.
At the same time, the royal family is working hard, and sometimes needs time to recover:
- We have a hard working royal family who always have people's eyes on them and stand in the limelight. During the summer months, it is therefore important that there is time for private time and recovery. Most media and even the Swedish people respect it. That's fine, says Thorgren.
Princess Birgitta tells that she recently visited friends in Skåne.
- It was freezing cold so there wasn't much golf, but we did other things instead in the rain and the wind. It was terrible. I thought: "Never again Sweden". And the worst was this smoking ban that has come. I smoke after all. No, now it is enough! It is freezing and you may not smoke. It's just fun when I say so of course, but it feels like when I come home and ... My God, I have paradise here, she says, pointing to the sun.
Health is important to Princess Birgitta. She plays 18 holes of golf with her German friends almost every day. She also supports the 1.6 million club and friend Alexandra Charles von Hofsten's works for women's health.
Her own health is good.
- But I'm getting older, I notice that. I can't cope as much as before. All my friends moan and stumble. I played with them yesterday. Everyone had something and I thought, my God how I'm doing well. Sometimes it hurts a little in my back, but nothing to care about. It's just being old. Everyone else has exchanged knees and hips. I'm the only one who dropped it. I am completely natural. Every new day I feel gratitude for it.
She lights another cigarette, but says it's an exception.
- When I'm home, I only smoke one cigarette a day and no alcohol. I don't understand drinking alone. Many who become lonely, ladies above all, start drinking. That's terrible. The combination of loneliness and alcohol is a disaster. When you don't do it yourself you can't believe that others do, but they do and it is tragic. On this island it is very dangerous for people to start drinking a lot. They start already in the morning because it's beautiful and the sun is shining, but it's deadly. It's too easy to get the alcohol. I have friends here who drink tremendously and I don't like it.
- That's why I get so angry with everyone who quarrels with us about this! she says, showing off her cigarette pack.
- But they can drink alcohol as much as possible. And it hurts their marriage and some get nasty and aggressive. We who smoke don't become nasty and aggressive or anything. We may just destroy the air. No, it's rude. That's not really right. Why we may not smoke?
In April last year, her close friend Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson died of cancer combined with heart failure. Princess Birgitta misses her friend.
- It was no good. It's still nothing good. No one can understand that she left us. She was such an amazing person. She had a heart that was fantastic. She was a great friend. And faithful. And her heart ... what a big heart!
Princess Birgitta is grateful for her health and her life - among "normal people" in Spain.
- I put my feet down and think, "My God, I can see, I can walk and I can hear. And the sun is shining. Oh, fantastic!"
https://d.cdn-expressen.se/images/95/33/9533940ea1564800af97b5653bd2576b/annan/1280@60.jpg
https://d.cdn-expressen.se/images/5b/83/5b835f11586649a092ba0fdb9094853f/annan/1280@60.jpg
https://d.cdn-expressen.se/images/d2/aa/d2aac8459a14442b8e9579512d77f92b/annan/1280@60.jpg
Prinsessan Birgitta om sin bror kungen_ ”Förstår mig inte”
Oh, Birgitta's interviews are wonderful and great to read. She is such a refreshing person! And one of my absolute favourite royals.
But although she says that the king has raised his children against reporters and photographers, I think that the king has changed in that matter and understands that the royals need the media nowadays. And for instance Victoria and Daniel are posing for photos and talk to the media at their work events.
