State Visit from Latvia to Sweden; March 31-April 1, 2005

[GrandDuchess]

Here's a thread to post articles, pictures and everything else you can find in connection with the Latvian State Visit to Sweden from Thursday 31/3 to Friday 1/4 2005!

[HMQueenElizabethII]

It's only in 31/3 to 1/4?So short time.

[GrandDuchess]

Translation of information issued by the Royal Court today:

The President of Latvia, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, arrived to Stockholm on Thursday for a two-day long State Visit at the invitation of His Majesty the King. The President is accompanied by her husband, Professor Imants Freibergs.

The President was received at Arlanda Airport by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria and they then continued with a ride by car to the Royal Mews. There the President was welcomed by Their Majesties the King and Queen. After a cortège by horse carriages through Stockholm, an official welcoming ceremony took place at the Inner Courtyard of the Royal Palace of Stockholm, after which the King and Queen hosted a private luncheon in Princess Sibylla’s Apartment. Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Lilian, Princess Desiree Baroness Silfverschiöld and husband Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld and the President’s son Kárlis Freibergs and the President’s daughter Indra Freiberga also attended the luncheon.

This afternoon the President will meet the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr. Björn von Sydow, and Prime Minister Göran Persson. The meeting will finish with a press conference.

Later in the day, President Freibergs and her husband will visit the Museum of Modern Art together with the King and Queen.

On Thursday evening, the King and Queen will hosts a gala dinner in the Royal Apartments at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. The Royal Family will also be represented by Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Madeleine, Princess Lilian and Princess Désirée Baroness Silfverschiöld.

[GrandDuchess]

Summary of an Aftonbladet article:

At lunchtime when everyone was preparing for the welcoming ceremony for the President, an little “accident” happened.

Queen Silvia and the husband of the President of Latvia, Professor Imants Freiberg, were arriving in the same carriage (a kalesch à la d’Aumont with 4 houses) to the Royal Palace – when suddenly one of the horses fell to the ground. The woman from the Royal Mews riding the horse could’ve been injured, but is believed to be fine – as she right after it returned with the horse to the stables.

There was a moment of panic, and the Queen looked shocked – but everything went fine, thank god. When the Queen went inside to host the luncheon together with the King, she looked as her usual self and everything continued as normal.

[GrandDuchess]

Pictures from the Royal Court (Pressens Bild):

1: The President of Latvia and the King inspects the Honour Guards at the Inner Court Yard
2: From the photo call in the Large Guest Apartments: The Queen, Professor Imants Freibergs, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, The King
3: From the photo call in the Large Guest Apartments: The Crown Princess, the President's son and advisor Kárlis Freibergs, The Queen, Professor Imants Freibergs, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, The King, Princess Lilian, the President's daughter Indra Freibergs (head of the Latvian Development Office in London
4: The Swedish Air Foce welcoming the President and entourage at Arlanda Airport

[Alisa]

Thanks for the pictures. It's great to see Princess Lilian out. She is the best dressed royal lady there in my opinion...:)

[Lena]

Wow, the Royal court had the photos firstly. Maybe my satire on it, was a little bit mean then

I agree, Lilian looks best! I don´t like Silvia´s fur hat. And not just because it´s out of fur.
I like the colour of Victoria´s (what is it...a coat...or a jacket and a skirt??) style, but I´m not sure about the cut. It would rather fit to a pregnant woman.

It seems the Freiberga-clan see themselves as family business. And not just the mother and wife does (as president) all the work.

[Larzen]

Thank you for the Pictures Grandduchess. Lilian looks sweet and wonderfully dressed as always. Victoria looks mumsy, the colour is good for her though, but to shiny for my taste

[GrandDuchess]

In connection with the start of the State Visit, the King and Queen have presented the following gifts to their guests:

For the President, Mrs Vaira Vike-Freiberga:

* A vase of glass, “Crocus 2”, frmed by Hanne Dreutler-Zirnsack at Studio Glashyttan in Åhus

* An official portrait of Their Majesties The King and Queen

* A large book work about Sweden “True North – The Grand Landscapes of Sweden”, by Tommy Hammarström and Per Wästberg, photographer Tore Hagman

To Professor Imants Freibergs:

* A hand coloured lithograph from 1860, showing the Royal Palace from Skeppsholmen

Menu for the luncheon hosted by the King and Queen at the Royal Palace today, after the official welcoming ceremony:

Cold smoked salmon with trout roe and pumpernickel, grouse chop with savoy cabbage and truffle, lingonberry and vinegar gravy, early spring produce and pommes Pont Neuf, and for dessert chocolate bavaroise in coconut chips with vanilla foam.

--

I agree with you all, Princess Lilian looks best! She's always so stylish!

I don't like the Queen's hat either, it looks very strange...!

And Crown Princess Victoria's ensemble... Well, what can one say - it looks like something suitable for a 40 or 50 year old, or something for a pregnant woman... Only the colour is good with it.

[Yennie]

oh, poor woman. Its not nice to have a horse on you, trust me :)
glad no one got hurt.

I love that colouron Victoria, but whats with the hat?! To big imo...
wonder what they will wear tonight... Madeleine will be there right?

[Lena]

Originally Posted by Yennie

wonder what they will wear tonight... Madeleine will be there right?

Yes...and it will be the first "fashion duel" between the sisters since we know the "new styled Victoria"

[Larzen]

Well it was the old style Victoria for the reception, maybe Madeleine will wear her Nobel gown

Vg also has the same story about the accident (Copied from Aftonbladet )


Here is the picture

[Josefine]

is it commen to have grown children with them on a state visit abroud
i know royals have becouse the heir have some of scholling

a few more


http://search.fotomarktplatz.de/

[Lena]

maybe Madeleine will wear her Nobel gown

I had the same idea...maybe she´s thinking, that she has to use "heavy ordnance"...now after she has gotten concurrence Hopefully Victoria´s new style wasn´t just a thing, she has done for swedish style for the time in Oz

More of little red riding hood. I must say in close-up pictures the coat doesn´t look as bad as in the first picture. But I would still say, that it needs a better tighter cut (Pictures are from Fotomarktplatz):

[Lena]

Various pictures from Fotomarktplatz:

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by Lena

More of little red riding hood. I must say in close-up pictures the coat doesn´t look as bad as in the first picture. But I would still say, that it needs a better tighter cut (Pictures are from Fotomarktplatz):

Hehe..little red riding hood..lol. While the Crown Princess looks lovely in bright and vibrant red color.The coat is terrible cut and doesn't suit her. It is more fitting for an expecting woman.Her shoes are also thick and clunky, which just gives an overall matronly look.

And here I was optimistic about a younger more fresher style from the Crown Princess after her sensational Australian visit.

[GrandDuchess]

This evening the King and Queen hosted a Gala Dinner at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, the official State Banquet for their guests during the State Visit from Latvia. Besides the King and Queen, the Royal Family was also be represented by Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Madeleine, Princess Lilian and Princess Désirée Baroness Silfverschiöld with husband Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld.

The menu consisted of white asparagus soup, fried char with caramelised fennel and red wine sauce with root beets, whole baked veal filet with morel sauce, and for dessert Litchi sorbet with exotic fruits and sesame wafers.

The King led the President Vaira Vike-Freibergs to the table, and had the Latvian Minister for Culture on his other side. The Queen was led to the table by the President’s husband Professor Imants Freibergs, and had the Latvian Minister for the Economy on her other side, who in his turn led Princess Lilian to the table. Princess Lilian had the Marshall of the Realm on her right side. The Crown Princess was led to the table by Prime Minister Göran Persson, and she had the President’s husband on her other side. Prince Carl Philip led the Speaker of the Parliament’s wife, Madeleine von Sydow, to the table, and he had the President Vaira Vike-Freibergs on his other side. Princess Madeleine was led to the table by the Ambassador of Latvia to Sweden, and she had the Speaker of the Parliament, Björn von Sydow, on her other side.

[Yennie]

maybe Madeleine will wear her Nobel gown

But she has already wore her red gown once this year... oh, wait. Did you mean the one she had done for Nobel 2004? Ofcourse you did, stupid me :)
Yes, lets hope so! Im very curious to see what it looks like!

The first photos!

somehow I cant enlarge the photos at Fotomarktplatsz anymore... hopefully its just my computer messing with me :)

edit: I found larger photos so I took the smaller ones in this post down.

[mixer2002de]

madde looks quite different or is this someone else?
ANYWAY MY POST ABOUT THE INCIDENT HAS GONE :(

[Yennie]

Originally Posted by mixer2002de

madde looks quite different or is this someone else?
ANYWAY MY POST ABOUT THE INCIDENT HAS GONE :(

what do you mean? I´m pretty sure thats Madeleine. Its her dress anyway :)

Have you seen any better photos yet? I have only seen the ones from Fotomarktplatz so far...