Princess Madeleine & Chris O'Neill, Current Events 1: December 2012 - December 2020

[MarNoe]

Personally I am uncomfortable on a two hour flight... I couldn't imagine being 7 to 8 months pregnant on a transatlantic flight. Perhaps she only wants to do it once...and decided to come from her mother's birthday.

Although I am 68, I am (fortunately) in very good health, and I find a transatlantic flight very difficult. Sitting for 8-9 hours without being able to move much, in very cramped seats, is misery! I'm sure, even in 1st class where there is more room, walking around is difficult. And if you're pregnant and are up and around when the plane hits turbulence could be very dangerous.

 

[Josefine]

at this stage of a pregnancy the baby could be pressing on the bladder and the need to attend the ladies romm often.
how many ours is the nobel dinners?

 

[muriel]

Here are my two bits for what its worth:

1) I have no idea why Mady is attempting to explain her absence from the Nobels on FB. She does not need to. Any queries can be dealt with by the Palace directly

2) Not that I think she has much of a role to play at the Nobels in my opinion (other than to don yet another expensive frock and some family jewels), but if she is travelling to Stockholm for her mothers birthday, she may as well arrive a week early and attend the Nobels.

3) Any arguments about not travelling at this stage of the pregnancy are not valid, IMO, when she will be travelling the very next week!

Simply put, IMO, Madeleine needs to be careful of what she says in the public domain. Reputations are hard won, and easily lost.

 

[LadyFinn]

I don't understand the criticism of Madeleine over this Nobel thing. She's very pregnant and she lives in the US. It seems she's decided it's more important to be in Sweden for her mother's birthday than for the Nobel event. Or maybe she and her husband have another important event at home that week. She's not the heir or the spare. She's only No. 4. She might have been born a princess but she chose to marry a man who has a career in another country and that has consequences. Her life is now in that other country and she can't be at every Royal event in Sweden.

The Nobel Prize ceremony is the most important event of the year. The royal family are as the honour guests at the festivities on Tuesday. Madeleine has been announced to attend to the Nobel Foundation and now she cancels 3 or 4 days before the ceremony and banquet, causing very unpleasant moments to the Nobel Foundation since they have to make new sitting placements. And unfortunately this year came this Mandela memorial service so that even Victoria and prime minister Reinfeldt can't attend.

In her own Facebook message Madeleine didn't say anything about the long flight, just that it would be hard for her to attend at the lengthy program. Last year Ebba Kleberg von Sydow hosted for SVT the whole long evening, although she was pregnant and her baby was due at the beginning of March.

 

[Zonk]

The Nobel Prize ceremony is the most important event of the year. The royal family are as the honour guests at the festivities on Tuesday. Madeleine has been announced to attend to the Nobel Foundation and now she cancels 3 or 4 days before the ceremony and banquet, causing very unpleasant moments to the Nobel Foundation since they have to make new sitting placements. And unfortunately this year came this Mandela memorial service so that even Victoria and prime minister Reinfeldt can't attend.

In her own Facebook message Madeleine didn't say anything about the long flight, just that it would be hard for her to attend at the lengthy program. Last year Ebba Kleberg von Sydow hosted for SVT the whole long evening, although she was pregnant and her baby was due at the beginning of March.

Make new sitting placements? Seriously?! Whomever is in charge of the actual logistics might consider this a minor nuisance but stuff like this happens quite frequently for event planners.

Just because we (the general public) are aware that she won't be attending so close to the actual events doesn't mean that the SRF didn't know ahead of time.

And really...are you comparing's Ebba's pregnancy with Madeleine's? Because their pregnancies are so similar. Can you please expand on that thought please? I mean...are they carrying their babies the same, they have the same medical reports, morning sickness, etc. I would be interested to see how you can state that Madeleine should be able to partake in the activities because Ebba did. Because reporting on an event and actually going to an event are really the same thing.

 

[muriel]

Make new sitting placements? Seriously?! Whomever is in charge of the actual logistics might consider this a minor nuisance but stuff like this happens quite frequently for event planners.

Just because we (the general public) are aware that she won't be attending so close to the actual events doesn't mean that the SRF didn't know ahead of time.

I agree this is a non-issue. There are professional event organisers who cope with last minute changes all the time.

And really...are you comparing's Ebba's pregnancy with Madeleine's? Because their pregnancies are so similar. Can you please expand on that thought please? I mean...are they carrying their babies the same, they have the same medical reports, morning sickness, etc. I would be interested to see how you can state that Madeleine should be able to partake in the activities because Ebba did. Because reporting on an event and actually going to an event are really the same thing.

As mentioned in my earlier post, using the pregnancy as an excuse to not attend the Nobels is just ludicrous, IMO. If Madeleine is well enough to travel to Stockholm for her mothers birthday, in my book, she can just as well arrive a week earlier for the Nobels. There is no point comparing pregnancies, but using the pregnancy is a poor excuse. This is just handing ammunition to those who consider Madeleine to be work-shy.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

As mentioned in my earlier post, using the pregnancy as an excuse to not attend the Nobels is just ludicrous, IMO. If Madeleine is well enough to travel to Stockholm for her mothers birthday, in my book, she can just as well arrive a week earlier for the Nobels. There is no point comparing pregnancies, but using the pregnancy is a poor excuse. This is just handing ammunition to those who consider Madeleine to be work-shy.

There's quite a difference between attending your mother's birthday and attending the Nobel Prize ceremony...

 

[muriel]

There's quite a difference between attending your mother's birthday and attending the Nobel Prize ceremony...

Quite right. One you ought to attend because it is your duty to attend, the other is a private family occasion. If you can fly over from NYC for one, you can arrive a few days earlier for the other.

 

[Baroness of Books]

I'm just curious; are there events or festivities planned for the Queen's 70th birthday that could be taxing for Madeleine as well? Although I'd think that the period between occasions would allow her to rest.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

Quite right. One you ought to attend because it is your duty to attend, the other is a private family occasion. If you can fly over from NYC for one, you can arrive a few days earlier for the other.

One is also more physically demanding than the other. I think this criticism is uncalled for. We have no idea whether her pregnancy has been/is difficult. I'm gonna give Madeleine the benefit of the doubt and trust that when she has made the decision not to go to the Nobels, it's not because she's being lazy but because she has judged that it will take a toll on her to do so.

 

[muriel]

One is also more physically demanding than the other. I think this criticism is uncalled for. We have no idea whether her pregnancy has been/is difficult. I'm gonna give Madeleine the benefit of the doubt and trust that when she has made the decision not to go to the Nobels, it's not because she's being lazy but because she has judged that it will take a toll on her to do so.

To each his own, attending a formal dinner can surely be taxing for some.

As I stated in a previous post, Madeleine's attendance at the Nobel's really dose not mean very much. She is just a junior member of the royal family, and IMO adds nothing to the attendees. The point I took exception to was that she was using her pregnancy as an excuse for not attending, yet is willing to travel to Stockholm for her mothers birthday a few days later.

 

[Frelinghighness]

I agree this is a non-issue. There are professional event organisers who cope with last minute changes all the time.





As mentioned in my earlier post, using the pregnancy as an excuse to not attend the Nobels is just ludicrous, IMO. If Madeleine is well enough to travel to Stockholm for her mothers birthday, in my book, she can just as well arrive a week earlier for the Nobels. There is no point comparing pregnancies, but using the pregnancy is a poor excuse. This is just handing ammunition to those who consider Madeleine to be work-shy.

It's not the travelling, it is the attending. I am assuming her mother's celebrations are private, or there is much less "public attending" involved.
Her mother probably misses her pregnant daughter, her baby, very much.
Possibly her parents have directed her attendance, we don't know.

 

[GracieGiraffe]

Spending 7 or more hours on board a flight, possibly with seatbelts required the entire way is not a good idea for a woman 7 months along. She was/is a regular smoker, at least up until the pregnancy. All of this combined puts her at risk for blood clots if she sits for extended periods of time without the ability to get up and get her blood circulating.

So she gets a pass from me until baby is born.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Spending 7 or more hours on board a flight, possibly with seatbelts required the entire way is not a good idea for a woman 7 months along. She was/is a regular smoker, at least up until the pregnancy. All of this combined puts her at risk for blood clots if she sits for extended periods of time without the ability to get up and get her blood circulating.

So she gets a pass from me until baby is born.

Its not that Madeleine is NOT taking a flight. Its that she takes one flight anyway, but not to attend the Nobles, but to attend her mother's birthday party a week later. There wouldn't be any discussion here if M had said that she wont come to Sweden at all because she doesnt want to fly at that stage of her pregnancy. Its about not attending the biggest event of the year for the SRF but to attend a private birthday party around the same time.

 

[LadyFinn]

Madeleine is told to attend at the Queen's birthday celebrations:
- 18th December, reception at the Royal Palace (official event, not private)
- 19th December, concert at the Oscarsteatern (official event, lasts about 2 hours)
- 23th December, the Queen's birthday (private)

I think that all people, also the royals, have been raised to respect the hosts of the events they have confirmed to attend. Madeleine, the Princess of Sweden is one of the honour guests at the Nobel banquet. She is placed at the middle of the Table beside a Nobel Laureate. She is not just one guest at the table no 26. It is quite impolite to cancel her attendance only a couple of days before and put the hosts to think how they can reorganize the Table of Honour.

 

[Zonk]

Madeleine is told to attend at the Queen's birthday celebrations:
- 18th December, reception at the Royal Palace (official event, not private)
- 19th December, concert at the Oscarsteatern (official event, lasts about 2 hours)
- 23th December, the Queen's birthday (private)

I think that all people, also the royals, have been raised to respect the hosts of the events they have confirmed to attend. Madeleine, the Princess of Sweden is one of the honour guests at the Nobel banquet. She is placed at the middle of the Table beside a Nobel Laureate. She is not just one guest at the table no 26. It is quite impolite to cancel her attendance only a couple of days before and put the hosts to think how they can reorganize the Table of Honour.

I actually think you are making this sound harder for the event planners than it really is.

Madeleine is at the Table of Honour but she doesn't play a key role (unless I am missing something). Does she make any speeches, hand out any awards, etc. Or does she just sit on the stage and/or table?
If that is the case, than you remove a placesetting at the table and you take a chair off the stage.

Its an inconvenience and not a tragedy.

And according to posts you provided in the http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f22/the-nobel-prize-2013-a-36116.html, they have already reorganized the Table of Honour. And this from the planner,

Annika Pontikis from the Nobel Foundation said to Expressen that they have various choices to update and fill up the placements at the Table of Honor:
- They can move people from other tables to the Table of Honor
- New guests from the Swedish Academy, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and The Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institute can be invited and placed to the Table of Honor
- They can shorten the Table, they have done it in other circumstances.
Så ska honnörsbordet fyllas på Nobelfesten Nyheter Expressen
Translation

So crisis averted!

 

[KitKat2006]

Wow! I'm completely shocked about what is written here. We're talking about a pregnant woman here who's due to give birth soon. Everyone who was pregnant once in her life should know how hard it is to be in the last weeks of pregnancy. Everyone of this woman know that canceling the most important event of the year is not due to being a spoiled brat. And everyone who wasn't pregnant even once in her life should stop talking here. Because you simply don't know how you can feel in that stage. One can be able to work until a few hours befor giving birth. But believe me, those woman are a few in a big pond full of pregnant woman.

I've written something a few pages back. Maybe you should take a look at that and think about it before you write things that are simply complete nonsense.

 

[KitKat2006]

Madeleine is told to attend at the Queen's birthday celebrations:
- 18th December, reception at the Royal Palace (official event, not private)
- 19th December, concert at the Oscarsteatern (official event, lasts about 2 hours)
- 23th December, the Queen's birthday (private)

I think that all people, also the royals, have been raised to respect the hosts of the events they have confirmed to attend. Madeleine, the Princess of Sweden is one of the honour guests at the Nobel banquet. She is placed at the middle of the Table beside a Nobel Laureate. She is not just one guest at the table no 26. It is quite impolite to cancel her attendance only a couple of days before and put the hosts to think how they can reorganize the Table of Honour.

Just a little ridiculous thought here: How hard is it to get the telephone number of Sofia Hellqvist and asking her to take Madeleines place on the table? See, problem solved.

 

[Marengo]

Good one. But many of us would prefer an empty chair for sure .

I don't see a problem for the cancellation, she must have her reasons for it, like others say: we have no clue how she feels, how tired she is etc.

 

[Roslyn]

And everyone who wasn't pregnant even once in her life should stop talking here. Because you simply don't know how you can feel in that stage.

I'll stop talking about women who are pregnant when women who are pregnant stop offering opinions about women who have never been pregnant, and when people who have never had broken bones stop talking about people who have had broken bones, and when people who have never had cancer stop talking about people who have cancer, and when people who have never suffered from a psychiatric problem stop offering opinions about people who have suffered from a psychiatric problem, and when men stop offering opinions about the behaviour of women, and when women stop offering opinions about the behaviour of men, and when women who don't like wearing black talk about women who do like wearing black, and when people who don't drink alcohol stop talking about people who drink alcohol.

Etc.

 

[MARG]

Spending 7 or more hours on board a flight, possibly with seatbelts required the entire way is not a good idea for a woman 7 months along. She was/is a regular smoker, at least up until the pregnancy. All of this combined puts her at risk for blood clots if she sits for extended periods of time without the ability to get up and get her blood circulating.

So she gets a pass from me until baby is born.

Its not that Madeleine is NOT taking a flight. Its that she takes one flight anyway, but not to attend the Nobles, but to attend her mother's birthday party a week later. There wouldn't be any discussion here if M had said that she wont come to Sweden at all because she doesnt want to fly at that stage of her pregnancy. Its about not attending the biggest event of the year for the SRF but to attend a private birthday party around the same time.

Madeleine is told to attend at the Queen's birthday celebrations:
- 18th December, reception at the Royal Palace (official event, not private)
- 19th December, concert at the Oscarsteatern (official event, lasts about 2 hours)
- 23th December, the Queen's birthday (private)

I think that all people, also the royals, have been raised to respect the hosts of the events they have confirmed to attend. Madeleine, the Princess of Sweden is one of the honour guests at the Nobel banquet. She is placed at the middle of the Table beside a Nobel Laureate. She is not just one guest at the table no 26. It is quite impolite to cancel her attendance only a couple of days before and put the hosts to think how they can reorganize the Table of Honour.

Madeleine will not attend the Nobles - quote from her facebook page:
It saddens me that I won't be able to attend the Nobel Festivities this year. Due to the fact that I'm expecting a baby girl in February, it would be hard for me to participate in the lengthy program over the two days. My heart, however, will be in Stockholm.

This birthday schedule seems odd when considering Madeleine's FB post as it seems not only her heart will be in Stockholm the following week.

Essentially, the debate seems to be that Madeleine chooses to skip what is seen as an obligation while coming to Sweden for Mum's birthday celebrations. If she is coming to Sweden anyway her pregnancy is obviously not the issue when it comes to flying so her FB post seems a little disingenuous.

I actually think you are making this sound harder for the event planners than it really is.

Madeleine is at the Table of Honour but she doesn't play a key role (unless I am missing something). Does she make any speeches, hand out any awards, etc. Or does she just sit on the stage and/or table?
If that is the case, than you remove a placesetting at the table and you take a chair off the stage.

Its an inconvenience and not a tragedy.

And according to posts you provided in the http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f22/the-nobel-prize-2013-a-36116.html, they have already reorganized the Table of Honour. And this from the planner.

So crisis averted!

No one is saying it is a "crisis" merely that it is inconsiderate to give a few days notice that you will not be attending . . . 'I'm having a baby in February and can't manage a 2 day event, don't you know' but the following week she'll be right for Mums 3 day birthday bash!

As to the sarcasm regarding the part she plays? Well she doesn't just "attend", she sits beside a Laureate and is expected to essentially act as a royal hostess. That is what she was brought up to do on behalf of her family and her Country. Now, with the unfortunate absence of CP Victoria and the Prime Minister, the gaps are getting harder to plug.

 

[Lee-Z]

From the 2013 Nobel prize, the winners and their work should (and will) be remembered, not which particular royal will play host at this evening

If she doesn't feel up to it, she shouldn't come, maybe she should also consider performing less princess duties all together

 

[muriel]

If she doesn't feel up to it, she shouldn't come, maybe she should also consider performing less princess duties all together

I think this is the general direction she is headed in...... until she decides she quite fancies putting on a expensive frock and some family jewels and she pops up again.

 

[LadyFinn]

Annika Sönnerberg from the court press department told to Aftonbladet that Madeleine has her work at Childhood but she has no idea what Madeleine does at the time of the Nobels. Sönnerberg told also that Madeleine's pregnancy doesn't prevent her to fly to Sweden, she has planned to attend at the Queen's birthday and the court goes on information that she will attend.
Victoria flänger över halva världen | Nyheter | Aftonbladet

 

[Hans-Rickard]

We should remember that it is the director of the Nobel foundation and his wife who are the host and hostess for the award ceremony and the banquet and not the royal family. It is only the dinner at the Palace tomorrow the royal family are hosting. The only member of the royal family who has to attend todays events is the King himself as he is to hand over the Prize's

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

KitKat2006; congratulations on the arrival of your little one!
***
I've been re-reading and thinking about this discussion and have made some changes to my opinion. Half of me sympathizes with Madeleine; I've heard that the Nobels is a fairly long event, so this might be difficult for a woman in her last months of pregnancy. As GracieGiraffe said, flying isn't great in the last months of pregnancy (I can't speak from experience, but I've read and heard this elsewhere). However the other half of me is still a bit unsure about this, as she said that she can attend her mother's birthday celebrations but not the Nobels. She still has to fly to her mother's birthday celebrations as they are in the same town and country.

However, she is pregnant, so I think I'll sympathize with her.

IMO: For a lot of people out there EVERY decision that Madeleine took/takes/will take is wrong. I find it presumptuous to judge about her - she's pregnant and she's a free person. She can decide by her own what she's going to do and nobody has the right to judge about or to compare with what was CP Victoria doing while her pregnancy.

I was simply saying that it was easier for Victoria to attend the Nobels as she lives in Sweden. That's all. IMO I wasn't comparing, but observing. IMO it's quite natural for siblings to be compared (think of William and Harry/HM and Princess Margaret in Britain). On the other hand, everyone's pregnancies are different, as others have pointed out.

Also, I respect how everyone has different opinions and points of views on things, but I believe that everyone has the right to compare/observe and share their ideas.

 

[KitKat2006]

KitKat2006; congratulations on the arrival of your little one!

Thank you. And also thank you to the other two or three users who congratulated. Our son was born four days after Madeleines and Chris wedding. I was afraid for month that I maybe couldn't watch the wedding. I already missed Victorias and Daniels wedding due to an event I absolutely couldn't cancel. I didn't want to miss this wedding to. And thankfully, my little one waited long enough to make his very own appereance.

But back to the topic, because I don't want to get a warning from the admins here:

Out of curiousity I watched the livestream of the nobel banket and parts of the nobel ceremony. What I see (not only from pictures but live) are hundreds of people in a room which might be big, but is not big right now with all those people in it. I can imagine it's very warm in there, the air is not good the longer the banket lasts and it's also very loud. Comparing it with my very recent pregnancy-experience I can absolutely understand Madeleine for not attending. My godson had confirmation when I was 8 month pregnant and that was hard enough for me. Attending an event as big as the nobel ceremony and the nobel banket would have killed me.

Edit: Also imagine wearing those shoes if you have water in your feet. Not something I want to expierence.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I've never been pregnant so I can't comment on that side of things but if Madeleine is feeling well enough and able to make the exact same journey from New York to Sweden for her mothers birthday in a few days time, then the fact she's not making the journey a few days earlier to attend the biggest event in the royal swedish calendar shows a lot about her commitment to her "job" in my opinion.

 

[Duchess of Durham]

I've never been pregnant so I can't comment on that side of things but if Madeleine is feeling well enough and able to make the exact same journey from New York to Sweden for her mothers birthday in a few days time, then the fact she's not making the journey a few days earlier to attend the biggest event in the royal swedish calendar shows a lot about her commitment to her "job" in my opinion.

I don't think the journey is the issue, I think the numerous functions she would have to attend for the Nobel is the issue.

 

[KitKat2006]

I don't think the journey is the issue, I think the numerous functions she would have to attend for the Nobel is the issue.

I agree with that. On a plane she can rest, sleep for a while, walk up and down for a while, going to the loo every 5 minutes and receive some massages from her husband. She also doesn't have to smile for hours, make conversation and trying her hardest not to faint. It's a very big difference to the nobels. And maybe she's not even attending the official events of her mothers brithday. Maybe she or the court just hasn't / haven't announced it yet. And maybe there was a little problem and her doctor said she should wait a few days for safety reasons to make the big flight over to Sweden. We simply don't know why exactly she canceled her attendence at the nobels, but we shouldn't hold it against a heavily pregnant woman.