Discussion about Sofia Hellqvist's Past & Future Role in the Royal Family

[HRHHermione]

And a simple question to all these people who rush to support Sofia and her past: would you like such a girl to marry your brother? Would you welcome her with joy as a member of your family? A straight yes or no.

Yup. I'd care a lot more about whether she was kind and funny and fun to be around.

I will never understand the weird hang ups some of you have.


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community mobile app

 

[Dman]

The media will naturally fall on Sofia because they pay more attention to the royal ladies and Sofia is the new fresh face on the royal scene. As with all the royals, there will be some ups and downs with the media. The royals are used to it.

 

[SElizabeth]

I agree with you, the only motivation for the press to do so is to make money. They built up Sofia, and now they are rewarded with coverage since she becomes a public person. Depending what makes more money, she will be the fairy tale princess or the celebrity princess or the princess who polarizes and is being hauted by the press.

IMO the Swedish press has been working on the whitewash for that reason only since Victoria is quite boring and the Madeleine drama topic will eventually fade out. Sofia is the future cash cow for the pink press and I believe she is happy to deliver.

I don't think it should be called *whitewashing* just call it for what it is, *lying* plain and simple, and the media is very very good at lying about people, places and things.

I don't think it is nice/fair for anyone to call Princess Victoria *Boring*, she works very hard, she is honest, decent and sets the standards of what a royal princess is about. If anyone including the media think that of her then they should be very ashamed of themselves. Since when does a woman have to be of ill repute to be interesting. The people in charge of the media are nothing more then ugly people trading on someone else's good name to make money and that to me is just a big *injustice* to a person of Victoria's reputation.

 

[LadyFinn]

I don't think that the swedish people find Victoria boring at all, she has a huge popularity and people respect her work. One could read that from over 10000 congratulations at the court Facebook on Victoria's birthday. Victoria has a good, loving and dutiful husband, and a lovely daughter. The press writes a lot about them. But Victoria and Daniel want to live quite a private life outside their official work as the members of the royal family. And as Victoria is the future queen, the press has agreed that they aren't harrassed on their free time. And the press can't get any scandal news about them.
Of course the press writes about Sofia, they can write thousand times about how she has changed externally. And to put over and over again the same photos of how her style has changed during the years. And she is always ready to talk with the reporters, like she has been during the last 10 years.
But it is the swedish press and mostly Expressen and Svensk Damtidning that praise Sofia and don't write anything negative about her. When you read the social media, you can see that people aren't so interested in Sofia and Carl Philip as Expressen and Svensk Damtidning try to make people believe to.

 

[Skippy]

I can only answer for myself. The ones that I believe conduct themselves with at least a semblance of Royal dignity are Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark...in fact most of them except Monaco and now Sweden.

I deeply admire Elizabeth II most of all. She is everything a true Royal should be.

So that is Scandinavia divided since you mention Denmark positively and Sweden negatively.
I guess Norway is not on either list.

About Elizabeth II - that is hardly surprising, considering who her parents were.

I agree with you, the only motivation for the press to do so is to make money. They built up Sofia, and now they are rewarded with coverage since she becomes a public person. Depending what makes more money, she will be the fairy tale princess or the celebrity princess or the princess who polarizes and is being hauted by the press.

IMO the Swedish press has been working on the whitewash for that reason only since Victoria is quite boring and the Madeleine drama topic will eventually fade out. Sofia is the future cash cow for the pink press and I believe she is happy to deliver.

What makes you think that Victoria is quite boring? And what drama is there about Madeleine?

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I don't find Victoria boring. I think she is a lovely woman with a beautiful family, who conducts her public life flawlessly.

Dutiful and non-controversial = BORING to some people. We live in a world that thrives on almost constant titillation...from our media, our leaders, everything.

 

[KitKat2006]

Good evening to everyone! I never said they shouldn't marry. I do think that they deserve each other, look perfectly matched etc.

But CP should quit his titles and denounce his rights to the throne first. I was basically asking: Aren't the Swedes shocked about their new princess-to-be? I mean they are going to pay for her lifestyle as long as she lives, either she remains married or divorces CP.

And a simple question to all these people who rush to support Sofia and her past: would you like such a girl to marry your brother? Would you welcome her with joy as a member of your family? A straight yes or no.

If my brother wants to marry her, because she makes him happy and he thinks she is the one, then yes. It's his life and I don't have any rights to deny him happiness. It's as simple as that. And I even could imagine being good friends with "such a girl", because I don't see what would make her stand lower than me just because she has no 08/15-past that would make me think she is "such a girl". Whatever kind of girl that might be in your eyes.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

Sofia is CP's choice. It is their life and they have to live it, good or bad. No reservation we express here is going to change that fact...

I am going to refrain from thoroughly answering your reply to me as I find it awfully staggering to claim that Sofia somehow is a sort of prostitute who has sold herself for publicity when you know nothing of the reasons behind her past actions. Furthermore, I don't think you understood my post correctly as I was referring to @selizabeth's narrow-minded way of thinking in regards to what a "lady" is. Lastly, I don't really care for the way you put feminism in brackets either as though women's rights is a bad thing somehow. @nascarlucy wrote an excellent reply to you that I'm going to refer you to and then how about we keep this at a "the two of us have very different opinions in regards to feminism", eh?

Now that is the best darn comment here, some here should be questioned by the way they attack someone who does not think this girl is appropriate to represent Sweden. I have been taken to task for my views, so should some of those that worship the ground this girl walks on, maybe some of the ones that feel she is so *perfect* should also grow up as not everybody likes this girl.

**

Yes we *all are entitled to our own opinions and some here should not be name calling another because they don't like/approve of SH. It works*both ways*. *Moderators* should also call to task the ones that are doing the name calling and berating those that don't care for SH. I won't list the names of those that do, you know who you are.

Defending Sofia ≠ worshipping her. I, for one, don't really care all that much for neither Sofia nor CP – I just don't feel like keeping quiet when she's being unfairly lambasted, that's all. Never have anyone of us said that you are not allowed to say/feel what you're saying/feeling. We are simply questioning your views and replying – just as message boards work As for the attacks on your person, I think it's fairly double standards to repeatedly (and often quite unfairly, IMO) berate Sofia but not being able to take criticism yourself. Don't dish it if you can't take it. That said, I strongly oppose of unfair verbal attacks against other posters – just like I strongly oppose unfair verbal attacks against Sofia.

And for the ones that are reading this, you know that I don't like her. Imagine the first time she is with a high ranking official from another country, and most of them are men(that is a given) what do you think is going through their minds, pictures of this girl in nothing I would bet, they won't be taking the Swedish Monarchy very seriously now would they?

Again, and as several posters have said before me, I suppose that is a matter of how each individual think. Would same officials think the same about the King and his escapades? I'm obviously, and quite like you, speaking entirely metaphorically now, but say Sofia becomes one of the most hardest working and appreciated members of the SRF – would her raunchy pictures still be what one thought of when seeing her? At least I wouldn't.

 

[GracieGiraffe]

For some reason I find CP and Sofia boring, not Victoria and Daniel (although what I think Duke means is that they are "boring" in the eyes of the media because there's nothing scandalous to write about, hence no papers to sell). I rarely comment on this engagement because I just don't care. I wish them well and that's about it.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I rarely find women like Sofia interesting. They mostly confuse me. I simply can't relate at all. But I don't need to relate, frankly. She will marry CP and any problems or issues must be dealt with by the SRF and the Swedes.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

For some reason I find CP and Sofia boring, not Victoria and Daniel (although what I think Duke means is that they are "boring" in the eyes of the media because there's nothing scandalous to write about, hence no papers to sell). I rarely comment on this engagement because I just don't care. I wish them well and that's about it.

Exactly, thanks In contrast to Sofia, for the pink press who usually makes money with controversial stories, Victoria and her family are boring, she is the heir, there are no scandals, Daniel doesn't have a shady past. Estelle's pictures might sell but that's about it. Sofia has a big potential to make the headlines of the gossip and celebrity magazines, that's why the media is positive towards her. She always wants to talk and be photographed, lots of future occasions to put her on the cover and sell magazines.

The magazines made a lot of money with the Madeleine drama, her fiancee cheated on her, engagement broken, running away to New York but Madde is settled now. Gossip press will thrive on Sofia coming into the family and providing some scandalous stories.

 

[Skippy]

Exactly, thanks In contrast to Sofia, for the pink press who usually makes money with controversial stories, Victoria and her family are boring, she is the heir, there are no scandals, Daniel doesn't have a shady past. Estelle's pictures might sell but that's about it. Sofia has a big potential to make the headlines of the gossip and celebrity magazines, that's why the media is positive towards her. She always wants to talk and be photographed, lots of future occasions to put her on the cover and sell magazines.

The magazines made a lot of money with the Madeleine drama, her fiancee cheated on her, engagement broken, running away to New York but Madde is settled now. Gossip press will thrive on Sofia coming into the family and providing some scandalous stories.

What stories would there be that the public doesn't already know about?

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Then you might want to phrase it that way in the future instead of making it sound that you yourself find Victoria boring. At least I read it as your personal opinion.

As for the last thing - what stories would there be that the public doesn't already know about?

In my previous post, I phrased it from the Swedish press perspective, not as my personal opinion, sorry if thre was a misunderstanding.

I don't mean it in the sense that stories about Sofia will come to light that we don't know about yet but that she has a good potential to write (invent) stories about her, family relations etc. Then she is outgoing, extrovert, loves to speak to the press, she is far more interesting to put on a cover than the rest of the SRF, apart from Estelle maybe. A celebrity girl suddenly princess, what more do you want from a gossip perspective.

 

[Mbruno]

I don't find Victoria boring. I think she is a lovely woman with a beautiful family, who conducts her public life flawlessly.

Dutiful and non-controversial = BORING to some people. We live in a world that thrives on almost constant titillation...from our media, our leaders, everything.

Victoria's decision to marry Daniel was far from "non-controversial", especially considering she is the heir to the throne and Sweden's future Head of State. It was actually a big gamble on her part, which ultimately turned out all right, not least because Daniel is a humble and dutiful husband who, at least as far as his public life is concerned, is OK with walking one step behind his wife (figuratively speaking). Furthermore, the Swedish Royal House was very successful in spinning Victoria's relationship with Daniel into a modern-day fairy tale of the commoner who suddenly becomes prince (as that little girl sang to him at the end of Victoria's pre-wedding concert if you recall it !).

Unfortunately, I don't see any of Daniel's aforementioned "qualities" in Sofia and her past makes it very hard to try to portray her as some kind of "Cinderella" who finally found her prince. The Swedish people will have to accept her (or not) for what she is, and nothing else.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Once Sofia gets the ring on her finger and the tiara on her head, she is not going to be chatting it up with the Press. She is going to be strongly advised by the Palace to zip it where the media is concerned. And unless she is not very bright, she will comply unless she starts going behind everyone's back and feeding them info like the late Princess of Wales.

Then it's going to be very interesting to see how willing the Swedish press will be in continuing to blow fairy dust around her.

 

[Skippy]

In my previous post, I phrased it from the Swedish press perspective, not as my personal opinion, sorry if thre was a misunderstanding.

I don't mean it in the sense that stories about Sofia will come to light that we don't know about yet but that she has a good potential to write (invent) stories about her, family relations etc. Then she is outgoing, extrovert, loves to speak to the press, she is far more interesting to put on a cover than the rest of the SRF, apart from Estelle maybe. A celebrity girl suddenly princess, what more do you want from a gossip perspective.

That would only be rehashing and repeating old stories; which will eventually become tiresome, except maybe for the really persisting die hards.

 

[SElizabeth]

I am going to refrain from thoroughly answering your reply to me as I find it awfully staggering to claim that Sofia somehow is a sort of prostitute who has sold herself for publicity when you know nothing of the reasons behind her past actions. Furthermore, I don't think you understood my post correctly as I was referring to @selizabeth's narrow-minded way of thinking in regards to what a "lady" is. Lastly, I don't really care for the way you put feminism in brackets either as though women's rights is a bad thing somehow. @nascarlucy wrote an excellent reply to you that I'm going to refer you to and then how about we keep this at a "the two of us have very different opinions in regards to feminism", eh?



Defending Sofia ≠ worshipping her. I, for one, don't really care all that much for neither Sofia nor CP – I just don't feel like keeping quiet when she's being unfairly lambasted, that's all. Never have anyone of us said that you are not allowed to say/feel what you're saying/feeling. We are simply questioning your views and replying – just as message boards work As for the attacks on your person, I think it's fairly double standards to repeatedly (and often quite unfairly, IMO) berate Sofia but not being able to take criticism yourself. Don't dish it if you can't take it. That said, I strongly oppose of unfair verbal attacks against other posters – just like I strongly oppose unfair verbal attacks against Sofia.



Again, and as several posters have said before me, I suppose that is a matter of how each individual think. Would same officials think the same about the King and his escapades? I'm obviously, and quite like you, speaking entirely metaphorically now, but say Sofia becomes one of the most hardest working and appreciated members of the SRF – would her raunchy pictures still be what one thought of when seeing her? At least I wouldn't.

1)I don't consider myself to be narrow minded at all, If I don't like something, then *I don't like it period*, I look at a subject and try to see all points of view and then I make up my mind as to how I see/feel/think about the subject. If it doesn't agree with other people then *so what*, it's still my view/opinion and I will stick by it. We all can't be alike and I don't want/need to win brownie points in my life. That was never me and will never be me........
2) You can question my views? The why can't I respond to your views? I question this girl and her motives as many here do. What was her choice of career before she met PCP? Was it charity work or did that come after she met him? I admire women like Maxima and Letiza for they are highly educated intelligent women who have worked hard before they met their prince, they have shown dignity and decency in life before they married, that is my opinion of what a lady is........nobody has to agree with me, I know times have changed, heaven forbid, I walk down the streets and see women with everything hanging out and men with pants down to the knees with butts showing, times have changed and yet for me that is horrible when I see that, makes me want to throw up at how times have changed.
I can take attacks for these are nothing compared to what I have put up with in life, I don't see a double standard, so someone calls me a name, so what, am I going to lose sleep over it, not on your life. I will respond to a comment that I find silly/unusual/crazy/dumb or just plain ignorant as we all do the same here. If I as you say berate SH then the Praise from her fans far out ways the berate that I give.....I don't give praise or sugar unless it's earned: QEII gets tons of sugar from me as does CPVictoria and QB, now PB of the Netherlands. SH has done nothing in life to be praised for, nothing.......think about what she has done........I just shake my head at the praises reaped on this girl.......don't understand it all and never will. As I am critical of her I am more so of my own government, believe me she is last on my list of people that I don't like.
3) As for KCG, I think the same of him, and you don't want to get me started on that man, it would not be good at all. I don't take him seriously as a leader or king or whatever he thinks he is.........
Given all the above and more in life and on here, I will come back to eat my words if this girl ever improves in life and does Victoria and the Swedish people proud. Am I going to hold my breath.....not on your life. I have seen her kind come and go before.....she is not new in this game of trying to marry rich/titled/important/famous in life. Time will tell!

 

[Lady Nimue]

To my way of thinking she comes off as sort of awkward. She doesn't smile and wave to the press with the elan or confidence of an actress or that of a royal. There is almost a naïve quality about the way she acts. Regardless of her celebrity/notoriety, there is an almost childlike air about her, as she looks around at everyone else. Try checking a young royal at a "first", the expressions will be much the same.

Exactly so. I know a couple of people in the industry who have come up via this route and they are invariably pleasant and exceedingly charming people. Such work does not preclude intelligence - and in one case I know there is present a considerable intelligence - but they can also be child-like in their expectations, their hearts are so open. Quite charming but also means they can be exploited occasionally.

I am one who has regretted the choice on first blush. It really depends on how you interpret Sofia's overt manner and the choices she has made regarding what she would 'act' (not that she actually did what she 'acted') but I also recognize that Carl Philip and she share many similarities and are well-suited. The King has had them wait the requisite time to make sure this isn't a flash-in-the-pan and that Carl Philipp won't suddenly come-to-his-senses one morning saying what-have-I-done. It's been established to everyone (that counts) satisfaction that Carl Philip is settled with his choice and so it's a go. Good enough for me. What it means is that Carl Philip is not the man I thought him to be - but that's on me, not him. I'm the one with the illusion, not him.

In the end I don't know her. I can only go by the videos and pictures. I think your insight into the simpleness of her manner with the press is a good one.

I have noticed a tendency to see any woman who dates a royal prince as being crafty about it. (Over on the British Boards the families of such women are also called into question - no one is safe from the accusation of 'ambition'). I think it's very clear - especially when one reads exactly how Sofia engaged Carl Philip in those early meetings - that she realized his interest in her was piqued and she went for it. Can we blame her? As women? Girlfriend or not, he was not yet married, not yet engaged - and he was a prince....so. It takes two to tango as they say. It wouldn't have happened had he not been agreeable. He made his choice and for him it was clearly the better choice. All parties have moved on. (Emma has a handsome husband now and children - I'm sure the last thing she wants is an old boyfriend being mentioned left-and-right.)

I hope she is not overly hurt by the incredibly harsh judgements people have made and that her engagement is a time of learning as well as preparation for her wedding because, for better or worse, CP loves her and she loves him.

Somehow, I don't think Sofia is much concerned about public perception in the same way as anyone would be who is a bit more conservative and less expansive than she. In fact, I suspect she is pretty well convinced regarding all-eyes-on-her, in the way that someone who has a sexual charge always is aware. If we watch the family on the dais at the birthday celebration when there was a rain down pour - one side of the dais was having personal interactions amongst each other, while Sofia was staring mainly straight ahead, in the pose of the model or actress who knows they must maintain presentation. Her awareness was not with those intimately around her, but with the greater circle - and for me, given my background, it's a necessary skill for anyone in front of the camera to have. I think those who fault her for 'playing to the camera' misunderstand those who live with the camera as their livelihood. She comes to the royal-playing-field with a ready-made skill-set, that may or may not hold her in good stead on that new paying field, given how so many want to see 'genuineness', whatever that may be. JMO.

 

[SElizabeth]

Once Sofia gets the ring on her finger and the tiara on her head, she is not going to be chatting it up with the Press. She is going to be strongly advised by the Palace to zip it where the media is concerned. And unless she is not very bright, she will comply unless she starts going behind everyone's back and feeding them info like the late Princess of Wales.

Then it's going to be very interesting to see how interested the Swedish press will be in continuing to blow fairy dust around her.

How very true, as someone here mentioned, once the media was praise left and right over Sarah Duchess of York and then bam........all hell broke lose and they put her on the cross and drove those nails through her entire body, and to this day they still do the same............if SH keeps quiet and behaves herself and tries to be a decent young lady and it will take lots of time to do that, the media will turn on her for sure. They want *Dollars/Money* and nothing gets in their way of getting that!
This is going to be a very interesting long year..........for us, the media and the SRF..................

 

[soraya]

I guess ,some of you are waiting with great pleasure the day the vultures will fall on the poor girl

All this tells a lot about how kind and human some people are.It must a real pleasure to be their friend
My friends may not be saints but at least they have a life and therefore don't wish other failure and disgrace

 

[Dman]

I guess ,some of you are waiting with great pleasure the day the vultures will fall on the poor girl

All this tells a lot about how kind and human some people are.It must a real pleasure to be their friend
My friends may not be saints but at least they have a life and therefore don't wish other failure and disgrace

The attitudes will die down after a while. Same people who's complaining will be the same people tuning in the wedding and looking for any signs of a baby bump afterwards.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

soraya, all I am doing is speculating on what could happen in Sofia's case, based on what has happened to other Royal spouses in the past. I am no more wishing her ill any more than you are wishing her a life of sunshine and lollipops.

I am no vulture, and I resent being called one. I also have a satisfying life, much like your non-saintly friends.

Why the hell are some of you so touchy, so willing to be so insulting to other Forum members where this girl is concerned? Have you met her? Is she a family member? Do you identify so strongly with someone you don't even know? Please knock it off.

Oh...I almost forgot.....

 

[soraya]

Moonmaiden,English is not my first language ,not even the second but I think I have some understanding of it.
I do clearly understand that you were speculating and I didn't find that particular post of you incorrect.
Vulture wasn't adressed to a member but to the press.

Re read the last last sentence of the post following your's,it doesn't sound kind and human.How can somebody wish the falling of another human being with so much pleasure?

I don't know Sofia and the other members of that family.And honestly,with or without Sofia they don't have that great lineage.I have military in my family,one of them could have easily been chosen in place of the first Bernadotte

 

[Moonmaiden23]

soraya,

Since you write and express yourself so well in English, I find it hard to remember that it's not your first language. Could you please point me to the sentence where you feel I wished bad things to happen to Sofia? Then maybe I can explain/clarify. Thanks

 

[soraya]

re read my post
I said "the last sentence of the post following your's"
Which means that's not your sentence nor your post at 7:49 pm which is harmless

To be frank,even if I don't share all your opinions,I find much pleasure to discuss with you than with some others because you are more open minded

 

[Skippy]

re read my post
I said "the last sentence of the post following your's"
Which means that's not your sentence nor your post at 7:49 pm which is harmless

To be frank,even if I don't share all your opinions,I find much pleasure to discuss with you than with some others because you are more open minded

Do you mean my post? Because mine follows Moonmaiden23's post, but I haven't said anything bad about Sofia.
Or do you mean SElizabeth's post? She is not fond of Sofia, to say the least.

 

[soraya]

Skippy,Not yours too.
Your second guess is right.Sofia seems to be transforming somebody's life into a nightmare.
Implying that those who disagree with her/him are only silly worshipers of Sofia who kiss the ground on which she walks is very insulting.
I don't have the impression that I and other posters kiss that ground nor the ground Victoria walks on

Transposing the moral of a certain part of the world in Sweden is just wrong.
Why not calling for the stoning of sinners because it's ok in certain part of the world.
Funny that we don't hear the outrage of swedish people in this forum.

 

[Shenandoah]

I'm happy she doesn't work with sexual abuses victims. Sorry to say, but I've heard her talking about them as people with low self-esteem, who needs to learn how to say "No". She doesn't see them as victims.

 

[KitKat2006]

That's not true. Her words were taken out of context. She never said sexually abused people should work on her self esteem. I don't have the source at hand but someone posted the article/interview a while ago. But I'm not sure if it was in this thread or in another and I'm also not sure if this post was deleted during the last clearance from the mods. But maybe the one who posted it can do so again.

 

[Skippy]

I'm happy she doesn't work with sexual abuses victims. Sorry to say, but I've heard her talking about them as people with low self-esteem, who needs to learn how to say "No". She doesn't see them as victims.

That's not true. Her words were taken out of context. She never said sexually abused people should work on her self esteem. I don't have the source at hand but someone posted the article/interview a while ago. But I'm not sure if it was in this thread or in another and I'm also not sure if this post was deleted during the last clearance from the mods. But maybe the one who posted it can do so again.

Although I didn't post it, I have found the link by Marengo:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f49/discussion-about-sofia-hellqvists-past-and-future-role-in-the-royal-family-37134-9.html#post1682562.