I took a look at the court calendar. Between Carl Philip & Sofia, there are four events from now until November 1: Carl Philip's visit today, his go-cart race on 8/8, Sofia's tomorrow, and the joint one in Varmland. I thought the purpose was to put them to work so to lighten the royal load when it came to events. The Royal Couple and the Crown Princess Couple are practically all over the place. While the court calendar is subject to change at any given moment, this looks like a pretty light load. Is the court still trying to figure out how best to deploy the Prince Couple? Or is this to insure that the pecking order is kept in tact -to remind people who has preeminence?
Like I have written before, we who have followed the royal family for a long time, have noticed that the royal calendar is updated so, that the king's and queen's events are updated at one time, Victoria's and Daniel's events at another time and Carl Philip's, Sofia's and Madeleine's events at some another time. Probably there are different people who update for instance the king's events and who updates Victoria's and Daniel's. Victoria's and Daniel's calendar was updated last week and on Monday and again on yesterday. Of course it would be good if the court would inform all the members who attend at event at the same time, but now they have the policy that they can tell that the king, queen, Victoria and Daniel attend at an event and a month later they add Carl Philip, Sofia and Madeleine to that. I think that the court updates Carl Philip's and Sofia's calendar probably only after their visit to Värmland, the court wants to highlight the prince couple's visit to their duchy.
We will soon see how much Carl Philip and Sofia will work, we just have to wait. And of course the king, queen, Victoria and Daniel work more than Carl Philip, Sofia and Madeleine. Because they are the royal couple and the crown princess couple. Carl Philip, Sofia and Madeleine (if she works) are not there to lighten up the work load of the royal couple or the crown princess couple, but do their own share of the royal duties. Last year the royal family got 1 641 invitations to various events, 10 per cent more than in 2013. The members of the royal family attended totally in 877 events in 2014.
And we have to remember, that there is the apanage, of which the costs of the royal family are paid, when they are at an work event. So Carl Philip and Sofia can't suddenly start to work a lot more than Carl Philip has worked before, or then the king must ask for more apanage again, like he did when Daniel joined the royal family and started working full time. Of course as long as Madeleine is on her maternity leave and isn't working, there is no problem with the apanage.
And it is best to read the swedish version of the calendar.
EDIT: Carl Philip and Sofia are attending with the king, queen, Victoria and Daniel to the events of the opening of Parliament, the calendar was updated.
