Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg, the former Marshal of the Court of HRH Crown Princess's Household, was interviewed on 1st December at Expressen's "Kungafamiljen"-TVpodcast. Tarras-Wahlberg was also the director of the press and information department before she came the Head of Victoria's Household, and worked at the court for 32 years.
The host asks: Vad does a Marshal of the Court do?
- A Marshal of the Court heads the so called Household, a royal person's organisation. I helped the Crown Princess to build her Household, her office, her activities. Then you are responsible for planning and implementing the work and servicing the Crown Princess. At first, I was also the Marshal of the Court to her siblings. But it soon became apparent that it doesn't work, there were three people who were all in different directions and had come to a different stage in their official appearances, so after a while, I think so, we chose to focus on the Crown Princess.
It feels that the royal family has come more and more folksy. come very popular, Victoria and Daniel are very popular? Would you say that you come close to them when you work with them, are you with them on Fredagsmys ("cozy Friday")?
- I can not say I joined the Crown Princess's cozy Friday with her fiancé. But you came close, not least while traveling. Then it happened that you had breakfast together, talked about the day's program. I was commissioned, I remember the Queen said: Elisabeth has been here for so long that Elisabeth knows how we think the things should be. I had been the press officer for so many years, and I had been a mentor for the Crown Princess for a couple of years. She came back from USA and began to take her first steps back to public life. So I helped her and at the same time I was the director of the press department.
Do you miss that time?
- Yes, of course, I miss, I miss the daily contacts with my colleagues. It becomes like a big family, we who work around. We all have one thing in sight - to facilitate the work of the royal family. Then it's not so hard nowadays to stay in contact, both with the Crown Princess and my old former colleagues.
The host says that when she looked at Victoria visiting the National Library and looking at old photos of Daniel, she started thinking how their relationship began. And you worked with Victoria. How was it noticed that she was in love with Daniel?
- Now I have to think about it. As I said before, the private was private. And somewhere, I eventually understood, she met him after she came back from USA because she was looking for a gym simply. Then his gym was recommended for her. And that was when they met. It was not that I noticed that she was at the gym extra often. But she told me eventually, when exactly I can't really remember. But it was also with the media, I remember when they once should go to Ockelbo by car and were chased by a journalist. And it was almost dangerous at the traffic. And then the bodyguards that followed called me and said "Can you help us somehow, because this doesn't work, this hunt is dangerous here in the traffic". So that way I also got to know a little ... I never asked, I know from my own experience that you don't always want to tell.
When you think about this, would you say that they wait a longer time than a normal person would do to introduce their new partner to the king and queen?
- I don't think it is because of the family, it's still a pretty closed circuit. But when you then take the step in public life, then you want to make sure everything ... that you're really sure. One is so in focus and it has been speculated so long about so many different boyfriends, I remember when I was the director of press deparment, German weekly newspapers began to get crazy with the Crown Princess and mainly about the Swedish royal family. And she was barely a teenager when they began to marry her with Ingemar Stenmark and Crown Prince Felipe, there were new partners every day. It is clear that in that situation you want to be sure that you have chosen the right one.
You've been on all trips with Victoria and worked with her, did she ever ask any advice in matters of love ?
- No.
They show Victoria’s visit to Vienna and the reporter asks: How much they prepare themselves for these kind of trips?
- Very much. I don't want to focus on just the Crown Princess. It begins, of course, that you have a correspondnce, you are invited, or in this case the Crown Princess takes her own initiative. You have contact with hosts and plan the time schedule and content, and then the Crown Princess and the royal couple also spend a lot of time reading materials in advance. Sometimes they will give a speech, they prepare for it, they will practice the speech and everything, it takes many hours.
December begins, and many major festitivities, Queen Silvia turns 75 years and then then there are the Nobel festivities, it's like a dinner of a official dinner. Is it the same thorough planning for Nobel festivities?
- The Nobel festivities, where the royal family are guests, at least when I was employed at the court, it was prepared by that the Nobel Committee came always to the Palace. Where you reviewed the different prizes and the Laureates, they gave information at the meeting and also written information. And then, of course, for the ladies, the hairdos and dresses are coordinated. I'm not going to say it is routine, because there are always new prize Laureates and new programs and so on. But the royal family wants to keep track of the program, they don't want surprises. And then the day after the royal couple is hosting a dinner for the Laureates at the Palace. So then it is a representative dinner.
Do they like these festivities?
- Yes, I absolutely think so. And I know they see these Nobel festivities and dinner at the Palace as a way to get acquainted with new knowledge and get to know the world, the society, the development.
Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg om relationen till kronprinsessan
And about Fredagsmys
How to Fredagsmys - Fredagskos like a Scandi - ScandiKitchen
