A Swedish Royal Christmas (Traditions, Christmas Cards, Photo Sessions)


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Princess Christina reads stories from "När tider var inne - sagor med krubban", a new book by priest Karin Karlberg, at two programs broadcast in SVT during the Christmas weekend. The book tells the Christmas Story from several new perspectives.
- The idea was aroused last autumn when I put together a Christmas Crib for the Royal Chapel, says Karin Karlberg.
The programs are broadcast on 25th December at 17.50 and 27th December at 17.45.
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LadyFinn said:
Princess Christina reads stories from "När tider var inne - sagor med krubban", a new book by priest Karin Karlberg, at two programs broadcast in SVT during the Christmas weekend. The book tells the Christmas Story from several new perspectives.
- The idea was aroused last autumn when I put together a Christmas Crib for the Royal Chapel, says Karin Karlberg.
The programs are broadcast on 25th December at 17.50 and 27th December at 17.45.
Image Upper.com - Free Image Hosting - View Image
Click to expand...
This is not the first time Princess Christina does a TV reading during Christmas. I remember when in 1997 she read julevangeliet (the nativity of Jesus) on TV.
 
At Svensk Damtidning's Advent Calendar 2020
15th December, Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine baking in 1984
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=9f08992c8dee28b260acdf3607e010df&oe=60012129

16th December, Victoria, Daniel and Estelle making gingerbread cookies in 2013.
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=b62408d18606429132f422959c6c2bcf&oe=600010C0

****

Carl Philip and Sofia received today the traditional Christmas trees to the Royal Palace at the courtyard of the Palace. Due to the pandemic, the event was organized outside. Since the 1960s, students from the forestry programme of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) have been handing over a number of Christmas trees to the Royal Palace.
Prinsparet tog emot granar - Sveriges Kungahus

Ensimmäiset kuvat julki_ prinsessa Sofia hehkuu odottavan äidin onnea - Kuninkaalliset - Ilta-Sanomat

At Svensk Damtidning's Advent Calendar 2020
17th December, the Royal Family in 1989
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=a0dc75a7c94a4a9cdf9f699c56478922&oe=6003F320

18th December, Victoria, Daniel and Oscar receiving the Christmas trees last year
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=0e60e5fcceff4b09d766c9280d4ef739&oe=6002800C

19th December, king Carl Gustaf and queen Silvia in 1976
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=998903b57d815ba3237fbb2df3536298&oe=6003630C
 
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LadyFinn said:
At Svensk Damtidning's Advent Calendar 2020
17th December, the Royal Family in 1989
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=a0dc75a7c94a4a9cdf9f699c56478922&oe=6003F320

18th December, Victoria, Daniel and Oscar receiving the Christmas trees last year
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=0e60e5fcceff4b09d766c9280d4ef739&oe=6002800C

19th December, king Carl Gustaf and queen Silvia in 1976
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=998903b57d815ba3237fbb2df3536298&oe=6003630C
Click to expand...

I love the advent calendar, seeing old family photos of the royals :flowers:
 
On the fourth Sunday in Advent, the King and Queen send an Advent greeting from Drottningholm Palace.
The royal couple's greeting is recorded in the Stone Hall in the royal couple's private apartment at Drottningholm.
The little Advent candlestick on the table was made by Victoria as a child. The little Christmas gnomes are made by Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine at a young age.
The poem that the Queen reads is Margareta Melin's "Advent Prayer".
Glad 4_e advent! - Sveriges Kungahus

Photo at court pressroom by Victor Ericsson/The Royal Court.
https://www.kungahuset.se/images/20...ing_Foto_Victor_Ericsson_KunglHovstaterna.jpg
 
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I did a quick translation of Margareta Melin's Advent prayer:
"We light the Advent candles one by one, a burning prayer for truth and justice. The first should shine deep inside me, preserve my heart and warm my mind. The second should shine for everyone I know, so that everyone gets a place to belong & can live as friends.
The third should shine for all those who suffer, who struggle & who dream of happier times. The fourth should shine for the land & the forest, for the air & for the sea & our future on earth. We light the Advent candles one by one, a burning prayer for truth and justice."

I've never heard the prayer (or poem as the King and Queen call it) but it's both highly relevant and beautiful.
 
What a beautiful prayer and also what a stunning setting for the video at the Drottningholm Palace.
 
The Royal Court Parish tells at its Instagram, that Victoria participates in a Christmas Prayer from the Royal Chapel which the Court Parish publishes on the Christmas Eve. At the photo we see the Royal Chapel's new Nativity Scene.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJD4_S1pnWi/
 
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The Crown Princess family on a Christmas visit to the City Mission
Ahead of the upcoming Christmas weekend, Victoria and Daniel took Estelle and Oscar with them to the Stockholm City Mission to leave and wrap Christmas presents for children and young people from vulnerable families.
The Crown Princess family wasn't alone in leaving Christmas presents this year. More than 9,000 gifts have been handed in for this Christmas. Since then, 850 families have, in a pandemic-proof way, been allowed to visit the Christmas gift shop to select Christmas presents for their children.
Kronprinsessfamiljen på julbesök hos Stadsmissionen - Sveriges Kungahus

Photo at court pressroom by Raphael Stecksén
https://www.kungahuset.se/images/20...to_ Raphael Stecksén_Kungliga Hovstaterna.jpg

Victoria has been the patron of Stockholm City Mission since 2010, and she has been volunteering at the City Mission during this corona time.
What a lovely idea from Victoria and Daniel to take the kids to the City Mission. Quite a lot of gifts they had with them, and Estelle and Oscar seemed to love to wrap the gifts.
 
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:previous: Lovely videos of the family - it was nice to get a glimpse of Estelle and Oscar's personalities and what family life with Victoria and Daniel is like. Oscar seems to be a very inquisitive little boy - he has inherited Carl Gustaf's serious expressions! Estelle already appears to be very confident and not shy at all when talking to strangers.
 
Estelle already appears to be very confident and not shy at all when talking to strangers. __________________
Click to expand...



IMHO Estelle has a personality that has been confident and comfortable in the public eye from the beginning. Of all of her royal peers, I can't think of one that has been consistently at ease like Estelle. ?
 
What a great visit. Such a wonderful charity and a big need right now :flowers:

I am glad they took the kids with them to help out and learn. I smiled when Estelle admitted that she liked getting gifts as well as receiving. Just like any other kid. Taught about giving back, but all kids like a gift, even a royal one.

Estelle has always seemed so confident and comfortable in public. Its obvious introducing her to public events at a young age has worked well for her.

Oscar definitely is serious like Grandpa. But I love the curious side coming out.
 
Margareta Thorgren told to Svensk Damtidning that the king and queen celebrate Christmas and the queen's birthday at Drottningholm.
Everything is private, of course, and Margareta Thorgren is very careful to point out that the entire royal Christmas celebration completely follows the restrictions: The contact with the children and grandchildren is only at a distance.
But it will be a digital royal Christmas celebration, where the royal couple, the crown princess couple, Madeleine and Chris, Carl Philip and Sofia and all seven grandchildren meet and wish each other Merry Christmas - from Miami, Haga, Villa Solbacken and Drottningholm Palace.
Margareta Thorgren says also that everyone in the royal family are healthy now, and it will be a Christmas this year too, even if it will be different.
Så ska kungafamiljen fira jul – besked från hovet _*Svensk Dam

TV4 showed the Crown Princess family's Christmas video at its News
The Crown Princess family's Christmas greeting - here they donate to charity
Nyheterna på TV4 Play - Kronprinsessfamiljens julhälsning – här skänker de till välgörenhet

Aftonbladet
Stockholm City Mission was visited by the Crown Princess family.
Christmas Eve is fast approaching. And many children hope that Santa (who we now know is immune to corona) will come with packages for them. Stockholm City Mission's Christmas gift submission wants to ensure that even children living in vulnerable families get a gift to open.
Several thousand people have donated gifts. One family that has done so is the Crown Princess family. In a video shared Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar are seen carrying large boxes full of toys and stuffed animals during their visit to the City Mission.
Kronprinsessan slår in paket på Stadsmissionen _ Aftonbladet

At Svensk Damtidning's Advent Calendar 2020
20th December, the Royal Family in 1984
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=cf7eb1b901e17beb959f569e4d6b3981&oe=60074391

22nd December (wrong number at the photo, it was published yesterday), the Royal Family in 1987
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=054172101190fb0326dc20ac3134eda7&oe=600A32C9

The Crown Princess family's Christmas greeting from 2017 has now over one million views (the Christimas greeting from 2014 has over two million views).
 
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The 2017 video was lovely and there was still some interaction between the princess and prince. The 2020 video was a for a great cause and the children are wonderful. Prince Daniel does look exhausted and the video editor seems to have removed any interaction between him and his wife. Not even a look towards one another let alone a word made it out of the cutting board.
 
Victoria reads the Christmas Gospel at the Royal Court Parish's digital Christmas Prayer
Court website
Kronprinsessan läser julevangeliet - Sveriges Kungahus

Photo at court press room by Erik Lundström/The Royal Court Parish
https://www.kungahuset.se/images/20...Foto_Erik_Lundström_Kungl.Hovförsamlingen.jpg

Court Youtube
Screenshots
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The Christmas Prayer was recorded on 9th December.

The whole Christmas Prayer at Youtube of The Royal Court Parish
Welcome to the Royal Chapel and the Royal Court Parish's Christmas Prayer.
H.R.H. The Crown Princess reads the Christmas Gospel about the birth of Jesus and the Holy Family. Listen to Emmy Köhler's ”Nu tändas tusen juleljus”, Edvard Evers and Gustaf Nordqvist's ”Jul jul strålande jul”, and ”Dagen är kommen” by John Francis Wade. The music is performed by The Royal Chapel's Vocal Ensemble, The Royal Swedish Army Band, Court singer Miah Persson, Court organist Mary Ljungquist, and organist Ulf Norberg. The Christmas Prayer is led by The Reverend, Court Chaplain and Rector of the Royal Court Parish Michael Bjerkhagen.
Victoria read the Christmas Gospel also at Christmas 2012 at a church service.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d6-Bj6sB1xE/UNm8CPtA43I/AAAAAAAAfoM/o5oVRuTzy-0/s1600/P1080193.JPG

At Svensk Damtidning's Advent Calendar 2020 today
The Royal Family in 1993
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=c216e39372151a7e3c63375665a4aaf9&oe=600C6BAF

Article about the Royal Family's Christmas during the years at Svensk Damtidning
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On Christmas Day, the King traditionally gave his Christmas speech on Swedish Radio and Swedish Television. The King's Christmas speech has for a long time been broadcast from the Royal Palace. This year, the King instead sent his Christmas greeting from the Royal Couple's home Drottningholm Palace.
H.M. Konungens jultal 2020 - Sveriges Kungahus
Translation

Photo at court pressroom, by Victor Ericsson/The Royal Court.
https://www.kungahuset.se/images/20...al_Foto_Victor_Ericsson_Kungl.Hovstaterna.jpg

The speech
H.M. Konungens jultal 2020 - Sveriges Kungahus
Translation

The speech at SVT Play
H.M. Konungens jultal _ SVT Play

Also at court Youtube
Screenshots
Pic1
Pic2
Pic3
Pic4

The speech will be broadcast at SVT1 in the evening at 19.45.

As expected, the King spoke about the corona pandemic during his Christmas speech.
He appealed to the Swedish people that we all have a responsibility.
- Two meters distance can save lives, but it can also make a two minute phone call.
At the same time, the king looked ahead, urging everyone to persevere:
- Vaccine is on its way. In just a few months, a lot may have changed.
Kungens jultal till svenska folket

Many people probably experience 2020 as a lost year, a view that also seems to be shared by King Carl XVI Gustaf. In his Christmas speech from Drottningholm Palace, the head of state therefore chooses to look forward to a better 2021:
- The light comes back. Vaccine is on its way. And already in a few months a lot may have changed, we must believe in the future.
Kung Carl XVI Gustafs jultal till svenska folket _ SVT Nyheter

******
At SVT1 just a while ago
Christmas story with Princess Christina part 1
Princess Christina reads a Christmas story based on the Royal Chapel's nativity scene. Before Christmas's big story about the child in the manger, Princess Christina reads from Court Chaplain Karin Karlberg's separate stories about the Christmas Gospel seen from a few different perspectives. In the Christmas Day's episode, the princess tells of an imagined conversation between Josef and the ox in the stable.
At SVT Play
Helgmålsringning - Julberättelse med prinsessan Christina del 1 _ SVT Play

Screenshots
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It's always a pleasure to listen princess Christina.
 
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Yesterday, on Christmas Eve:
Victoria, Daniel and the children made a surprise visit on Christmas Eve also this year - last year they visited the Police.

On Christmas Eve morning, the Crown Princess family visited Ambulance station City. They came to wish Merry Christmas and thank the staff for the important work that AISAB's employees, and all blue light staff in Sweden, perform every day, all year round.
Victoria and Daniel asked many questions and thanked in particular for all the extra efforts that the pandemic requires.
All ambulances were alerted just before the visit. After a while, some of the employees were back and had the opportunity to receive the Crown Princess family's appreciation for their work. All of the staff ensured that the visit took place in a corona-adapted manner.
Estelle and Oscar received an AISAB teddy bear, usually given for children who have contact with the ambulance staff. Estelle told about her experiences of ambulance care in connection with her broken leg last year.
The Crown Princess family handed over gingerbread, tangerines and honey from their own hives. Oscar told how he himself had been involved in mixing the honey.
- We are happy and grateful that the Crown Princess family took the time to come and visit us on Christmas Eve. It means a lot to us who work at the ambulance, says Camilla Florin, station manager at ambulance station City.
Kronprinsessfamiljen besökte Citystationen på julafton - AISAB

Estelle at an ambulance, photo at AISAB's Facebook
https://scontent-hel3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=516694911dce67ec9b70e177a57375ca&oe=600B5CDC
 
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Why wasn't the family weaing a mask? Especially given that they were in an enclosed space.
Smh...
 
Alisa said:
Why wasn't the family weaing a mask? Especially given that they were in an enclosed space.
Smh...
Click to expand...


Because Swedish authorities do not recommend the use of masks. :ermm: Difficult for them to go against that, no matter what they may or may not think personally. I don't know what they think, but Carl Gustaf and Silvia have hinted that they can't understand why face masks aren't recommended.

The ambulance people are wearing face shields, even though it's been proven that those are not as effective as masks.

Very nice of Victoria & family to visit though. Estelle seems to be having fun as always, sweet girl!! :flowers:
 
More photos from the crown princess family's visit to the ambulance station
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJLzWTxn8n4/

Photo of princess Christina reading the Christmas stories at the Royal Chapel at SVT's program. Photo from Facebook of the Royal Court Parish.
https://www.facebook.com/hovforsamlingen/photos/a.2523090814414237/3648548391868468

At SVT1 and SVT Play today
Christmas story with Princess Christina part 2
Princess Christina reads a Christmas story based on the Royal Chapel's nativity scene. The princess tells about how wise men in distant land get to see a new star in the night sky. They ask themselves what can it mean and whether they should dare to follow it. Once they follow it, it turns out that they still go to the wrong place and now they are helpless. "What do we do now?" They ask. How will they find their way in the darkness that now reigns in the world?
Helgmålsringning - Julberättelse med prinsessan Christina del 2 _ SVT Play
 
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LadyFinn said:
On Christmas Day, the King traditionally gave his Christmas speech on Swedish Radio and Swedish Television. The King's Christmas speech has for a long time been broadcast from the Royal Palace. This year, the King instead sent his Christmas greeting from the Royal Couple's home Drottningholm Palace.
H.M. Konungens jultal 2020 - Sveriges Kungahus
Translation

Photo at court pressroom, by Victor Ericsson/The Royal Court.
https://www.kungahuset.se/images/20...al_Foto_Victor_Ericsson_Kungl.Hovstaterna.jpg

The speech
H.M. Konungens jultal 2020 - Sveriges Kungahus
Translation

The speech at SVT Play
H.M. Konungens jultal _ SVT Play

Also at court Youtube
Screenshots
Pic1
Pic2
Pic3
Pic4

The speech will be broadcast at SVT1 in the evening at 19.45.

As expected, the King spoke about the corona pandemic during his Christmas speech.
He appealed to the Swedish people that we all have a responsibility.
- Two meters distance can save lives, but it can also make a two minute phone call.
At the same time, the king looked ahead, urging everyone to persevere:
- Vaccine is on its way. In just a few months, a lot may have changed.
Kungens jultal till svenska folket

Many people probably experience 2020 as a lost year, a view that also seems to be shared by King Carl XVI Gustaf. In his Christmas speech from Drottningholm Palace, the head of state therefore chooses to look forward to a better 2021:
- The light comes back. Vaccine is on its way. And already in a few months a lot may have changed, we must believe in the future.
Kung Carl XVI Gustafs jultal till svenska folket _ SVT Nyheter

******
At SVT1 just a while ago
Christmas story with Princess Christina part 1
Princess Christina reads a Christmas story based on the Royal Chapel's nativity scene. Before Christmas's big story about the child in the manger, Princess Christina reads from Court Chaplain Karin Karlberg's separate stories about the Christmas Gospel seen from a few different perspectives. In the Christmas Day's episode, the princess tells of an imagined conversation between Josef and the ox in the stable.
At SVT Play
Helgmålsringning - Julberättelse med prinsessan Christina del 1 _ SVT Play

Screenshots
Image Upper.com - Free Image Hosting - View Image
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It's always a pleasure to listen princess Christina.
Click to expand...

Why is the speech broadcast at such a late hour?
 
The speech is first aired in the Radio around noon, and then in TV after the most watched news broadcast and before the primetime program at 20.00.

In my opinion the King couldn't wish for a more prominent time for his speech.
 
What are the viewing figures like for the King's Christmas address?
 
An Ard Ri said:
What are the viewing figures like for the King's Christmas address?
Click to expand...
This year's viewing figures were 1 345 000. The figures have, according to what I can find, been fairly consistent since the speech was first televised in 2007. Before that they were only transmitted by radio.
 
That's interesting I never knew that and always assumed they were televised!
 
SVT tells at their press info about the programs during Christmas, that the King's traditional Christmas speech is broadcast at SVT on Saturday 25th December at 19.45.
"King Carl XVI Gustaf gave his first Christmas speech on radio in 1972, then as
a Crown Prince. The King's Christmas speech, a speech that from the beginning was addressed to Swedes abroad, has since 1973 been a recurring tradition in Sveriges Radio. 2007 was the first year that the King's Christmas speech was also broadcast on SVT."
Image Upper.com - Free Image Hosting - View Image
 
But hasn't the New Year's one always been on TV? Why did he do this one on the radio for so long?
 
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