Swedish State Visit to Iceland: September 7-9, 2004

[Josefine]

hopefully great pictures how many gala events do you think there will be?

[Lena]

Originally Posted by Josefine

hopefully great pictures how many gala events do you think there will be?

My guess: 2...the state-banquet, which the icelandic government/state will arrange and a "return"-banket arranged from the swedish side (probably in the swedish embassy)

[Alexandria]

Can we expect to see the Queen and Victoria in tiaras? When Haakon and Mette-Marit recently visited Iceland and there was a gala dinner held there were no tiaras.

[Josefine]

but was that a state visit I think it was a offical visit onlt
a state visit i think can only be made by the King and queen

[Lena]

I would say the same as Josefine...king Harald was already recovered at the time, when cp Haakon and cp Mette Marit paid this visit to Iceland. So I guess it was more an official visit...some sort of study trip for Haakon and MM (?)

[GrandDuchess]

The first article (but no pic!...):

The article basically says that it was rainy and windy when they arrived, about a hundred schoolchildren was there waving with flags and an orchestra played the national anthem. After a defile (defilera in Swedish, march past?) by the Icelandic Members of Government, the royals and their host went inside.

After a lunch with the President, the schedule consists of a visit to the university and the hand-over of a Swedish glass gift. The royals will also be given opportunity to meet with the Swedes that live in Iceland at a reception at Nordens Hus (the Nordic House). The day will be ended with a gala dinner for the Swedish guests

Island välkomnade kungaparet

Det blev en blåsig inledning under regntunga skyar när kungaparet och kronprinsessan Victoria på tisdagen inledde sitt statsbesök i Island. Men soliga leenden vid den högtidliga välkomstceremonin hjälpte till att höja stämningen.

Victoria hade ett stadigt grepp i hatten när nationalsångerna spelades av en huttrande orkester i röda uniformer.

Ett hundratal skolbarn hurrade och viftade med allt blötare flaggor medan välkomstceremonin fortsatte. Efter nationalsång och defilering förbi den isländska regeringen drog sig värden och gästerna in i residenset.

Som traditionen bjuder togs de nordiska gästerna emot på Snorre Sturlasons storgård utanför Reykjavik, på den mark som den förste invandraren gjorde till sin på 870-talet. Snorres gård från 1200-talet finns inte kvar, den nuvarande byggnaden är från 1700-talet och är president Olafur Ragnar Grimssons officiella residens.

Efter lunch med presidenten stod besök på universitetet samt överlämnande av en svensk konstglasgåva på programmet.

Dagen avlutas med galamiddag för de svenska gästerna som dock dessförinnan får möjlighet att träffa de svenskar som är bosatta i Island vid en mottagning på Nordens hus.

[Lena]

Thank you for the article GrandDuchess...so far NO ponytail is mentioned....is this a good sign?

[Alexandria]

This visit looks promising so far: The King and Queen have arrived with the Crown Princess who is wearing a colour other than beige, black, white or grey! I wish we could see a close up of Victoria but this red jacket looks very good and very hopeful. Cannot wait to see the gala wear now!

[Lena]

Thank you GrandDuchess for the first pictures!
I´ve to agree with Alexandria...Victoria looks very good...a vibrant red, which works with her natural coloring, an interesting skirt...and I may be wrong...but could it be, that she didn´t wear a ponytail (?!)
And in this picture her lower legs look less muscular...but maybe it´s just the angle.

More and bigger pictures. The pictures inside are taken at the office of the icelandic president
Victoria looks so tanned...is it the light...or was she on holiday (with Daniel)?

[ursulajohanna]

Many thanks for the first pictures from the state visit. They are very nice and lovely.

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

I don't really think Victoria's hat (because of the shape) went together very well with the rest of her outfit.

But she still looked lovely :)

[Dennism]

Yes, we´ve seen that hat before. Rather big, I´d say. I like the red top. She doesn´t wear red enough, I feel.

[La Chen]

Is it proper to use that hat inside the building?

[GrandDuchess]

Smashing top! Absolutely lovely! And yes, Crown Princess Victoria does look really tan in the face. Hmm....

[lucys]

I really like her in red. She looks lovely. But I must confess I wish these young princesses would lighten up on the hats--sometimes they work and they look nice, like at weddings--but sometimes they just make them look old fashioned. In anycase, red is a very good color for the Crown Princess.

[Lena]

Originally Posted by GrandDuchess

Smashing top! Absolutely lovely! And yes, Crown Princess Victoria does look really tan in the face. Hmm....

How can I interpret "Hmm"? a) Hmm, she was on holiday, but hey where are the pics or b) She´s a chip off the old block (Mother Silvia´s post-Olympia-tan) c) Victoria has found out-like her younger sister-that she can tan in Daniel´s gym for free

The hat...hmm, if a friend of mine would wear such a hat on the street I would ask her if she would go to the carnival or if it´s Hallowen.
But I think it´s part of being a princess to wear hats. It´s comparable to wearing tiaras...most people at TRF love tiaras, for us it´s something very "princessy" and we all love princesses But for a lot of ppl on the street tiaras are a toy for 5 year old girls in pink dresses.
And I want to add that this hat, which Victoria was wearing today, looks a lot better, when the sun is shining...this hat is partly "transparent" and when the sun is shining, you can see "shadow-patterns" on her face.

[lucys]

I don't know about hats being a requirement for princesses--I think it's more a northern thing. Infanta Elena, for example, or her sister, usually only wear hats at functions like weddings, but I think most people find them "princessey" enough. Some of these hats just make these young ladies look too old. If these new crop of princesses are breaking molds, can't the break the hat required mold too?

Just look at these two of Princess Victoria from today--without the hat her outfit looks so much younger--although overall she really does dress too dowdy for such an attractive young lady with such a winning smile.

With hat: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...a1953/is23.jpg
Without hat: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...a1953/is10.jpg

[Alexandria]

Thanks so much Lena for all the great pictures. :)

I feel like this is Victoria's day of reckoning or something! She's discovered a colour beyond the lifeless dull, neutral shades she always wears but instead has chosen a bright, cheerful, youthful fire engine red. Not a hint of a ponytail in sight and thankfully in its place, a professional, adult and feminine chignon beneath that oversized hat. Her make up is soft and subtle and not overdone so that when looking at her one doesn't think Fluffo the Clown did her make up (some royal ladies I am sad to say make me think of this).

But as wonderful and magnificent as Victoria looked, I have to say that her own mother stole the show with that lovely light green and white outfit and her hair pulled back in a French knot. Elegant and stunning that Silvia is!

[Lena]

You´re welcome, Alexandria.

Yes, I agree Silvia looked magnificent this day. And she actually didn´t need too...I mean the evening dinner is more important and here the ladies should get dolled up. This dinner took place and probably ended a few hours ago. A german saying says "you shouldn´t praise the day before the evening" (I think the english pendant is "Don´t count your chickens before they are hatched"). So there´s still the "fear" that they (Silvia and Victoria.....the king almost can´t...well, maybe through his mood) could have bungled it in the evening. My biggest fear is, that Victoria wore the superman-costume, which she wore in Spain

You´ve said that the Queen got the "A" in the style-department today, but I would say Victoria got it in the good-temper-department. I´ve seen her seldom that happy and radiant (where is the ring, where is it I´ve already started to look)

And talking about Fluffo the clown ( I guess a hero for canadian kids )...it looks as if the wife of the icelandic president had a meeting with him and with Barbie (the doll) to choose a style for the day *whistle*

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by Lena

You´re welcome, Alexandria.

Yes, I agree Silvia looked magnificent this day. And she actually didn´t need too...I mean the evening dinner is more important and here the ladies should get dolled up. This dinner took place and probably ended a few hours ago. A german saying says "you shouldn´t praise the day before the evening" (I think the english pendant is "Don´t count your chickens before they are hatched"). So there´s still the "fear" that they (Silvia and Victoria.....the king almost can´t...well, maybe through his mood) could have bungled it in the evening. My biggest fear is, that Victoria wore the superman-costume, which she wore in Spain

You´ve said that the Queen got the "A" in the style-department today, but I would say Victoria got it in the good-temper-department. I´ve seen her seldom that happy and radiant (where is the ring, where is it I´ve already started to look)

And talking about Fluffo the clown ( I guess a hero for canadian kids )...it looks as if the wife of the icelandic president had a meeting with him and with Barbie (the doll) to choose a style for the day *whistle*

You're right ... don't praise the day before the evening is through. As much as I do think both the Swedish ladies deserve praise for their lovely looks upon their arrival today, I guess they could blow the warm and fuzzy feelings I am having for them at present with ghastly gowns. The Superman outfit of Victoria's would surely rid this warm and fuzzy feeling I have fast! It would be hard for Silvia to blow it though; she usually makes some good fashion choices in evening wear. (Personally I think she excells at selecting evening wear for herself and wears them very well.) The only way I think Silvia could blow it tonight for me was if she wore something for the umpteeth time, like the silver, beaded gown that she wears on the official web site.

I went back and looked more closely at the pictures of the Icelandic president (I was too distracted earlier by Victoria choosing to wear colour) and you're right: It looks like prior to meeting the Swedes at the airport Fluffo the Clown and Barbie had a conference call with her and chose to use all the make up in all their beauty totes. I guess it could've been worse: Barbie and a mime could've gotten together to work with the Icelandic president on her make up. I wonder how Victoria would look like with black triangles around her eyes? :p

... Fluffo the Clown? Didn't every little girl and boy around the world have his poster on the back of their door and kiss it good night every night and think of him as their dream man? Or was that just me?