The Staff and Court of the Royal Family

[robby86]

Name: Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg
Background: Top student. A BA from an American college in international relations.

Do you know what college?

Who were/are the Haga princesses?

 

[Lena]

As We do Lena

Yes, but with the difference that you and me aren´t an "extra-pappa" or "extra-mamma" for Victoria, and that we don´t drink coffee with her, and that we don´t fix Victoria´s zip. So ETW surely has more insider-knowledge We just know, what we guess

Who were/are the Haga princesses?

That are king Carl Gustaf´s 4 sisters, who grew up in Haga castle (near Stockholm). For more infos: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41

 

[GrandDuchess]

Do you know what college?

As you can read in my earlier post ("ETW - Facts 2004", further down this page), I'm not completely sure about which college it was - all I'm sure of is that it was an all-girls college - and I think it was Barnard. I have Barnard in my head, but I'm not 100% sure.

And what will they do exactly?

It's hard to fully characterice an Aide-de-Camp - but it's basically a personal aide/assistant to the royal. They are to be at the assistance in the performance of their duties, and to provide assistance so that everything runs smoothly.

--
As I reported in this thread a few post below, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Carl Philip have been appointed a few Aide-de-Camps, to work for the recently established Crown Princess Household.

Here is a picture where we can see one of Victoria's new Aide-de-Camps, Major Åsa Blomberg Trolle (taken in Linköping today):

 

[GrandDuchess]

Second pic of one of the new Aide-de-Camps, with a small chat

From Östgöta Correspondenten:

Hello there, Åsa Blomberg-Trolle!

On Friday, Crown Princess Victoria opens a diabetes research centre at the University Hospital. Åsa Blomberg-Trolle from Linköping, at the same time makes her debut as the Princess’ Aide-de-Camp.

What do you do as the Aide-de-Camp at the Crown Princess’ visits?
- I keep track of the schedule in to the smallest detail. I am to be at hand at all times and the Princess has to be able to ask me about all things concerning the visit in question.

How do you become an Aide-de-Camp?
- By tradition, The King’s Aide-de-Camps have a military education. I’m a major and have among things worked as the head of a platoon, and a military company, and have attended a leader education. We are three Aide-de-Camps who have been asked by the Defence, and have gone through many interviews. The last one was held with The Queen and the Princess herself.

And it went well?
- Yes. It’s important that the personal chemistry works, and that you can have confidence in each other.

What would you like to show Crown Princess Victoria in your old hometown Linköping if the days schedule was not so full?
- The cathedral is beautiful and has a long history. I think I’d like to show it to the Princess.

 

[GrandDuchess]

The Royal Head Chef –Werner Vögeli

Werner Vögeli's love for food grew already at an early age in the village of the region Emmenthal in Switzerland that he grew up in. He got the best start a chef can have as he got to experience the best ingredients from the start; fresh milk and cream from the cows, newly made flour, meat and vegetables from the farms around. At the age of 9, he began working at a local tavern and when he was 16 he moved away from home to work as a chef student in Geneva. After that he worked in many luxury hotels in Geneva and restaurants in France.

Then he came to Sweden in 1951, without knowing a word of Swedish - but determined to become a great chef as he and Tore Wretman began working together at Grand Hôtel. And indeed they both succeeded by far, Werner and the late Tore Wretman were the ones who together developed the culinary education and put Sweden on the culinary map - and with time Sweden developed into the super power it is today in the world of food. Werner is today one of the country’s most beloved chefs; he has written many books and is often on TV.

In 1961 he was appointed a cook for the Royal Court, in 1972 he became a Royal Chef and in 1977 he was appointed to the highest honour – the Royal Head Chef.

In 1977, he was one of the founders of “Le Club des Chefs des Chefs d’Etat” – an exclusive club for all the head chefs of the world’s heads of states. He was the Chairman of that club from 1988-1993, and is since then the Honorary President. The club’s motto is “Politics divides men, but a good meal unites them”.

In 1980 he received HM The King’s medal of the 8th size in a blue ribbon. In 2002, he became an Honorary Doctor at Umeå University.

Birth date: 2 January 1930.
Family: Wife Ingrid, kids Roland, Yvonne and Johan. Five grandchildren.
Lives: Stockholm.
Occupation: Chef, writer (7, soon 8, books) & the Royal Head Chef

 

[davo]

Grevinnan Alice Trolle-Wachtmeister - orders decorations and medals.

Hi,

read the interview with the countess on page 1 of this thread - then grabbed my 2001 Adelskalendar off the bookshelf to read the list of her orders and decorations.

I came across this photo from the 2004 Nobel Banquet. In it you can see the Countess wearing the King's Medal in the 12th size with chain (Well you can see the chain at least!)

I assume that the badge/brooch with the serafimerorden bow on her left is her badge as mistress of the robes.

You can also see under this the miniture of the LVO with the green ribbon in a bow on her dress. (I assume if Swedish State orders were still being awarded to Swedes then by now she would have received the Grand Cross, her LVO was pre-1975.)

And this is where is where I think the ban of Swedes receiving swedish orders is silly. She's wearing the broad riband of a foreign order. (It's ok to receive these... and many as possible. But not one from your own country. Ironic as this was the reason that the swedish orders were established. Swedes - even/especially the King - were receiving them and were wearing them when there were none of their own to wear.) So which order is she wearing? I'd say it could be the Finnish order of the white rose.

The AdelsKalendar also reveals that HKH Prinsessan Lilian Hertiginna av Halland's Hovmarskalk Elisabeth Palmstierna has the King's Medal is the 12 size with the Seraphim order ribbon.

Does anyone know which grade of the king's medal Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg has?

I'd be grateful if anyone could post here has any photos they have of the ladies in waiting or even the Courtmarshall's wearing any orders or medals that have been awarded as part of their work.

Thanks in advance

David

 

[Cissan]

Etw

Yesterday someone told me that ETW was one of the missing persons in South East Asia. I thought that I should have heard that if it was true.

However, I just wanted to ask you if you have heard this rumour or if it's total nonsense. Has ETW been seen in the press lately?

 

[Yennie]

I haven´t heard anything about that...
I think that if that was true, swedish magazine would have written about it, just like they have written about other celebrities who was in Thailand at the time of the tsunami

so..no, not true

an answer to the question above

New pictures of ETW, taken in January 2005, outside the royal palace

 

[Lena]

Thanks for the pictures, Yennie. Interesting how she´s posing for the press...like a model

 

[Josefine]

polfoto also have that photo with the text

POLFOTO 15.10.2004 The head of Crown Princess Victoria«s (H.R.H the Dutchess of Halland) household and the the Crown Princess Marshal ElisabethTarras-Wahlberg outside the Stockholm Castle in the center of Stockholm.

 

[GrandDuchess]

POLFOTO 15.10.2004 The head of Crown Princess Victoria«s (H.R.H the Dutchess of Halland) household and the the Crown Princess Marshal ElisabethTarras-Wahlberg outside the Stockholm Castle in the center of Stockholm.

The person at Polfoto who wrote that text to the pic clearly does not know how to express him/her self in English....

Does anyone know which grade of the king's medal Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg has?

Court Marshall Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg holds H.M. The King’s Medal in the 12th size with the Ribbon of the Order of the Seraphime. She was bestowed with it in 2001.

 

[Lena]

A few more of the grand dame of "good taste" (source: mingel.se)

 

[Yennie]

The head of Crown Princess Victoria«s (H.R.H the Dutchess of Halland)

haha, what is this Victoria has never been the duchess of Halland. That would be princess Lilian and Elisabeth never worked for her?!

 

[Josefine]

It seems as The Crown Princess' Household is already beginning to to create its shape and form, as new appointments has been announced. SvD today reports that the following appointments to H.R.H. The Crown Princess' Household has been made...

Aide-de-Camp's to work for Crown Princess Victoria:
Major Åsa Blomberg Trolle - from the army
Major Iréne Engstrand - from the navy
Major Ingrid von Knorring - from the air force

Aide-de-Camp's to work for Prince Carl Philip:
Major Claes Deshayes - from the navy
Major Daniel Ottosson - from the navy

nothing for madeleine


and nothing about the crown princess household at the webbsite
http://www.royalcourt.se/organisationochekonomi/kungligahovstaternasorganisation/stathallarambetet.4.53abbbfd7ffdfa677fff7725.html

 

[GrandDuchess]

nothing for madeleine
and nothing about the crown princess household at the webbsite

That's because the Royal Court's website is lousy!

 

[rop81]

(With a title I can’t translate, cause it’s so Swedish with a long heritage) Lennart Ahlgren:

What is his title in Swedish?

 

[Dennism]

What is his title in Swedish?

More information on Lennart:

[size=-1] PhD of Engineering.

Former positions: Assidomän AB - CEO, Domän AB - CEO, Korsnäs AB - CEO, Halmstads Järnverk - CEO.

Board memberships: Chairman of Wood Technology (Foundation of Strategic Research, SSF), Center of Process control and Design (SSF) and Världsnaturfonden, WWF. Member of INGKA Holding BV and IKEA International A/S, Powerit AB, Pronyx AB, Advisory Board Deloitte&Touche.

Others: Honory Doctor - Lund University, Member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Science, Member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry


As for the title, I think it was ståthällare which translates in my dictionary as "governor" but I guess there´s another title of which I am unaware. Maybe it´s translates as "estate manager" or "person in charge of royal buildings, grounds and gardens."
[/size]

 

[GrandDuchess]

What is his title in Swedish?

As Dennism said, his title is Ståthållare. I've know edited my post and placed the title "Governor of the Royal Palaces" on him, I believe this might be correct.

 

[Yennie]

Today Expressen had three articles about Victorias new "adjutanter", royal aides

Seems like they all comes from the military and all lives in the Stockholm area. And they seems to like Victoria:

"Its nice to work with someone (Victoria) who´s so interested in what she´s doing"
"Victoria is a fantastic person. Nice, friendly and natural"
"She´s relaxed and always in high spirits"

http://www.expressen.se/index.jsp?a=281465

http://www.expressen.se/expressen/jsp/polopoly.jsp?a=281467

http://www.expressen.se/expressen/jsp/polopoly.jsp?a=281470

"unlike the lady-in waiting, the aide never curtsy

 

[GrandDuchess]

Today Expressen had three articles about Victorias new "adjutanter", royal aides

Aide-de-Camp is the correct title

Seems like they all comes from the military and all lives in the Stockholm area. And they seems to like Victoria:

That's the whole point of Aide-de-Camps - they're all high militaries...

 

[GrandDuchess]

Translated article (by me) from Expressen:

They keep check on Victoria

Successful and used to take command. But as the Crown Princess’ newly appointed Aide-de-Camps, they will work in the silence.
- It’s new to us all, but I’m sure it will be fine, says Victoria to Expressen.

You recognize them by the “ägiljätten”. It is called that way, the golden ribbon that the Aide-de-Camps – the Crown Princess’ assistants – carry on their shoulders. Since October last year, there are female Aide-de-Camps at the Court, for the first time in the history of Sweden - three to be more precise. Lieutenant-Colonel Iréne Clément from the Marine and Majors Åsa Blomberg-Trolle and Ingrid von Knorring from the Army and the Air Force.

The King has twelve Aide-de-Camps
Mother the Queen keeps herself with three Ladies-in-Waiting, while father the King has twelve Aide-de-Camps that serve one month each per year.
- It was the Crown Princess who decided to try the model with Aide-de-Camps. It’s not secret that she takes an interest in the Defence, and this is a way to note women within it, says Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg.

The process to get three names among the 76 female officers with at least the rank of Major began already in the fall of 2003.
- We wrote to the Defence to get a suggestion for suitable candidates. Then the Court’s staff made a fist assessment and picked out the officers that the King, Queen and Crown Princess hag longer conversations with, says Frank Rosenius, the King’s Chief of Staff.

Ingrid von Knorring remember the “interview”:
- If I say I wasn’t nervous, I would lie. It was really surreal to speak about myself and answer questions that the Royal Family had, she says.

Unlike the Ladies-in-Waitings who are often born in noble families or are friends of the Royal Couple, the Aide-de-Camps belong to the relatively small group or “normal people” that get real close to the Royal Family.
- I try to watch the Crown Princess to read what she wants. It’s useful to be a shadow to Tarras-Wahlberg who has such an experience in these things, says Ingrid von Knorring.

Follows everywhere
So far Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg comes along to nearly all the assignments the Crown Princess has. The three Aide-de-Camps have so far attended one occasion a month.
- But on a longer term, we hope that the Aide-de-Camps will take some workload off of me so I can devote more time to the planning, says the Court Marshall.

- The goal is that the Crown Princess should feel safe and have a good back up. We should create conditions for her and make sure her work flows, says Åsa Blomberg-Trolle.

 

[GrandDuchess]

Translated article (by me) from Expressen:

Always two steps behind the Crown Princess

GOTHENBURG. Always ready, two steps behind the Crown Princess.
- It’s about being a support and to keep an eye on the programme, says Aide-de-Camp Iréne Clément.

Hundreds of middle school students are crowding to get a picture of the Crown Princess with their camera cell phones. Victoria, who is guided around the Science Festival’s experiment workshop at Hissingen, receives maracas made of bottle caps, hearts and gliders out of wellpapp. She discretely hands them over to Lieutenant-Colonel Iréne Clément, who catches a glimpse on the watch.
- Where should we go now? Asks Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg in the same second as Iréne is notified that the SÄPO cars have arrived, and she loads the gifts into the trunk.

Always on the move
Early this morning, Iréne, who had spent the night in the guest room at Drottningholm after yesterday’s trip to Treriksröset, together with the Crown Princess and Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg went to Arlanda International Airport, for transportation to Landvetter Airport (Gothenburg).

Now they continue on the mall Nordstan, where Victoria opens “24 hours of design” and wards prizes to inventive students. Scientists and representatives have questions that the Aide-de-Camps answers, but the eye is not taken off the Crown Princess.

Private lunch
After a private lunch at Börsen, where Iréne had checked in good time that there would be a place for the Crown Princess to be a bit private, they move on the Nordic Museum of Watercolour Painting.
- This is going to be very interesting, Iréne states, who paints watercolours herself.

Loads of gifts
Guess if Victoria gets many drawings when she peeks into the room where 4th graders Emma Måneskiöld and Ferdinand Forsman are having drawing lessons?

Iréne puts the works of art to dry while the Crown Princess goes on to ask about the school children’s choice of colours and motif.

 

[Yennie]

Aide-de-Camp is the correct title

That's the whole point of Aide-de-Camps - they're all high militaries...

why is that? Historical ok, but nowadays I dont see the reason why they has to be militaries...

 

[Lena]

What I´ve read out, Victoria has no ladies in waiting with her at official duties. Hmm. While I can see, that a crown princess with the prospect of becoming a reigning queen should have aide-de-camps and a court marshall, I think some elegant dressed ladies in waiting would make a nice difference.
For me those aide-de-camps are more or less a copy of "androgynous" Victoria.
At least one lady in Victoria´s "entourage" (Victoria included) should look like one

 

[GrandDuchess]

This is what the Aide-de-Camps do:

# Keeps a check on the program/schedule
# Finds out facts about people, companies and organisations he/she visits
# Keeps in contact with SÄPO (the security police) during the events
# Works as a link between the organisers and the royal
# Makes sure the royal gets in contact with those he/she wants to speak with
# Answers the organisers general questions about the royal
# Helps her carry gifts and keeps track of who has given what
# Attends to overcoats, bags/handbags and flowers

General info on Aide-de-Camps at the Court:

The King has twelve Aide-de-Camps that are practically with him twenty-four hours a day, one month each per year. Prince Carl Philip has two, they serve when there is need for them. On 1 October 2004, Sweden got the first female Aide-de-Camps at the Court, ever, as the Crown Princess appointed them. Victoria’s Aide-de-Camps go along when they are needed for official assignments. They are employed by the Defence and will be needed approximately 30 days per year for the Crown Princess.

To become an Aide-de-Camp for the King, one must have the grade of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Defence, which means that King Carl XVI Gustaf has 1 231 male officers to choose from. On the female side there are only 76, even if the grad requirement was lowered to Major.

Unlike the Ladies-in-Waiting, the Aide-de-Camps don’t curtsy to the Royal Family.

Crown Princess Victoria's Aide-de-Camps:

Iréne Clément, 42, Lieutenant-Colonel (the Marine)
On Victoria: “She is relaxed and happy. Doesn’t sit on any high horses, but is herself. Funny. Radiates kindness and genuine interest”

Åsa Blomberg-Trolle, 42, Major (the Army)
On Victoria: “It’s a challenge to become an Aide-de-Camp. The Crown Princess is a fantastic person: nice, kind and natural. She is dignified, without being stiff”

Ingrid von Knorring, 43, Major (the Air Force)
On Victoria: “It’s fun to work with a person who is so appreciated. She is very professional in her job and I am fascinated by how much she can take. Caring and funny

 

[Larzen]

Well ETW (still a woman) is always in her entorage but she does not really add much femininity, she might aswell be from the army...


The Queens Ladys in waiting never seem very prominent to me, not like the danish which you see in almost every other picture..

 

[GrandDuchess]

why is that? Historical ok, but nowadays I dont see the reason why they has to be militaries...

All titles at Court carry a history, and the whole point of an Aide-de-Camp have always been that it is a high military and that the person have some special assignments for the Court and the royal he (and now she) is working for. Most Courts in Europe have chosen to keep some sort of structure with old titles, and with it follows a work description. For me it's part of the charm with the Courts and royalty.

And now Victoria seems to have chosen that she wants Aide-de-Camps for herself, and not Ladies-in-Waitings (at least for the time being, who knows about the future). And I guess because she somehow prefers it this way.

If she didn't want to have Aide-de-Camps but normal assistants, her Household could have just employed normal people and give them the title "assistant". But this is not the case now.

 

[Lena]

Well ETW (still a woman) is always in her entorage but she does not really add much femininity, she might aswell be from the army...

good one.

And now Victoria seems to have chosen that she wants Aide-de-Camps for herself, and not Ladies-in-Waitings (at least for the time being, who knows about the future). And I guess because she somehow prefers it this way.

Yes, Victoria has chosen this model. But she has also chosen to wear a ponytail
I appreciate her efforts to make a difference to the crown princesses, who just married a crown prince (now she has even chosen not to become pregnant in 2005 ), but I really really (and said I already "really"?) hope, she doesn´t forget completely to point out her feminine side.

 

[Larzen]

Only Maxima (a older scary IMO looking woman) and Mary (The classy countess) has a lady in waiting. Mette-Marit has a man, Haakons former Aide de Campe and he just wears a regular suit. Letizia has not done anything by herself yet, but I belive the Queen and Infantas just go with a secretary\assistant, and Im not sure who accompanies Mathilde but it is not a lady in waiting...

 

[Lena]

Only Maxima (a older scary IMO looking woman) and Mary (The classy countess) has a lady in waiting. Mette-Marit has a man, Haakons former Aide de Campe and he just wears a regular suit. Letizia has not done anything by herself yet, but I belive the Queen and Infantas just go with a secretary\assistant, and Im not sure who accompanies Mathilde but it is not a lady in waiting...

Thank you for the informations. Though it seems an exception to have one nowadays, I wish they and most of all Victoria would have ladies in waiting. In former times they were common practice. Actually I don´t care much for such traditions (and don´t almost faint out of joy...like GrandDuchess, when she finds out a new detail about a parade or the organisation of the court ) but I a) like to watch such things and b) it makes me regularly angry to watch Royals, who take them out, what they want and at the same time they insist on privileges, special titles etc.
BTW I would say cp Mary had really luck with "the classy countess" Victoria Bernstorff-Gyldensteen-that´s how I imagine a lady in waiting.