General News about the Swedish Royal Family, Part 1: April 2015 - December 2020

[LadyFinn]

It seems that Victoria, Daniel and Estelle are with their friends, at least so far. Of course they could still be staying at the family's Villa Mirage with the rest of the family.
The king, queen, Carl Philip and Sofia
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The queen, Sofia, Victoria, Daniel and Estelle
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Today the king, queen, Victoria, Daniel and Estelle were on Polaris in Sainte-Maxime. Carl Philip was seen on the beach helping the king.
Pictures _ Getty Images
NTB Scanpix gallery

Photos, also of Carl Philip and Sofia who spent the day at the boat "Kissmi" with some friends.
Prinsens sköna semester på rivieran _ Nyheter _ Expressen

Photos, also of Carl Philip and Sofia
Här semestrar kungafamiljen _ Sommar _ Aftonbladet

The king, queen, Victoria, Daniel and Estelle
IBL Bildbyrå

Daniel and Estelle
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Photos
Ruotsin hovi luksuslomalla_ Victoria häikäisi seksikkäänä bikineissä - katso kuvat

[MagMil]

The queen , king and CP couple with Estelle
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Search for Editorial Photos - WireImage

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[polyesco]

Cute Estelle on the beach
http://i1.bstatic.de/sites/default/f...?itok=Jl2xornq

[eya]

Nothing better from summer holidays

I agree with you Anne2 but if they are like it or not the paps doing their jobs too.

[Anne2]

as usual I would prefer paps leave them alone!!!! during thier holidays!!!

[LadyFinn]

Originally Posted by Anne2

as usual I would prefer paps leave them alone!!!! during thier holidays!!!

All royals in the world know that if they go to St. Tropez, they will be photographed by paparazzis. The swedish press has told many times, that Victoria, Daniel and Madeleine don't want to spend time at the family's Villa Mirage, just because of the paparazzis. They haven't been seen there during the last years. And that is why the swedish press speculates that maybe Villa Mirage will be left to Carl Philip when the king dies because he and Sofia like to spend time there.
Maybe Victoria and Daniel decided now to spend some time with the family in the family villa despite of the paparazzis. Expressen told also that Victoria, Daniel and Estelle have spend time with their friends, H&M's ceo Karl-Johan Persson and his wife Leonie at a boat in St. Tropez.

One more photo
http://imageupper.com/i/?S0600010080...90279912372903

[HereditaryPrincess]

The photos of the family at the beach make me wonder if they went there for Estelle, as none of them (apart from little Estelle of course) seem to be too enthusiastic about the beach, and none of them are wearing swimwear. I can imagine that we have all dragged our parents to the beach when they don't feel like it as little children.

I agree with the press - I think given the fact that the rest of the SRF don't like going to Villa Mirage because of the paparazzi, and also that I read that St. Maxime is a favourite of theirs, the villa will at some point be handed over to Carl Philip and Sofia.
Whilst it would be nice if the royals could have paparazzi free holidays, that's unfortunately not possible, particularly if they are immediate members of the family. And as LadyFinn has said, St. Tropez is a famous holiday destination that attractions lots of royals and celebrities, so they have a bigger chance of being "papped" there.

[polyesco]

Very sweet photos of Estelle with her uncle Carl Philip on the beach
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estelle and Victoria
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[ANNIE_S]

Originally Posted by polyesco

Very sweet photos of Estelle with her uncle Carl Philip on the beach
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How very sweet! These two melt my heart!

[LadyFinn]

From Svensk Damtidning
Image Upper.com - Free Image Hosting - View Image
Image Upper.com - Free Image Hosting - View Image

An article in german newspaper about 49-year old Elke Wallner, a big fan of the royal family. 40 years ago she saw photos of queen Silvia, and there it started.
"They are king of like a family to me. With all the images around me, I never feel alone", says Elke Wallner.
Waiblingerin liebt das schwedische Königshaus_ Königin Silvias größter Fan - Rems-Murr-Kreis - Stuttgarter Zeitung
Translation

[LadyFinn]

Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg, the former Director of the court press department and a Marshal of the Court as the Head of Crown Princess Victoria's Household, has written a new book "Journalister är också människor" (Journalists are also human beings).
ETW wrote the book for novices, to those who are not accustomed to the media and who do not have large communication departments available. She has been interviewed about her book and she has spoken about her work at the court.

I get of course both provoked and amused by the title. How did you come to the conclusion that we are human?
- By appealing to your common humanity. When Crown Princess Victoria was only 15 years old, I remember that she got in advance a question for her interview that was something like: "Can the Crown Princess define the monarchy and explain why it is important for Sweden in the future?"
- And it was expected, that she could answer to that! I turned then to the journalist in question, who had children of the same age, and asked if he thought that they in turn could answer something like that and they of course couldn't.
- There were many who saw the royals as supernatural beings, that they lived in a different world, had other abilities, were more grown up, more resistant, all that.
By the way are royals human?
- I think I have already said it. They are that in the highest degree, and they take offense at like any other.
Surely your connection to the court has given you a sort of special status in many contexts?
- Yes, both positive and negative. Negative in the sense that I sometimes felt that I wasn't me, that I wasn't always invited to a dinner because I was considered to be a fun and friendly guest but because I represented something that the sender wanted to get in touch with via me. The positive thing is that I got to experience very many exciting things.
What has been the most exciting?
- At the risk of sacrilege: the state visit to Saudi Arabia in 1981. I had never experienced that kind of society before and never been to dinner in the tents in the desert where the royal couple were driven up in a Bentley to meet the host, Crown Prince Fahd and where real mats were widespread across the sand. I was sitting there with a bunch of press people. Desert romanticism vanished unfortunately when we heard the aircraft on the way in to land in Riyadh close above our heads.
After you left the court the king has been in a couple of controversies. If you had been there, he had not turned a page then?
- I write about it in the book too. No other king had been before in front the massive walls of the beast. I think I had tried to suggest that the press conference would have been cancelled although there would have come a lot of talk. It would have been good if he only had had time to read the so-called book first.
Do you still have contact with the royals?
- Yes, and primarily with the family at Haga.
Man är rädd för att bli hudflängd_ _ Nyheter _ Expressen
Translation

At TV4's Nyhetsmorgon ETW was asked what is her strongest memory of a meeting of a member of the royal family and media.
ETW says that Victoria was going to study French at the University of Angers. ETW was with Victoria when she enrolled to the University. There was huge media interest from the continental and Swedish media. When Victoria came out from the door to be photographed, there were a lot of photographers at the bottom the stairs, elbows were used and there was rivalry between the photographers. ETW still remembers that sight.
But there are also many very good and restful interviews of the members of the royal family, like the king’s interview due to his 50th birthday. ETW says that during her 32 years work for the royal family she never told any royal “you must say like this” if she wasn’t asked to tell what one should say, she tried to create the foundation for the royals' work. When she started at the court, the king was very accustomed with the media, the queen was quite new at the situation that she was the queen. And the queen was disappointed that the press was so interested about her clothes. The queen said: “If they were as interested in what I have in my head than they are in what I have on my head”. The members of the royal family want that the press writes about their work, not how they walk, stand or what kind of clothes they wear. Of course they are conscious of that a lot of the culture around the royal court is on traditions, clothes, furniture.
The reporter says that Victoria is very skilled on her role. What is ETW’s role in Victoria’s competence?
ETW says that Victoria had got the base from her home. And ETW had the great job to follow Victoria and support her, she had experience of almost 30 years and the king and queen thought she could help Victoria. ETW says that she has been there for Victoria, she is still there for Victoria, and anyone, who wants help from her, and she and Victoria are still in contact.
Jag finns fortfarande tillgänglig för Kronprinsessan_ - TV4 Play

[LadyFinn]

The apanage increased by 7.8 million in the budget
The grant to the royal house, called the Apanage, is increased by 7.8 million. The reason: security around the royal family needs to be strengthened.

In this year's budget it is suggested that the Royal Court gets next year SEK 135.3 million, this year the apanage was SEK 127.5 million. The increase is just over SEK 7.8 million.
Most of the increased sum is not about luxury, glamour and lavish wedding parties. Instead, it is the security that costs.
"The Government believes that the safety of the royal palaces need to be strengthened. The apanage is therefore proposed to be increased by 6.3 million from 2016, writes the Minister for Finance Magdalena Andersson in the Budget.
The Court must submit an annual report to the government every year, where it tells how the apanage is used.
Apanaget höjs med 7,8 miljoner i budgeten _ Dina Pengar _ Expressen
Translation

The court confirms to Expressen that security must be raised at the royal family's palaces and that most of the increase in Apanage will be used to it.
The king is informed about the new tougher situation:
Jan Lindman, the director of the economy at the court, confirms to Expressen that the majority, 6.3 million of the 7.8 million crowns, will be used for security:
- Yes that's right. There are around six million for increased safety. It is not just public security - but this is about the specific security missions.
Where? Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel's Haga Palace? The King and Queen's home Drottningholm Palace? Or the Royal Palace?
- We never go into what or where. It is a principle we have always had. But I can confirm that the extra money is earmarked and will be used for specific security operations, says Lindman.
Have there been any threats?
- There is nothing I know of, says Lindman.
Does the king know about the tightened security?
- The King is always well informed and oriented to the safety issues surrounding business and palaces, says Lindman.
Hovet_ Det handlar om specifika säkerhetsinsatser _ Dina Pengar _ Expressen
Translation

[Madame Verseau]

@Lady Finn - I read the article in Expressen about the extra security and the money the government is granting. I wonder if there have been threats against the SRF?

If the money is going to Sapo coverage on Sofia's apartment in South Africa or Madeleine in London, that's a problem. They are the wife of a spare and a spare herself so they normally don't get round the clock protection - unless there is a threat.

[sjetajiem]

Maybe a threat than against more Royals because in the Netherlands the amount of money for the security of the royal family (extended family included) rose also.
So I don't think that it is a special swedish problem.

Btw I think that mr. Obama's daughters are protected too even the eldest daughter, who, as I have heard, goes to college and does not live at the White House

[LauraS3514]

Originally Posted by sjetajiem

Btw I think that mr. Obama's daughters are protected too even the eldest daughter, who, as I have heard, goes to college and does not live at the White House

Malia Obama turned 17 on July 4th - she's still in high school and lives at the White House.

[sjetajiem]

OK But I am convinced that she will be protected in case she will leave the White House.
A pity we have to live in this kind of world

[JR76]

Originally Posted by sjetajiem

OK But I am convinced that she will be protected in case she will leave the White House.
A pity we have to this in this world

Children of a US president are protected by the Secret Service for as long as their parent remain in office though lately both Clinton and Bush II signed laws that extended their daughters protection for a few years after they left office.


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community mobile app

[Meraude]

Originally Posted by Madame Verseau

@Lady Finn - I read the article in Expressen about the extra security and the money the government is granting. I wonder if there have been threats against the SRF?

If the money is going to Sapo coverage on Sofia's apartment in South Africa or Madeleine in London, that's a problem. They are the wife of a spare and a spare herself so they normally don't get round the clock protection - unless there is a threat.

I doubt that SÄPO will cover Sofia's and Madeleine's security abroad, if the SRF want them protected they will have to hire private firms.

[LadyFinn]

What I find interesting is that the court took yesterday away from the calendar all the starting times of events outside the Royal Palace. There were times at many events, now there are times only at events which are at the Royal Palace.

[LadyFinn]

In Norway Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit have been criticized after they have refused to tell who has financed their luxury vacation this summer in the Mediterranean.
Now various politicians and other people demand for more transparency also in Sweden.
What is still lacking is who of the family makes the costs and Hillevi Larsson (S), former chairman of the Republican Association, has made a motion to the parliament and demanded that the royal family should be covered by the principle of publicity:
- The royal family is part of the public and therefore should then also money be accounted for, it is a lot of money. After a parliamentary decision was made in 2011 the reporting improved slightly. Earlier it was just a black hole, but today it is a scant recognition. It would be to their own advantage to be more open. Should there be any questions, they can straighten out any issues. There is no reason why the royal family shall be exempt from the rules that apply to all other public activities.
Hillevi Larsson is critical that the royal family wants more money from taxpayers, but does not want to present the costs to any great extent:
- They often ask for more money in the Apanage. It becomes very difficult to say that they need more money if you do not know what they use the money for. Today, the argument falls quite flat.
The king himself has clearly made it clear where he stands in the debate on transparency. Asked by SVT if he has something against openness, he replied:
- No, but maybe not like one have to know how many sausages I have bought the day before yesterday, and so on, but it will probably not go to that in the future either, I think.
Jan Lindman, the Keeper of the Privy Purse and Manager of the Economy at the court:
- I think today we have a transparent view of our operations. In our agreement, we have a statement and balance sheet.
Many think there should be greater transparency, and that the royal family would be covered by the principle of publicity?
- We are transparent, but the principle of publicity does not apply to us. We are so public that we have agreed with the government and the parliament, and we follow the agreement, says Jan Lindman.
Kravet_ Öppna dörren till kungahuset _ Dokument _ Expressen
Translation