Swedish Royal Family, Current Events Part 2: December 2004 - December 2005

[Yennie]

The Kings statement about Pope Johannes Paulus II

http://www.royalcourt.se/aktuellt/aktuelltarkiv/5.19ae4931022afdcff3800010164.html

 

[GrandDuchess]

Translation of The King's statement upon The Pope's death (I hope there will be an official English transaltion later on, this is my translation):

Statement by H.M. The King after the notice of The Pope John Paul II’s passing

It is with joy and gratitude the Queen and I remember our many meetings with John Paul II.

He was a charismatic person whose eyes shone of human warmth and goodness.

As a Pole, Karyl Wojtyla was well familiar with Sweden and our long common history with Poland. He admired the Holy Birgitta very much, and in 1999 he appointed her as one of Europe’s patron saints. In connection with his visit to Sweden in June 1989 he, among things, visited Vadstena.

Me and my family’s return visit to the Vatican in May 1991 became an unforgettable memory for all five of us.

 

[GrandDuchess]

The Prince & Princess of Asturias in Stockholm today, here as guests at the Royal Palace where King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia hosted a luncheon. Present at the luncheon were also Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Lilian (and according to the calendar also Princess Christina). All but the last mentioned are in this picture that comes from the website of the Royal Court:

 

[Lena]

Felipe is visiting Lilliput Nice picture, GrandDuchess. T4p (as yennie would say). Hm, I´ve thought Letizia is 1,67 or 1,68 m tall. I know that Silvia is about 1,63 and here Letizia looks hardly (1-2cm) taller than her.

 

[GrandDuchess]

The Prince & Princess of Asturias in Stockholm today, here as guests at the Royal Palace where King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia hosted a luncheon. Present at the luncheon were also Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Lilian (and according to the calendar also Princess Christina). Pictures from Fotomarktplatz:

 

[GrandDuchess]

The Prince & Princess of Asturias in Stockholm today, here as guests at the Royal Palace where King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia hosted a luncheon. Present at the luncheon were also Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Lilian (and according to the calendar also Princess Christina). Pictures from Colourpress:

 

[GrandDuchess]

The Prince & Princess of Asturias in Stockholm today, here as guests at the Royal Palace where King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia hosted a luncheon. Present at the luncheon were also Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Lilian (and according to the calendar also Princess Christina). Pictures from Colourpress:

 

[Alisa]

Thanks for all the pictures. Princess Lilian looks great, I love soft pink color.

How cold is it in Sweden now? Letizia look unusual wearing such a warm coat inside the Palace.

I like Crown Princess's outfit. She looks fantastic in red and black.Queen Silvia's outfit looked a size too big, especially in the sleeves.

 

[Emil]

It was quite cold in Stockholm today around +5 C.

 

[Yennie]

It was quite cold in Stockholm today around +5 C.

what?! just 5 degrees? poor you Here in the south we have around 10-15. But no sun today...

But April is a very varied(?) month. Some years its hot and some years its snowing. I read in an article about the Kings birthday, that some years he and his family could wear summer clothes and some years it was snowing and they had to wear winter clothes.

 

[Gita]

Weather

Over here in Britain it is cold, it has been like this for two weeks now.

During January, February and March we had mild sunny weather, which was one of the mildest winters on record but as soon as April arrived we started to get cold winter weather and it is supposed to be the spring!

 

[GrandDuchess]

From TV4:



He is a "Royal Purveyor" of driving licences. Jan Alexandersson has helped both Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine to take their driving licences.

It started with him driving with Crown Princess Victoria on Öland before she were to take her licence. When it was little sister Madeleine's turn, she also wanted help from Jan "Alex" Alexandersson.

- It was fun to get that job, but it was nothing I could talk about. But the journalists started to call me after they had seen my car next to the King's at Solliden, he says.

So you became a celebrity driving teacher?
- Yes. At home I was already a local celebrity, but then the national media also started to get in touch. It's okay as long as they write what you say, but often they just make up things...

How were the Princesses as drivers?
- Well, they were totally normal and good. Nice. What do you want me to answer to that?...

Was there anything they had a difficult time with? Parking between cars ("pocket parking")?
- No, not really. Madeleine had horses so she's used to driving trailers with them. So she was good.

Princess Madeleine attended her theory education on distance tuition at Jan's driving school in Karlskrona and she practiced driving in Kalmar. That was also where she took the driving part of the licence.
- She could practice with her bodyguards inside the Solliden area, so that helped for her.

 

[Lena]

Was there anything they had a difficult time with? Parking between cars ("pocket parking")?
- No, not really. Madeleine had horses so she's used to driving trailers with them. So she was good.

Thank you, GrandDuchess. Interesting information. How is it possible to be used to drive with trailers, when you don´t have the driver´s license.

 

[Yennie]

How is it possible to be used to drive with trailers, when you don´t have the driver´s license.

Perhaps she did it on private property. Many young people who lives on big estates drives before its legal.
Remember Solliden is quite big. Its 1 kilometers from the Palace to the beach, perhaps she´s lazy

 

[Lena]

Remember Solliden is quite big. Its 1 kilometers from the Palace to the beach, perhaps she´s lazy

Wow, 1km?! It looks all smaller in the pics. So when Victoria & Daniel really live in the beach house, when they are at Solliden, then they are quite alone there. What a difference it must be, when they spend a few days in the home of Daniel´s family in Ockelbo.
Well, probably I just wanted to hear, that she drove illegal. I did the same My grandparents live completely on the countryside...and I guess policemen cross the streets there only every 3 years or so. My mother started to drive there with the car of her dad at 12...and I followed her "foot steps"

 

[GrandDuchess]

According to my information, there will be 2 more incoming state visits to Sweden this year. After the first State Visit from Latvia in March, the second one will be in May and will be from Brazil, and the third one will come in September.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Thanks lot GrandDuchess.I think in Sept,is it the State Visit of TM King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway to Sweden?

 

[Gita]

Royal duties

No royal duties for Prince Carl Philip or Princess Madeleine. I guess we will see more of them in a few weeks time.

What is Prince Carl Philip doing now? Is he studying at College/University?

 

[GrandDuchess]

Neither Prince Carl Philip nor Princess Madeleine perform many official engagements on behalf of the Royal Family at the moment, since both of them are studying full time. Prince Carl Philip is studying graphic design. They only take on a few things per year, mainly at big state events - like banquets and dinners, state visits and the Nobel week.

 

[Lena]

Neither Prince Carl Philip nor Princess Madeleine perform many official engagements on behalf of the Royal Family at the moment, since both of them are studying full time. Prince Carl Philip is studying graphic design. They only take on a few things per year, mainly at big state events - like banquets and dinners, state visits and the Nobel week.

Yes, it´s surely hard to plan things, when you don´t know for sure, which tests you have a few months later. But I though guess it´s also some kind of excuse for them. To be the center of attention 3 times a year is nice, but to be it every second week is probably a bit boring.
I say "excuse", because I think of the many full time students, who additionally have to work to finance their lives...so why should it be then impossible for Carl Philip and Madeleine to perform more often duties in the afternoons, evenings, weekends or holidays (?)

 

[mixer2002de]

Hell why should they?
Would you like a Family of nerdy couc potatoes like the Windsors?

 

[Lena]

The Royal Family's Current Events - Part 4 (May - December 2005)

Here you can discuss the latest news on the Swedish Royal family (as a whole). To read in the old thread go to:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=212498#post212498

 

[Lena]

I fear I don´t get your comment, Mixer. One can hardly call the Windsors couch potatoes.
Maybe you can explain it to me in the next thread. It´s time to close. Thanks to all, who have participated.
The new thread:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=212497#post212497

 

[mixer2002de]

Hey Lena. My comment targeted to the fact that in Britain they have a lot of royals which do not much besides representing. Keeping it down to the center of the Family
Monarch and spouse and crownprince/crownprincess and his/jer spouse is enough. The rest of the family can/should go working. Just in the cas that something extraordinary happens crownprince/crownprincess do not have any children or die by accident or soemthing else they can get back again. Why should they wait all their life that something like that happens?

 

[Josefine]

no fun activities this week


Ball Of The Order Of Innocence will be held november 2005
do you think we will see any royals there

 

[mixer2002de]

Vicktoria has one week or two weeks off does anybody know?

 

[Larzen]

Thanks for always updating us on the swedish royals agenda.

Its been a slow week so looking forward to theese engagements, wonder what black outfits Victoria has in store for us

Queen Sonja will also attend the Astrid exhibition

 

[Dennism]

> H.M. The King
Opening of the Gärstad Warming Power Plant (?)
Linköping, Östergötland County

It must be a new part of the plant because they have had one there since 1964. It´s a heat and power plant. It collects waste(general trash) from throughout southern Sweden and uses that to create energy. Maybe it´s a new waste-incineration plant perhaps at the site. We shall see.

"Its been a slow week so looking forward to theese engagements, wonder what black outfits Victoria has in store for us"

Ouch. Aren´t you just tempting the Gods a little too much now?

 

[GrandDuchess]

Mainau yesterday Saturday 21 May 2005:
Yesterday the King and Queen attended a bust unveiling and a memorial concert for the late Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg at the home of the Bernadotte of Wisborg family on the Island of Mainau. His whole family plus a lot of European dignitaries and celebrities were invited.

From Seegerpress, part 1:
1: Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein, 2: Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg & husband Philipp Haug, 3: Countess Bettina, Comtesse Catherina & Countess Diana Bernadotte af Wisborg, 4: Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, 5: Count Björn Bernadotte af Wisborg, 6: King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia, 7: King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg and husband Philipp Haug, 8: King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia, 9: King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia, 10: King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia

 

[GrandDuchess]

Mainau yesterday Saturday 21 May 2005:
Yesterday the King and Queen attended a bust unveiling and a memorial concert for the late Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg at the home of the Bernadotte of Wisborg family on the Island of Mainau. His whole family plus a lot of European dignitaries and celebrities were invited.

From Seegerpress, part 2:
1: King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia, 2: King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia, 3: King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia, 4: Comtesse Catherina Bernadotte af Wisborg & friend, 5: Count Lennart memorial bust, 6: Count Lennart memorial bust, 7: Count Lennart memorial bust, 8: Count Lennart memorial bust, 9: Countess Diana Bernadotte af Wisborg, 10: Countess Sonja, Count Christian, Countess Bettina & Comtesse Catherina Bernadotte af Wisborg