State Visit from Latvia to Sweden: March 31-April 1, 2005


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GrandDuchess

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Here's a thread to post articles, pictures and everything else you can find in connection with the Latvian State Visit to Sweden from Thursday 31/3 to Friday 1/4 2005!
 
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Translation of information issued by the Royal Court today:

The President of Latvia, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, arrived to Stockholm on Thursday for a two-day long State Visit at the invitation of His Majesty the King. The President is accompanied by her husband, Professor Imants Freibergs.

The President was received at Arlanda Airport by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria and they then continued with a ride by car to the Royal Mews. There the President was welcomed by Their Majesties the King and Queen. After a cortège by horse carriages through Stockholm, an official welcoming ceremony took place at the Inner Courtyard of the Royal Palace of Stockholm, after which the King and Queen hosted a private luncheon in Princess Sibylla’s Apartment. Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Lilian, Princess Desiree Baroness Silfverschiöld and husband Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld and the President’s son Kárlis Freibergs and the President’s daughter Indra Freiberga also attended the luncheon.

This afternoon the President will meet the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr. Björn von Sydow, and Prime Minister Göran Persson. The meeting will finish with a press conference.

Later in the day, President Freibergs and her husband will visit the Museum of Modern Art together with the King and Queen.

On Thursday evening, the King and Queen will hosts a gala dinner in the Royal Apartments at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. The Royal Family will also be represented by Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Madeleine, Princess Lilian and Princess Désirée Baroness Silfverschiöld.
 

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Summary of an Aftonbladet article:

At lunchtime when everyone was preparing for the welcoming ceremony for the President, an little “accident” happened.

Queen Silvia and the husband of the President of Latvia, Professor Imants Freiberg, were arriving in the same carriage (a kalesch à la d’Aumont with 4 houses) to the Royal Palace – when suddenly one of the horses fell to the ground. The woman from the Royal Mews riding the horse could’ve been injured, but is believed to be fine – as she right after it returned with the horse to the stables.

There was a moment of panic, and the Queen looked shocked – but everything went fine, thank god. When the Queen went inside to host the luncheon together with the King, she looked as her usual self and everything continued as normal.
 

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Pictures from the Royal Court (Pressens Bild):

1: The President of Latvia and the King inspects the Honour Guards at the Inner Court Yard
2: From the photo call in the Large Guest Apartments: The Queen, Professor Imants Freibergs, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, The King
3: From the photo call in the Large Guest Apartments: The Crown Princess, the President's son and advisor Kárlis Freibergs, The Queen, Professor Imants Freibergs, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, The King, Princess Lilian, the President's daughter Indra Freibergs (head of the Latvian Development Office in London
4: The Swedish Air Foce welcoming the President and entourage at Arlanda Airport
 

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Thanks for the pictures. It's great to see Princess Lilian out. She is the best dressed royal lady there in my opinion...:)
 
Wow, the Royal court had the photos firstly. Maybe my satire on it, was a little bit mean then ;)

I agree, Lilian looks best! I don´t like Silvia´s fur hat. And not just because it´s out of fur.
I like the colour of Victoria´s (what is it...a coat...or a jacket and a skirt??) style, but I´m not sure about the cut. It would rather fit to a pregnant woman.

It seems the Freiberga-clan see themselves as family business. And not just the mother and wife does (as president) all the work.
 
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Thank you for the Pictures Grandduchess. Lilian looks sweet and wonderfully dressed as always. Victoria looks mumsy, the colour is good for her though, but to shiny for my taste
 
In connection with the start of the State Visit, the King and Queen have presented the following gifts to their guests:

For the President, Mrs Vaira Vike-Freiberga:

* A vase of glass, “Crocus 2”, frmed by Hanne Dreutler-Zirnsack at Studio Glashyttan in Åhus

* An official portrait of Their Majesties The King and Queen

* A large book work about Sweden “True North – The Grand Landscapes of Sweden”, by Tommy Hammarström and Per Wästberg, photographer Tore Hagman

To Professor Imants Freibergs:

* A hand coloured lithograph from 1860, showing the Royal Palace from Skeppsholmen

Menu for the luncheon hosted by the King and Queen at the Royal Palace today, after the official welcoming ceremony:

Cold smoked salmon with trout roe and pumpernickel, grouse chop with savoy cabbage and truffle, lingonberry and vinegar gravy, early spring produce and pommes Pont Neuf, and for dessert chocolate bavaroise in coconut chips with vanilla foam.

--

I agree with you all, Princess Lilian looks best! She's always so stylish!

I don't like the Queen's hat either, it looks very strange...!

And Crown Princess Victoria's ensemble... Well, what can one say - it looks like something suitable for a 40 or 50 year old, or something for a pregnant woman... Only the colour is good with it.
 
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oh, poor woman. Its not nice to have a horse on you, trust me :)
glad no one got hurt.

I love that colouron Victoria, but whats with the hat?! To big imo...
wonder what they will wear tonight... Madeleine will be there right?
 
Yennie said:
wonder what they will wear tonight... Madeleine will be there right?

Yes...and it will be the first "fashion duel" between the sisters since we know the "new styled Victoria"
 
Well it was the old style Victoria for the reception, maybe Madeleine will wear her Nobel gown:D

Vg also has the same story about the accident (Copied from Aftonbladet;) )


Here is the picture
 

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is it commen to have grown children with them on a state visit abroud
i know royals have becouse the heir have some of scholling

a few more


http://search.fotomarktplatz.de/
 

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maybe Madeleine will wear her Nobel gown:D

I had the same idea...maybe she´s thinking, that she has to use "heavy ordnance"...now after she has gotten concurrence ;) Hopefully Victoria´s new style wasn´t just a thing, she has done for swedish style for the time in Oz :confused:

More of little red riding hood. I must say in close-up pictures the coat doesn´t look as bad as in the first picture. But I would still say, that it needs a better tighter cut (Pictures are from Fotomarktplatz):
 

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Various pictures from Fotomarktplatz:
 

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Lena said:
More of little red riding hood. I must say in close-up pictures the coat doesn´t look as bad as in the first picture. But I would still say, that it needs a better tighter cut (Pictures are from Fotomarktplatz):

Hehe..little red riding hood..lol. While the Crown Princess looks lovely in bright and vibrant red color.The coat is terrible cut and doesn't suit her. It is more fitting for an expecting woman.Her shoes are also thick and clunky, which just gives an overall matronly look.

And here I was optimistic about a younger more fresher style from the Crown Princess after her sensational Australian visit.:confused:
 
This evening the King and Queen hosted a Gala Dinner at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, the official State Banquet for their guests during the State Visit from Latvia. Besides the King and Queen, the Royal Family was also be represented by Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Madeleine, Princess Lilian and Princess Désirée Baroness Silfverschiöld with husband Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld.

The menu consisted of white asparagus soup, fried char with caramelised fennel and red wine sauce with root beets, whole baked veal filet with morel sauce, and for dessert Litchi sorbet with exotic fruits and sesame wafers.

The King led the President Vaira Vike-Freibergs to the table, and had the Latvian Minister for Culture on his other side. The Queen was led to the table by the President’s husband Professor Imants Freibergs, and had the Latvian Minister for the Economy on her other side, who in his turn led Princess Lilian to the table. Princess Lilian had the Marshall of the Realm on her right side. The Crown Princess was led to the table by Prime Minister Göran Persson, and she had the President’s husband on her other side. Prince Carl Philip led the Speaker of the Parliament’s wife, Madeleine von Sydow, to the table, and he had the President Vaira Vike-Freibergs on his other side. Princess Madeleine was led to the table by the Ambassador of Latvia to Sweden, and she had the Speaker of the Parliament, Björn von Sydow, on her other side.
 
maybe Madeleine will wear her Nobel gown
But she has already wore her red gown once this year... oh, wait. Did you mean the one she had done for Nobel 2004? Ofcourse you did, stupid me :)
Yes, lets hope so! Im very curious to see what it looks like!

The first photos!

somehow I cant enlarge the photos at Fotomarktplatsz anymore... hopefully its just my computer messing with me :)

edit: I found larger photos so I took the smaller ones in this post down.
 
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madde looks quite different or is this someone else?
ANYWAY MY POST ABOUT THE INCIDENT HAS GONE :(
 
mixer2002de said:
madde looks quite different or is this someone else?
ANYWAY MY POST ABOUT THE INCIDENT HAS GONE :(
what do you mean? I´m pretty sure thats Madeleine. Its her dress anyway :)

Have you seen any better photos yet? I have only seen the ones from Fotomarktplatz so far...
 
Yennie said:
what do you mean? I´m pretty sure thats Madeleine. Its her dress anyway :)

Have you seen any better photos yet? I have only seen the ones from Fotomarktplatz so far...
well on the right most pic she looks quite different for me. Maybe the royal court hired a double for security :eek:
 
mixer2002de said:
well on the right most pic she looks quite different for me. Maybe the royal court hired a double for security :eek:
ah, interesting thought! Perhaps you´re right :)
She looks thinner than usual. Perhaps because of some extra time spent at Mastertraining :D
 
her extra training in Mastertraining? :eek: Hope she does not try to "steal" DW from her big sister ;)
 
Fotomarktplatz has pictures from the gala dinner, but (like so often at this time of the night) I´ve problems to make them bigger (I´m sure this will work better tomorrow...or maybe it works already now for other members). To give you an impression, I´ve made a collage of the thumbnails. When you see it, you will probably say "For what do I need the big pictures?!" Super-boring dinner. Neither the queen nor her daughters wore a new dress. Madeleine wore the blue dress she has worn very often in the past 2 years, Victoria has worn hers before (I think in Finland for the last time...and already then it was too big for her now thinner shape), and the queen wore the dress, she has worn in Denmark for Mary and Frederik´s wedding. Victoria has also worn the "Mickey mouse tiara" *sigh*

Yennie, it seems we have the same problems with FMP and it seems we had the same thoughts (to post the thumbnails now) :D
 

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The King's speech at the State Banquet 31 March 2005:

Madam President, Professor Freibergs,

The Queen and I wish you and all members of your delegation a warm welcome to Sweden on this State Visit. We consider it as an excellent confirmation of the close links between our countries - links extending as far back as there have been people and communities on both sides of our Baltic Sea.

Latvia is taking a rightful place in the cooperation between the Nordic-Baltic countries around the Baltic Sea. By visiting Latvia as early as 1929, my grandfather´s father, King Gustaf V, demonstrated this friendship between neighbouring countries. And if we look even further back, to the end of the 17th century, Riga was actually, for a time, Sweden´s largest city.

The Queen and I, as well as the Crown Princess, have been to Latvia many times - the Queen in connection with the work of Her World Childhood Foundation, and the Crown Princess with her fellow students from Uppsala University. We all have fond memories of our visits, mainly because of the hospitality that has always been extended to us, not least when the Queen and I were on our State Visit in 1992, when Latvia had just regained its independence.

When your predecessor, President Ulmanis, visited us in 1995, I remember saying that Latvia and its people were engaged in an important mission to adjust society to democratic norms. Sweden, as well as the rest of the world has watched your impressive development with great interest and admiration.

Madam President, You share your destiny, with many other Latvians who were forced to leave their native country as refugees. With knowledge and skills you and they, have made a major contribution to social development in the countries in which you settled and worked. Also in Sweden, we are able to thank many people of Latvian origin for the efforts they have made for our common welfare and culture. Some of them are seated at this table tonight. I wish to welcome you particularly.

The success achieved by Latvia in terms of re-creating an independent nation based on democracy and the rule of law over a short period of time has most recently been recognised through your membership of the European Union and NATO.

For Sweden, it has been natural to be among the countries contributing most in supporting the transformation of Latvian society and Latvia´s endeavours to become a full member of the European Union. Intensive cooperation has taken place in more or less every area of society. Individuals, associations, local authorities and towns in both our countries have established close ties with each other. Environmental issues are among the crucial challenges.

It is a matter of safeguarding the unique and unspoilt natural environment that Latvia has to offer.

Its natural beauty and mile-long beaches are precisely what attracts Swedes and other tourists to visit Latvia. From our island of Gotland, the voyage by boat is not particularly long, and not from Stockholm either. Riga´s beautiful architecture also makes it a destination for many culturally interested people.

The Swedish business sector has cultivated close ties with cooperation partners in Latvia. This has helped to make Sweden one of the largest sources of foreign investments in the country. Investments have been made in such areas as banking, air transport, mass media, telecommunications and forestry.

Since May last year, we have been working together on equal terms in the European Union. This means that in the future our close links will be characterised by a new dimension of cooperation in the new Europe.

A firm basis has been established for future development. Swedish initiatives in the Latvian business sector are now largely being carried forward by young, well-educated and skilled Latvians. We have had the privilege of welcoming many of these as scholarship holders and students. Others have studied at higher educational institutions in Latvia, such as the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, which I had the honour of opening in 1994, or at the Riga Graduate School of Law.

Madam President,

You country has won respect internationally through the progress it has made after regaining freedom and independence, less than a decade and a half ago. During your visit, you and your husband will be able to learn more about our common heritage when you visit our oldest university in Uppsala and the Royal Library here in Stockholm. You, Professor Freibergs, will be guided around in, what is sometimes referred to as the Swedish Silicon Valley. Together we will listen to what representatives of the Latvian and Swedish business sectors see as further opportunities for close cooperation and development.

We have many memories in common. But there are unfortunately also periods in our history during which our links were broken. Now we are looking ahead at continued close relations and deeper cooperation between good neighbours. The many strong links now existing between our countries will hopefully be of even greater significance in the future. This State Visit is therefore an important confirmation of our common desire for continued and deeper friendship between our two countries.

And now, to celebrate all this: To Latvia´s President and to its people as well as to the close friendship between our countries, let me propose that we all raise a common toast!
 
mixer2002de said:
her extra training in Mastertraining? :eek: Hope she does not try to "steal" DW from her big sister ;)

Maybe she has a relationship with Daniel´s business partner. So Sweden would get two fitness-princes :p

Hm, yes, she looks thinner...but that´s just the "natural Madeleine circle" (gorging in fall & winter and starving in spring) and a circle which is important for the existence of many women´s magazine´s, which make a lot of money in the spring with bikini diets (Hm, slowly I should also start mine :rolleyes: )
 
Thanks for all of the photos and articles and translations. It´s a shame what happened with that horse. Too bad. But it is unusual nonetheless.

"“True North – The Grand Landscapes of Sweden”

Sounds like a good book to me!

"Cold smoked salmon with trout roe and pumpernickel, grouse chop with savoy cabbage and truffle, lingonberry and vinegar gravy, early spring produce and pommes Pont Neuf, and for dessert chocolate bavaroise in coconut chips with vanilla foam."

Yummy. It beats what I had for lunch. That dinner sounds great too. Veal in a morel sauce. Yummy too.

"Riga was actually, for a time, Sweden´s largest city." The only surviving gate in Riga was built in 1698 by the Swedes. A great speech. Very informative.

"This has helped to make Sweden one of the largest sources of foreign investments in the country."

"During the years Sweden has been among the top-five investors in Latvia. Taking into account the numbers of companies and work permits in Latvia, Sweden is the second largest active nation after Russia." Swedish CC in Latvia.
 
Boring dinner. As much as I like the swedish royals and their modest ways It would not hurt with a new dress everynow and then. Madeleine has worn that dress atleast three times before, does she not have a brand new Nobel dress hanging in her closet or was she planning on wearing this one? will she attend the retur dinner?

Hopefully Victoria is saving a new, non shiny, sleek grown up dress to the events in Denmark this weekend, if the red strapless or green frog dress shows up there.....:mad:

And Silvia, Victoria need som new baubles, to me she has three of the most Ugly tiaras in the intired Bernadotte collection. The very smal tiara she got for her 18th birthday you need a microscope to se because of the huge base and which Victoria still weares, save it for your children. The steel tiara is neither a favourite of mine and I have earlier expressed my dislike of the buttons she insist on wearing tonight...again. The amethysts does not flatter he facial shape as it does Silvia, only the spike tiara looks nice on her. Why cant she get to borrow the Conaught tiara which is I think my favourtie Swedish tiara
 
Victoria's dress for the welcoming ceremony looked Christmasy with the shiny red.
 
good news! The problems with Fotomarktplatz were just temporary!

Here´s better and bigger versions...
 

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