NordenBladet — Scandinavian countries Norway, Sweden and Finland are joining forces this winter to reduce the population of wolves through culling. In turn, conservation groups are appealing to the European Union to combat the slaughter of the animals.
In Sweden, hunters have already executed the majority of their yearly target of 27 wolves. Finland has been authorized to kill 20 wolves, making it the country’s first “population management cull in seven years. Norway plans to cull about 60% of its wolf population this year to maintain just three breeding pairs in the country.”
Conservationists have accused the Nordic countries of creating a hostile environment for the wolves and defying the EU laws that protect the animals.
Siri Martinsen, Chief Executive of Noah, an animal rights group taking Norway to court, said, “It’s a horrific situation. Norway’s wolf management is out of control and they are just shooting wolves because some people don’t like them. It is outrageous to hold a species at a critically endangered level.”
5% of Norway is designated a wolf protection zone, where the protection of wolves is a priority. In spite of this, 25 wolves will be killed inside the protection zone in 2022.
NordenBladet — As part of a report conducted by the Swedish national council for crime prevention, only Sweden has recorded a significant rise in deaths caused by gun violence since 2000 compared to 22 European countries analyzed.
The report found that Sweden has leaped from having one of the lowest rates of gun violence in Europe to one of the highest in less than a decade due to organized crime.
“The rate in Sweden ranks very high in relation to other European countries, at approximately four deaths per million inhabitants per year. The average for Europe is approximately 1.6 deaths per million inhabitants,” stated the report.
Data between 2014 and 2017 showed that Sweden had the second-highest rate of gun violence, with Croatia taking the number one spot and Latvia coming in third.
Håkan Jarborg, a police chief in southern Sweden, commented, “The increase in gun violence in Sweden is unique compared to most other countries in Europe.”
During 2020, Sweden recorded over 360 incidents involving guns, including 47 deaths and 117 injuries.
NordenBladet —A large deposit of Bronze Age artifacts thought to originate between 750 and 500 BC have been excavated in the Swedish town of Alingsås by Archaeologists from the Administration for Cultural Development.
In April 2021, various bronze objects were discovered by members of the public, who notified the Administrative Board of Västra Götaland county about the findings. The county dispatched a team comprised of members from the Administration for Cultural Development and researchers from the University of Gothenburg to conduct an archaeological survey.
A significant number of the findings consisted of decorative objects, including bracelets, foot rings, necklaces, and needles and hoops that were used to fix various articles of clothing.
Alongside these findings also included a rod, horse spurs, and surplus materials from bronze casting, which were also sent off for preservation along with the items as mentioned earlier.
“Most of the finds are made up of bronze items that can be associated with a woman of high status from the Bronze Age,” explained Johan Ling, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Gothenburg.
NordenBladet – Crown Princess Victoria is often referred to as the ‘Godmother of Europe.’ She received this rather unusual nickname because she has 18 (yes, eighteen) godchildren.
Crown Princess Victoria is one of Europe’s most popular royals. Every single year she is voted the most popular royal in her own country of Sweden. Many royals seem to like the Crown Princess, as well, as they have often asked her to be godmother to their children. Crown Princess Victoria almost has a godchild in every European country with a monarchy. In addition, she is the godmother to three future Kings and Queens.
Crown Princess Victoria has a very close relationship with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. Victoria is the godmother of the Danish Couple’s firstborn, Prince Christian. Crown Princess Mary is godmother to Victoria’s and Daniel’s firstborn, Princess Estelle, while Frederik is godfather to Prince Oscar.
Princess Catharina-Amalia, daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, is also lucky to have Crown Princess Victoria as her godmother. In return, King Willem-Alexander is also one of Princess Estelle’s godfathers. Victoria is also listed as one of Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway’s godmothers. Crown Prince Haakon is conversely godfather to Princess Estelle, while Crown Princess Mette-Marit has Prince Oscar as a godchild.
Other royal godchildren of Crown Princess Victoria, who will not become King or Queen one day, are Princess Eléonore of Belgium, daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark, son of Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece. In 2014, Princess Katharina of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was added to the long list. She is the daughter of the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the heirs of the Ducal Family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Most of their parents chose Victoria as a godmother to their son or daughter because she is the Crown Princess and future Queen of Sweden, and royals often want other royals to become their children’s godparents. Of course, the bond between Her Royal Highness and the parents of her godchildren is often quite close.
Crown Princess Victoria is godmother of her niece, Princess Leonore (Photo: Anna-Lena Ahlström, Kungahuset.se)
The Crown Princess is also the godmother of various family members. She became Princess Leonore’s godmother in 2014 when her younger sister, Princess Madeleine and brother-in-law, Chris O’Neill, became parents for the first time. Her most recent godchild is Prince Alexander, son of her brother Prince Carl Philip and sister-in-law Princess Sofia. Thus, Victoria is both their aunt and godmother. In return, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine are respectively godparents to Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar. The children of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden created the tradition that the aunts and uncles of the children will also become the godparents according to the birth order.
On her mother’s side, Crown Princess Victoria is godmother to many Sommerlath children. Her first godchild was Vivien Sommerlath, now 24-years-old. She is the daughter of Victoria’s maternal uncle, Jörg Sommerlath. Vivien is also a godchild of Queen Silvia. Giulia Sommerlath, daughter of Victoria’s maternal uncle Thomas Sommerlath is also on the list. Crown Princess Victoria’s cousin, Patrick Sommerlath and his wife Camilla Lundén also asked Victoria to be their son Leopold’s godmother.
On her father’s side, Crown Princess Victoria is the godmother of Ian de Geer, son of Princess Désirées, daughter/ Victoria’s cousin, Tina and Hans de Geer. Also, Madeleine von Dincklage, the daughter of Victoria’s cousin, Sybilla von Dincklage, is one of Victoria’s godchildren. Then there is also Gustaf Magnusson (son of Victoria’s aunt Princess Christina), who asked Victoria to be the godmother of his and Vicky Andrén’s daughter, Désirée.
Crown Princess Victoria is the godmother of her nephew, Prince Alexander. Photo: Mattias Edwall, The Royal Court, Sweden
Furthermore, Crown Princess Victoria is godmother to several children of her good friends. She is a godparent of friends Caroline and Peder Dinkelspiel’s son, Willem; friends Andrea Brodin and Niclas Engsäll’s daughter, Diana; friends Caroline and Jesper Nilsson’s daughter, Chloé; and friends Karl-Johan and Leonie Persson’s son, Ian.
At the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, many of these godchildren were part of the bridal party. Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Christian, Vivian, Leopold and Giulia Sommerlath, Ian de Geer and Madeleine von Dincklage were pageboys, flower girls and bridesmaids at the wedding. The other godchildren were either too young to participate or not born yet.
After seeing this long list of children, it is no surprise that the Crown Princess of Sweden is also called Europe’s godmother. Victoria has many gifts to buy each year for her many goddaughters and godsons.
Featured image: Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden
NordenBladet – Princess Sofia of Sweden gave birth to her third child on Friday at 11.19 am at Danderyd Hospital. King Carl XVI Gustaf revealed the name of his two-day-old grandson this morning in a cabinet meeting with the Prime Minister.
The new royal’s names are Julian Herbert Folke, and he is the Duke of Halland. So, where did his names come from?
The name Julian was selected by Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia for the simple reason that they liked it. It does not have any family links. In 2020, the name Julian ranked 74th in Swedish names, so it is not an overly popular name in the Scandinavian country either.
The middle name Herbert honours Princess Sofia’s late grandfather, who went by Herbert. Information Manager at the Royal Court, Margareta Thorgen, told Svenskdam: “The name Herbert in Prince Julian’s name is after Princess Sofia’s grandfather, who was named Herbert in his middle name.”
The name Folke is after the King and Count Folke Bernadotte. Folke is one of the King’s middle names, and he was named after the Count, who was a World War II hero that saved many Jews and non-Jews from the Nazis. Learn more about Folke Bernadotte’s heroism here.
With the little royal’s middle names, Carl Philip and Sofia have paid tribute to beloved family members while also giving him an ‘unroyal’ first name – fitting as he does not have the Royal Highness style and will not have the pressure of representing the Royal Family as he becomes an adult.
NordenBladet – Members of the Swedish Royal Family attended a Te Deum* at the Royal Chapel in Stockholm Palace on Sunday at noon to mark the birth of Prince Julian.
Due to the pandemic, those in attendance were limited to King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Prince Carl Philip, proud big brother Prince Alexander, Princess Sofia’s sister, Lina, and Sofia’s parents, Erik and Marie Hellqvist. Sofia’s parents were able to travel from Älvdalen to meet their new grandson and attend the ceremony.
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden just recently recovered from COVID-19 and were unable to attend the service. They had planned to attend before contracting the virus; the couple are now healthy but followed doctor recommendations to not participate on Sunday, according to Svenskdam.
The media was not allowed to attend the religious service due to the pandemic, and images were only released after the Te Deum had concluded.
Lead pastor Johan Dalman lead the service that began at noon; a small lunch followed, but the Royal Court has not released any information regarding the gathering.
The christening for Prince Julian will take place in a few months time. How the pandemic will impact the ceremony is not yet known.
___________________________ The “Te Deum” (/tiː ˈdiːəm/, Latin: [te ˈde.um]; from its incipit, Te Deum laudamus, Latin for ‘Thee, O God, we praise’) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Church with other parts of the Milanese Rite in the 6th to 8th centuries. It is sometimes known as the “Ambrosian Hymn”, although authorship by Saint Ambrose is unlikely. The term “Te Deum” can also refer to a short religious service (of blessing or thanks) based upon the hymn.
Authorship of the hymn is traditionally ascribed to Saint Ambrose (died 397) or Saint Augustine (died 430). In 19th-century scholarship, Saint Hilary of Poitiers (died 367) and Saint Nicetas of Remesiana (died 414) were proposed as possible authors. In the 20th century, the association with Nicetas has been deprecated, so that the hymn, while almost certainly dating to the 4th century, is considered as being of uncertain authorship. Authorship of Nicetas of Remesiana was suggested by the association of the name “Nicetas” with the hymn in manuscripts from the 10th century onward, and was particularly defended in the 1890s by Germain Morin. Hymnologists of the 20th century, especially Ernst Kähler (1958), have shown the association with “Nicetas” to be spurious. It has structural similarities with a eucharistic prayer and it has been proposed that it was originally composed as part of one.
The hymn was part of the Old Hymnal since it was introduced to the Benedictine order in the 6th century, and it was preserved in the Frankish Hymnal of the 8th century. It was, however, removed from the New Hymnal which became prevalent in the 10th century. It was restored in the 12th century in hymnals that attempted to restore the praiseful intent of the rule of St. Benedict.
In the traditional office, the “Te Deum” is sung at the end of Matins on all days when the Gloria is said at Mass; those days are all Sundays outside Advent, Septuagesima, Lent, and Passiontide; on all feasts (except the Triduum) and on all ferias during Eastertide.
Before the 1961 reforms of Pope John XXIII, neither the Gloria nor the Te Deum were said on the feast of the Holy Innocents, unless it fell on Sunday, as they were martyred before the death of Christ and therefore could not immediately attain the beatific vision.
In the Liturgy of the Hours of Pope Paul VI, the “Te Deum” is sung at the end of the Office of Readings on all Sundays except those of Lent, on all solemnities, on the octaves of Easter and Christmas, and on all feasts. A plenary indulgence is granted, under the usual conditions, to those who recite it in public on New Year’s Eve.
It is also used together with the standard canticles in Morning Prayer as prescribed in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, as an option in Morning Prayer or Matins for Lutherans, and is retained by many churches of the Reformed tradition.
The hymn is in regular use in the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church and Methodist Church (mostly before the Homily) in the Office of Readings found in the Liturgy of the Hours, and in thanksgiving to God for a special blessing such as the election of a pope, the consecration of a bishop, the canonization of a saint, a religious profession, the publication of a treaty of peace, a royal coronation, etc. It is sung either after Mass or the Divine Office or as a separate religious ceremony. The hymn also remains in use in the Anglican Communion and some Lutheran Churches in similar settings.
NordenBladet – The newest member of the Swedish Royal Family was born today at Danderyd Hospital to Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia. The little prince is the first grandchild of King Carl XVI Gustaf to be born without the style of Royal Highness.
While both of his brothers, Princes Alexander and Gabriel, were born with the styles of Royal Highness, he was not. The reason for that is simple. In October 2019, the King revoked the style of Royal Highness from the children of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia and Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill. They also lost their positions in the Royal House; however, they remain members of the Royal Family and in the line of succession.
The newest prince in the Swedish Royal Family is seventh in the line of succession to succeed his grandfather.
The change in status for the grandchildren of King Carl XVI Gustaf was done to lessen the pressure on the royals when they become adults. They will now not be expected to carry out official duties on behalf of the crown and will provide them with more private lives. The two children of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel – Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar – remain Royal Highnesses and members of the Royal House as they are in the direct line of succession. They will still be expected to carry out duties on behalf of the Royal Family as they grow into adults, especially Estelle, as she is a future queen.
His name and duchy will be announced in a cabinet meeting on Sunday, 28 March by the King. It is expected that he will receive the title of Prince of Sweden with a dukedom like his brothers and cousins before him.
NordenBladet – After fighting COVID-19 for a while, it has now been revealed that the Crown Princess Couple have fully recovered from the virus. The Swedish Royal Court has now issued a new update on the health of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel have been isolated at home at Haga Palace since 10 March after developing symptoms. On March 11, it was announced that they had tested positive for COVID-19. To SVT, Information Manager at the Royal Court, Margareta Thorgren, issued the following statement: “The Crown Princess and Prince are healthy, but still isolated at home according to the Public Health Agency’s recommendations.”
As the Crown Princess and Prince have recovered, they are able to participate as planned in digital meetings and events. Both are expected to be able to leave the isolation shortly after consultation with a doctor. Although the royals have been isolated, this has not prevented the Crown Princess from working. On Tuesday, the Crown Princess participated in a video meeting. Several questions were asked about Prince Daniel, who is in the risk group due to the kidney transplant he received ten years ago. Fortunately, this has not proved to be a problem for the Prince.
Because of the coronavirus situation in the Royal Family, the Royal Court had to cancel the Name Day celebration of the Crown Princess at the Royal Palace, which would have taken place on 12 March. According to Thorgren, the Crown Princess Couple have not been around King Carl XVI Gustaf or Queen Silvia lately. We can now assume that the Swedish King and Queen have been tested for COVID-19 and that they did not test positive.
In November last year, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia both tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement, the Swedish Royal Family said that the Prince and Princess only had mild flu-like symptoms and that they were doing well under the circumstances. They were immediately quarantined at their home with their two children. They are now completely healthy.
NordenBladet – Since the beginning of the pandemic last year, Princess Birgitta has stayed in Sweden. Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Hohenzollern, the second oldest sister of the Swedish monarch King Carl XVI Gustaf, was prevented from going home to Spain. In an interview with the Swedish magazine Svensk Damtidning, the Swedish and German princess confirmed that she returned to Spain.
For almost a year, the Swedish princess was unable to return to her Spanish home because of the coronavirus epidemic raging in Europe and the world. Over the last 30 years, the sister of Sweden’s King has been living on the Spanish island of Mallorca. However, because COVID-19 has impacted Spain so hard, the 83-year-old Princess stayed with her Swedish family in Sweden.
When the Princess came to Sweden in March of last year, she said she was glad to be back in Sweden. Princess Birgitta remarked to the newspaper that she has appreciated the time with her brother and sister-in-law. She stated: “Obviously, it has been very nice. I have seen a lot of Sweden. It is very gratifying because I have been away from Sweden for almost 60 years, so that was very positive.”
Her Royal Highness described the uncertainty on when she can return home as “horrible” to the Swedish newspaper Expressen. When COVID-19 broke out in Sweden, the Princess travelled to Sweden. Since then, she then lived for almost a year with her brother, the King, and his family at Stenhammar Palace. She has visited her son in Germany several times, but now she has travelled back to her home in Spain.
In her normal life, Princess Birgitta lives a social life with a lot of socialising, restaurant visits and nice events. Now all that is on hold, and the Princess spends the majority of her time at home. Fortunately, she still gets to play golf daily. Princess Birgitta said: “I am not the one who worries unnecessarily, but it is a serious situation, and we must comply with it. Nevertheless, I am basically a positive person and believe that we will ride out this storm.”
Featured image: Frankie Fouganthin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
NordenBladet – Crown Princess Victoria held a digital meeting with WaterAid Sweden on Friday, discussing their work throughout the coronavirus pandemic and their goals for the future.
Crown Princess Victoria spoke with WaterAid chairman Tobias Krantz and Secretary General Anna Nilsdotter about their COVID-19 response.
The Royal House shared that throughout the pandemic “WaterAid has worked with emergency efforts such as information campaigns about the importance of good hand hygiene to reduce the spread of infection. Hand washing facilities with soap and water have also been set up in particularly vulnerable areas, in medical facilities and in places where many people pass and work together with governments and authorities.”
WaterAid Sweden is part of an international institution that works to provide clean water, sanitation and access to hygiene to people all over the world. According to their website, 785 million people around the world lack access to clean water and 2 billion people lack basic sanitation. Every day, 800 children die from diseases caused by a lack of water.
According to the Royal House, “many of the world’s poorest countries are ill-equipped to control the spread of infection. In these countries, almost every second hospital (45%) lacks access to clean water and three billion people in the world do not have the opportunity to wash their hands with clean water and soap.”
WaterAid works within communities, in homes, hospitals and schools to provide access to clean water and proper hygiene.
WaterAid wrote on their Facebook page, “We want to thank the Crown Princess for a great meeting – and look forward to continuing the work together to reach a world where all people have clean water.”
Crown Princess Victoria has been a patron of WaterAid since 2011 and has travelled the world on behalf of the organisation. She is also an alumnus of the United Nations’ Global Sustainability Goals (having served as an active ambassador from 2016 to 2019) and supports the goals related to sustainability, maritime and fisheries issues.
