SWEDEN

Sweden: Princess Sofia to continue working in healthcare in the autumn

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Sweden’s Princess Sofia is to continue working in healthcare through the autumn, the Royal Court has confirmed. The 35-year-old Princess began helping at Sophiahemmet hospital in Stockholm after undergoing training at Sophiahemmet University in an effort to help out during the ongoing pandemic. She helps with cleaning and does shifts in the kitchen.

The Royal Court’s Head of Information, Margareta Thorgren, confirmed to Expressen that Sofia would continue this work in the autumn. She said: “Princess Sofia continues her work at Sophiahemmet and will start her part-time job again in September. She is very much looking forward to it.”

Prince Carl Philip will be undertaking royal duties.

Princess Sofia is the Honorary Chair of Sophiahemmet and has called her work there during the pandemic “extremely rewarding.”

This summer, she gave an online speech about her work and said: “The last few months have been tough for very many, not least in healthcare. All efforts have been needed, and I know that several of you have gone in and supported in different parts of healthcare. I, myself, got an opportunity to come in and work at Sophiahemmet and still do. In fact, with some of you.”

Sofia added: “But to see healthcare from the inside in this way, to meet patients myself, and to see safe, well-trained nurses ‘in action,’ it is rare that I have been so impressed.”

Featured image: Princess Sofia (Linda Broström, The Royal Court of Sweden)

Sweden: Crown Princess Victoria awards Stockholm Junior Water Prize

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Young people making a difference for the environment were honoured by “a very proud patron” when Crown Princess Victoria delivered a special video message for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2020 on Tuesday (25.08.2020).

Participants from about 30 countries took part in the competition, an international science prize for young people aged 15 through 20. The digital award ceremony was held in conjunction with World Water Week.

“This past half-year during the Covid-19 pandemic, I have spent a lot of time reminding my children to wash their hands,” Crown Princess Victoria said in her speech. “At the same time around the world, 785 million people do not have access to clean water. Nor are three billion people able to wash their hands with soap and water.”

“This is just one example of how access to water is brutally unequal,” Victoria continued. “Indeed, when it comes to water, we as a world face some major challenges. There may be too little water, too dirty, or too much – all causes of disease, poverty and conflict.”

This year’s winners of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize were announced by the Crown Princess as Hiroki Matsuhashi and Takuma Miyaki from Japan. The duo “came up with a creative solution to combat soil erosion,” according to the Swedish Royal Court.

Crown Princess Victoria praised the drive of the winners as well as all the finalists she’s met during her time working with the Prize, saying she was “not at all surprised that many ideas that started as Stockholm Junior Water Prize projects have proved to be important innovations, changing many lives for the better.”

“Over the years, as patron of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, I have had the privilege of meeting many young finalists and winners from all over the world,” Victoria, who has served as patron of the Prize since 1994, said. “I always cherish those meetings because they fill me with hope. Hope that when bright young minds come together, even the most complicated problems can be solved.”

World Water Week 2020 is being held digitally this week from 24-28 August with the title “WWWeek At Home.” Organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute, the event welcomes experts, decision-makers, and innovators from across the globe to discuss water-related issues.

Featured image: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (Screenshot/YouTube/Kungahuset)

Sweden: Documentary to follow Princess Sofia and Project Playground

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – An upcoming documentary will look at Project Playground, a charitable organisation founded by Princess Sofia of Sweden.

“We followed Princess Sofia’s work on-site in both South Africa and Sweden where we got to meet some of the children who visit Project Playground and got to take part in their everyday life,” said documentary host Renée Nyberg to Swedish newspaper Expressen.

Project Playground was founded by Princess Sofia—then Sofia Hellqvist—and her friend Frida Vesterberg in 2010. According to the charity’s official website, the two created Project Playground because they “felt there was a need to focus on the individual’s development in combination with a holistic perspective about the child and his or her unique personal needs, in order to create a sustainable and long-term change at both individual and system level.”

Project Playground works in “established in areas that are systematically socially and economically deprived and in a society with an absent support system,” the website continues, noting that the children who are served by the charity have grown up under the legacy of Apartheid. “Many of our children come from broken and abusive families, where they are victims of neglect, various types of abuse, malnutrition and lack positive role models,” the website adds.

“What struck me most about this trip is Sofia and Frida’s personal commitment to the children, that they know every single kid and follow them until they are adults,” Nyberg said.

Princess Sofia continues to be involved in Project Playground while continuing with her royal duties. In addition to her work with the charity, Nyberg notes that she also discussed her life for the programme.

“The Princess and I talked about, among other things, the great contrasts in her life and about prejudices about her background,” Nyberg continued.

The documentary, ‘Princess Sofia – Project Playground,’ will air on TV4 on 4 September.

Featured image: Princess Sofia of Sweden (Project Playground)

Sweden: Prince Carl Philip opens nature photo exhibition “Royal National City Park – 25 Years” + VIDEO!

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – The summer is in full swing but the Swedish Royal Family is getting back to work. This week, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden attended the digital opening of the nature photo exhibition “Royal National City Park – 25 Years”. The exhibition, with 28 curated photographs, will be on show in Stockholm until 13 September 2020.

In a two-minute long video, the prince opened the exhibition. He talked a bit about the history of the park and the history of the royal family’s associations with the park. The prince said: “I myself have a great interest in both nature and photography. And when I had the opportunity to see this exhibition in advance, it struck me that they are not only beautiful, but they also show the incredible diversity we find in this park “.

Carl Philip attended alone and Princess Sofia wasn’t with her husband at this event. Sofia often accompanies Carl Philip at such events, which has led the Swedish press to speculate as to why the princess was not present.

The Royal Court has stated that: “The prince has been asked to inaugurate the exhibition. It is also in the prince’s interest in photography and art, the question of attendance was only addressed to the prince”.

In the spring of 1995, King Carl Gustaf opened the world’s first national city park. A national city park is a unique historical landscape of importance to the national cultural heritage, for the ecology of an urban area and for human recreation. Unlike national parks and many nature reserves, it is a requirement that is located in an urbanized environment.

The area of Stockholm`s national city park dates back to 1452 when King Karl Knutsson Bonde converted the island of Södra Djurgården to a royal park. Many kings have personally left their mark on the park; Johan III was the one who created a royal zoo there in the 1570s. One hundred years later, Charles XI made the area to a larger royal hunting park. Jakob de La Gardie built a castle there in the 1640s. In the 18th century, Gustav III created an English park landscape there.

Featured image: Prins Carl Philip invigde fotoutställningen “Kungliga Nationalstadsparken 25 år” (YouTube)

Sweden: Inside the last will and testament of of the late Princess Lilian of Sweden, the Duchess of Halland

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – The details of the last will of the late Princess Lilian of Sweden are once again being debated by the country’s press. And the details show that siblings Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine were treated very differently by their aunt when it came to inheritance.

Princess Lilian died in 2013, at the age of 97, in her home, Villa Solbacken on Djurgården in Stockholm. Princess Lilian was married to Prince Bertil, uncle of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustav. When Princess Lilian died, she left a fortune of 78 million Swedish kroner, about 7.6 million Euros. This summer, Swedish media is again looking at where her possessions went.

Princess Lilian and Prince Bertil were especially close to Carl Philip. He was their godson and Carl Philip and Bertil shared a great passion for cars. Princess Lilian was very fond of Carl Philip. It therefore quickly became known in 2013 that the prince was to inherit the property Villa Solbacken from the widow of his father’s uncle.


Villa Solbacken is a villa on Djurgårdsbrunnsvägen 67, located just north of Djurgårdsbrunnskanalen by Djurgårdsbrunnsbron on Södra Djurgården in Stockholm. The villa was built in 1930 and was owned from 1949 by Prince Bertil who bequeathed it in 1997 to Prince Carl Philip. Djurgårdsbrunnsvägen is a street on Gärdet in Stockholm. Djurgårdsbrunnsvägen begins at Dag Hammarskjölds väg in Diplomatstaden and extends east along the northern shore of Djurgårdsbrunnsviken to Djurgårdsbrunnsbron by the Djurgårdsbrunn canal, a distance of approximately 1.7 km. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The newspaper Expressen managed to obtain the essential information from the will and the estate register, and was therefore able to reveal who got what. King Carl Gustaf inherited Princess Lilian`s collection of photographs, art and some objects of great family value. Queen Silvia, who was one of Lilian’s closest friends, received five million Swedish crowns and several valuable pieces of jewellery.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Carl Philip were very close to Lilian and Prince Bertil. They regarded Lilian and Bertil as a kind of grandparents. Crown Princess Victoria received Lilian’s favourite tiara, which formerly belonged to Princess Margaret of Connaught, Bertil’s mother. It was made by the French jewellery company Boucheron in Paris and consists of silver, gold and diamonds. Victoria wore the tiara to Madeleine’s wedding in June 2013, three months after Lilian’s death.

Princess Madeleine’s relationship with Princess Lilian wasn’t as well known. She inherited from her great-aunt an antique ring.

However, a year after the death of the princess, it was Madeleine who honoured her by naming her first child in her memory. Her elder daughter is Princess Leonore Lilian Maria of Sweden.

Featured image: Princess Lilian of Sweden, the Duchess of Halland (Wikimedia Commons)

Sweden’s Crown Princess Family has fun on Instagram with exercises

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel are passionate about staying fit and encouraging others to stay in shape. They find it especially important that children get up and move and not just stay inside in front of a screen all day.

Through their initiative Gen Pep and Rädda Barnen (Save the Children), the platform “Digifritids” was created for children in the lower and middle school age brackets. Digifritids has jigsaw tips, games, workout films for children and families to take part in.

The Crown Princess Couple founded Gen Pep, a non-profit organisation, to encourage children and young people in Sweden to “have the ability and desire to live an active and healthy life.” The organisation also spreads information to assist young people in finding information on living a healthy life.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CCDhuvJIZv6/

In the Instagram video on Gen Pep’s feed, the Crown Princess Family is seen in their Haga Palace home. There, Princess Estelle says that she is bored and asks the family to come up with something to do. Prince Daniel asks her, “Are you tired of just sitting here?”

The Crown Princess then asks Estelle, 8, for suggestions, and Estelle pulls up Digifritids on the laptop nearby. Four-year-old Prince Oscar then helps select a video on the screen showing an activity where one person is in a push-up position while another crawls under them before hopping back over them.

Prince Daniel is then seen on the floor with Prince Oscar on his back while Princess Estelle crawls under him and then hops over him and her brother. Crown Princess Victoria watches on as her husband and two kids fall to the ground laughing.

Photo: Anna Lena Ahlstrom/Kungahuset.se

Queen Silvia of Sweden and Germany’s First Lady Elke Büdenbender unite to fight abuse of children

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Queen Silvia of Sweden had had a telephone meeting with the First Lady of Germany to discuss the opening of Germany’s third “Children’s Home”, set up to support and protect young people who have been subjected to sexual abuse. The initiative, started by Her Majesty the Queen of Sweden, offers children help from doctors, judges, psychologists and social services all in one place.

The Swedish Queen and Germany’s First Lady, Elke Büdenbender, have been involved in this work for a long time. They work together to provide German children with strong support when they need it. The Queen and Mrs. Büdenbender last year united to open the new “Childeren House” in the city of Heidelberg. Mrs. Büdenbender is a German judge, and, since 1995, the wife of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the current President of Germany.

During the event in Heidelberg in 2019 Her Majesty the Queen said: “Children rely on us adults and are shaped by what we say or do near them. In an ideal world, a facility like the Childhood Home would not be necessary. Nevertheless, unfortunately the reality is different. When the terrible thing has happened and a child has experienced violence, it is important that they receive the best possible support.”

In Germany there are already “Children’s Home” facilities in Leipzig and Heidelberg, and in September of this year a brand new Children’s Home will be set up in Berlin. Another is expected to open in the autumn in the German city of Düsseldorf.

In a Children’s Home, children who have been subjected to sexual abuse receive support and protection. A multi-professional team consisting of doctors, judges, psychologists, social services experts work together for the best interests of the children. All the Children’s Homes established in Germany have been opened with the support of the World Childhood Foundation which is governed by the Queen of Sweden.

The World Childhood Foundation was founded by Queen Silvia in 1999 in an effort to reach and support children at risk around the world. The Foundation’s focus is on protecting children from sexual abuse as well as supporting those who have already been abused, with a focus on girls and young mothers. The World Childhood Foundation currently supports over 115 programs in 17 countries.

Featured image: Queen Silvia on the phone with First Lady Mrs. Büdenbender. (The Royal Court)

Sweden: Her Royal Highness Princess Adrienne Josephine Alice of Sweden, Duchess of Blekinge turns two

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Sweden’s youngest royal is celebrating her second birthday today with her family in Miami, Florida, where the family resides. To celebrate, Princess Madeleine posted a beautiful photo of her youngest child on Instagram. In her post, she said, “Happy Birthday to the sweetest little sister and best baby girl!”

Princess Madeleine regularly posts about her children on her Instagram account and marked her eldest child, Princess Leonore’s birthday in February with a special post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9guoQBDauY/

Princess Adrienne, the youngest child of Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill, was born one year ago in Danderyd Hosptial in Danderyd, Sweden. She joined older siblings, Princess Leonore (b. 20 February 2014 in New York) and Prince Nicolas (b. 15 June 2015 in Danderyd).

Her Royal Highness Princess Adrienne Josephine Alice of Sweden, Duchess of Blekinge, was born on 9 March 2018. As tenth in line of succession to the Swedish throne, Adrienne is the third granddaughter and seventh grandchild of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.

Adrienne was christened into the Church of Sweden on 8 June 2018 in the Royal Chapel of Drottningholm Palace; the date is a special one for her family as it was the day her parents married in 2013 and the date of Leonore’s 2014 christening.

The Princess’s godparents are Anouska d’Abo, Coralie Charriol Paul, Nader Panahpour, Gustav Thott, Charlotte Kreuger Cederlund and Natalie Werner.

She held the style of Royal Highness until October of last year when her grandfather removed the Royal Highness status and position in the Royal House from his grandchildren through his son, Prince Carl Philip and his wife, Princess Sofia, as well as the children of Princess Madeleine and her husband, Chris.

Princess Adrienne’s cousins, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, retain their place in the Royal House and status as Royal Highnesses as they are the children of Crown Princess Victoria – the future queen.

Featured image: Instagram/@princess_madeleine_of_sw

Sweden: Princess Estelle’s school cancels classes after student diagnosed with coronavirus

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Princess Estelle of Sweden’s school has cancelled classes today (06.March) after a student at the elementary school tested positive for the coronavirus last night. The school says they are gathering more information on what to do from Infectious Diseases Stockholm and the Public Health Agency, and at the moment school is only cancelled today. Further decisions will be made this afternoon with the guidance of the organisations.

A letter was sent out to the parents today cancelling classes saying they “choose to stay closed one day to wait for guidance.” They are getting clear guidance on how the school should act to minimise the risk of infection of other students.

The school said, “We have full confidence in the Public Health Authority and the recommendations of the healthcare system.”

Several students, besides the one who tested positive, are in voluntary isolation as they live in infected areas.

The Royal Court has confirmed to Expressen that it is not the eight-year-old Princess who is infected.

Teachers at the school are preparing lessons and assignments in case the school has to be closed for more than one day.

Sweden has 52 cases of the deadly virus, 31 of which are in Stockholm.

The Swedish Royal Family postponed a representation dinner earlier this week due to the virus. It was due to have taken place last night at the Royal Palace.

Last week, it was revealed that four pupils at Thomas’s Battersea in London, where Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend, were in self-isolation.

Featured image: Anna-Lena Ahlström, The Royal Court of Sweden

Sweden: Swedish Royal Family cancels engagement due to coronavirus outbreak

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – The Swedish Royal Family has cancelled a grand reception dinner due to the coronavirus outbreak. The dinner was due to take place on Wednesday evening, with 150 guests in attendance.

A statement from the Royal Court read: “For the sake of invited guests, the representation dinner scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, will be postponed. In recent days, a number of cases of infection from the new coronavirus have been discovered in Sweden. The public health authority estimates that the risk of detecting cases of covid-19 in Sweden is high, but that the risk of general dissemination in the country is low.

“In anticipation of the continued development of events, Their Majesties, as hosts, choose to postpone the planned representation dinner at the royal palace on Wednesday 4 March. This is done with regard to invited guests.”

The King & Queen’s representation dinners are large and very formal events. Invitations to the 150 guests were sent out six weeks ago.

The representation dinners are usually attended by representatives from the diplomatic corps, the Swedish parliament, the government, as well as representatives from the world of science, culture, sports and business. The dinner is usually held in the gallery of Karl XI at the royal palace in Stockholm. Previous menus have consisted of lightly smoked duck breast with shallot crisp, and roasted Swedish pork tenderloin with broken duck.

The coronavirus outbreak was confirmed to have spread to Sweden when the first COVID-19 case was confirmed on 31 January 2020. A woman in her 20s who had recently visited Wuhan in China tested positive for the disease.

On 26 February, following the large COVID-19 outbreak in Italy and Iran, multiple infection clusters originating from these two countries arrived in Sweden. A number of individuals in Västra Götaland, Jönköping, Stockholm, Uppsala tested positive and were admitted to the infectious disease units in the respective counties. As of 1 March 2020, there have been 14 confirmed cases in Sweden.

Featured image: The King & Queen of Sweden (Bengt Nyman/CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons)

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