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ROYAL FAMILY

Could Sweden get a new princess this summer?

Sweden is being gripped by royal fever as this summer's wedding party moves closer, with one Swedish tabloid reporting on Monday that Prince Carl Philip's bride-to-be, former reality TV star Sofia Hellqvist, is to be offered the title of Princess of Sweden.

Published: 11 May 2015 12:22 CEST
Could Sweden get a new princess this summer?
Sofia Hellqvist, left, with Sweden's Princess Madeleine and the youngest member of the royal family, Princess Leonore. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

Daniel Westling was offered the Prince title when he married Sweden's heir-to-the-thrown Princess Victoria in 2010. The same honour was extended to Princess Madeleine's British-American banker husband, Chris O'Neill, who refused in order to continue working in his business.

As for the future title of Sofia Hellqvist, who is set to marry Carl Philip on June 13th, no formal announcement has yet been made. But according to the Expressen newspaper, King Carl XVI Gustaf has decided to confer the official Princess title on his future daughter-in-law.

However, the Royal Court dismissed the rumour when asked by The Local on Monday.

"It's pure speculation. We will send out a press statement if and when anything is decided," said press spokeswoman Margareta Thorgren.

It is not the first time Swedish newspapers have jumped the gun ahead of the royal wedding. Tabloid Aftonbladet printed the couple's supposed guest list last month, before hastily retracting it after the Royal Court told Swedish media magazine Resumé the list was inaccurate.

"They have probably compiled this list based on previous guest lists. We have not published any guest lists," said Thorgren at the time.

READ ALSO: Is Avicii going to play at the royal wedding?

Be the rumours true or not, expectations in Sweden are at fever pitch ahead of a wedding ceremony which is set to see thousands of royal fans descend on Stockholm this summer.

The schedule will get underway on Friday, June 12th, when the couple's friends and family will be invited to a private evening dinner, a statement from the court revealed last month.

The following day, Saturday, June 13th, a legally binding church service will take place in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, starting at 4.30pm.

An evening banquet followed by dancing is set to take place in Karl XI's Gallery in the Royal Palace.

Carl Philip has dated Hellqvist since January 2013. She is a former fashion model who famously participated in the scandalous reality TV series Paradise Hotel.

The couple met in 2009 at a club in Stockholm's posh Stureplan district. They have lived together on the island of Djurgården since 2011.

WORKING IN SWEDEN

Swedish Royal Guards scrap ceremonial helmets over safety concerns

The King’s mounted Royal Guards will no longer be able to wear their iconic ceremonial helmets on parades, after the Swedish Work Environment Authority warned of serious safety concerns.

Published: 7 July 2023 13:53 CEST
Swedish Royal Guards scrap ceremonial helmets over safety concerns

“We take the safety of our employees extremely seriously and we are going to address this immediately,” colonel Stefan Nacksten, head of the Royal Guards, wrote in a statement. 

Employed by the Armed Forces, the Royal Guards are the King’s cavalry and infantry units and are a well-known sight at ceremonies in Sweden, including at the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace of Stockholm every day in summer – a popular spectacle for Stockholmers and tourists alike.

The helmets will no longer be used by Royal Guards on horseback from July 7th, as they do not conform to safety standards for riding helmets, although guards parading on foot will still be permitted to wear them.

They are part of the 1895 parade uniforms and were last modified in 2000. The Armed Forces will now create an entirely new helmet which looks the part, but is also safe for riding.

“We’re working on finding an alternative solution as quickly as possible which meets safety requirements and can also be used during parades,” Nacksten said.

“We’ve been working long-term with this issue but now that it has been assessed [by the Swedish Work Environment Authority] we need to take measures immediately,” he added.

“This is good, and now we’re working to make sure something good comes out of this and we can get a safe riding helmet for parades in place as soon as possible.”

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