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ROYAL FAMILY

Sweden gets ready for Prince Oscar’s baptism

European royalty, the arch bishop and spring water from a Swedish island. What more do you need for a royal christening?

Published: 17 May 2016 12:49 CEST
Sweden gets ready for Prince Oscar's baptism
A happy Princess Victoria and a not equally happy Prince Oscar. Photo: Jessica Gow/TT

It's been a right royal spring for Sweden, with the birth of Prince Oscar followed by Princess Sofia giving birth to Prince Alexander and King Carl XVI Gustaf himself celebrating his 70th birthday.

Some of you may be experiencing a feeling akin to that of the moment after you gorged on an entire Swedish Princess Cake (prinsesstårta) at the thought of reading any more stories about royalty.

The rest of you may keep reading.

On Tuesday Sweden's Royal Court released more information about the upcoming christening of Prince Oscar, who will officially get his name on May 27th, in a ceremony held at the Royal Chapel in Stockholm.

The ceremony will be conducted by Sweden's archbishop Antje Jackelén, assisted by bishop and chief court chaplain Johan Dalman and royal chaplain Mikael Bjerkhagen.

“After the christening ceremony there will be a reception for invited guests, after which a private lunch will take place,” read a statement on the Royal Court's website.

The official guestlist was not disclosed, but it said it included members of the immediate family, European royal families and official representatives from Sweden's government and parliament.

Jackelén christened Prince Oscar's cousin Prince Nicolas last year. The outspoken minister, who has sparked headlines saying there is no contradiction between believing in God and evolution, was sworn in as Sweden's first female archbishop in June 2014.

“The baptism is a seemingly simple act with great power,” she told The Local ahead of Nicolas' christening. “The Church's conviction is that this is the most beautiful gift – and the most important task – a human can receive, even a prince.”

Oscar is set to be christened in the same dress worn by all members of the royal family before him, including his sister Princess Estelle and King Carl XVI Gustaf. Special water will be brought in for the ceremony from a spring on the island of Öland, where the family owns a summer residence.

Oscar – who was born on March 2nd at the Karolinska hospital – will be formally named Prince Oscar Carl Olof. His parents are Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.

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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