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ROYAL FAMILY

Royal baptism day for Sweden’s Prince Oscar

UPDATED: It was a big day in Sweden as Prince Oscar was christened in Stockholm, and even rainy conditions over the capital did not dampen the occasion.

Published: 27 May 2016 08:47 CEST
Updated: 27 May 2016 13:55 CEST
Royal baptism day for Sweden's Prince Oscar
Prince Oscar with Archbishop Antje Jackelén. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

IN PICTURES: The best, cutest and funniest snaps from Prince Oscar's baptism

The ceremony at the Royal Chapel (Slottskyrkan) got under way at around lunchtime on Friday.

Three-month-old Oscar's older sister Princess Estelle was at the church together with their cousins Princess Leonore and Prince Nicolas, joined by their parents, grandparents the King and Queen, and a host of other dignitaries.


Estelle with her dad Prince Daniel and mum Crown Princess Victoria. Photo: Anders Wiklund/TT

The service was conducted by archbishop Antje Jackelén, and assisted by bishop Johan Dalman and chaplain Michael Bjerkhagen.

Oscar stayed mostly calm during the ceremony, even falling asleep in the arms of his mother, Crown Princess Victoria. Estelle and Leonore meanwhile played on the floor next to the christening font.


Estelle, Oscar, Victoria and King Carl XVI Gustaf. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

Swedish public broadcaster SVT aired it live for domestic viewers, good news for those hoping to catch a glimpse of the traditional 21-shot salute that was set to follow the ceremony. Stockholm was drenched in rain on Friday morning, and the showers were set to continue throughout the day.

Oscar wore the same baptism gown donned by all members of the royal family before him since 1906, including Estelle, Leonore and Nicolas. 


Princess Madeleine's husband Chris O'Neill and Oscar's cousin Nicolas. Photo: Maja Suslin/TT

After the ceremony there was a reception and lunch for the invited guests. Along with Swedish royalty, dignitaries and politicians, members of both the Danish and Norwegian royal families are set to attend.

Invited too were obstetrics professor Lennart Nordström and midwife Cecilia Lind, who brought Oscar into the world back in March. 

Absent from the guest list however was the latest addition to the Swedish Royal Family, Prince Alexander. The tiny son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia was only born on April 19th, and appears to have the day off.

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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