Last week, Princess Victoria of Sweden and Princess Letizia of Spain attended two separate events benefiting women and people with autism, respectively.

On September 24, 2009, Princess Victoria inaugurated the new women’s clinic at the University Hospital MAS in Malmo, Sweden. The hospital provides medical services not just for residents of Malmo, but also for those in the southern region of Sweden as well.

On the same day, Princess Letizia opened the International Congress of Autism in Burgos, Spain. The meeting, which runs from September 24-26, 2009, aims to “raise social awareness of the reality of autism” and provide information on the latest in autism research, diagnosis and treatments.

via UMAS and the U.K. National Autistic Society
images: Zuma Press

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It had been exactly 200 years since Sweden lost Finland to Russia. As part of the commemorations, a reenactment of the last battle was held in Savar.

The Swedish Crown Princess warmly greeted the crowd who gathered to see her, and they returned the sentiment. It is clear that Princess Victoria enjoys interacting with them. I think she’ll make a great and well-loved queen!

images: Zuma Press

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Daniel Westling and Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria at Princess Sibylla´s Apartment at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on February 24, 2009.

After the joy and congratulations over the engagement of Sweden’s Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling have subsided, the serious business of preparing for a royal wedding is now on the agenda for the Swedish people and government.

Since this is the first royal wedding in Sweden for more than 3 decades, and the wedding of the future queen, it won’t be a small affair. And, 2010 is the 200th year of the House of Bernadotte as Sweden’s ruling family. The affair just cannot be drab and ordinary. There will be a fabulous dress, mounds of fresh flowers, lots of royal and important guests from all over the world, a lavish feast and a generally grand to-do. The event is estimated to cost 2.7 million dollars.

It is all rather wonderful, but the question is now being hotly debated: Who is going to pay for the wedding? 

Should the government? Should the couple do like a lot of other modern couples do and pay for it themselves? Is it just the responsibility of the royal family?

For reference, Norway’s King Harald shouldered the bill when Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit got married in 2001. The bill was said to have been 2.5 million dollars. For the 2004 wedding of Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, the royal family and the Danish government shared the costs.

So, let’s put it to the vote, shall we? You can cast your vote below or in the sidebar to the right.

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via: The Local and The Earth Times; Image: Newscom

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Daniel Westling and Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria at Princess Sibylla´s Apartment at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on February 24, 2009.

The photo below was released by the Swedish Royal Court today. It was taken at the same time as the video announcement of the engagement. King Carl XVI Gustaf had earlier informed Sweden’s Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and his government of the couple’s plan to marry in the early summer of 2010.

(From left) Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf, Crown Princess Victoria, her fiancé Daniel Westling, and Queen Silvia at the engagement announcement today.

And of course, the engagement ring! No details were given about the proposal, except that Daniel knelt down and it happened at Drottningholm Palace, the Swedish royal family’s private residence.

Crown Princess Victoria shows off her beautiful engagement ring on February 24, 2009.

As far as royal engagement rings go, Princess Victoria’s is a simple and traditional one, with what appears to be a solitary round brilliant cut diamond mounted on gold. It suits Princess Victoria’s personality, as she has always dressed simply and without too much pomp.

via: Swedish Royal Court; Images: Newscom

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Princess Victoria and Daniel, the owner of a chain of fitness centers, have been a couple for seven years. They met in 2002 when the popular princess was working out at one of the gyms. The wedding is set for early summer next year.

You can watch the video below. It’s in Swedish but that’s fine with us, right? I do believe I heard Queen Silvia said something about Daniel being “full of energy” and “positive”. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia look proud, while Princess Victoria and Daniel are the picture of a loving and happy couple. This video is so sweet!

Princess Victoria, who is 31, has told the press that Daniel, 35, knelt and proposed at “Drottningholm, in the outdoors”. She also said:

“With Daniel by my side I feel safe. You have surely seen that in recent years I have grown stronger and happier, and now we can begin preparations to start our own lives and start a family,”

Daniel will be given the title Prince Daniel, Duke of Vaestergoetland.

Congratulations to the beautiful couple!

via AFP

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Princess Victoria of Sweden at the Don Orione Institute in Messina, Sicily, Italy on January 30, 2009.

Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria is on a three-day visit to Italy to receive the International Prize Bonino 2009 for her commitment to dyslexia issues. The awarding ceremony was held on January 30, 2009 in Messina, Sicily.

Part of her itinerary is a meeting with Father Don Felice, the founder of Istituto Don Orione, a center for the disabled. She will also see the tourist sites, including an ancient Greek theater, in Taormina.

More photos below:

Image: Newscom

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Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden visited the Gothenburg Harbour on January 20, 2009.

The Princess met with the county administrative board and representatives of the Swedish Fishermen’s Union. Such visits are in the royal agenda to show her support for various industries, in this case the West Swedish fishing industry, and local companies around Sweden. The princess was simply and practically dressed in a dark suit over a white cowl-neck top.

Are you keen for another royal bag hunt? Here’s a good look at Princess Victoria’s bag from yesterday’s visit (click image for larger version). Can anyone tell me what designer or store this is from?

Image: Newscom

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From left: Queen Silvia, Princess Madeleine, King Carl Gustaf, Prince Carl Philip and Crown Princess Victoria at the Nobel Prize Awards of 2008. [image credit: Newscom]

King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Madeleine, and Prince Carl Philip welcomed the new laureates on December 10, 2008 at the Stockholm Concert Hall. King Carl Gustaf traditionally presents the award to each honoree.

Nobel Prizes are awarded for outstanding achievements in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for peace. An additional Prize for Economics is awarded in the same ceremony, which is held every year on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The Nobel Peace Prize alone is awarded in Oslo, Norway in the presence of the King of Norway. The ceremony in Norway is held on the same day.

The winners of this year’s Nobel Prizes are:

• For Physiology or Medicine: Francoise Barre-Sinoussi,  Luc Montagnier  and Harald zur Hausen
• For Physics: Makoto Kobayashi, Toshihide Maskawa and Yoichiro Nambu
• For Chemistry: Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Tsien
• For Literature: Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio
• For Peace: Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari
• For Economics: Paul Krugman

Here are some more photos of the Swedish royals at the awarding ceremony:

After the Awards Ceremony, the Nobel Banquet was held at the Stockholm City Hall. A long table of honor is laid out for the laureates, the royals, Nobel Committee members and various dignitaries.

You can read about the winners of the 2008 Nobel Prizes at NobelPrize.org. You might also be interested in the following tidbits:

• The gowns that Queen Silvia wore to the Nobel Ceremonies from 1976 to 2007
• The seating plan of the Table of Honor of the Nobel Banquet

source: NobelPrize.org

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Princess Victoria had a busy weekend last week. She was at Prince Charles‘ birthday party hosted by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace last November 13, 2008. The next day, November 14, 2008, she presented the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at Town Hall in Stockholm. She looked fresh and pretty as always, with nary a hint of having had a late night the day before.

More photos after the cut:

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