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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For the official opening day, September 15, 2009, the outfits were rather somber, with Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria in black. Princess Victoria’s ensemble was given variety only by white with black polka-dot accents, and the Queen’s by pearls and white flowers in her hat. Princess Madeleine went slightly lighter, in charcoal grey; King Carl Gustav and Prince Carl Philip wore coat-and-tie.

Nothing especially noteworthy, but I do like Princess Victoria’s dress and hat!

Good thing that the evening of September 16 brought a refreshing burst of color as the royals went to the Royal Opera to celebrate the previous day’s opening. Queen Silvia’s floor-length green and white gown was lovely, but it was Princess Victoria’s very royal purple dress and accessories that really catch the eye. Princess Madeline kept to neutral colors, with interest provided by the contrast between her dress and coat.

images: Zuma Press

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The house is located in Linkoping and provides accommodation for the families of seriously ill children who are being treated at the University Hospital. As part of the inauguration, Princess Madeleine planted a tree and toured the house. She also met a family who was admitted to the residence ahead of the opening ceremony.

images: Zuma Press; source: nt.se

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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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The youngest daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia has been dating Mr. Bergstrom, a lawyer, since 2002. The couple’s engagement means that there will be two royal weddings in Sweden soon! Princess Madeleine’s older sister, Crown Princess Victoria, announced her own engagement to Daniel Westling in February.

While no date for the wedding of Princess Madeleine and Mr. Bergstrom has been set, it is assumed that they will wait until after Princess Victoria’s wedding in June 2010.

Congratulations to the lovely couple!

images: Zuma Press

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Princess Maxima and Queen Silvia enjoy the tulips in Lisse.

On the second day of their state visit to the Netherlands, April 22, 2009, Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia had both joint and separate engagements.

In the morning, King Carl Gustaf had meetings with various people from the business industry and the Dutch government. Among them was Prime Minister J.P. Balkende. Meanwhile, Queen Silvia visited the International Flower Exhibition Keukenhof in Lisse, accompanied by Dutch Crown Princess Maxima. It was a lovely day for a visit to the gardens, as the famous tulips of the Netherlands are in full bloom.

From left: Prince Willem-Alexander, Princess Maxima, Queen Silvia and King Carl Gustaf in Leiden on April 22, 2009.

In the afternoon, King Carl and Queen Silvia visited the Linnaeus Garden and the University of Leiden, accompanied by Princess Maxima and Crown Prince Willem-Alexander. While in Leiden, the royals split the meetings between them. King Carl Gustaf and Prince Willem-Alexander attended a sustainability seminar while Queen Silvia and Princess Maxima participated in a discussion about children’s rights.

images: Newscom

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Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and King Carl Gustaf of Sweden during the welcome ceremony at the Hague

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands welcomed Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia yesterday, April 21, 2009.

The official welcome ceremony was conducted at the Hague. Queen Beatrix then hosted a state banquet at Palace Noodeinde in the evening. The banquet was a glittering affair, with tiaras all around for the royal ladies (photo below).

The Swedish royals are on a three-day state visit, at the invitation of the Dutch monarch. The trip includes stops at Den Haag, Amsterdam, Leiden and Groningen, with the aim of fostering continued business and diplomatic ties with Sweden.

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Beatrix on April 21, 2009 (click for larger image)

Sweden’s Queen Silvia during the welcome ceremony

Official portrait during the state banquet on April 21, 2009. Left to right, back row: Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Crown Princess Maxima and Pieter van Vollenhoven; Front row: Swedish Queen Silvia, Swedish King Carl Gustaf XVI and Dutch Queen Beatrix (click for larger image)

images: Bauer-Griffin (top 3); Newscom (bottom)

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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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