#Silvia Sommerlath

[royalbloopers]

Paris 2024 Olympics

[andiatas]

Queen Silvia of Sweden by Nelson Shanks (oil on canvas, 1990-91)

Queen Silvia sat for this portrait on several occasions. The artist Nelson Shanks has consciously chosen a calm background to make The Queen stand out.

Queen Silvia wears the sash and grand star of the Order of the Seraphim, and a brilliant clasp with a miniature portrait of King Carl XVI Gustaf. She wears the Coronation Tiara, which she also wears on ceremonial occasions and for official portraits.

The portrait can be seen in the East Guard's Hall of the Bernadotte Apartments at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

Photo: royalpalaces.se

[higherentity]

[alliedn]

Last bunch of sketches (for now)

[duchessofvastergotland]

Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria were in Spain for the christening of Amalia Sommerlath Sohns at Palma Cathedral. Amalia is the daughter of Silvia's niece and goddaughter Helena Sommerlath Sohns and her husband Jan.

I’m going to guess Victoria is a godmother and that’s why she was the only sibling there, given everyone makes Victoria godmother to their babies lol

[charlotte-of-wales]

Queen Silvia, King Carl Gustaf, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine attend the funeral of Charlotte Sommerlath, Queen Silvia’s aunt, in Belgium | September 20, 2024

[duchessofostergotlands]

Following their engagement photo call, thinking the microphones and cameras had been turned off, Silvia Sommerlath leaned over to whisper in her sheepish future husband King Carl XVI Gustaf's ear...

[queensilvy]

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Silvia Sommerlath (now Queen Silvia of Sweden) during their engagement interview in 1976. During the interview, Queen Silvia was asked whether she had to think twice before marrying a King. She had a cheeky response, as she stated "I had to think once," to the amusement of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

pc: svt

[europesroyalsweddings]

✵ June 19, 1976 ✵

Silvia Sommerlath & King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

[world-of-wales]

Happy 40th Birthday to Princess Madeleine of Sweden!

Born on 10 June 1982, Princess Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine is the third and youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Currently Madde is eighth in line to the succession to the Swedish throne.

Madeleine was given the title of Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland. It was the first time since the early 17th century that a Swedish ducal title included more than one province.

She was christened at the Royal Palace church on 31 August 1982. Her godparents being Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Prince Andreas of Sachsen Coburg and Gotha, Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson and Mr Walter L. Sommerlath. She was confirmed at Vadstena Abbey in August 1997.

She graduated from Enskilda in 2001 and then went on to graduate from Stockholm University with a Bachelor of Arts in art history, ethnology and modern history. She continued her master's studies at the School of Social Work completed a university course in child psychology in the autumn.

On 8 June 2013, Princess Madeleine married Mr Christopher O'Neill at the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace. Madde and Chris have three children - Princess Leonore (b. 2014), Prince Nicolas (b. 2015) and Princess Adrienne (b. 2018)

Princess Madeleine is a patron of the organisation Min Stora Dag and also works with Europa Nostra, Carl Johan-League and the Royal Motorboat Club.

Her work heavily revolves around working with children, she interned for UNICEF for six months in New York City and worked for the division of Child Protective Services. In 2015, she initiated the #EyesWideOpen campaign to increase the awareness about the sexual abuse of children. Madeleine works closely with the World Childhood Foundation and became its Honorary Vice Chair in December 2021. She also released her first book titled Stella och hemligheten (Stella and the Secret) in support of the Foundation in 2019.

Currently Princess Madeleine and her family reside in Florida. However, In March 2023, it was announced that they would move back to Sweden in August 2023.

[royalbloopers]

[andiatas]

The King's words about Patrick Sommerlath: "Very serious"

For several days, Expressen has been trying to get a verbal comment from the king and queen about how they feel about Patrick Sommerlath's handling of the service.

Now, the royals respond in a comment via the Royal Court's Director of the Information Department, Margareta Thorgren:

"The King has asked me to state that he and the Queen strongly distance themselves from the fact that the person chose not to be reachable at the time of serving and take the whole situation very seriously," writes Margareta Thorgren to Expressen.

At the same time, several police officers have expressed disappointment at the lack of commitment from the Royal Court to help get hold of Patrick Sommerlath. The King also chooses to comment on that.

"The King further states that the Royal Court's approach is always to have good cooperation with the police. According to the Court's security department, it has also applied in this event".

Excerpts from an article by Hannes Lännerholm and Alicia Heimersson for Expressen, published Nov. 22, 2023, at 19:12, updated at 21:38. Translation done by yours truly and you can find the interview with Patrick Sommerlath, which kicked off this whole thing, here.

[importanttragedyfan]

Patrick sommerlath har köpt sex. Han är drottning Silvia s bror han bor gratis hos kungen.

[ariainstars]

Roman Holiday (film 1953): the Bitter Aftertaste

You know, I used to like Roman Holiday. It’s a classic old Hollywood movie that has it all - gorgeous pictures, beautiful protagonists, a princess (of an unnamed European country), a secret love story. It’s fun and romantic and simply a joy for the eyes.

I saw it first when I was a teenager and knew very little of the world. Looking back, Roman Holiday leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

After WWII, the Western world was swamped with both pieces of media and snippets of reality that wanted to show the entire world the greatness and superiority of the US culture. Unfortunately, I have just realized that this movie, in its essence, is one of those.

It’s the classic story of the star-crossed lovers which expects us to heave big sighs and think, “Poor things, they couldn’t live their love because… conventions.”

Really?

Relationships and marriages between people of different social status are as old as the world. Our “old continent” isn’t as backward as that. They are rather the exception than the rule, but they do exist.

Archduke Leopold Ferdinand of Austria married none other than an ex prostitute. Archduchess Louise of Austria married the Italian composer Enrico Toselli. King Edward VIII of England married Wallis Simpson, a divorced socialite. Rainier III of Monaco married actress Grace Kelly. Princess Margaret of England married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones. Carl Gustav XVI of Sweden married interpreter Silvia Sommerlath.

These are a few examples from the 20th century that I can think of, but there are many more.

The US have their fair share of “royalty” too, like entrepreneurs and Hollywood stars. Most of them marry among each other.

In this movie, princess Ann just wants to be a young woman like every other and have fun on her own terms for a few days. US reporter Joe helps her explore the city, hoping for a smash article for the newspaper he’s working for. It’s summer, the city is gorgeous, they have a good time, and needless to say, they end up falling in love. But duty calls, so Ann has to go back to her obligations. In the end Joe does not want to betray her confidence, so he does not write about her; and his photographer friend offers her the pictures he made of her as a goodbye gift.

And the viewers are expected to sob about a love story that ends with renouncement.

Why?

As I said above, it’s not like relationships or marriages between people of different social classes are impossible or even forbidden by law.

Ann and Joe spend three days together, never talk about the things that actually are important to them, and most importantly, their whole relationship is based on lies. Ann pretends not to be the princess and Joe does not tell her that he’s a reporter looking for an interesting story. In the end, of course “love wins over” because even when the truth comes out, they still have feelings for one another. But they have to part, and it’s not explained why.

Unless you see the movie through the cynical lens the way I did a few days ago. Poor girl, can’t have the man she loves because she has to marry a prince someday.

Like I said: this is a very naïve idea of love. Ann is portrayed as a young ingenue who makes her first experiences with romance but does not learn to stand up for herself. Joe is at first thinking only of himself until he decides the only decent thing to do, which he should have done from the start without falling in love with her: not to use a girl’s vulnerable position for his own advantage.

We’re supposed to sigh and to think that in a better world, where old-fashioned, restrictive rules do not matter, these two could be together and happy. That’s why the young man Ann meets is of course from the US, a supposedly more progressive country where anyone can marry anyone they love.

But do they actually love one another, apart from a romantic spark?

Would a relationship between them be really impossible, if both wanted it?

No to both.

Roman Holidays is still an enjoyable movie, but with a dissatisfying ending. It’s not really tragic; it just leaves you wondering how romantic this story would have remained if it had continued. Having to find out that the person you “love” is everything but perfect and that you actually might have to fight for your love, and then learn to live together, is not seen as romantic.

That’s why they say that the best love stories are the ones that end badly.

Roman Holiday, like so many “love stories” of this kind, ends before it could actually have become interesting. Looking back, its premise is silly - a love that is framed as “forbidden” when it isn’t - its arch is beautiful, and then its end falls flat. The fun time of this movie is authentic; its drama feels unnecessary and makes me roll my eyes.

But I have never been a fan of dramatic, star-crossed couples who could have certainly been happy together “if only…”, I admit it.

[charlotte-of-wales]

Happy 80th birthday to Queen Silvia of Sweden!

Born on 23 December 1943, Silvia Renate Sommerlath is Queen of Sweden as the wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf. She has held this title since her marriage to Carl Gustaf in 1976.

Silvia Renate Sommerlath was born in Heidelberg, Germany, as the only daughter of a German father and a Brazilian mother.

Silvia met Crown Prince Carl Gustaf during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He and Silvia announced their engagement on 12 March 1976 and were married three months later, on 19 June 1976 in Stockholm Cathedral. The wedding was preceded, the evening before, by a Royal Variety Performance, where the Swedish musical group ABBA performed "Dancing Queen" for the very first time, as a tribute to Sweden's future queen.

The King and Queen of Sweden have three children - Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine - and eight grandchildren - Princess Estelle, Prince Oscar, Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Prince Julian, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas and Princess Adrienne.

[duchessofostergotlands]

An adorable photograph of King Carl XVI Gustaf and then Silvia Sommerlath after they announced their engagement