40th birthday of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway: (Printscreens) interview

HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway gave an interview to NRK on occasion of his 40th birthday. The program also includes interviews with among others HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

Click HERE to watch the interview.

Printscreens family:

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Printscreens Crown Prince Haakon:

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Printscreens Crown Princess Mette-Marit:

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Printscreens Crown Prince Frederik:

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

Printscreens Crown Princess Victoria:

Source: NRK

Source: NRK

First interview Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill

HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, and Christopher O'Neill had their first joint interview.

Click HERE to read a (Google-)translation of the SDT interview and to view 3 pictures.
Click HERE to view more pictures at kuvakauppa.

Interview with future King and Queen of the Netherlands

© RVD, picture: Robin Utrecht

The interview with TRH the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands was aired today, 17 April 2013. The future King and Queen of the Netherlands were interviewed by news anchors Mariëlle Tweebeeke of NOS/Nieuwsuur and Rick Nieman of RTL Nieuws.

Transcript interview in Dutch[PDF]

HQ pictures:



© RVD; Picture: Robin Utrecht Video: Source: YouTube Channel koninklijkhuis

Interview with Princess Madeleine of Sweden on her upcoming nuptials with Christopher O'Neill

Source: Ewa-Marie Rudquist; kungehuset.se; photoshop: Current Royal news

The Swedish Royal Court released an interview with HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden related to her upcoming wedding to Christopher O'Neill.

There are less than four months until the wedding. How is the planning going? 

"Less than four months to go! Time flies when you're having fun. We're busy planning. Even though I'm in New York working for Childhood, the planning is going very well. We're getting a fantastic amount of help from back home, and the support from our families is making things much easier for Chris and me."  

A wedding takes a lot of planning, especially a royal wedding. Who is helping with the planning? 

"There are so many people involved in the planning, who are putting in a great deal of time and energy. We don't want to single out any individuals — it's a team effort, and there are a lot of people involved. We're so grateful for all the help we're getting!"

Christopher O'Neill has both American and British citizenship. Will there be a best man and bridesmaids at the wedding like in the UK and the US? 

"Yes and no. Chris will have a best man by his side, but I won't have bridesmaids. Just like my mum and my sister, I'll have bridal attendants — that's a wedding tradition that I want to continue."

Will the wedding be broadcast on TV? 

"We want to make our wedding as accessible as possible. But there hasn't been a final decision on broadcasting it yet."

Has the guest list been finalised? 

"Yes, I think we can safely say so. The invitations will be sent out by 1 April, so there's not much time left. It's been hard, because we wanted to invite everyone, but unfortunately that wasn't possible."

Has a decision been made on whether it will be a morning or afternoon wedding? 

"We'll be having an afternoon wedding, followed by a dinner."

Where will the wedding dinner be held? 

"The wedding dinner will be held at Drottningholm Palace, which I'm very pleased about. Drottningholm Palace means so much to me — it's where I was born and grew up." 

Source: kungahuset.se

An interview with The King on 40 years as Sweden's Head of State

The Swedish Royal Court released an interview with HM King Carl Gustav of Sweden in honor of His 40th anniversary as King of Sweden.

On a late afternoon towards the end of January, The King sits in his office at the Royal Palace of Stockholm and reflects on his time on the throne. 2013 is the 40th year of The King's reign, and the preparations for the jubilee have been under way for several months.
King Gustaf VI Adolf, The King's grandfather, died on 15 September 1973. Four days later, King Carl XVI Gustaf gave his speech from the throne in the Hall of State at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, and became Sweden's new Head of State. Afterwards, the people paid homage to The King as he stood on the balcony on Lejonbacken.

Have Your Majesty's 40 years as Head of State gone quickly? 

"They've gone incredibly quickly," says The King with great confidence as he contemplates his jubilee year. 

What are Your Majesty's hopes for your jubilee year? 

"One of the best things about significant years is that they provide the opportunity to look forwards as well as backwards. Forty years is a very long time, and so much has happened. I was a relatively young man of 27 when I ascended to the throne, and I saw the world through the eyes of a 27-year-old. Now, 40 years later, I have a certain amount of experience to draw on. And the world around us has changed on many levels and in many different ways; even in terms of the proximity of the immediate family circle, in Sweden and in the world. It is sometimes said in jest that everything was so much better before, but that simply isn't true. In many ways, the world has become a better place in which to live for most people, but there is still a great deal of poverty and need in the world." 

What was the first thing Your Majesty did as king? 

"I was 27 years old, and the organisation of the monarchy had been structured to suit my grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf, who was 92 years old. At that time, it was my grandfather and Marshal of the Realm Stig H:son Ericson who led the work here at the palace. In order to encourage more open discussion, I established a cooperation council consisting of a group of skilled and experienced people, women and men with backgrounds in industry, defence and culture. I believe that the Royal Court features greater transparency today. There has been an enormous amount of change, and the change process continues all the time. When it comes to the role of Head of State, that's set out in the constitution." 

Did Your Majesty discuss this with King Gustaf VI Adolf? 

"No, not at all. Once, when I was in my twenties, my grandfather told me to approach life with a certain sense of humour. Of course, I treat people and situations seriously. But you have to be able to bring out the positive and humorous sides of life sometimes. It was his way of saying that the role is not as onerous as he may have feared I would find it." 

How has Your Majesty found it, spending 40 years always having to think about how people will take what Your Majesty says? 

"Well, that's one area where I haven't always entirely succeeded. But joking aside, perhaps that's something we should all think about: What we say, in which situation, to whom, and so on." 

On ascending to the throne, Your Majesty adopted the motto "For Sweden — With the Times". What have been the greatest challenges involved in following this motto? 

"I have tried to live according to my motto by being sensitive to the currents in society, and to the demands, needs and expectations placed on a monarch with the times. For me, it's a matter of living in harmony with developments in Sweden and the whole of the ever-changing world that we are a part of." 

How does Your Majesty look upon the role of acting as a unifying force within the country? 

"In today's globalised world, I feel that my role is even more important. It means that I can show — within the EU and the world, and particularly in Sweden, which today is made up of citizens from many different backgrounds — what Sweden stands for, and act as a unifying force as a neutral and non-partisan Head of State." 

In connection with Your Majesty's 40th jubilee, The King and Queen will be travelling around Sweden and visiting all 21 counties. What are Your Majesty's hopes for these county visits? 

"These visits will be a fantastic opportunity to get an overall impression of developments and the future within each county, over the course of a year. We hope to be able to meet as many people as possible. Women and men, people of all ages, new and old Swedes, all of whom contribute towards shaping our country."

Which important, topical social issues will Your Majesty be addressing during these visits?
"In view of my interest in environmental issues, the environment will be a natural part of the programme. I also hope that we will get an insight into the counties' infrastructures, job markets, industries, culture, healthcare, schools and care services." 

Your Majesty has travelled throughout Sweden during the past 40 years. How does Your Majesty keep abreast of significant events and changes within the counties?  

"We carry out a number of municipal visits every year. Sometime we come back to see how things have gone for a new industry, tourist centre or integration project. I like to be able to show my commitment to their ideas."

Throughout Your Majesty's 40-year reign, Your Majesty has carried out state visits all over the world on behalf of the Government. With a couple of state visits each year, this has resulted in an impressive list of countries visited, involving countless meetings with different people and experiences of different cultures. During these visits, what picture of Sweden does Your Majesty get? 

"As a nation, Sweden enjoys an excellent reputation in the world. This is something that The Queen and I often find during our state visits. Both Sweden and her people are seen in a very positive light. Our services and products are something we should be proud of. Sweden is respected as a nation, and I am both delighted and proud to represent our country. For example, the Nobel Prize attracts a great deal of attention, and helps to portray Sweden as a country that promotes education and science. In recent years, there has been much talk about our former Prime Minister Olof Palme here at home, and the conversation often turns to him and his international actions when we visit other countries, such as those in Africa and Latin America."

Has the international image of Sweden changed over the years? 

"Classic Swedish industry no longer exists in the way it once did. Today, companies are owned internationally, and it's harder to stage industrial exhibitions and say 'Look what we produce here'. But we still have our technical expertise, knowledge and craftsmanship. Swedish research and innovation are often spoken about abroad." 

Has forging personal contacts become more important as a purpose of state visits? 

"That is — and always has been — incredibly important. We are a small nation, and we need to cooperate across international borders. Sweden's longstanding excellent reputation makes it easy to forge good contacts." 

What does Your Majesty find to be the most rewarding thing about these visits? 

"When I succeed in opening doors for others, and when we are received in a new country on state visits, in a new culture, and represent Sweden, that's when I feel a sense of pride and great humility in view of the situation and the task at hand. Or when I hear the Swedish national anthem and see our flag at sporting events — that arouses a particularly strong emotion." 

How does all the travelling and meeting people affect Your Majesty? Does every meeting lead to action and involvement? 

"Yes. We prepare by hearing from diplomats from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, who tell us about the country we will be visiting. They tell us about the culture, history and political situation of the country in question, giving us a deeper insight. Once we arrive, we take part in interesting meetings and see many different things. That gives us many impressions, even if the visit is only brief. As a result, we become very involved and get an understanding of the country or place we've visited." 

With 40 years of experience as Head of State, what does Your Majesty see as the greatest challenges for the future? 

"There are many challenges. I look forward with great optimism, but also with a certain degree of concern. Technological developments will provide immense opportunities for mankind in the future, which is incredibly exciting and gives me hope. My concerns revolve around environmental issues and the considerable challenge of leaving our vulnerable planet in a good condition for future generations. But if we take advantage of our opportunities, all the positive and hopeful things I see during my travels — both here in Sweden and abroad — then I am convinced that, together, we have a promising future ahead of us."

Source: kungahuset.se

Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Chris O'Neill are engaged

HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, and Christopher O'Neill are engaged. The wedding will take place in the summer of 2013.

Interview with the Princess and her fiancé.

- Congratulations on your engagement, how does it feel?
* M: We are very excited and happy. It's a special day for us.

- When did Christopher proposed?
* M: It was early October. It was very romantic and nice. We are keeping the rest to ourselves.

- Christopher, where you nervous?
* C: I've been thinking about it for a while and I wanted to wait for the right moment. But I know Madeleine wanted to marry.

- When did you first meet?
* M: We met through mutual friends. For me it started with a close friendship. We shared the same sense of humor and had great fun together. Chris opened up my heart, he is my soul mate.

- Christopher, when you realized you wanted to woo Princess Madeleine?
* C: I immediately felt something special for Madeleine.

- What was your first impression of Christopher?
* M: I appreciate Chris for his warmth and humor. He has a very big heart and he always manages to get everyone around him feel good. He is an incredible caring and generous person.

- Christopher, have you talked to King about getting marry Princess?
* C: It is true that I have spoken to the king and told him that I want to marry Princess Madeleine.

- What was King's reaction?
* C: The King and Queen were excited, and a little concerned, I think.

- Christopher, do you speak any Swedish?
* C: I can say a few words and I'm going to learn more Swedish.

- Can the Princess tell us something about Christopher's family?

* M: I appreciate Chris family very much. They have always been very nice to me and welcomed me with open arms. Chris has a wonderful family!

- Can you say something about the Princess's family? How was your first meeting?

* C: I have come to know the Swedish Royal family well. I have been extremely well received and felt from the first moment very welcome. They are all friendly and we have very nice when we seen them all.

- How do you see a future family?
* M: Of course we are looking forward to getting married and eventually form our own family.

- Where will you stay?
* M: Right now, we will continue to stay in New York because of both of our work. But we do not exclude the possibility that we move to Sweden in the future.

- Christopher, what do you know about Sweden?
*C: Sweden is a great country. It is so beautiful here and the people friendly. I have mostly visited Stockholm and Öland. I hope to have the opportunity to visit Sweden a bit more often now.

One last question: when will the wedding take place?
* M: We'll come back with details about the wedding. But it will take place in Sweden during the summer of 2013.

Responses from the Royal family:


TM King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia:
"We are both very excited and happy today. We have come to know Christoper O'Neill as a very friendly and warm-hearted person and we wish them both every success in the future."




TRH Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, Duchess and Duke of Västergötland:
"We rejoice immensely in the fine news and wish Princess Madeleine and Chris all the best!"


 


HRH Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland:
"I'm very happy for my sister and Chris's sake and wish Chris welcome in the family."



Response from the mother of Chris O'Neill, Eva Maria O'Neill:
"As the mother of Christopher O'Neill I am delighted with the happy news. I look forward to welcoming Princess Madeleine, who I am very fond of, into our family. I wish them both all possible happiness."

Message from Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill:

© Kungehuset.se

HQ picture taken in New York on 22 October 2012:



Source: Patrick Demarchelier, kungehuset.se

HQ pictures taken in the Royal Palace in Stockholm on 24 October 2012:



 Source: Ewa-Marie Rudquist, kungehuset.se

Princess Marie of Denmark gives interview to Svensk Dam Tidning

HRH Princess Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, gave an interview to Svensk Dam Tidning.

view two of the pages HERE.

Princess Marie of Denmark gives an interview to Jyllands Posten

HRH Princess Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, has given an interview to Jyllands Posten. New pictures accompanied the interview. Those pictures can be found HERE.

There was also a small photoshoot to celebrate the Princess becoming the new patron of Folkekirkens Nødhjælp. Pictures can be found HERE.

Interview with the Prince of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock

The tv-channel France 3 was given the opportunity to interview HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancée, Charlene Wittstock.

Interview exclusive du prince Albert II de... door france3cotedazur