The July issue of the Swedish history magazine Populär Historia (issue 7/2009) has a good article on the history of Haga Palace, dealing with Gustaf III’s plans for a grandiose “Versailles” in the Haga Park, the Royal Burial Ground and the royal inhabitants of the small Haga Palace which will become the home of Crown Princess Victoria and her fiancé Daniel Westling next year. The next issue of the magazine, on sale from 28 July, will have an article on Lovisa Ulrika, one of the most fascinating queens in Swedish history.
A few weeks ago Svensk Damtidning (issue 26, dated 16-24 June) had a four-page article on another former royal home, namely Villa Fridhem in Östergötland, which was the summer house of Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg, at which they used to gather their large family in the summers. Now a conference hotel, Fridhem celebrated its centenary at the end of May. The celebrations included the reopening of the Princesses Margaretha, Märtha and Astrid’s playhouse, now complete with furniture and toys brought back from a museum in nearby Norrköping.
There are many pictures from the centenary at Fridhem’s website and it was also covered in the local newspapers Norrköpings Tidningar and Folkbladet:
http://www.villafridhem.se/villafridhem100ar/index.html
http://www.nt.se/norrkoping/artikel.aspx?articleid=5259441
http://www.folkbladet.se/nyheter/norrkoping/artikel.aspx?articleid=4888310
http://www.nt.se/nyheter/Default.aspx?articleid=5255374
In the same issue of Svensk Damtidning there was a very silly article on the “nine hottest candidates” for becoming Prince Carl Philip’s wife. The list is complete fantasy, consisting of two ex-girlfriends, one “Crown Princess Victoria look-alike”, an old friend and six distant relatives (Josephine Bernadotte, Maria Bitsch, Kajsa Bernadotte, Katharina of Rosenborg, Jana De Geer and Adrienne De Geer) – and yes, that makes ten and not nine!
Prince Carl Philip himself has meanwhile given a short interview to the magazine Café, where he among other things denies the persistent rumours about his being gay and says that his father is his role-model.
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So lovely to see the inside of the 'Wendy House' at Fridhem. This was such a part of Queen Astrid's childhood and she would bring the future King Baudouin and Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg (her son and daughter)here to visit her parents in the summer. Entrancing!
ReplyDeleteIndeed all three sisters used to bring their children there and Queen Astrid's children came also after their mother's tragic death - their grandmother or one of the aunts went to Belgium to bring them to Sweden. They also came after the war and King Albert paid a visit to Fridhem as late as 1994, when he was on a state visit to Sweden. I was there myself five years ago, but will soon pay it another visit - I will try to post some photos and more information on Fridhem later this summer.
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