I do admire how the Swedish royals conduct their business. Granted, Sweden is smaller than the UK and the role of the monarchy is pretty different between the two countries. Even though every family has drama and that goes triple for royal families, it does feel like the Swedes make an effort to not allow their sh-t to spill out in the media. They always put in appearances to look like a happy, supportive family. There’s no grimness about “duty” and their system doesn’t seem based on punishment and egos. Or maybe I’m just projecting this idealized version I have of the House of Bernadotte.
On Saturday, Prince Carl-Phillip and Princess Sofia had their youngest son’s baptism. Prince Julian Herbert Folke was born in March, a true pandemic baby. Julian is their third son and I swear, Sofia looks TIRED. Tired of boys and boy drama. She’s beautiful, of course, but my knee-jerk impression is that she did not really want to be on display at this moment.
Sofia and their family were on display though. Princess Madeleine and her husband Christopher O’Neill came in for the baptism. They brought their three kids. Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel and their two kids were there too. Little Estelle is getting tall! And Oscar looks so much like his father, OMG. Daniel’s genes are very strong, I think both kids look like him.
Anyway, just an enjoyable family baptism for the new baby. This might even be the first time Maddy and Christopher have gotten a chance to meet their new nephew? I’m pretty sure they’re just based in Florida permanently now – they definitely spent most of last year in Florida.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
The video of Julian being baptized is hilarious.
Really what happened?
The dutch news site nos.nl has a 37 second video. If you go to the site, scroll down to the videos under “kijken” and go right till you find “prinsje gedoopt”. The video is in Swedish with Dutch subtitles, but watch how the baby gets baptised…
Thanks for the link, ML. That was ADORABLE!! 😊. What a sweet baby! And that Officiant was hysterical! Loved the “baby voice” to keep Julian calm.
Thanks for the links and the instructions on how to find the video! So cute. That priest really enjoyed his job.
Nice tip! That’s one happy priest
That was so cute and reminds me of how (some of) the pastors handle and talk to the babies when they’re dedicated in my church.
Oh I love these pictures. Sofia does look a little tired but who can blame her at this point lol.
I know the Swedish royals have their own drama and behind-the-scenes messiness but they overall seem to have a better handle on things than the British royals. There just seems to be more of an actual family dynamic there.
The Swedish royals seem like they at the very least like one another. Unless they’re all just really good actors, at each of their weddings and children’s christenings, the siblings appear to be genuinely happy for one another on their occasions. It’s always refreshing to see in comparison to the frosty Windsors.
Their family dynamic is quite sweet in public which is interesting considering how much messiness has gone down over the years, especially the king’s cheating on his wife. (At least — one hopes they don’t have any Andrews hanging around.) If you watch any of Victoria’s recent videos, she seems so normal and peaceful.
There was actually a ton of drama between Princess Madeline and Sofia when she and Carl Philip first got engaged. A lot of mud slinging in the press (mostly from Sofia to Madeline) attacking her husband’s businesses etc. It’s pretty much accepted that that is why they moved to the US. Plus king cheating on his wife.
I think it just never got much coverage in the international/American press because Americans are not as interested in the non-British royals. And standard family drama pales in comparison to the racism and pedophilia coming out of the House of Windsor.
Sofia’s dress is gorgeous.
I love hers and I really like Madeleine’s too, even though usually I’m not a fan of so many flounces etc. But I think she has the style and presence to carry it off. I’m not sold on Victoria’s dress, I think we have seen her dress way better. I do love how she is coordinated with Estelle and Madeleine is coordinated with her kids.
I think Victoria’s dress ages her. Victoria’s dress looks like something her mother should be wearing. Love Sofia’s and Madeleine’s dresses.
I don’t like the 1980s secretary look on Victoria. She’s worn better outfits. But they all seem to get along fairly well or at least can pretend for the cameras.
I think Victoria keeps wearing p u s s y b o w blouses and dresses in solidarity. She herself was a victim of inappropriate touching by a someone connected to the Nobel committee.
Their family outfit coordination games are on point. And I like Victoria’s dress. I wouldn’t wear it. I wouldn’t wear any of them, but I think they all look beautiful.
CP Victoria is likely wearing one of Queen Sylvia’s old dresses, which she does from time to time. Sometimes, she hits the vintage look and at other times she doesn’t. No comment on this one. Estelle is wearing one of Victoria’s old dresses. Victoria does that from time to time too.
Somehow it avoids the Cambridge cringe factor. The kids look charming.
I like her dress, I do not think the hair bow is flattering.
That massive bow is vintage Fergie from the late 80s. Not good.
It’s traditional garb.
That was her outfit for the last christening. This one is a brand new ‘fashion’ headband by Headpieces by M.
So I could live in Sweden but I chose Florida? Seriously stay. Anything is better that COVID Desantisland. We sold our Key West house because of what FL has become. I hope it recovers one day & if it does I wil visit.
Victoria’s kids do look a lot like Daniel
Why, oh why, would anyone choose to live in Florida over Sweden. Florida!?!?!? Gah
Well, imagine that your new sister-in-law was selling stories about you to the press, so that every week there was a new article about how you’re evil incarnate who sullied the royal family’s name by not marrying your cheating fiance and instead marrying an American guy who loved you and how you were so very VERY mean to innocent new sister-in-law.
I’m sure after a few years of that, the peace and quiet of Florida (where you can just live as a rich man’s wife, rather than the king’s daughter) would seem appealing. Buuuuut, what do I know?
Wait, Sofia did this?? I knew she did off-color stuff before marriage but none of it seemed a big deal to me personally but I didn’t think she was a mean girl…
Oh, Maria. Maria. Sofia is the MEANEST of girls. Until Mads and Chris moved away, there were Madeleine vs Sofia stories in the Swedish press all the time. And they were always “mean Madeleine/nice Sofia” slanted, which is strange since Mads is the born princess and the press normally sides with the born royal. Once, Madeleine wanted her friend (who just happened to be Carl Philip’s ex) to be a god-parent. Sofia pitched such a fit that Emma ended up not even attending the baptism. This was even after Sofia was married to CP and Emma was married. And then there’s her making fun of her disabled teacher. Honestly, her posing half-naked with a snake draped across her cooch is the least of my issues with her.
Don’t forget her working illegally in the US while on the purchased student visa for the ‘business school’. Paid cash under the table by the Swedes who owned the bar. Blogging about flipping a coin to see which of them – her or her boyfriend/employer – had to stay home with his annoying four-year-old son instead of going out partying. That’s right, sleeping with her boss when he was paying her as an ‘au pair’.
The king knew how awful this match was going to look, which is why he arranged to have their engagement announced when the Queen was out of the country at a Childhood event with Madeleine. She caught wind of it, flew back on the red-eye, only to have to pose and pretend she’s thrilled with the match. Right. Because a woman who founded a charity to end sex trafficking wants a p o r n model as a daughter-in-law.
Yikes!!! Yeah I don’t care about the photoshoots but her being so catty and shady is awful!
I did know about Carl Philip and Emma and how shady he was in his remarks at the time of his engagement like “I never knew love before Sofia!” and Emma was like “Um I existed btw”
@rawiya sounds a little familiar.
Oh jfc. She’s not a sex trafficker nor comparable to one, just because she did some sexy photo shoots. Save your ire for the actual sex traffickers and clients like Andrew & Trump & co.
I would like to hear more of this family drama – I find the Swedish royal family fascinating (probably helps that they are all very good-looking). Can any of you recommend a site where I can catch up on the gossip? I’m surprised (yet also maybe not surprised) that Sofia is a mean girl – she seemed really dedicated during COVID.
Winter climate in Stockholm. Makes exile in Florida very attractive.
“Winter is cold: the average temperature drops below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F) from December to February, and it typically exceeds the freezing point, with the melting of snow, in late March. However, the weather varies greatly depending on weather situation: when mild currents from the Atlantic Ocean prevail, the temperature can exceed freezing by a few degrees even in winter, and rain can fall instead of snow. In other periods, when an anticyclone of polar or Siberian origin moves over the city, the temperature sinks below freezing, down to -20 °C (-4 °F) and more. At the Bromma airport, the temperature dropped to -29 °C (-20 °F) in January 1979, to -26.4 °C (-15.5 °F) in February 1985, and to -26 °C (-15 °F) in January 1987.”
His mom settled in Florida and they wanted to be closer to her for a few years. I can’t remember if she had health issues or not but that’s in the back of my head.
He also got bad press for daring(!) to keep a well paying job. As if it were something to be ashamed of which is insane.
Madeleine lives outside of Sweden because her sister-in-law constantly works with the tabloids against her. Sofia’s done it for years, starting when she and CP first got together. She’s even papped out lunching with some of the worst of the tabloid people attacking Madeleine. The tabloids went full-in against Madeleine and Chris for pro-Sofia the shady ‘model’, tearing apart all of his businesses and refusing to leave them alone.
Madeleine wasn’t even allowed to have her best friend, Emma, as godmother to one of her children. Why? Because CP cheated on his long-time girlfriend, Emma, with Sofia. He and Sofia didn’t want Emma to be given the spotlight, so Maddie played good girl, gave up, and chose different godparents.
I doubt they’ll return to Sweden full-time unless someone in the family (ie the sexist king) puts Sofia in her place. Since he won’t do that, Maddie and her family stay out of Sweden.
ETA: cross-posted with rawiya who explained it all better.
This is the problem with mean girls – they’re mean because no one puts them in their place. The fact TK allows this treatmeant of his daughter tells me all I need to know about him.
I wonder if Victoria will finally put them all in their respective places.
Snappyfish, I kept changing my mind about which parent the kids looked like. I figured out it is because Victoria and Daniel look so much alike.
OH you are SO right. They do!!
They really do.
If I recall, they live in FL because of her husband. I’ve forgotten the details. Business or something. They lived in London before moving to FL
They live in Florida because when they tried to live in Sweden, her sister in law kept sending her tabloid friends out to attack Madeleine and her husband’s businesses.
Yeah Madeline and her husband live permanently in Florida and she’s even done some engagements since returning in Sweden this summer. The Swedish Royal Family is not perfect. The King didn’t accept Daniel in the beginning and took a long time to approve their engagement and I’m sure he would have liked Madeline to live in Sweden. But it does seem that they keep their disagreements in private and they did support Sofia when she was being attacked by the press for unsuitability.
Took 10 years to let Victoria marry Daniel, but when Baby Boy wanted to marry a ‘glamour model’ the sexist, strip club loving king couldn’t approve it fast enough.
Oh, jeez. Poor Victoria.
I love Prince Oscar, what a smooshy little face!
The most drama I observed of the Swedish family was when Crown Princess Victoria was in her late teens. She had a severe case of anorexia and spent time over here where nobody really knows her. She recovered beautifully. Glad to see Daniel and Victoria acting like regular spouses
I remember that very clearly because that was the first time I’d ever heard of her. I want to say People magazine did a small article about her anorexia and recovery, which is what put her on my radar.
Strangely to me, the makers of Princess Diaries made an exact copy of one of Victoria’s gown to be worn in the films. The purple, high collar one Princess Mia wears. That was the dress that caused people to notice Victoria’s anorexia and force the family to admit what was happening. Of all royal gowns to copy, why did the filmmakers pick that one?
Anorexia likely caused in large part by her parents. Both of them insisting the boy should be the heir, Silvia and her multiple plastic surgeries because of her husband’s repeat cheating thinking a woman’s looks matter more than her brain. It is amazing Victoria has turned out so well and happy.
So, maybe your nasty version of the king and queen is not really based on the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Maybe they deserve some of the credit for Victoria turning out to be such a terrific person. Anorexia is a complicated illness and to blame the parents is both simplistic and nasty.
At the time, CP Victoria looked so thin that I wondered “is she going to make it?” And choosing to travel to the US for her mental health was a statement all by itself. Maybe it is just a naive hope of mine, but her relationship with Daniel really looks healthy, she looks strong and happy in a way she was missing previously. Glad they fought for it.
When both of your parents repeatedly tell the press they think the boy child should be the heir? Not just when your are a child, but up to modern day? When your mother is desperately undergoing bad surgery after bad surgery to get the attention of her cheating husband? No, not going to absolve those two awful parents for their treatment of Victoria.
Victoria is my fave modern royal. Love how she’s been open about challenges from dyslexia (which led her to be bullied) to anorexia to fertility issues to Daniel’s health issues. Love her fashion and devotion to duty. And love her reverse fairytale (regular guy marries a future queen). He helped her when she was rebuilding her body image in a new, healthy way (he was her trainer), they fall in love, fight years of serious obstacles to marry and have two beautiful children. The two are so obviously in love. ❤️
THIS is a movie I want to see made!
Swedish kate Middleton. Like Kate , as soon as Sofia got engaged all the shady stuff she did got scrubbed from the internet. It must be good to be white.
Truly! Can’t even find those snake photos anymore. *cough*
not only snake photos. How they meet in the first place, her fake charity, and how she used to leak to the press about maddie being bully, etc.
Snake photo? I only remember her being a stripper? Was it a part of her program?
Anita, she did an entire photoshoot where she’s in a bikini (at least bottoms, if I remember) with a huge snake draped across her breasts and cooch. It was very early 2000s Maxim magazine. Anyway, those photos were online while she and CP were dating. The minute the engagement was announced: gone!
And yes, Cathy!!! I’m glad I’m not the only one who remembers the crap she’s pulled. It’d be great if someone looked into that house in South Africa she purchased right after the wedding, and the strange business she set up with her father and sisters as directors. Where’s the money coming from? What’s the point of the business?
The point of the business was stated as business investment and consulting. What exactly is she going to be teaching? The new godparent owns a shoe company. Has Sofia invested in that company and promotes the shoes by wearing them at public engagements?
The luxury apartment in S.A. feels like a pre-nup, purchased for her on the side by the king. If things go south, that property belongs to her.
Oh yes right down to leaking about a family member to get good press. Wasn’t Sofia the side chick who became official GF when he got dumped for cheating?!?!
Wasn’t he living with or engaged to someone else when they got together? Somehow, I’m remembering this…?
And I remember those snake photos, amongst others… POOF! All gone now.
^ Yes, the gf he was living with just happens to be a good friend of his sister Madelaine (thanks to the poster above for the reminder). It explains why Sofia had the knives out for his sister from the get go.
She was a very trashy social climber until her rep got whitewashed.
Thanks, Digital Unicorn 😊
@theOG Jan there’s all there. I just did a wuick google and found tons of photos, including the python shoot, no problem.
Dang, I did not know all this about Sophia!
I didn’t know any of this about her, either.
The King made sure that a lot of stuff about Sofia was scrubbed and she used her own tabloid buddies to help too. I can appreciate her apparent volunteer work during the pandemic, but outside of that I do not care for her or her husband.
So much was scrubbed, so that many English-language royal watchers have no clue what she did and how she was before the engagement.
I love Madeleine and her gorgeous family. I can’t get over how big all the kids have gotten.
I think the Swedish royals are less dramatic because they are all settled into families now. There used to be a lot of drama. Including Victoria’s father making Daniel jump through numerous hoops to marry her because he wasn’t “good enough” for Victoria. Then there was Sofia having been a swim wear model and all the gossip about that. It all kind of stopped when Madeleine moved to Florida to get away from Sofia. The press was really hard on Sofia for her “scandalous past” and she would leak about Madeleine to get them off her back. Madeleine had to move to Florida to get her to stop. She still leaks stuff whenever she can, but has been forced to switch to actually doing things to get good PR.
Sofia was not a ‘swimwear model’. LOL
Can we stop shaming her for the pics? Some of the comments in here are actually kind of gross.
Like I went through and just counted at least 8 comments referring to her as a stripper, p o r n model (which is not an industry known for being kind to women so that’s not inconsistent with the queen being against sex trafficking FYI), etc.
She may have been bitchy to Madeleine but that can be discussed without the constant references to snake pictures and her “cooch” etc. Come on now people.
Completely agree @Becks1
I’m with you, Becks1.
@Becks Don’t forget the fact she was 16 during her first adult photo shoot and had to get written permission from her parents.
Her well-educated, gainfully employed, middle class parents who raised her in one of the world’s wealthiest societies? Struggling to see how Sofia had no other choices here.
When I wrote the comment about the stripper above: I was not trying to shame Sofia – even if it came across that way. Where I live, it became known that she was a stripper (that Carl Philip and she met at the strip club where she worked), and the tabloids (admittedly of poor quality, even by tabloid standards) implied that an underwear model was code for a stripper.
That said, I do not think strippers are a profession to be ashamed of (a profession, I am told, that requires tremendous coordination and fitness, which I envy).
The fact that she was a stripper made their story even more romantic – at least in my eyes, and I had no idea she was the mean girl in the equation.
The Swedes have plenty of their own royal drama but the difference is CP Victoria isn’t as angry and spiteful as Prince William
I love Madelaine’s dress! And yeah as others have said, the Swedes have had their own fair share of drama. It probably just looks tame in comparison to the Brits lol.
It is from Zimmermann, and frankly, it is one of the best they have. Most of their stuff doesn’t appeal to me at all.
Cute pics and I love Sofia’s dress.
Eh, I heard the rumors about Sofia supposedly leaking about Madelaine but I never really bought that…why would Sofia, who had her own past as a glamour model, look down on Madelaine for marrying an American? I thought it was far more likely it was a) BS tabloid reports based on the fact that the King already looked down on Daniel, so it wasn’t hard to imagine he looked down on Sofia and Madelaine’s husband and create stories around that or b) the King did feel that way or c) there was some truth to Madelaine being shady about Sofia’s past as a model.
Isn’t Sofia supposedly CG’s favourite? I don’t think he looked down on her. I don’t know as much about the Swedes so I can’t say that Sofia for sure leaked stuff about Madeleine but I just wanted to say I don’t think CG has an issue with Sofia anymore at least.
I do know that Carl Gustav has been pissed for years that his beloved baby Carl Philip can’t be heir anymore and that Victoria is heir instead. I think anyone Carl Philip married would have been his favorite. He made things for his son’s wedding far quicker and smoother than for Victoria’s.
Sofia look down on Madeleine? She’d have to climb to the top of Mount Kebnekaise to have any standing to do that.
Madeleine’s best friend (Emma) dated C-P for a decade. He cheated with Sofia. Sofia wanted everyone to like her and turn against Emma and Madeleine. Ergo being in bed with the tabloids.
As for the king not liking Sofia? LOL. He knew the people were already looking to downsize the monarchy. What did he do? He tried making a BS ‘job’ for Sofia on his staff, trying to find a way to keep her and sonny boy on the taxpayer payroll. He only ended up removing HRHs from the grandkids because of political pressure, because of ongoing calls to make the royal family smaller and get CP/Sofia off the dole.
As NOTA points out, Sofia’s b!tchiness towards Madelaine comes from her being very good friends with his ex – the one he was cheating on with her. As i said above Sofia was the side piece who was upgraded to official GF (she moved in with him pretty quickly) once Emma (now ex gf) dumped him when she found out about the cheating with Sofia.
As I recall Sofia’s leaks had nothing to do with looking down on Madeleine and more to do with Madeleine being besties with the brother’s ex Emma. And if I also recall correctly, Madeleine was “discouraged” from naming Emma as one of the godparents of her first child because of all the messiness. Madeleine (and Victoria) apparently comes second to whatever makes Carl Philip happy.
King even gave the only Duchy with a monetary benefit to the boy child’s first born, when Victoria’s son was born months before. Big estate with a tiny annual rent.
oh, had Carl Philippe decided to date and marry a biracial foreigner, there would have been hell to pay. That’s all it takes to set a deranger off.
Estelles dress is her mothers old dress from when she was a young 35 yrs ago.
I love all the women’s summer dresses and wished the men could have worn less dark colors, and the little girls aren’t wearing tights, lol. Sophia does look tired and I bet they were trying for a girl with number three.
I must have married (and divorced) the homeliest Swede lol.. love this Royal family they are beautiful but more importantly they come across as a loving family 💐.
Love them. Beautiful!
That is fricken adorable, thanks for the instructions!
Wow! I didn’t know all of this about Sofia. I won’t comment on her previous profession or even that she was the side-chick (it takes two to tangle) but her being a mean girl is disappointing. I don’t follow other royal families like the BRF mainly because of a language barrier so this is the first I’m hearing of her personality. If anyone knows of any good gossip sites for other royal families please share. Now that Google translate is a thing I’m willing to venture out more.
I agree, very disappointing to hear she is a mean girl. I so much admired her for volunteering at the hospital during covid. I didn’t really think she was pretty when they married but now I think she is the most beautiful royal.
I’m not too torn over the ‘side chick’ thing since the prince was single. It sounds like he dated one lady for 10 years then fell hard for Sophia. Being Waity doesn’t always pay off, sometimes you just waste 10 years.