WEDDING FLOWERS: Swedish Royalty
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Showing posts with label Swedish Royalty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swedish Royalty. Show all posts

Royal Social Media: October's Instagram hits


Social media is fast becoming THE way royal houses choose to communicate. In an age where news moves faster than fast and often gets boiled down to a few words and a picture or two, official social media channels help set the agenda while keeping a seemingly insatiable appetite for royal stories going. What the royal houses choose to post on their official Instagram accounts tells us what they want to show to the world. What gets the most likes tells us just what hits a nerve. So to see what really got royal audiences going in October, here's a run down of the most popular Instagram posts on each official royal account. It's going to be busy - we're off to a swimming pool, climbing trees and trying out a bit of ballet. And you have to wait til the end for the biggest hit of the month. Grab the tea and biccies and enjoy October's royal social media hits.







Let's start with the best photo of the month, a future king and queen apparently under water. We know Mary and Fred are pretty unflappable but even they need help not to appear soaking wet while apparently under water. The royal couple were photographed at the famous ''Swimming Pool Illusion'' artwork by Leandro Erlich at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa during their visit to Japan this month. It is, of course, an optical illusion but left us all with a fab photo of the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark. It was a huge hit on the official Danish Royal Household Instagram account, winning 16.2k likes, more even than the new photo of Prince Christian taken to mark his 12th birthday which wasn't far behind with 15.1k likes.



It shows the power of a good photo. Usually birthday portraits are a sure fire for the most liked any month of the year. That was the case in Belgium where a new photo of Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant was shared to mark her 16th birthday and won just over 1,500 likes. It doesn't sound a lot when you look at the numbers for other royal accounts but this is the smallest of the official regal Instagram accounts and photos average around 300 likes. The total for the new portraits of the heir to the throne are big for this channel.



Another relatively small and new channel is the one belonging to the Norwegian Royal Household which began by sharing photos of the places and people visited by the family on their travels. Now it focuses much more on the royals themselves and the likes are jumping as a result. The most popular photo here in October was one of three generations of royal women opening a new sculpture in the park named after future Norwegian queen, Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The second in line to the throne was snapped with her mum, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and her granny, Queen Sonja, on an autumnal day and the result was liked over 2,900 times. The photo itself is a great example of why social media can work so well for royalty. It's not the best quality shot (blurred here and there) and hardly formal but it's got a real behind the scenes feel as Mette-Marit looks on proudly at her little girl who is, herself, taking the camera on with confidence. Easy to see why it was published and liked.

OK, we've done the swimming pool, time to climb a tree. Clarence House went through a phase of sharing so much on its Instagram feed it was hard to keep up. It also comes a long way behind in the number of likes compared to the two other accounts run by the British royals and this month's most popular image is interesting in that regards. Despite plenty of photos of Charles and Camilla going about their royal business, top of the tree was an owl having a snooze. It is a fab photo, there's no doubt about that, and if you stop and read the post that goes with it, it's also a rather clever way of promoting a cause close to Prince Charles' heart. There is lots of information there about the owl himself and why such care is being taken around him and his habitat. Saving the planet without getting everyone's back up - perhaps Prince William needs to take a few lessons from papa.



While Instagram is a very modern medium, sometimes history can't be beaten. The most liked photo on the Royal Family's official account came from 1958. The image of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh meeting members of the Royal Ballet after a performance almost fifty years ago scored 37.5k likes. But then what's not to love about the pure divadom of the ballet stars as they curtsey to the Queen in one of her sparkliest tiaras? Social media is all about moments and this is 



Social media can also let some very serious moments take on the significance they need. On October 5th 2017, the high profile politician, Eberhard van der Laan, died after a very public battle with lung cancer. He was 62 and had given up his tenure as Mayor of Amsterdam less than three weeks earlier. The Dutch Royal Household posted a poignant tribute to Mr van der Laan with a personal message from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima who underlined their admiration for his love for Amsterdam and his desire to help others. They also offered their condolences to his family. Over 12,000 people showed their support for this post.





New beginnings also featured high on the most liked royal Instagrams of October 2017. After keeping us waiting for several weeks, Prince Gabriel of Sweden finally starred in his own official portraits. The little prince, born on August 31st 2017, was snapped in the arms of his father, Prince Carl Philip, while mummy Sofia cuddled big brother, Alexander. The photos won 35.5k likes - hardly a surprise to learn they are the most popular on the official Swedish royal account. When were new baby photos ever going to be anything other than completely and totally loved?



But the most popular photo shared on official royal Instagram accounts in October was all about a major story for 2018. The first official appearance of the Duchess of Cambridge following the announcement that she is expecting her third baby was always going to get people excited so it's perhaps no surprise that the photo of Kate with William at a reception to mark World Mental Health Day got just so much love. It won 127k likes, making it easily the most popular photo on the always popular Kensington Palace account. We can expect royal social media to be dominated by the new baby, due in April 2018. No doubt there will be plenty of posts to come - the likes are bound to follow.

Royal Wedding Flowers: orchids


It's known as a luxurious flower and symbolises love so it's perhaps surprising that the orchid doesn't feature in every royal wedding bouquet. This exotic bloom isn't one of the most regular flowers used by royal brides but it's featured in some of the most famous bouquets of recent times. Among them, the bouquet that was carried at a wedding still making history today. Yes, the flowers chosen by the then Princess Elizabeth for her marriage on November 20th 1947 included orchids. As the Queen and Prince Philip prepare to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary in just a few days time, here are five times royal brides have chosen orchids for their bouquets.




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Queen Elizabeth II, November 20th 1947

The Queen's wedding bouquet was a spectacular sprawling sprig of flowers that featured orchids among its  blooms. The then Princess Elizabeth went for three types of British orchids in the bouquet made by Martin Longman of Ludgate in London. She chose from five ideas submitted by the florist and ended up with a rather exotic looking royal bouquet that inspired many other brides in its day. It also went AWOL before the photos and another one was made while she honeymooned. Back at Buck House, the newlyweds posed for more pictures with the blooms on show. Well, when you've got three types of orchid (cattleya, odontoglossum and cypripedium) as well as a sprig of myrtle from the bush planted by Queen Victoria at Osborne then why not?



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Princess Margaret, May 6th 1960

Margaret Rose did like to make a point of how she had been born the younger sister and so wasn't really considered as important as Lillibet the Queen. You could read that into this bouquet which is a much smaller affair than that carried by her big sister and contains orchids in their miniature form. You have to peer pretty hard to see them among the stephanotis and lily of the valley that Margaret also chose. There was always an element of theatre with this princess.




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Diana, Princess of Wales, July 29th 1981



Given the amount of flowers she carried down the aisle of St Paul's Cathedral, it's not surprising that Diana got some orchids into her bouquet somewhere along the line. Even the official press release about Diana's flowers noted how big they were. The cascading, Edwardian style bouquet also contained roses (named in honour of Charles' beloved uncle, Lord Mountbatten), ivy, freesias and lily of the valley.




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Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, June 19th 2010

Victoria was another royal bride who packed in the petals when it came to her wedding bouquet but given that her nuptials were billed as the biggest regal marriage since Charles and Diana, that's perhaps only to be expected. The future queen of Sweden chose a sweet smelling selection of white flowers for her bouquet with orchids joined by peonies, roses and valley lilies in the flowing confection. 



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Stephanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, October 20th 2012

The bride of the last heir to the throne of his generation to get married was always going to wow at her wedding and Stephanie sparkled so much that we're still getting over it, five years on. Among the many triumphs of her two day wedding celebration was the bouquet carried into the religious service at the Cathedral de Notre Dame in Luxembourg on October 20th. Made by the famous Parisian florist, Maison Lechaume, it consists of white orchids, roses and ivy in a delicate swirling shape. Rather pretty and just the right contrast with the acres of gorgeous lace in her Elie Saab frock. Stephanie was a bride to be reckoned with and her flowers look fragrant, even now.

5 things we know about Prince Gabriel's christening


There's one month to go until the newest royal in Europe stars in the first big official event of his young life. Prince Gabriel of Sweden will be christened on December 1st 2017 and the Swedish Royal Household has already let us know plenty about the day. As with Gabriel's cousins, there is a special page all about the baptism. And just to make us all smile, it now boasts a brand new, super cute photo of the second son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia. So let's look ahead to December and get all excited as we count down five things we now know about the christening of Gabriel Carl Walther of Sweden.



1. The officiants

The Swedish Royal Household today announced that the christening will be conducted by Archbishop Emeritus Anders Wejryd who was in charge at the marriage of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel back in 2010. Assisting will be Bishop Johan Dalman and Chaplain Michael Bjerkhagen who were both involved in the baptism of Gabriel's big brother, Prince Alexander, in September 2016.

2. The location

As already announced, the baptism will take place at Drottningholm Palace Church, a pretty special location for his family. For it was here that big brother, Alexander, was christened. In fact, it's been a busy time for baptisms here in recent years as both of Princess Madeleine's children were christened here - Leonore in 2014 and Nicolas in 2015. And the whole Swedish Royal Family will no doubt be back in 2018 as Madeleine's third baby is due in March next year.


3. The timetable

Prince Gabriel will be christened at 12 noon local time on Friday 1st December with guests arriving from 11am that day. During the service, the baby prince will also receive the Order of the Seraphim from his proud granddad, King Carl XVI Gustaf. The whole baptism is a relatively short ceremony as the reception following the service is due to start at Drottningholm Palace at 1pm and in between expect some photos of Carl Philip, Sofia and their two boys outside the Chapel.

4. The traditions

Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna will only just have turned three months old when he's christened (he was born on August 31st 2017 at Danderyd Hospital) but he's got centuries of royal traditions to deal with as he makes his official debut. The baby prince will wear the royal christening gown first used for his great grandfather, Prince Gustav Adolf, in 1906 and worn by royal babies since. Gabriel's name and the date of his christening will be embroidered in the cap that was added to the baptism set in 1935. He will be baptised at the same font - a true work of art made in the late 17th century and added to by Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden in 1728. The water will come from a spring in Oland - a tradition started by his grandparents, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. And as his mum and dad meet and greet their guests, little Gabriel will terrify the life out of them by balancing precariously in a golden cradle made for King Karl XV in 1826.

5. The godparents

Got you there....we still don't know who will stand sponsor to baby Gabriel on his big day but five is the usual number of godparents for a Swedish royal baby and just about everyone expects mama in waiting Madeleine to be on the list as Victoria did the honours for Prince Alexander. Princess Sofia's sister, Lina, is another of Alex's godmothers so the smart money is on their other sibling, Sara, doing the same for Gabriel. Those details will be revealed nearer the date but we already know that Prince Gabriel, that cheeky looking little Duke of Dalarna, has a right royal occasion coming up.

Photo kungahuset.se

Sweden's royal baby: Gabriel and brotherly love


Prince Gabriel of Sweden might only just have turned one month but he's already got a friend for life. As the newest royal on the continent debuts in official photos, his big brother Alexander is on hand to help him through. They are already an adorable royal double act and then some.



When Gabriel was born, his dad had a very special way of announcing it. He told the waiting press that ''Alexander has a little brother''. Since then, Alex has been as much the star of this show as Gabriel with the first official photos backing that up. In the main image, Prince Alexander is in the arms of his mum while his dad gazes happily at him. Gabriel features in another photo, too, where he is cuddled by Princess Sofia while Prince Carl Philip looks on.  


It's the second time we've had a good look at the littlest prince in Europe since his arrival. He was featured in a snap taken by dad soon after his birth. These latest photos are by Erika Gerdemark. Gabriel Carl Walther, Duke of Darlana was born on August 31st 2017, the second son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden. He is sixth in line to the throne of Sweden and will be christened on December 1st 2017 at the Chapel of Drottninghom Palace.

8 royal birthdays for October


Some months are awash with royal birthdays and while October can't quite match the cake baking, card sending regal frenzy of September it doesn't do too badly on the celebrations front. Some royal houses seem to be particularly fond of October babies (not looking at anywhere in particular here, Belgium) but there's a good spread of royal birthdays going on this month. So get the cake ready and the cards written, here are eight royal birthdays for October.






Prince Emmanuel of Belgium is 12 on October 4th
Emmanuel Leopold Guillaume Marie, second son and third child of Phillipe and Mathilde of Belgium, was born on October 4th 2005 at the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht. Fourth in line to the throne at the time of his birth he moved up to third behind his sister, Elisabeth, and his brother, Gabriel, on the accession of their father as King of the Belgians on July 21st 2013. He attends school in Kessel-Lo and accompanies his parents on an increasing number of engagements.



The Duke of Kent is 82 on October 9th
Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick of Kent was born on October 9th 1935 at Number 3 Belgrave Square, London,the first child of George, Duke of Kent and his wife, Marina. He succeeded to his father's title in 1942 when the Duke of Kent was killed in a plane crash. He performed royal engagements from an early age and still maintains a busy schedule of events on behalf of the Queen. He married Katherine Worsley in 1961 and the couple now has three children and ten grandchildren.




Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands is 48 on October 11th
Constantijn Christof Frederik Ashwin is the third son of former Dutch queen, Beatrix, and her late husband, Claus. He was born on October 11th 1969 in Utrecht when his mother was still heir to the throne. Prince Constantijn trained in law and business and married Laurentien Brinkhorst in 2001 - the couple has three children. Constantijn, brother of King Willem-Alexander, is currently fourth in line to the throne of the Netherlands.



Prince Christian of Denmark is 12 on October 15th
Christian Valdemar Henri John, first child of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, was born on October 15th 2005 at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. Second in line to his country's throne from birth, his name was first revealed - as is traditional for Denmark's royals - at his christening in January 2006. Christian lives with his parents and three siblings in Copenhagen where he attends school.


Prince Laurent of Belgium is 54 on October 19th 
Laurent Baudouin Benoit Marie was born on October 19th 1963 at the Chateau de Belvedere, near Laeken. The second son and third child of the then Prince and Princess of Liege, Albert and Paola, he was born third in line to his country's throne and has since seen his father and older brother succeed as monarchs. Prince Laurent married Claire Coombs in 2003 and the couple has a daughter and twin sons. 



Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant, is 16 on October 25th
Elisabeth Therese Marie Helene was born on October 25th 2001 at the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht. She was the first child of Philippe, then heir to the throne of Belgium, and his wife, Mathilde. On her father's accession as King of the Belgians on July 21st 2013 she became the first female heir to the throne in her country's history and on her accession she will be its first queen regnant. Elisabeth, as first in line, takes the title of Duchess of Brabant. She attends school in Brussels where she lives with her parents and three siblings.






Princess Margaretha of Sweden is 83 on October 31st
Margaretha Desiree Victoria of Sweden was born on October 31st 1934 at the Haga Palace near Stockholm, the first child of Prince Gustaf Adolf and his wife, Princess Sybilla. Her father was then second in line to his country's throne but was killed in a plane crash in 1947 leaving Margaretha's nine month old brother, Carl Gustaf, as future heir. Margaretha married John Ambler in 1964 and the couple had three children. Princess Margaretha, eldest sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, now lives in England.

  
  Princess Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias is 12 on October 31st
Leonor de Todos los Santos, Princess of Asturias, was born on October 31st 2005 at the Ruber Clinic in Madrid, the first child of the then heir to the throne of Spain, Felipe, and his wife, Letizia, On her father's accession as King of Spin on June 19th 2014, Leonor became heir to the throne and took the title Princess of Asturias. She lives in Madrid with her parents and sister, Sofia, and attends school there.

September 15th, a royal day of destiny




September 15th is pretty important in modern royal history. A quartet of celebrations are marked on the date every year, making it about as regal a day in the diary as you can find, Three birthdays and one accession with their own place in the royal story of 21st century Europe.




The first modern European royal to stake a claim to the date was Queen Letizia of Spain who was born on September 15th 1972 in Oviedo. Her arrival was a cause of huge celebration for her parents, Jose Ortiz and Paloma Rocasolano, but it became a famous day in Spanish royal history when Letizia married Felipe of Spain,  then Prince of Asturias, on May 22nd 2004 and became the first non royal in line to be her country's queen. Letizia became consort on June 19th 2014 on the accession of her husband as King Felipe VI - turning September 15th into the birthday of a queen.




It was already the beginning of a king. On September 15th 1973, King Carl XVI Gustaf took the throne of Sweden on the death of his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf, after a reign lasting almost 23 years. The rule of Carl Gustaf has seen many changes - the rules about royal marriage were altered to let him marry someone of non royal birth while the succession laws have also been transformed meaning his first child, Victoria, is his heir.  On September 15th 2017, Carl XVI Gustaf will celebrate 44 years as King of Sweden. That's about as royal as you get.

 
On the very same day that Carl Gustaf took his country's throne, a baby boy was born in Orebro in central Sweden to Olle and Ewa Westling. Baby Olof Daniel would grow up to marry the heir of the man who became Swedish king that day. The wedding of Daniel Westling and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010 was the biggest Europe had seen since that of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. The couple has since had two children - Estelle, born in 2012, and Oscar, born on March 2nd 2016. September 15th has become a special day for this part of the Swedish royal dynasty.


 
Charles and Diana were still the fairytale couple celebrated at that famous wedding when, in 1984, they welcomed a second son on September 15th 1984. Henry Charles Albert David of Wales was born at the Lindo Wing, St Mary's, Paddington and immediately became third in line to the throne. Known from the very start as Prince Harry he has put his partying ways behind him to develop a reputation for charity work while his devotion to the Invictus Games has made it a major sporting event and him a popular hero. Plus, he's now dangling the very real prospect of a royal wedding in front of us and we're all ready to party.  September 15th might not be all about Harry but there are still plenty of reasons to be wild about this prince on his birthday.

Meet Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna


The newest prince in Europe is ready for his close up. Gabriel Carl Walther, Duke of Dalarna has starred in his first official photo taken by, who else, but his proud dad.





Prince Gabriel, born on August 31st 2017, has already been briefly seen peeking out of the top of his car seat in an image released as his parents took him home on September 1st 2017. Now he's doing what all royal babies do and filling up the albums with official images.



The baby prince, sixth in line to the throne of Sweden, is the second child of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia and a little brother for Prince Alexander, Duke of Sodermanland. Photos of the whole family are expected to be shared soon.

Photos: kungahuset.se

The new Swedish line of succession


We have a name, let's give him his place. The latest addition to the Swedish Royal Family has been announced as Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna and he comes in as number six in the line to the throne. To celebrate his arrival, here's a rundown of how the Swedish succession looks now little Gabe has made his debut. Don't get too comfy, Madeleine has another to add come March 2018....






First in line
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
Victoria Ingrid Alice Desiree
Duchess of Vastergotland
Born July 14th 1977



Second in line
Princess Estelle of Sweden
Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary
Duchess of Ostergotland
Born February 23rd 2012




Third in line
Prince Oscar of Sweden
Oscar Carl Olof
Duke of Skane
Born March 2nd 2016




Fourth in line
Prince Carl Philip of Sweden
Carl Philip Edmund Bertil
Duke of Varmland
Born May 13th 1979




Fifth in line
Prince Alexander of Sweden
Alexander Erik Hubertus Bertil
Duke of Sodermanland
Born April 19th 2016




Sixth in line
Prince Gabriel of Sweden
Gabriel Carl Walther
Duke of Dalarna
Born August 31st 2017




Seventh in line
Princess Madeleine of Sweden
Madeleine Therese Amelie Josephine
Duchess of Halsingland and Gastrikland
Born June 10th 1982




Eighth in line
Princess Leonore of Sweden
Leonore Lilian Maria 
Duchess of Gotland
Born February 20th 2014




Ninth in line
Prince Nicolas of Sweden
Nicolas Paul Gustaf
Duke of Angermanland
Born June 15th 2015

Photos: kungahuset.se

Prince Gabriel of Sweden




The newest prince in Europe is called Gabriel. The King of Sweden, baby's grandad, announced his names at a special cabinet meeting this morning. The sixth in line to the Swedish throne and sixth grandchild of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia is Gabriel Carl Walther.


A post shared by Kungahuset (@kungahuset) on


Prince Gabriel of Sweden was born on August 31st 2017 at the Danderyd Hospital. He is the second child of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia and a baby brother for Prince Alexander, now nineteen months old.



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Gabriel is a bit of a new name for Sweden's royals although baby Bernadotte's middle names are much more familiar. He shares Carl as a name with his dad (Carl Philip) and granddad as well as cousin Oscar who has it as his second name. Walther was the name of Queen Silvia's father  and Gabriel's great grandfather. He has also been given the title of Duke of Dalarna - another announcement made this morning at the cabinet meeting which Crown Princess Victoria also attended. 



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The Swedish Royal Family then attended a Te Deum at the Royal Palace for Gabriel's safe arrival with King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia looking about as proud as grandparents can look. Also in the front row were Victoria, her husband Prince Daniel and Carl Philip. Just behind were Princess Madeleine, who announced her own third pregnancy just last week, her husband Chris O'Neill and Princess Christina, sister of Carl Gustaf.




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We're promised some official photos soon, a first chance to get a close up look of Gabriel and see him with big brother, Alexander. Until then, the sixth in line to the throne of Sweden is staying tucked up at home with mum and dad while everyone get used to the name. Another royal Gabriel has been announced.

Sapphires for September: Sweden


Queen Silvia of Sweden wears blue sapphires for the marriage of her only son in June 2015
(photo kungahuset.se)

September's birthstone is the beautiful blue sapphire. This stunning stone has been a staple in royal jewellery for centuries and in the modern era, it's found in some of the most sparkling tiaras owned by European ruling houses. Sweden owns a stunning set of sapphires and, let's face it, blue for a boy is quite appropriate there now as the country's royals are awash with princes. As we find out the name of the latest little man to join the House of Bernadotte later, let's celebrate his arrival with some sparkling blue stones. Welcome to sapphires for September.





The super sapphires of Sweden got a starring role at a big royal wedding when Silvia chose this tiara for the marriage of her only son, Carl Philip, to Sofia Hellqvist. Not only did they tick the blue for a boy box (remember, on his wedding day, Carl Philip was the only chap in the Swedish line of succession) but they also meant the Queen of Sweden attended the marriage of the country's former Crown Prince in a set of gems with real royal history.





The sapphires began their royal story at the start of the 19th century when they were given to Augusta of Bavaria when she married Eugene de Beauharnais. He was the son of the Empress Josephine by her first husband but just before he got married, Napoleon adopted him and it's thought that the stunning sapphires were a wedding gift from his new dad to his new wife.





Their daughter, Josephine, married the future King Oscar I of Sweden in 1823 and when Augusta died in 1851, the sapphires came to Stockholm. They were worn by Queen Josefina (she did that old royal thing of changing her name to suit her new country) but remained a personal possession. They eventually ended up with the woman who would become Queen Louise of Sweden and on her death she gave them to the royal family trust which means they now belong to the ruling house - there's no giving this one away as a present any more.






This is a tiara fit for a queen. It's huge to start off with, made up of a sprawling panel of diamonds set as floral and leaf motifs and even if there were no other stones in this diadem, it would still be impressive. But at the very top are eleven sapphires and you wouldn't describe them as modest. The square cut gems are surrounded by more diamonds and it makes a stand out piece of sapphire jewellery.





Queen Silvia is very fond of it - you can't blame her for that, it's a cracker. It's been seen as State Banquets, at the Nobel Prize ceremony and at her son's wedding. The only way to describe this tiara is royal. It has an air of majesty and grandness about it that never fails to impress.  But it's also very pretty and delicate in its own way. It's a terrific tiara all round.





It's got another big plus point - it's part of a parure. Yes, there are more sapphires to go with this tiara and they're all terrific as well. To match, Silvia has a necklace, hairpins, earrings and a brooch and the sapphires dominate these smaller pieces where they still have diamond surrounds but no sparklers to sit on.






The tiara may well have been the inspiration, in part at least, for the new diadem worn by Princess Sofia for her marriage which follows the same basic design of a wall of diamonds topped by coloured stones, in her case emeralds. And if it was, it's no wonder. These sapphires are stunning and the tiara design still looks fabulous, two centuries after it was first created. These take some beating as sapphires for September.

Meet Baby Bernadotte


He's home. The newest member of the Swedish Royal Family has left hospital with his parents just a day after being born. And here's the photo to prove it.



The little prince, sixth in line to the throne, was born at 11.24 on August 31st 2017 at the Danderyd Hospital. He is the second son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia and a little brother for nineteen month old Prince Alexander. He came home on Friday September 1st and we were treated to the now traditional photo of proud royal parents with little person in car seat as he headed into the Villa Solbacken. His names and title will be announced on September 4th but in the meantime, the newest royal on the continent is back home with his family.

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