Currently Browsing: Lilian
Posted by
Sofia in
Lilian on
02 9th, 2009 |
no responses 
Princess Lilian of Sweden, the 93 year old widow of Prince Bertil, an uncle of the present King Carl XVI Gustaf, is currently resting at the Sophiahemmet private hospital in Stockholm after an accident in her home this morning.
The Princess fell in her home, Villa Solbacken situated on Royal Djurgården in Stockholm, resulting in hurting herself and was taken to hospital. Her Court Marshal, Baroness Elisabeth Palmstierna, told Swedish press earlier today that the Princess had from what she had heard hurt her leg.
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Posted by
Sofia in
Lilian on
08 31st, 2008 |
no responses Our beloved princess has been released from hospital to celebrate her 93rd birthday today. Presumably, a long period of recuperation and rehabilitation awaits for her so there could be no extravagant parties in honour of her big day. But evening tabloid Expressen reports that a small birthday dinner was held in her home, Villa Solbacken on Royal Djurgården in Stockholm. Hopefully Lilian will be able to stay in her home were she since many years have nurses who care for her and household staff who feel very dearly for their employer.
WalesOnline has discovered that Sweden has a Welsh-born princess and publishes an article in connection with her birthday. It’s well worth a read and you can find it here.
Posted by
Sofia in
Lilian on
08 13th, 2008 |
no responses The operation of Princess Lilian today has been labeled as “successful” by the medical personnel and the Princess is now resting.
The Princess was taken to the Karolinska Hospital by ambulance on 12 August. Information Secretary Ann-Christine Jernberg from the Royal Court says to TT that she’s doing well considering the circumstances. The Royal Family has been informed.
The King and Queen are in Thailand on a private visit before arriving in Beijing on Friday. Victoria is acting regent since she’s in Sweden at the moment. Lilian will be recuperating at the private hospital Sophiahemmet.
Posted by
Sofia in
Lilian on
08 12th, 2008 |
no responses Princess Lilian has been taken to hospital. After falling in her home yesterday she broke her hip and was taken to hospital (Sophiahemmet most probably) and will today be operated there.
The soon-to-be 93 year old Princess of Sweden and Duchess of Halland, known for her sense of humour and the devise to keep working as long as possible, has had a few misfortunes in recent times. While she’s still trying to keep active and would probably like to keep going as before, her ageing body is not keeping up. In January she was admitted to hospital after what was thought to have been food poisoning and dehydration, and on the King’s birthday in April she fainted because of the heat.
Posted by
Sofia in
Lilian on
01 30th, 2008 |
no responses Swedish media today reported that 92 year old Princess Lilian was taken to hospital yesterday afternoon. The Princess, who had been out for dinner with a friend the evening before, suffered subsequent stomach pains and after recommendations by her doctors an ambulance was called and she was rushed into the Sophiahemmet private hospital. After tests the doctors concluded that she had eaten something bad and Her Royal Highness was then kept over night for observation.
The Princess was released from the hospital around lunchtime today and is now back at home in Villa Solbacken on Royal Djurgården where she is resting. Probably with the Royal Family coming for visits and her dear Labrador dog Bingo, life companion since entering widowhood, at her side.
Wels born Princess Lilian is the widow of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s uncle Prince Bertil, whom she spent more than fifty years of her life together with after they met during World War II in London. She has always been as an extra grandmother for Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine after their maternal grandmother died before they were born and because Lilian could also not marry her Bertil before it was too late to have children. Something which they both mentioned during their engagement press meeting in 1976.
Since some years Lilian, also titled the Duchess of Halland, has three nurses that alternative living with her and Bingo at the royal residence. The arrangement came into place many years ago after the Princess suffered a serious pneumonia and cold, Queen Silvia has arranged so that the best care is taken of the family’s darling “auntie”. About Silvia, who Lilian calls one of her best friends, the Princess once said:
- She is the most caring person I know. We are like two sisters.
Christmas is one of the Swedish Royal Family’s favourite holidays and when it finally stands at the doors after a hectic month crowned by the Nobel Day, they celebrate it in a traditional and calm way.
When the King and Queen’s children were still young, a national television audience was invited to Drottningholm Palace to see how the whole family stuffed Christmas sausages and for many years they also posed for Christmas pictures for the press. But now that the children are grown up the royal Christmas has turned into a very private affair, the last time we got Christmas photographs was in 1999 (not counting 2004 which were on the occasion of the Queen’s 60th birthday) when they posed for New Year’s pictures for the new millennium. But since Crown Princess Victoria still resides at Drottningholm and the family makes an effort to gather for Sunday dinners together, we can presume that they still have time for at least some Christmas preparations together.
On 23 December Queen Silvia celebrates her birthday and in the Swedish Royal Family it has been a tradition to come with cake and song for the birthday boy/girl, usually waking her/him up with it in the morning as the Swedish tradition lays down.
Then on Christmas Eve the Royal Family traditionally gathers at Drottningholm Palace together with Princess Christina, her husband Tord and their two sons, and Princess Lilian comes over from Royal Djurgården together with her labrador dog Bingo.
Svensk Damtidning claims to know that the Christmas tree stands decorated with a star at the top in the Stone Hall (which is their living room) in the private quarters of the palace. They also often repeat that it is a traditional Swedish Christmas buffet table that is set up with the usual dishes but also with oysters in accordance with Madeleine’s wishes. Queen Silvia has also brought traditions from her two home countries according to the magazine, one is the Weinachtsstolle (a sweet sort of soft bread which has fruits, raisins and cognac in it, and is powdered on top) and the other is to serve dark black Brazilian coffee with the dessert.
A small part of the bible is read, but there is not much singing as there might otherwise be during a Swedish Christmas. Except for the snaps songs, which the King and Princess Christina’s husband Tord are very fond of, so those are sung very merrily. The strongest tradition of the Swedish Royal Family must be that King Carl Gustaf is Santa for the family every year. It has been said by Svensk Damtidning that the Queen tried to pause this tradition a few years ago as the children are grown up, but that Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine objected so strongly that the tradition is still kept every year. How the procedure is when Santa comes is not known. But we can only imagine how funny the King may looks in the loose beard and red costume as he steps in to distribute the gifts…
On Christmas Day the royals attend morning service in the Drottningholm Palace chapel. It is under care of a local parish so the local parishioners who come to attend can spot the royals up in the royal box above them. They enter through a private entrance, leading directly from the Mineral Cabinet in the private parts of the Palace, to the royal box. Unlike in other countries we do not usually see much of any pictures of the royals during Christmas, not even from the church service. Instead the Swedish people have to settle with listening to the King’s Christmas speech on radio (and this year for the first time on national television) on the afternoon on Christmas Day.
The temperature meter was over 30 degrees Celsius mark and the capital was bathing in sun today on Princess Madeleine’s birthday. Helicopters were pattering in the sky and the quarters around the Parliament was full of security people from the Säpo (the Swedish security police), the Police and Chinese authorities. At the same time at the President of The People’s Republic of China arrived at the Government Offices, people gathered at the Royal Palace of Stockholm to celebrate Sweden’s Princess and Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland.
Just before the ceremony commenced, the Marshal of The Realm, Court Marshal Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg and Crown Princess Victoria arrived in written order as the gates opened in turns for them all and the people had to step aside. When the people had been let inside the gates, the King and Queen arrived the private way on the Royal Palace’s east side in an elegant Bentley and waves to the people as they stepped out. When the people had been let in, Princess Lilian (92 in August) arrived together with her Court Marshal, Baroness Elisabeth Palmstierna, in a car that was driven up to the doors.
The Army Drum Corps entertained with gathering music after which the incoming and outgoing Royal Guards marched in. This time the Royal Court had decided that the ceremony would take place on the Inner Courtyard, something that was very appreciated by thos of us who are used to having to cram together as sardines in a a jar and where only those on the front rows can get a view of the event.
At noon the Royal Family came out on the Inner Courtyard together with a host of prominent employees of the Royal Court. The tourists applauded and eyes sparkled when they saw our beautiful Royal Family, and many comments were heard about how beautiful and representative they are – a true asset for Sweden. A parade march was played which was followed by a so called ‘figurative display” that was ended with “Ja må hon leva” (Swedish birthday song), handing over of flower bouquets, hurrahs and fanfares. The Princess received three big and beautiful bouquets that she happily thanked for.
When the ceremony was going to end according to the programme, Princess Madeleine took the initiative to have a walkabout among the people. So with the Säpo guards and Court Marshal Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg in her heels, she walked a round among the gathered enthusiasts and tourists. A very appreciated initiative which gave everyone a good chance to see her properly. Her Royal Highness was met by applauds, happy exclaims and camera lightnings.
When the official part of the program ended the Royal Family withdrew to the Royal Palace. The rest of the day and evening will be spent in private.
Videoclips:
* SVT, news report in Windows Media Player or RealPlayer (01:26)
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