Royally fooled

This past Wednesday was the first day of April and also April Fools’ Day – the one day of the year when everyone – even news agencies and media – can play jokes with people. In Sweden it seems that this day is experiencing a little bit of a renaissance, as I remember it didn’t really use to be very popular and media not very good at using the day to fool the people some years ago, but now it’s on the march up again and both media and people are becoming more and more creative in their plans. Also this year, several big media here in Sweden took the opportunity to try and fool the people royally, literally speaking.

In our fourth largest city, Uppsala, the daily newspaper Upsala Nya Tidning really blew the horns as they announced that Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling would not be marrying in Stockholm next year as previously announced, instead they had decided to move their wedding to Uppsala and the Uppsala Cathedral. The reasons given were that the Stockholm Cathedral was too small while Uppsala Cathedral is the largest cathedral in the Nordic countries, and that the alleys of the Old Town in Stockholm which surrounds the Stockholm Cathedral were too narrow and would make it hard to guarantee the security of the guests.

Furthermore the newspaper touted that the Stockholm Cathedral is going to have to be polished at a cost of 10-12 million (as recently announced) while that would not have to be done in the Uppsala Cathedral and would in the end help to limit the critique of the costs for the royal wedding. Also the new 8 million organ that they have in Uppsala was given as a reason, as well as the city being about half-way between Stockholm and Ockelbo and thus making it a symbolic “meet on the half way” gesture. The article also claimed that Daniel Westling is planning to establish his gym business in Uppsala and had already registered a new business name – Royal Gym Uppsala.

A company named Informus, a provider of an online search engine for conference facilities, over-night stays and party venues in Sweden, also used the first of April to announce that Drottningholm Palace – the home residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia – would be opening up for over-night stays during some periods. The bedchamber of Queen Hedvig Eleonora was already available for booking during the three first weeks in July for at a cost of 16 000 SEK per night and soon they hoped to be able to offer more bookable weeks. Informus said that the idea was the King and Queen’s own and that all income would go towards paying for the royal wedding between the Crown Princess and Mr Westling.

Alingås Tidning, a local newspaper reaching three municipalities in Västra Götaland County, meanwhile announced that the municipality of Linköping had decided to give a palace in their ownership to Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling. Nolhaga Palace, a conference facility with park and zoological gardens, would be given to the couple as a summer residence, but there were some issues yet to be resolved. A fictional Court Marshal from the Royal Court commented that there was need for a helipad near the residence and that a parts of the bird’s pond on the estate would have to be drained in order to make room for a large garage and parking space. The current tenant holders were planning on keeping their conference business and said that the royals would simply had to make do with people running in and out during parts of the day, but that perhaps the summers when they would be there are often quieter. The article also proudly announced that Daniel Westling himself was coming to visit in order to view his new summer residence and Alingås as well as having a business lunch there.

Sveriges Radio (Swedish Radio) Skaraborg broke the news that Daniel Westling might be more Swedish and royal than his fiancée herself. Genealogists had through researching his family history been able to subtract the ground breaking news that Daniel would be a descendant of Folkungaätten, a prominent dynasty from the Middle Ages which was thought to have died out in the 14th century.

When the grave of Birger Jarl was opened in 2002 the scientists took DNA samples and those had now given the result that Daniel Westling is a descendant of him. Ted Rosvall, a famous Swedish genealogist and author of many books, said to the newspaper:
- Because we have been able to prove that Daniel Westling has his roots in the Middle Ages, he could make claims on the crown. The Bernadotte family didn’t come to Sweden until the 19th century.

Rosvall also said that he had presented the information to the Royal Family and that their reactions was surprise and open mouths, and that these new facts might have given the King the ultimate reason to accept Daniel as his future son-in-law. Everyone has thought that the dynasty was extinct but these new evidence gave a new angle to thinks, Rosvall said:
- I have a feeling that we have to re-write our Swedish history, and discuss the inheritance rights to the throne. But in any case this evidence gives legitimacy to the future royal dynasty Bernadotte/Westling.

Those where the royal media hoaxes I heard of, perhaps there were even more. Which was your favourite? Mine was definitely the Birger Jarl one as the dynasty is something we learn about in school and everyone knows at least a little about the family and their famous rulers. Everyone knows they are extinct today but getting Ted Rosvall to participate in such a hoax is really the only way to even try a hand at making it sound otherwise.

My favourite April Fools’ hoax all categories this year was not royally connected in any way though. It was the largest morning paper Dagens Nyheter who announced that from now on people would be able to pay for a VIP seat in the subway of Stockholm and commuter trains in the region, guaranteeing your own VIP seat together with a daily cup of coffee and a slice of cake.

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