Hot on the heels of an interesting conversation in the previous post’s comments about charity and whether the royal’s involvement in charity is worth anything, here’s a post on Princess Madeleine and Queen Silvia of Sweden in New York last week. Silvia and Madeleine are involved with charity that deals with child protection from violence and exploitation–Silvia created World Childhood Foundation and Madeleine works for Childhood USA–so they were in New York last week to attend a few events with the United Nations and Global Citizen.
On Thursday, September 25, Silvia and Maddie attended the United Nations summit and spoke under the theme of “A world free from violence and exploitation against children.”
On Friday, September 26, Silvia and Maddie attended the World Leaders Forum seminar, Children in the Age of Sustainable Development, at Columbia University. Silvia gave a speech which in part said:
“We have gathered this morning to discuss the future of the world’s children, and how we collectively can ensure and promote integration of children’s rights… At the same time more children than ever before are victims of violence, including sexual violence, conflicts, forced migration, and climate change. We keep talking about preserving the planet for the future generations, forgetting about today’s children.” (you can read the full speech here)
After their stop at Columbia, Silvia and Maddie visited Washington Square Park where they met with volunteers for the “Thankyou by Childhood” campaign.
On Saturday, September 27, Silvia and Maddie attended the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park where they spoke to the crowd of over 60,000 people highlighting children’s rights. Maddie said in part, “It is fantastic to be here at Global Citizen Festival! At the World Childhood Foundation it is our belief that all children have the right to a happy and secure childhood, free from abuse and exploitation.” Global Citizen works to end extreme poverty. Childhood was one of the festival’s partners.
Maddie’s husband, Chris O’Neill, was there to support her. I love that Maddie loves Chris, but damn Chris smile more often. He looks so weird in photos because he doesn’t ever smile; it’s always this weird grimace instead.
Here’s Maddie randomly with Ryan Reynolds.
Want some royal baby cuteness to end the post? Maddie posted this photo on her Facebook page a few weeks ago with the caption, “Precious moments”. Princess Estelle with her baby cousin Princess Leonore. Leonore is all of seven months now. I love that she’s awake and alert in the photo. So cute.
Photos: Madeleine’s Facebook; Kungahuset.se; Getty
Good things first, both of those girls are adorable.
On the charity front, anything that can bring light onto the subject of protecting children is good for me.
I wonder if the divine Duchess will ever, ever do anything like this on her own. My answer is NO. She doesn’t have the people skills or depth to step out on her own. She’s almost like a wind-up doll or a ventriloquist’s dummy and William has his hand in her back making sure she smiles big and doesn’t forget to curtsy when appropriate. (He needs to step up his skills too because the dummy only looks as good as the owner)
I agree re protecting children. I haven’t fully investigated WCF, but protecting children from violence and exploitation is a worthwhile cause and something that isn’t usually brought up.
I don’t think Kate would ever start her own charity because I don’t think she has anything she’s really passionate about. Charlene started her own charity which involves children and sports (mainly swimming) because she’s genuinely passionate about swimming. Silvia started her own charity because she’s genuinely passionate about protecting children’s rights. But what is Kate passionate about? Photography? We’ve been told that and she did release those pics from SE Asia, but she wasn’t very good and seemed to drop it as soon as she got criticism. What else is she passionate about? Anything?
Shopping, it’s pretty much the only thing you see her do outside of family stuff. Sports, but appears to me more along the lines of watching now than doing, unless she’s playing tennis with friends. But then I wonder what friends. So, I guess that won’t count either.
I could see Kate getting involved or starting some sort of charity that relates to sports. Like giving underprivileged kids the opportunity to play sports or something. I think she should focus more on that than whatever it is she’s supporting (or not supporting) now.
KMR, that is a nice idea until you remember that she has absolutely no idea how to relate to people who don’t have money. Case in point, the lecture she gave urban underprivileged children during the “camping trip”. She lectured them along the lines of “See how much more fun it is to go to the country than watch television? You should stop watching so much tv and spend more time in the country.”
The whole point of that charity is that these kids cannot afford to go to the country. No empathy in that empty head. She spent one hour with them, jumped in a helicopter, and flew off to a polo match.
That’s true, you’re right, and I forgot about that trip. Didn’t she also mention how much Will takes care of her during that trip?
yep it seems its only waity and willy who are in the news for doing nothing, ya even princess charlene travelled while pregnant, and even met obama, waity and willy are only good at attending weddings! Such a lazy young couple unbelievable
Just wonderful. I am amazed by the work that Maddie and Sylvia do. This goes to show that not only are you a patron, but you put in work. The more work other Royal Families do, the worse it will bode for Will and Kate. Of Kate chose one charity and worked tirelessly for it, I would be cool. But, she has let down the ones that she has with her lazy work ethic and attitude. For example, Maddie Is engaged and can speak confidently. Kate hems and haws and looks bored to tears.
You can tell Maddie and Silvia are truly invested in the work that they do and it is great to see. Maddie definitely puts Kate to shame in terms of dedication. I like that Maddie knows she’s not going to be Queen (she’s fourth in line) so she branched out and found a life for herself and a job that she enjoys. If only Will and Kate would do this. I call BS on Will’s love of having a flying job since he hardly ever worked for the RAF and the air ambulance thing is just an excuse not to do royal duties. He may love flying, but he hates the actual job part. And Kate doesn’t have anything she seems to be truly passionate about.
I’m so impressed with Queen Sylvia, that she took this on. Might be considered too controversial for some, but thankfully she and Maddie continue to do something of great value. It gives Maddie a way to continue to serve and help her mother, but also build a life away from Sweden since the working/paid royal family will eventually be only Victoria, Daniel, and Estelle. C-P and What-the-HellQvist better figure out how to support themselves soon.
As for Chris, have you seen him crying with happiness when Madeleine enters the church?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIfJZAnrDFQ
And his happiness in some of the photos.
http://www.thelocal.se/blogs/corneliushamelberg/files/2013/06/48394.jpg
I think he keeps his game face on most of the time, the male version of Bitch Resting Face. For those who think he drinks too much because he had a beer the day of the wedding, taking the groom out for a Guinness the morning of the wedding is a tradition.
I completely agree that this is a hard subject to tackle, but if a Queen can’t do it, who can? Princess Diana was the first to really reach out to AIDS victims, much to the dismay of the Palace. However, she didn’t back down and that really began her legacy. I am no Diana-crazy fan, but I respect her for her honest work.
About Chris, I think he is totally in love with Maddie, but feels a bit uncomfortable in the spotlight. At least that is the vibe I get. However, he seems to always be by her side when he is needed. It’s interesting that I have always gotten the vibe that he is somewhat of a drinker, and I never even knew about the beer-wedding-am episode.
I can understand if he is uncomfortable in the spotlight, but I still want him to smile more in photos.
Thanks for the link, that was really nice to see. I agree with fairygodmom and think he really loves her. I hope they have a happy and long marriage.
I’ve seen Chris show genuine emotion, like in the video of the wedding and when he was giving his little press conference after the birth of his daughter. So I think he genuinely loves Maddie and Leonore, but it would be nice if he showed some emotion when he takes a photo. In the engagement pictures, he’s not really smiling, and in the first official photos of Leonore, he’s also not really smiling. It would just be nice if he smiled in photos more often.
I agree that it was great for Silvia to take on this issue when others don’t. And it is great that Maddie is building a life for herself. I love that popping in to things for a few hours wasn’t enough for her and she went with a full time job in an area she really cared about.
I just watched the tube link – I hadn’t seen this before….had a little cry myself; silly me….(but he has a sneery smile – feel better about him now though) thank you….
Thanks so much for this report. Nice to see some good news. I think both Sylvia and Marie look awesome and, more importantly, it is very clear that they are both really invested in this work. They look so natural with everyone and each other. I am sure this family has its issues like all do (ehem…Dad’s tomcatting and Ms. Slitz) but they do seem to support each other when it really counts, you know? Good for them and their good works.
Oops, my kindle changed “Maddie” to “Marie.” Sorry.
It really does feel like Maddie and Silvia are truly invested in the work that they do. They don’t just pop in once or twice a year. Maddie works full time for Childhood USA and Silvia makes many visits to check in on the charity she founded. I like seeing them so invested.
The british tabloids had to constantly trash AL and char wedding to make the weddind of KWl look Good, excuse me but KW wedding was just cold, uninspiring, they just went through the motions, that waity is one cold shrewd woman, that face on her wedding day was empty, am sorry but char and Al wedding for me was emotional, happy and beautiful
I’ve never seen a video of Charlene and Albert’s wedding, but I did see photos and Charlene looked beautiful. But I agree that Will and Kate’s wedding seemed cold. There wasn’t a ton of warmth there.