60 thoughts on “Swedish Royals at the Nobel Laureates Dinner”

1. Sofia is the best at wearing that button tiara, next to Christina. It’s all about the tiara hair, and the way hers was done for this showing really works. I’m not a fan of the laurel wreath tiara or Silvia’s party antlers (as Order of Splendor so affectionately refers to the Nine Prong Tiara), but all in all they look great. I want Madeleine’s dress.

   1. Party antlers!!! Lol!!

      1. I have party antlers but they don’t look like that!

2. Maybe it’s the pixilation of the photo, but Sofia looks strange. She doesn’t quite look like herself at the Nobel ceremonies.

   I like Victoria’s gown for the dinner, not the stunner of yesterday’s gown, but still pretty. Madeleine looks great as usual.

   From the group photo, my favorite couples are Maddie and Chris (love seeing them together) and Victoria and Daniel.

   Just don’t care for Carl Gustav or Carl Philip. Two entitled guys.

   1. I think it’s Sofia’s makeup. I think she’s wearing a much lighter eye shadow for the Laureates Dinner than she did for the Nobel Ceremony which is why her eyes look different.

      I love Maddie and Chris – I think they are holding hands in the group shot.

   2. Call Philip used to be attractive but he uses way too much hair product now. It makes him appear blah now
      After Felipe Dan is my favorite Royal man. I love his suits

      1. I used to think Carl Philip was hot, but the fact he doesn’t seem to work a lot kind of turned me off of him.

3. Hi. I’m new here. Is it just me or has Sofia been smiling differently lately? To me it looks like she’s been covering part of her teeth. I know to some people her teeth are an issue but to me I think it adds to her character and overall beauty.

   1. Hi Sarah! Yes, I have definitely noticed Sofia smiling differently after her wedding. I think maybe negative comments in the press started to get to her a bit, which is a shame. Some people called her ‘meth mouth’ and I think that it made her start to smile differently.

      1. I think it’s absolutely disgusting that people called Sofia that.

         1. Why doesn’t she have dental cosmetics done? It would really help with her appearance.

            1. Maybe she doesn’t want it? She shouldn’t get cosmetic surgery just to please some rude people on the Internet.

         2. I think it was a really nasty nickname, too. Also, I can say from experience that not everyone wants to put themselves through cosmetic dental surgery. I have problems with my TMJ (my jaw) so when I had braces for two years as a teenager I was in pain any time I went in for an adjustment. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and just had the orthodontist remove my braces. I didn’t care if my teeth were perfectly straight anymore because I just didn’t want my jaw to lock in place and be in pain. It wasn’t worth it for me.

            Maybe Sofia likes her teeth the way they are because it adds to her unique character? I think it is cute. And why should everyone want to look exactly alike?

            1. My teeth are a bit crooked, too, and my father offered to pay to have them straightened but I said no because I just don’t want to go through the process. Like you said, not everyone wants to put themselves through the experience of having their teeth fixed.

               If Sofia is happy with her teeth, I don’t think she should get them fixed. If she did, everyone who complains about her teeth would then complain about her veneers. Kate got her teeth fixed with veneers and many people make fun of them. So it’s a lose-lose situation for Sofia. So she should just do what she wants.

            2. I think Sofia’s teeth are a prime example for her to bring up bullying. How being a bully herself, she didn’t realize how hurtful and damaging to one’s self esteem it could be until she herself was at the other end.
               I’m sure it’ll never happen for the same reasons William would never acknowledge his bullying but I think people would take her more seriously if she did.
               Becuase I would say that if in you’re in your 30s, in a nhs country (I’m assuming dental work is covered but could be wrong) if they really bothered you, you would have probably gotten them fixed before now.

            3. I think Sofia’s teeth are fine. I don’t think everyone needs perfect teeth to be beautiful. Just like Diana had a large nose, but was gorgeous. Sofia clasps her hand in front of her like Kate, but Sofia’s posture is great. I wish Kate would/could have the same posture.

   2. Rumor has it Sofia is undergoing treatment with Invisalign.

4. I never thought that the Four Button Tiara could look good on anyone but wow, Princess Sofia looks really pretty with it!

   1. I agree. I have never been a fan of this tiara before, but Sophia rocks it here!

   2. +1

5. How do u wear tiara as a necklace? I mean. How?…

   1. Some tiaras are convertible. They can be taken off their frame and worn as a necklace.

      1. I’ve always thought of that as the coolest feature of a tiara – imagining the jeweler’s craft – I wonder if it’s tricky to add that.

6. Very nice second round. I might be in the minority but I am not a huge fan of Madeleine and Chris. I don’t really know why to be honest. I just can’t warm up to both of them. But she is a gourgous woman and I like that she is consistent in her work for Childhood (even though it does not count for her royal calender). Her number of official engagements (mark: the king’s birthday counts as five) is quite low though (21 per year). Even the lazy Duchess does about 60.

   1. In defense of Madeleine, I think I’m correct in saying that she gets no state money (unlike Kate who with Harry and Will get well over 4 million to “work”), she’s fifth (I think) in line to the throne so less would be demanded, plus she and Chris live in London, so doing those Swedish engagements isn’t easy logistically. Also, didn’t someone say that the Swedes don’t want a large, extended royal family, so maybe Madeleine is keeping a lower profile for that reason as well?

      1. She supposedly only gets money when she’s doing official Swedish duties.
         I like that she doesn’t try to be a full time working Royal and only works on select causes like childhood (which I believe Silvia founded) I love when she does things with the Swedish version of make a wish foundation. KMR knows the name, I always forget
         CP and Sofia should take note

         1. Min Stora Dag.

            1. Thanks! I always want to call it den Haag, then I remember that’s The Hague, so probably not right =)

         2. What do Carl Philip and Sofia need to take note of?

            1. Carl Phillip and Sophia still live off the Swedish state. Madeleine and Chris do not do the same. Madeleine has accepted her role as “not the heir”. Carl Phillip, arguably, has not done the same. He hasn’t gotten a real job and lives off the taxpayer. My understanding is the that Maddie only gets reimbursed for her expenses, she doesn’t make a profit. Although, someone please correct me if I’m wrong on that. Many complain that Carl Phillip needs to accept his position as a spare (who is now quite low on the list) and get a real job and support himself and Sophia the way that Chris has.

            2. Carl Philip and Madeleine have the same funding set up, both fall under the King’s household and reportedly get paid when they carry out engagements on behalf of their father.

               No one knows how much money gets channeled to Carl Philip and Madeleine because the King is not required to disclose at that level of detail.

               Even though Madeleine does not reside in Sweden she has a royal residence there and does not have to crash with her parents or siblings. On a Swedish news show, according to a translated summary (IIRC), one of the commentators said that Madeleine has had multiple royal residences that she’s either occupied or was expected to occupy and did not. My guess is that her broken engagement and then marriage to Chris and having children explains the multiple residences but that does not stop it from being part of the criticism that, as a royal, Madeleine takes more than she gives.

               Carl Philip had a royal residence that he moved into when he was a bachelor, Sofia moved into the residence and they lived there together until he and the then pregnant Sofia moved into his parents home which happens to be a castle. The plan is for Carl Philip and Sofia to live in a home that was bequeathed to him by his great-uncle. It seems to be a serious plan because papers have been filed with whatever agency oversees renovations of what is the equivalent of a historic landmark.

               I don’t think that there have been complaints about Carl Philip needing to accept his position as the non-heir, there have been complaints about his parents openly stating that they disagreed with Carl Philip being replaced as heir by his older sister Victoria.

               In addition to carrying out work on behalf of his father, Carl Philip has two “real jobs”. One is as a race car driver, he does not seem to be that good at it but he is part of a racing team and presumably shares in the purse earned by the team. Carl Philip is also a founding partner of Bernadotte & Kylberg, the website refers to it as “a global design agency,” I don’t know about all that but they do design products that have won awards and are available for purchase.

               Both Carl Philip and Chris come from rich families and seem to benefit from family connections. In Chris’s case he also married a woman who is rich and well-connected. I don’t think that there is enough information available for anyone to say that Carl Philip is not supporting his family, actually the available information indicates the opposite IMO, or that Chris’s level of self-sufficiency is so substantial that Carl Philip needs to model himself after his brother-in-law.

            3. No one is saying that Carl Philip isn’t supporting his family. The SRF all have their “private wealth” if you can call it that.
               It’s that Sweden is a relatively small country and doesn’t need that many working royals. We are saying that Madeleine by either intent or circumstances of Chris wanting to keep his job/no HRH has found a balance. She comes out when needed yet doesn’t live exclusively off being a working Royal.
               CP could go off and drive his car to his little hearts content. he was accused of plagiarism/taking credit for designing something that he in fact did not do. Don’t know if it’s called plagiarism in the design context.
               I’m sure part of it is that CG wants him to be a working royal. If the monarchy is still around when Vic takes over, I hope she says he’s no longer needed.

            4. The person that I responded to said that Carl Philip does not have a real job, lives off the Swedish taxpayer and needs to get a job to support himself and his family.

               Yes Sweden is a small country but ultimately it is the Swedish people who decide how many is too many royals. If a country wants to have a royal family in order to have someone show up and unveil a new street sign that is their prerogative. I don’t mean that to sound snarky but I am just putting out there that there are no hard and fast rules and it is a local decision.

               Carl Philip being accused of plagiarism is a separate discussion. He is a founding partner of a design firm that has designed products that are available for purchase, and also some of the items designed by his agency have won awards.

               It’s a morbid discussion but the likeliest scenario is that Victoria will “take over” because her father died. If her father dies in next few years Carl Philip and Sofia will be needed more not less. Heck if Carl Gustaf lives another ten years, to age 80, there will be a void and that void cannot be filled by Estelle because she will still be a teenager, again Carl Philip and Sofia will be needed more not less. If Carl Gustaf lives another twenty years, to age 90, Estelle will be in her mid-twenties and by then will possibly be ready to be a working royal assuming that she does not decide to be an air ambulance pilot. Will Carl Philip and Sofia be put out to pasture then? My prediction is probably not for two reasons, one Estelle will still be a young adult and probably needs to be able to scale back royal work to accommodate personal matters that tend to creep into one’s role as a royal like finding a suitable consort and producing the next generation of heirs. The second reason is that it does not seem like it is part of the SRF ethos to discard older working royals. Princess Lilian, a married-in royal, attended high profile events and it seemed like she was “given precedence” over younger royals, namely Carl Philip and Madeleine, who technically outranked her.

            5. It’s every countries decision to decide to have a monarchy or not. Several of us here pontificate the validity of monarchy in general and then how many should be actually “working royals”
               I disagree about cp’s plagerism being a separate discussion, especially when talking about his business dealings. When someone lacks such moral standards to take credit for anothe man’s work, it’s always the time and place to discuss it!

            6. I agree that we all have our own thoughts and are entitled to have our own thoughts on who and how many should be working royals.

               If you have a negative opinion of Carl Philip because of the plagiarism issue that’s fine, I am not saying that it cannot be brought up but it does not rebut my comment that Carl Philip does indeed have a “real job” and supports his family. So if now the topic is that Carl Philip is a plagiarist, that’s fine but he is a plagiarist who has a real job, more than one in fact, and supports his family.

               Regarding Carl Philip being a plagiarist, there were multiple claims. Two were along the lines that he designed something that existed before and the question was did he knowingly or unknowingly copy other parties? Who knows but those are common claims in creative areas.

               The most serious accusation was that someone came forward and said that, a few years prior, he designed a fireplace screen that was credited to Carl Philip and basically that Carl Philip was a lightweight. The accuser did multiple interviews/statements and Carl Philip did not initially address his claims. Carl Philip eventually did address the claim and said it was a joint effort and it was the accuser’s wish to remain anonymous. He also wanted to make it known that he puts time in his work and takes it seriously. IIRC, after Carl Philip gave his side, the accuser went silent. It also came out that the timing was suspicious because the accuser had a book coming out.

      2. Exactly, Lizzie. Chris works and supports Madeleine and kids. But Madeleine still manages to fulfill her responsibilities to her dedicated charities. KM receives millions in amenities funded by the taxpayers and only works (if 60 engagements is accurate) about three to four weeks a year. And she hates that she has to work even that paltry amount.

      3. Maddie is sixth now behind Victoria, Estelle, Oscar, Carl Philip, and Alexander.

      4. After the birth of Oscar and Alexander, Madeleine is now 6th in line. She does not have the burden to represent all the time and I think the Swedish people are lucky that she married away, as all of CG’s sisters did in their time. The Royal Family can get too bloated.

7. I surprised myself and gave top honors to Sofia. I love a Fortuny vibe and the dress fits well and is a good color. She kept the jewelry subtle, though I still can’t warm up to the buttons.

   Silvia was much improved. I’m pretty sure that tiara could double as a weapon.

   Both Victoria and Madeleine were a rare miss for me. I think the Packham gown is sent round the bend by the collar, just sparkle overkill. And Madeleine’s dress reminds me of Austrian drapes. Love the double tiaras though.

8. I think they all look great.

9. I don’t know much about tiaras, but that Four Button one looks weird. I do like Sofia’s dress.

   1. The Four Button and Six Button tiaras are among some of my least favorite Royal tiaras. I love to read about the tiaras and their histories on some royal jewel blogs. I agree that they are quite odd looking. I think it’s because the buttons are so separate from one another and don’t seem to be one cohesive design. I do think Sophia looks better in this than many of the other women who’ve worn it!

10. Big miss for Victoria this time around. Didn’t like the dress. Am not a fan of the designer, though.
    Madeleine looked ok, but not a fan of her dress, either. And, in this dress, Sofia did not look pregnant to me. I didn’t like the color. I’m not a fan of that subdued look.

    I forgot to mention in the previous post, that as always the food and flowers were amazing. I am so glad you always include the menu and how the tables look when you cover the Swedish Royal dinners, kmr.

    1. Me, too….love seeing food pics, the menu, the table settings, etc. Wish the British royals shared more of that info about their receptions, dinners, etc.

11. As much as I love the British RF when it comes to elegance and presentation the Swedish RF wins, no contest! Sofia is just a train wreck! Silva and her daughters are just beautiful! Also all the men look amazing..such a contrast from the recent posting of the BRF…PW looked awful and Camilla was a little frumpy.

    1. There is unity between the women so that their looks come together vs clashing. As far as the BRF it’s seems like everyone decides what works best for them and doesn’t consult the others. So it comes off as an individual effort vs a representation of the RF.

    2. I thought it was a bad photo. Camilla and Kate are the only ones smiling, PW smirking, Charles looked distressed, and the Queen like a deer in the headlights. As others mentioned, also badly composed. I would like to know was going on.

       1. I thought that Kate looked beautiful however, my issue with her is judgement. She has been a senior member of the RF long enough to know that a red dress would clash with HM’s dress if not overshadow. I don’t see that with the Swedish RF. Everyone (except for Sofia) gets it…They have their individual styles but somehow that style doesn’t dominate the others it blends. Sofia’s issue is refinement…she doesn’t have it so she always looks like an outcast.

12. Look at how sparkly all those tiaras are!! Yay.
    Michelle Obama is usually my arm envy person but I might have to add Victoria to that list!
    They all look great but it’s Madeleine for the win for me. Her necklace gets lost in the sparkly if the dress tho. I love her earrings.
    Vic is runner up.
    Did they show pics of the tablescape? I love looking at those.
    Not a fan of the menu except the dessert portion! =)

    1. Another vote for dessert. I’ll pass on the rest of it!

    2. I think Victoria’s arms benefit from the fact that Daniel was a trainer! Nothing like a trainer for a husband to keep you in tip-top shape!

       1. I can attest to that. My boyfriend is a bodybuilder, personal trainer and in the firefighter calendar (4 years in a row and Mr. Cover this year. Can you tell I’m a proud girlfriend? :D). Trust me. It is great motivation to get my butt to the gym and stay in shape.

          1. Sounds like you have a reason to be proud gf! Most fire fighters that I’ve worked with have all been nice good guys and have great arm muscles too=)

13. Sofia’s dress is better than her green one, but I’m still not wild about it. It’s kind of bland. Looks like something Carol Burnett would have won on her show in 1974.

14. I think all the ladies look great. I like the way Sofia’s hair style has a bit of height at the crown – it suits the tiara quite nicely.

    Thanks for covering the SRF. I’ve only just discovered them but they’re already a favorite. They seem like such a tight knit family.

    1. Lobbit, I also think they seem to be a more tight-knit family. There’s one photo in particular of Carl Phillip with Madeleine’s dog and Princess Estelle. Here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/518969557035746123/

       This photo for whatever reason really spells out family to me. You have one sister’s child and another’s pet in your care. I can’t imagine Kate holding one of Camilla’s dogs or babysitting for Zara Tindall….

       1. Ahh thanks for sharing that photo – that’s exactly what I’m talking about. They seem to really love each other.

15. The royals are guests at the Nobel banquet and not the hosts. Probably the reason why you can’t find the menu at the court website.

    https://www.nobelprize.org/ceremonies/menus/menu-2016.html

    Since the banquet is a private function and doesn’t involve the state, we’re spared the attendance of certain politicians (think Swedish versions of Trump, Farage et.al.). They’re simply not invited.

    1. Hmm As a vegetarian will pass on the main course but the dessert sounds yummy. I love cloudberries!

16. Great post!!! Who else is looking forward to the annual Christmas video from Victoria and family?! It’s amazing how much a short video can do to create a glimpse into what these people are like – and their video never disappoints. I’ve often wondered why W&K don’t do something similar – it seems like the BRF has always been “pro” video and TV. In 2016 it seems that a holiday video would make so much more sense than a photograph from months ago (and frankly, W&K may not even release a holiday photo). Do they figure the Queen’s Christmas Speech covers the whole family?

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