A tough week for Sweden’s royals ends with Christmas tradition

Sweden’s royals have put family first after a week of
controversy that flared up just as they were attending one of the
most prestigious events in their calendar.

The King of Sweden always presents most of the Nobel Prizes in a
glittering ceremony that sees the royal family out in full force
and in full royal regalia.

However, this year’s event took place just as email emerged
linking one of the family to Jeffrey Epstein.

Messages were published in Swedish papers ahead of the ceremony
mentioning Princess Sofia, wife of Prince Carl Philip and the only
daughter in law of the King and Queen of Sweden.

The
emails were sent by Barbro Ehnbom twenty years ago when the
princess, then an aspiring actress, arrived in New York. The
messages offered to set up an introduction between Sofia and
Epstein.

In response to Dagens Nyheter, the Swedish royals said that
Sofia had ”been introduced to the person in question on a few
occasions around 2005….the princess has not had any contact with
the person in question for 20 years”.

Jeffrey Epstein was first convicted of sex offences in 2008,
three years after meeting Sofia. He was later arrested again and
was found dead in his prison cell in 2019.

Princess Sofia had announced just hours before the revelation
that she wouldn’t be attending the Nobel prize ceremony or
subsequent royal banquets as she wanted to stay at home with her
fourth child, ten month old Princess Ines.

Ines became the star of a royal Christmas tradition that saw the
younger generation of the family out in full force after the
controversial Nobel week.

Queen Silvia led all her grandchildren out to enjoy a special Christmas event with
her. The students at the Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences in Umeå have been presenting Sweden’s royals with
Christmas trees since the 1960s and, over sixty years on, Silvia
brought the next generation of royals along to accept the gifts and
get busy decorating.

Her eldest grandchild, Princess Estelle, was on hand to help her
supervise the
younger members of the family. Estelle, now 13 and second in
line to the throne, arrived carrying baby Ines in her arms.

Queen Silvia took charge of the youngest of her grandchildren
while Estelle helped her brother, nine year old Prince Oscar, and
her cousins decorate the trees.

Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip’s eldest son, nine year
old Prince Alexander, had carried in a big basket of baubles. His
brothers – Prince Gabriel, 8, and four year old Prince Julian –
were among the first to dive in and start decorating.

Princess Leonore, 11, was also there. Her mum, Princess
Madeleine, is the youngest child of Queen Silvia and King Carl
Gustaf, and has moved her family back to Sweden in recent times
after a stint in the US where her husband, Christopher O’Neill, was
working.

Leonore’s brother, ten year old Prince Nicolas, joined their 7
year old sister, Princess Adrienne, for some tree decorating.

Queen Silvia is a devoted grandmother and is often seen with her
grandchildren in the run up to Christmas. Her birthday is on
December 22 and the youngsters have featured in the past leading
celebrations for their granny’s big day.