Stockholm dresses up for royal wedding
Source: Agencies |
June 19, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Stockholm has been dressed up in flowers, flags and royal portraits for today's fairytale wedding between Crown Princess Victoria and gym owner Daniel Westling.
The couple will exchange vows in Stockholm Cathedral today -- the same date as Victoria's father King Carl XVI Gustaf wed Queen Silvia 34 years ago -- in front of nearly 1,000 royals and dignitaries from across the world.
After the wedding ceremony, the newly married couple will head a grand procession through central Stockholm before boarding the royal barge which will sail them to the palace.
The day will be rounded off with a lavish banquet in the palace, hosted by the king and queen.
It will be the first royal wedding in Europe since 2008, when Denmark's Prince Joachim wed Marie Cavallier of France.
"This is Sweden's 15 minutes in the limelight," said Herman Lindqvist, a journalist and historian who watches the royals. "I think you can feel the expectation and excitement. People think it will be fun."
Since June 6, Sweden's national day, the capital has been celebrating under the banner "Love Stockholm 2010" in anticipation of the wedding -- the top event on the social calendar.
Lavish flower arrangements, in urns and baskets, adorn the streets and Sweden's furniture giant IKEA has erected a two-story tent replica of the princess' castle.
Stockholmers were preparing to hold private champagne parties and store windows displayed wedding regalia in Sweden's yellow and blue colors.
"I will celebrate with pink bubbly on the rooftop and watch the procession," Roger Lejonqvist said. "It's something of a historic event."
Even anti-royalty republicans prepared their own celebrations -- under an alternative banner: "Love Republic."
Police said they expect 250,000 people to line the streets along the meandering route of the procession, scheduled to last 30 minutes, with 7,000 police officers, military staff and volunteers on guard at vantage points. Eighteen Gripen fighter jets will fly overhead in formation as the procession ends.
The moment Westling says "I do", the gym owner becomes Duke of Vastergotland and a prince for life, endowed with his own coat of arms and monogram.
Westling grew up in a middle-class family in central Sweden. His parents will soon rub shoulders with royals and dignitaries worldwide.
While the majority of Swedes support the monarchy, the estimated 20 million kronor (US$2.5 million) wedding price tag has also triggered skepticism.
Last year, 56 percent of Swedes wanted to retain the monarchy, a drop from 68 percent in 2003, according to a survey by the SOM Institute at the University of Gothenburg. The poll of 1,800 people had a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.
The couple will exchange vows in Stockholm Cathedral today -- the same date as Victoria's father King Carl XVI Gustaf wed Queen Silvia 34 years ago -- in front of nearly 1,000 royals and dignitaries from across the world.
After the wedding ceremony, the newly married couple will head a grand procession through central Stockholm before boarding the royal barge which will sail them to the palace.
The day will be rounded off with a lavish banquet in the palace, hosted by the king and queen.
It will be the first royal wedding in Europe since 2008, when Denmark's Prince Joachim wed Marie Cavallier of France.
"This is Sweden's 15 minutes in the limelight," said Herman Lindqvist, a journalist and historian who watches the royals. "I think you can feel the expectation and excitement. People think it will be fun."
Since June 6, Sweden's national day, the capital has been celebrating under the banner "Love Stockholm 2010" in anticipation of the wedding -- the top event on the social calendar.
Lavish flower arrangements, in urns and baskets, adorn the streets and Sweden's furniture giant IKEA has erected a two-story tent replica of the princess' castle.
Stockholmers were preparing to hold private champagne parties and store windows displayed wedding regalia in Sweden's yellow and blue colors.
"I will celebrate with pink bubbly on the rooftop and watch the procession," Roger Lejonqvist said. "It's something of a historic event."
Even anti-royalty republicans prepared their own celebrations -- under an alternative banner: "Love Republic."
Police said they expect 250,000 people to line the streets along the meandering route of the procession, scheduled to last 30 minutes, with 7,000 police officers, military staff and volunteers on guard at vantage points. Eighteen Gripen fighter jets will fly overhead in formation as the procession ends.
The moment Westling says "I do", the gym owner becomes Duke of Vastergotland and a prince for life, endowed with his own coat of arms and monogram.
Westling grew up in a middle-class family in central Sweden. His parents will soon rub shoulders with royals and dignitaries worldwide.
While the majority of Swedes support the monarchy, the estimated 20 million kronor (US$2.5 million) wedding price tag has also triggered skepticism.
Last year, 56 percent of Swedes wanted to retain the monarchy, a drop from 68 percent in 2003, according to a survey by the SOM Institute at the University of Gothenburg. The poll of 1,800 people had a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
