Royals Throughout Your Life Journey
I often look back into the good days of the past when I am still a young boy who was eager to explore in the great mountains of Swedish culture.
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When I was born, the Swedish Royal Family consisted of:
- HM The King (then 55)
HM The Queen (then 58)
- HRH The Crown Princess (then 24)
[*]HRH The Duke of Värmland (then 22)
[*]HRH The Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (then 19)
- HRH Princess Birgitta (then 65)
- Princess Margaretha, Mrs Ambler (then 67)
- Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld (then 63)
- Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson (then 58)
and the Duchess of Halland (then 86), the aunt of the King.
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When I was a baby, the Crown Princess and her siblings were still youthful like trees in spring!
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When I was a Form 1 (= högstadium / Grade 7 / etc.) student and got in touch with Swedish culture for the first time, the Royal Family by then has expanded. As of July 2014, the Royal Family consists of:
- HM The King (then 68)
HM The Queen (then 70)
- HRH The Crown Princess (then 37)
HRH The Duke of Västergötland (then 40)
- HRH The Duchess of Östergötland (then 2)
- HRH The Duke of Värmland (then 35, engaged but still not yet married)
- HRH The Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (then 32)
- HRH The Duchess of Gotland (then newborn)
- HRH Princess Birgitta (then 77)
- Princess Margaretha, Mrs Ambler (then 79)
- Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld (then 76)
- Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson (then 70)
The Duchess of Östergötland is 10 years younger than me, and she was just an toddler by the time I entered secondary school. The Crown Princess has became a mother for 2 years while the Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland started her motherhood months before.
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It took me half a year to adapt to my secondary school life, and I can say that the spring semester of my first year is my honeymoon semester in my school life, and the royal events in Sweden in June 2015 makes it even better:
- 10 June: The Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland turned 33.
- 13 June: The last royal wedding in Sweden before the 2040s took place with the Duke of Värmland finally getting married, after his two sisters.
- 15 June: 2 days after the royal wedding, the Duke of Värmland has a new nephew!
2015 is probably one of the best years in my life.
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Then when I was in Form 2, the Duke of Skåne and the Duke of Södermanland is born!
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In my third year, there are no royal news to speak of, while I joined my school choir and my house (as in Gryffindor/Slytherin) committee.
But near the start of my senior secondary school (= gymnasieskola / Grade 10) life, I was welcomed by the 40th birthday of the Crown Princess first, then the birth of the Duke of Dalarna!
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When I was in Form 4, I became a devoted fan of my school volleyball team. Near the end of Winter 2017/2018, my friends from the volleyball team won decisive matches and got a second place. Around the same time, the Duchess of Blekinge is born!
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Academic tension started to build up within me when I was in Form 5 because of the upcoming HKDSE (= Högskoleprovet / SAT, but much more difficult). But at the same time, the Duchess of Östergötland started school! I looked back by then, and realized that the toddler in 2014 has grown into a cute princess.
I admire Swedish families because their kids are not as spoiled as many kids in Hong Kong are. The Crown Princess, in my opinion, is a role model for new mums in Hong Kong.
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Form 6 is my final year at my secondary school and there are no more royal news other than the King's decision to free five of his seven grandchildren of royal duties. I welcomed this decision since this means the taxpayers can concentrate their support to the House, which acts as a representation of the nation, and let the grandchildren, who have minimal chances of succession, pursue their own lives and careers.
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And now, I'm waiting for my JUPAS (= Antagning / UCAS) results. I hope that while I can enter the university and the program I want to enter the most, I can witness the Royal Family being more popular with their people than ever before!
Once a small family, the Royal Family has became much larger now.
- HM The King (74)
HM The Queen (76)
- HRH The Crown Princess (43)
HRH The Duke of Västergötland (46)
- HRH The Duchess of Östergötland (8)
- HRH The Duke of Skåne (4)
- HRH The Duke of Värmland (41)
HRH The Duchess of Värmland (35)
- The Duke of Södermanland (4)
- The Duke of Dalarna (2)
- HRH The Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (38)
- The Duchess of Gotland (6)
- The Duke of Ångermanland (5)
- The Duchess of Blekinge (2)
- HRH Princess Birgitta (83)
- Princess Margaretha, Mrs Ambler (85)
- Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld (82)
- Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson (77)
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Sienna indicates the reigning king and queen, olive indicates the line of firstborns, blue indicates the siblings of the firstborns. That's what the Royal House consists of. The Royal Family consists of all the members in the list above and Marianne Bernadotte, Countess of Wisborg, who is the aunt of the King.
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How have your favorite royal family changed throughout your life journey?
What were your memories of witnessing royal events?
