Official Visit to Sweden from Finland: January 15-16, 2009


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JessRulz

JessRulz

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The President of Finland, Tarja Hallonen, will pay an official visit to Sweden between January 15 and 16, 2009.

On January 15, the King and Queen will host a banquet for President Hallonen and her husband, Dr Pentti Arajärvi, at the Royal Palace.
On January 16, the King and Queen and the President of Finland and Dr Arajärvi will visit the Botkyrka municipality and Södertälje.

President Halonen besöker Sverige - Kungahuset [NS4 version]
 
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This visit by the Finnish President begins an all-year round celebration of the Bicentennial of the separation of Finland from Sweden.
Today at 11:00am CET, the opening ceremony takes place at the Swedish Parliament, attended by The King and Queen and Crown Princess, as well as the Prime Ministers of each country.
Swedish TV broadcasts the ceremony live, and there are also live streams on the web:

Svt:
http://svt.se/svt/road/Classic/shared/mediacenter/index.jsp?&d=12581&a=411289

Riksdagen TV (for real player):
http://www.riksdagen.se/templates/R_ExternalPage____7166.aspx
 
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More pics
The Royal Family welcomes President Tarja Halonen, Royal Palace, Stockholm, 15/1/2009.
IBL
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The hat that CPss Victoria is wearing seems a typical Fabienne Delvigne design.
 
Yes, looks typically Fabienne D. - unfortunately. In this shape and in black, it would be rather appropriate for some eccentric 70-year-old lady at a horse race.
I much prefer Princess Madeleine's cheeky hairpiece and the Queen's classically elegant hat.
 
Queen Silvia looks fantastic. I wonder if Victoria and Madeleine decided that they would both wear black and white, or if it was a coincidence?
 
It's certainly no coincidence. In the early eighties, when the Swedish Opening of Parliament ceremony was upgraded in terms of protocol, Queen Silvia re-established the tradition for Bernadotte ladies to wear strictly black, white and dark grey when visiting Parliament.
Before Carl Gustaf succeeded his grandfather, the opening was a very grand affair, in long black & white court dress with tiaras worn, taking place in the Hall of State in Stockholm Palace, not in the parliament building.
During the first years of King Carl Gustaf's reign, the ceremony was moved to the parliament itself and totally downsized - everyone appeared in the most modest daywear, without hats, and the Royals arrived without any special ceremony.
The Opening first was changed to its present form in 1983 I believe, with the Royal Couple arriving by carriage in a cortège and ladies wearing suit and hat.
At this point, Queen Silvia started wearing only black (or very dark grey) and white for the ceremony in order to pay homage to the former tradition to wear court dress, and this is the dress code custom all ladies followed for today's occasion at the Parliament as well.
That this looks nice in photographs with the several black/white/grey variations is a positive side effect.
I agree that Queen Silvia's appearance was impeccably elegant.
The gala dinner at Stockholm Palace tonight should be white tie/tiara, so I hope for more beautiful pics later.
 
The Speaker of the Parliament of Finland, Mr. Sauli Niinistö with crown princess Victoria at the Bicentennial Ceremony in Stockholm
MTV3 Finland
King Carl Gustaf, president Halonen, speaker Niinistö, crown princess Victoria, minister Carl Bildt and prime minister Matti Vanhanen
MTV3 Finland
Queen Silvia, doctor Pentti Arajärvi (the husband of president Halonen) and princess Madeleine
MTV3 Finland
 
I think that Queen and Princess's look beautiful at this event.
 
I´m always dissappointed about the way our president dresses
ANP Beeldbank

Queen Silvia today at the parliament:
ANP Beeldbank
 
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The gala photos are very nice. I think that Queen Silvia looked the most beautiful. White is clearly one of her best colors.

Thank you, Boris for the history. I don't know very much about the tradition behind this event, so I am very grateful for the information that you provided.
 
I don't understand why Prince Carl Philip is not there - what does he do besides race motor cars?
I would think that the royal family would want to get him more involved in things. Even though he will not inherit the throne, I would think that in the years to come he could become invaluable to the throne. After all, Victoria can't do everything!
 
I suppose he is still studying, I believe he started some courses in agriculture recently. As neither he or princess Madelaine receive a dotation by the state it is nice enough that they do attend so frequently (compare it to the younger sons of Queen Beatrix for example).

--
The idea of Princess Victoria's dress is nice but it would have worked better if it was a whole dress instead of two seperates. Now the white accent is cut of halfway, which leaves a curious effect.

HM's decolette is big enough to host the more elaborate necklace of the sapphire parure, so a pity she only used a riviere this time.
 
Prince Carl Philip indeed started a course in agriculture at a university in the countryside this last Monday - see his 'Current Events' topic for info.
At the Palace gala, I find Queen Silvia looking most elegant - the heavy chain of her Finnish order goes very well with her Yuki gown cut along simple, flowing lines. Again the kind of medieval feeling Yuki gowns always have - Guinevere-like with the draping of the fabric and the narrow train in the back.
I really don't like the way the bustier top of Princess Madeleine's all-too-shiny dress is cut, and Victoria's black & white outfit is getting a bit boring by now. I agree the problem is that it’s a two-piece – the way the top’s bottom finishes around the waist is not very nice to look at.
But the whole atmosphere at the Palace is very impressive, with the arrival surrounded by guards in armor, the group photo in the ballroom, and the dinner taking place in the gallery.
 
Photos from the gala:
Queen Silvia with Speaker of Parliament, Sauli Niinistö
IltaSanomat
Princess Madeleine with doctor Pentti Arajärvi
IltaSanomat
King Carl Gustaf and president Tarja Halonen
IltaSanomat
Prime minister Matti Vanhanen with Sirkka Mertala
IltaSanomat

President Tarja Halonen, doctor Pentti Arajärvi, Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf during the visit to the Swedish-Finnish scholol in Botkyrka South Stockholm
http://www.anp-photo.com/search.pp?page=1&ShowPicture=9002265&pos=2
ANP Beeldbank

Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at a Banquet commemorating the Year 1809 in Stockholm on 15 January 2009
Official Site of the President of the Republic of Finland
 
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Finnish President Tarja Halonen together with Sweden's Crown
Princess Victoria at the Dance Theater in Stockholm, during a
visit to the theatre on Friday, January 16, 2009

** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 **
 
The Crown Princess looked very elegant at the theatre. Love her hair!
 
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