She is the glamour model turned princess; he is the scion of an ancient royal household.
The aristocracy and royalty of Europe gathered in Stockholm on Saturday
to witness the wedding of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden to Sofia
Hellqvist.
Prince Edward and Countess of Wessex arrive (Reuters)
After the prince appeared to struggle to place the ring on his bride’s
finger, the couple said their vows in the royal chapel and a band played
a cover version of Coldplay’s song “Fix You”.
The newly-weds were then serenaded by a man singing a Swedish version of “Umbrella” by Rihanna.
Sweden's Princess Madeleine, her husband Christopher O'Neill and Princess Leonore arrive for the wedding (AFP)
The guests were drawn from the second rank of Europe’s royal families,
notably Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark and Crown Prince Haakon of
Norway. The House of Windsor was represented by the Earl and Countess of
Wessex.
Prince Carl Philip, 36, is the second child of King
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia. His 30-year-old wife - now
Princess Sofia - is a commoner without a drop of blue blood and an
unusually racy background by the standards of royal brides.
Queen Sonja of Norway, left to right, Queen Margarethe of Denmark and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands (Rex/AFP)
As Sofia Hellqvist, she took part in a Swedish reality TV show called “Paradise Hotel” in 2005.
This placed an array of men and women in a luxury resort, where they
tried to avoid being voted off by engaging in various pranks and
intrigues, while also becoming progressively more scantily clad.
Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and Sweden's Prince Daniel (AFP)
The previous year, Miss Hellqvist, then aged 20, had posed topless with a boa constrictor for the men’s magazine “Slitz”.
As a glamour model, she won so many hearts among the readers of this
publication that they made her “Miss Slitz 2004”. Until she became a
Princess of Sweden on Saturday, this was her only previous title.
Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist (Rex)
Inevitably, the Swedish media have published the photos of Princess
Sofia in various states of undress, but these have not caused any great
controversy.
“It’s a shame there’s still so much written about
that,” she told Swedish Television in January. “It was 10 years ago,
I’ve gotten on with my life since then,” she said. “I don’t regret
anything. All these experiences have made me the person I am. I wouldn’t
have made those choices today.”
Sofia Hellqvist during a photoshoot (GoffPhotos.com)
Thanks to the photos, Swedes have learnt that Princess Sofia possesses a pierced navel and a few discreetly elegant tattoos.
Prince Carl Philip and his new wife are keen to project an image of
themselves as modern and open. They are often seen running errands in
Stockholm or buying pizza in fast food restaurants.
Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Sweden's Queen Silvia (AFP)
In the past, royal weddings were “a way of building power alliances”,
but today “they’re a way of uniting the monarchy with the people”, said
Louise Berglund, a Swedish historian, according to TT, Sweden's only
national news wire service.
Raised in a middle class family in
the small town of Alvdalen, Miss Hellqvist left Sweden for New York in
2005, where she studied accounting and worked variously as a yoga
teacher and waitress. “I can say I have lived my life to the fullest,”
she said in the documentary.
