Crown Princess Victoria, increasingly involved in Defense, celebrated, this Saturday, November 16, the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Women’s Volunteer Corps. This army corps has benefited from royal and female patronage since its creation in 1924, with Queen Louise as its first godmother.
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Le Cors des Lotta celebrates its 100th anniversary in the presence of their royal godmother
In 1924, Tyra Wadner, a volunteer involved in the defense of Sweden, discovered, during a trip to Finland, an organization of women volunteers created at the end of the First World War. This organization was called the “Lotta volunteers”, choosing the first name “Lotta” to describe these women committed to the security of their country, in reference to Lotta Svärd, a fictional character from a Swedish poem. Tyra Wadner imported the model to Sweden and the Swedish Lotta Coprs organization celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Even today, volunteers are nicknamed Lotta.
This November 16, 2024, Crown Princess Victoria, 47, participated in the centenary celebrations of this unit of women volunteers, wearing the Lotta uniform and beret. Crown Princess Victoria is becoming more and more involved in the army. After following integration training in the spring, during which she was introduced to military basics, she began real one-year training in a special program for officers last August.
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Crown Princess Victoria continues the tradition of women of the royal family committed to women volunteers
The Swedish Lotta Corps engages with women and trains women to play an active role in preparing society for defense. Lottas have the opportunity to promote a safer society through education. It is about the prevention of peace and action in society in times of crisis or war. Crown Princess Victoria delivered a speech during a birthday ceremony at a board meeting of the organization in Lidingö. “We look back to a century full of courage, commitment and invaluable efforts that have strengthened our availability”said the eldest daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf. “You have always been there when the community needed your skills.”
Crown Princess Victoria also recalled the royal support this volunteer corps received. From 1927, Queen Louise granted her patronage to the Lottas, and she was very active alongside them. Queen Louise “had personal experience working as a volunteer nurse on the Western Front during the First World War, so it was natural for her to become involved with the Lottas”Victoria said of her great-grandmother. “I was told that Queen Louise attended all but two of the general meetings and handed out up to 2,000 medals.”
During the anniversary ceremony, Crown Princess Victoria also distributed medals, intended to honor certain deserving volunteers. Crown Princess Victoria has been patron of the Lottas since 2005. She had already attended a board meeting 10 years ago, on the occasion of the organization’s 90th anniversary. She inherited this position held from 1973 to 2005 by her aunt, Princess Christina. The sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf was also very active with the Lottas, taking to heart this role of godmother that she herself had inherited from her mother, Princess Sibylle. Queen Louise was the godmother of the organization from 1927 to 1965, then Princess Sibylle from 1965 to 1972.
After the anniversary ceremony, Crown Princess Victoria participated in a panel discussion on the theme of continued defense development. She also listened to a presentation of the activities carried out by the organization in favor of youth. The organization is managed by the “Total Defense” program. Total Defense refers to all the means made available to Defense, whether through its professional military activities or civilian and voluntary activities which can be incorporated into Defense in case of need, during wars or disasters. The Lotta Corps has around 5,000 female volunteers in Sweden. Similar organizations exist in other Scandinavian countries and in the Baltic countries.
Nicolas Fontaine
Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a designer-editor and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media. A specialist in royal family news, Nicolas founded the site Histoires royales of which he is the editor-in-chief. [email protected]
