This year, it was not under the gold of the royal palace in Stockholm that the heir couple and their children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, took part in their traditional end-of-year video. But in Skansen, the oldest open-air park in the world, located east of the capital. For the occasion, Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel even decided to put a Swedish tradition in the spotlight: candle making.
The Crown Princess and her family stopped in a typical small workshop. By candlelight, the quartet learned to make their own candles, under the guidance of regulars. An activity which seemed to delight the children, notably Princess Estelle who raved about the sweet smell of honey from the wax. After having applied the manufacturing secrets to the letter, the family was able to admire the final result: immaculate white candles, perfectly made.
Memories of a visit, 44 years ago
Once the day's mission was accomplished, the family gathered around a table to enjoy a snack… and some souvenirs. Because the heir to the throne was presented with several black and white photos, which she consulted not without nostalgia while answering her children's questions.
Victoria immediately recognized herself in these photos, taken 44 years ago in this same workshop! Barely three years old, with a rather sullen expression, she was already learning the basics of making candles, surrounded by her parents, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and her little brother, Prince Carl Philip, who was then going to celebrate his second Christmas. A nostalgic break, concluded by the family with a thunderous “God jul och gott nytt år!” (“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”)
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