Princess Madeleine of Sweden, who was studying English in London, will not return to the British capital after spending the Christmas break back home in Stockholm. Swedish royal palace spokesperson Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg said the 19-year-old daughter of King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia had found the media attention during her three-month stay in the UK “extremely tough”.
The Swedish public and media have traditionally been respectful of their royal family’s privacy, allowing them to dine out with friends in Stockholm and travel the city freely. In recent years, however, members of the press have become more interested in their activities, particularly those of the two pretty and eminently eligible young princesses, Madeleine and her elder sister, 24-year-old Crown Princess Victoria.
When she first arrived in London, where she stayed with family friends while working on her English-language skills, Madeleine agreed to meet with members of the press at the Swedish embassy. “I want to speak to the media now, once and for all, so that I can have peace and quiet later,” she said at the time. “I have felt chased. It’s no fun to have people lying in wait for you at the door of your house.”
While the Swedish princess is relatively unknown in Britain, Madeleine’s romantic interlude with Pierre Ladow, the son of a Swedish industrialist has been keenly followed by Scandinavian publications. As a result, freelance photographers have an eager market for their work.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
