by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden married Sofia Hellqvist on June 13, 2015, in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden.

• YouTube: Royal Wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist

Prince Carl Philip’s Family

HRH Prince Carl Philip Edmund Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Värmland, was born on May 13, 1979, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. He is the second child, and only son, of King Carl XVI Gustaf and the former Silvia Sommerlath. King Carl XVI Gustaf is the son of the late Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and the late Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Queen Silvia was born in Germany to Walter Sommerlath and the former Alice Soares de Toledo. She is of German and Brazilian descent and is a distant descendant of King Afonso III of Portugal. Prince Carl Philip has two siblings – Crown Princess Victoria (b 1977) and Princess Madeleine (b 1982). At the time of his birth, he was the Crown Prince of Sweden. However, the Act of Succession was changed at the beginning of 1980, allowing for absolute primogeniture and making his elder sister, Victoria, Crown Princess and heir to the Swedish throne.

For more information about Carl Philip see:

• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden

Miss Sofia Hellqvist’s Family

Miss Sofia Kristina Hellqvist was born on December 6, 1984, at the Danderyd Hospital in Täby, Sweden. She is the daughter of Erik and Marie Hellqvist and has two sisters – Lina and Sara. After attending primary school in Sweden, Sofia attended both the New York Institute and English and Business, and Stockholm University. In 2010, she founded a non-profit organization, Project Playground, in South Africa, which strives to improve life for children. She served as Secretary-General until April 2015 and now serves as the organization’s Honorary Chairman.

The Engagement

Carl Philip and Sofia met in the summer of 2009, and by the spring of 2010, the media was beginning to speculate that the two were involved. In August 2010, the Royal Court confirmed the two were in a relationship. Sofia has since attended many family functions, including the weddings of Carl Philip’s two sisters, although she was not seated with the royal family. They lived together in Stockholm for some time and maintained a private life.

On June 25, 2014, the Swedish Royal Court announced that the couple was engaged and that the wedding would take place on June 13, 2015, in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. It was later announced that Sofia would become HRH Princess Sofia of Sweden, Duchess of Värmland, upon marriage.

For more information about Sofia see:

• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Sofia of Sweden

Pre-Wedding Festivities

The night before the wedding, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia hosted a private dinner.  Family and guests boarded the SS Stockholm which took them around the harbor to the island of Skeppsholmen where the dinner was held.  The dinner was held in an underground bunker that had once been used by the Swedish military.  It is now used as an exhibition space.

Wedding Guests

Along with the families of both the bride and groom, guests included representatives from several other royal families, members of the diplomatic corps and the Swedish government, and family friends. Below is a list of the families and royal guests.

The Swedish Royal Family
HM The King
HM The Queen
HRH The Crown Princess and HRH Prince Daniel
HRH Princess Estelle
HRH Princess Madeleine and Mr. Christopher O’Neill
HRH Princess Leonore

The King’s Family
Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler
Baroness Sybilla von Dincklage
Mr. James Ambler and Mrs. Ursula Ambler
HRH Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Hohenzollern
Mrs. Désirée von Bohlen und Halbach and Mr. Eckbert von Bohlen und Halbach
TSH Prince Hubertus and Princess Ute Marie von Hohenzollern
Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld
Baron Carl Silfverschiöld
Baroness Christina Louise De Geer and Baron Hans De Geer
Baroness Hélène Silfverschiöld and Mr. Fredrik Dieterle
Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson and Mr. Tord Magnuson
Mr. Gustaf Magnuson and Mrs. Vicky Magnuson
Mr. Oscar Magnuson and Mrs. Emma Magnuson
Mr. Victor Magnuson and Miss Frida Bergström
Countess Marianne Bernadotte af Wisborg
Count Bertil Bernadotte af Wisborg and Countess Jill Bernadotte af Wisborg
Mrs. Dagmar von Arbin
Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg and Mr. Philipp Haug
Mr. Emil Bernadotte af Wisborg

The Queen’s Family
Mr. Ralf de Toledo Sommerlath and Mrs. Charlotte de Toledo Sommerlath
Mrs. Carmita Sommerlath Baudinet and Mr. Pierre Baudinet
Miss Chloé Radigues de Chennevière
Mr. Thomas de Toledo Sommerlath and Ms. Bettina Aussems
Mr. Tim de Toledo Sommerlath and Mrs. Kristina de Toledo Sommerlath
Mr. Philip de Toledo Sommerlath
Miss Giulia de Toledo Sommerlath
Mr. Walther L. Sommerlath and Mrs. Ingrid Sommerlath
Mr. Patrick Sommerlath and Mrs. Maline Sommerlath
Mr. Leopold Lundén Sommerlath
Miss Chloé Sommerlath
Miss Anaïs Sommerlath
Miss Helena Christina Sommerlath and Dr. Jan Sohns
Ms. Maria Salles Souto Ferreira

Miss Sofia Hellqvist’s Family
Mr. Erik Hellqvist and Mrs. Marie Hellqvist
Miss Lina Hellqvist and Mr. Jonas Frejd
Miss Sara Hellqvist and Mr. Oskar Bergman
Mrs. Britt Rotman
Mr. Anders Rotman and Mrs. Laila Rönn Rotman
Mr. Victor Rotman and Miss Eleonora Caiazza
Mr. Johan Rotman
Mrs. Lena Rotman and Mr. Peter Nygren
Miss Hanna Nygren
Mr. Andreas Nygren
Mr. Lars Hellqvist and Mrs. Irena Hellqvist
Mr. Daniel Hellqvist
Mr. Martin Hellqvist

Royal Guests
HM Queen Mathilde of Belgium
HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
TRH Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
TRH Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark
TRH Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana of Greece
HIH Princess Takamado of Japan
HM Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
HM Queen Sonja of Norway
TRH Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
HRH Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Mr. Ari Behn
TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex
TRH Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria
TRH Prince Manuel and Princess Anna of Bavaria
HH Hereditary Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

The Wedding Attendants

The couple had four bridesmaids.

• HRH Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland
• Tiara Larsson
• Anaïs Sommerlath
• Chloé Sommerlath

They wore white dresses of pure silk and Italian silk organza and carried bouquets that were copies of the bride’s bouquet, with various shades of cream and coral roses.

Prince Carl Philip’s best man was his close friend, Jan-Åke Hansson.  The two have known each other since attending boarding school together in the 1990s.

The Wedding Attire

The bride wore a dress of three shades of white, in silk crepe overlaid with Italian silk organza and lined with lace. The dress was made by Swedish designer, Ida Sjöstedt, and the lace by José María Ruiz. Her veil of thin bridal tulle was hand-embroidered in sheer cotton lace.

She carried a bouquet of various shades of cream and coral garden roses and a sprig of myrtle from Sofiero.  She also included a sprig in her hair.  This is a tradition that goes back to Princess Margaret of Connaught, who brought a myrtle bush to Sweden when she married the future King Gustaf VI Adolf in 1905.  Since the 1935 wedding of her daughter, Ingrid, to the future King Frederik IX of Denmark, it has been a tradition for Swedish – as well as Danish – royal brides to include a spring of myrtle from this bush, either in their wedding bouquet or in their hair.

Her bridal look was completed with a new tiara of diamonds and emeralds.  This was a gift from King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia.

The groom wore the mess dress uniform (model 1878) of the Swedish Amphibious Corps, of which he is a Major.  He wore the sash and star of the Order of the Seraphim and the star of the Order of the Polar Star on a black necklet.

The Ceremony

The ceremony took place in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, conducted by Chaplain to The King and Bishop Emeritus, The Right Reverend Lars-Göran Lönnermark, and pastor of the Royal Court Parish, The Reverend Michael Bjerkhagen. Preceded by the four bridesmaids, the bride entered on her father’s arm and was joined by Prince Carl Philip before approaching the altar.  The ceremony included two songs, favorites of the couple – Coldplay’s “Fix You”, performed by Salem Al Fakir, and Rhianna’s “Umbrella”, performed by David Pagmar. The newly married couple processed from the Royal Chapel to a modern version of Joyful, Joyful, performed by Samuel Ljungblahd and the By Grace Gospel Choir.

Following the service, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia traveled through the streets of Stockholm in an open coach, before returning to the Royal Palace for the wedding banquet.  Upon arriving, a 21-gun salute was fired from Skeppsholmen.

The Wedding Banquet

The wedding banquet was held in the Vita Havet Assembly Rooms in the Royal Palace, followed by dancing in King Karl XI’s Gallery.  The couple was seated at the head table with their parents, their siblings, and Queen Margrethe of Denmark.

Menu

White asparagus “Princess Sofia”
cooked in elderflower juice with roe from Älvdalen,
asparagus and chive emulsion
*
Langoustine simmered with coriander served with grilled scallop,
yuzu dressing, wood sorrel and split peas
*
Fried, lightly cured Hjälmaren pike-perch with grilled spring vegetables, caramelised crème fraîche and smoked butter
*
Peach and raspberry tartelette with white chocolate,
champagne and peach sorbet

Wine

Aperitif
Champagne Diebolt-Vallois Brut Tradition
*****
Pommery Grand Cru Millésimé 2005 Champagne
*
Trimbach Riesling Vieilles Vignes de Prince 2011 Alsace
*
Radford Dale “Freedom” 2012 Pinot Noir Elgin
*
Château Suduiraut 2002 Sauternes

During the banquet, speeches were given by The King, Mr. Erik Hellqvist, and Prince Carl Philip. Princess Sofia also spoke briefly, introducing a song specifically for her new husband.  It was performed by Molly Sandén, accompanied by Danny Saucedo, and it is reported that Sofia herself wrote the lyrics.

Following the meal, the couple cut their very modern wedding cake, created by The Swedish National Pastry Team.  This was followed by dancing in King Karl XI’s Gallery.

 

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