Producer
Leopold Hoesch
Director
Julia Melchior
Producer
Ralf Thiessen & Niko Djordjevic
Genre
Documentary
Broadcaster
ZDF
Length
1 x 45'
Editor
Lars Roland
Year
2013
Dream Factory Royal Family: Sweden
Guest at the palace

History is made in the royal palace of Stockholm, here fairy tales come true. In 1976, King Carl XVI Gustaf made Silvia Sommerlath from Heidelberg the Queen of Sweden. In 2010, all of Sweden and half the world were there live when Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling said 'yes' to each other with all their hearts. And on 8 June 2013, Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill will receive the blessing for their love here.

It is hard to imagine today that the Swedish royal court was once a male household. Queen Silvia once brought a breath of fresh air to the Stockholm palace. King Carl Gustaf's grandmother and mother had died years before. A court of mainly old-style gentlemen initially made life difficult for the young queen. At first she was not even allowed a typewriter - typing was a matter for the staff, they said at the time.

Silvia has reinvented the role of wife at the monarch's side: She is a manager in the family business and Sweden's ambassador for the needy. Her children also follow this example. But doing good and looking good at the same time is not all that the job profile demands of a member of the royal family. The royal family sees its mission as a full-time job with accountability. The costs and benefits of the Royal Family are constantly scrutinised. The Royal Family receives more than 14 million euros from state funds in the current year.

Even personal matters are discussed publicly. Hardly anyone knows this better than the daughters of the house. The choice of Crown Princess Victoria's husband was a political issue. Daniel, a man of the people, was not up to the job, it was said. But Victoria prevailed and silenced the critics. Daniel had worked his way up from fitness trainer to entrepreneur, and he brings his professional experience into the royal daily routine. Today, the young couple's household is considered the most successful profit centre in the Swedish royal family. A small staff of employees ensures that everything runs smoothly, the crown princess and her husband perform a large catalogue of duties and enjoy maximum popularity.

Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill also have to face the scrutiny of the public. No sooner had the engagement been announced than the first sleuths set out to find a flaw in the CV of the bourgeois newcomer to the royal family. How much the siege by the media wore on Chris' nerves was soon emblazoned on the gazettes, which pictured him making an indecent gesture. In the meantime, Chris O'Neill has got used to his new role in the limelight. He is flanked by royal staff who are also familiarising him with court customs in the run-up to the wedding.

The royal family is relaxed about the wedding preparations. The Swedish court is probably the most professional event agency in the country. State banquets are regularly on the roster. Soon the royal house will unfold its full splendour again when the wedding bells ring on 8 June.

First broadcast: Tuesday, 04 June 2013, 20:15, ZDF.

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