Monday 27 April 2015

Leonore's first big audience

It's her first official audience and although she's only fourteen months old, Princess Leonore of Sweden made sure it was a good one. She donned her best gold shoes and headed to the Vatican with her mum, dad and granny for a meeting with Pope Francis I. That's right, the toddler princess has shaken hands with the Pontiff.


Princess Leonore of Sweden meets Pope Francis I on April 27th 2015 at the Vatican

Leonore was in Rome with her grandmother, Queen Silvia, her mother, Princess Madeleine, and her father, Chris O'Neill, as the grown ups attend a very serious conference indeed. Silvia and Madeleine are there to take part in a seminar on trafficking and as part of that two day event, the queen was presented with The European Humanitate Prize, which she accepted at an event at the German Embassy on Sunday night. And then on Monday morning all four of them headed to the Vatican to meet the Pope.


Queen Silvia with the prize she was given at the German Embassy on Sunday 26th April 2015

The royal family were received by the Pope with Madeleine holding her daughter as she was introduced to Francis I. And then while Queen Silvia sat with the Pope for their audience, Leonore ended up on granny's lap and seemed to get on famously with Francis, even if at one point she did pop her newly acquired Papal medal into her mouth, as toddlers do.


Pleased to meet you - Princess Leonore of Sweden with Pope Francis I 

Following the audience, Silvia and Madeleine took part in the seminar which had a special focus on the human trafficking of children and which included a keynote address by the queen. The seminar, held in the Vatican, takes its lead from the Pope's New Year speech where he described human trafficking as a modern day slave trade. The Swedish Royal Family will later attend a dinner at their country's embassy in Rome with the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon. And while Leonore will be tucked up in bed way before then, there's little doubt that this little princess has been the star of this big day for her family.



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