Monday 10 April 2017

Royal response to Stockholm



Royalty from around Europe has sent condolences to Sweden following the attack in Stockholm on Friday, April 7th, in which four people were killed. Fifteen others were injured when a lorry drove into pedestrians in Drottninggaten in the city centre. Earlier today, Sweden's royals joined many around their country in observing a national minute's silence for those affected by the attack.




King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia bowed their heads at noon on April 10th - the moment chosen for this national act of remembrance. The Royal Family were at Stockholm City Hall where a ceremony then took place.




 With flags at half mast, Sweden's Prime Minister spoke at the service, when he told the families of victims that they were not alone. There was also an address from the Mayor of Stockholm, Karin Wanngard.




As they arrived at the ceremony, the royals took the chance to thank some of the rescue workers who had helped following the attack.



Condolences have been sent from many of Europe's courts following the attack. King Harald V of Norway was among the first, addressing his message to Crown Princess Victoria as she was representing the Royal Family at the time as her parents were making their way back from Brazil where they had been on an official visit. Harald said that he sent 'deepest condolences' and asked Victoria to pass his sympathies on to the bereaved, their relatives and all Swedish people.



The Queen of Denmark, first cousin to King Carl XVI Gustaf, sent her condolences soon afterwards. Margrethe II said that she was 'deeply concerned' to hear of the attack and passed on her deepest condolences to the king and the people of Sweden.



The Royal Household of Spain tweeted its condolences with hours of the attack in a message which said King Felipe and Queen Letizia had sent a message to the King of Sweden offering sympathy.






The Belgian Royal Household also made a statement via Twitter in which it confirmed that King Philippe had spoken to King Carl XVI Gustaf by telephone to express his condolences and said that the Belgian royals were thinking of the victims and their families.  

Photo credit: StockholmStad Twitter

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