Photo: Clément Morin / The Royal Court of Sweden
Complaining about late buses: Carl Gustaf and Silvia host state banquet
King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia hosted a state banquet at the palace in Stockholm for the President of Singapore. In his speech the King pointed to one similarity between the countries: people complain as soon as the bus is three minutes late.
King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia hosted a state banquet at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on Monday evening for Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam. The presidential couple are on a state visit to Sweden from Monday to Wednesday. Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill also attended.
The dinner was served in Karl XI's Gallery on the palace's state floor. Among the guests were the Singaporean delegation, representatives of official Sweden and Swedes with a special connection to Singapore. This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
"People immediately complain when the bus is three minutes late"
In his speech the King recalled his state visit to Singapore in 2024, which he said left a lasting impression of a country of great energy and ambition. He also highlighted the similarities between the two countries.
"Public transport matters, and people immediately complain when the bus is three minutes late. And we generally wait patiently for the light to change before crossing the street, even when there is no traffic in sight," the King said.
He thanked Singapore for its support for Ukraine, and called the country an important gateway to Asia for Swedish companies.
Reindeer from Vilhelmina and silver from Brazil
The table silver is known as the Brazilian Service, because it once belonged to the Brazilian imperial family. When Empress Amalia died in 1873, her sister, Queen Dowager Josefina of Sweden, inherited the silver. The Kosta glassware was a wedding gift to the King and Queen from the Riksdag and the government in 1976.
The menu included turbot, reindeer from Vilhelmina and blueberries with ice cream for dessert.
Who sat next to whom
The King escorted the President's wife to the table, while the Queen was escorted by the President. Crown Princess Victoria had the President beside her, and Princess Madeleine sat next to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
