Over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing little previews of the upcoming wedding between Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip and his soon-to-be bride, Sofia Hellqvist. The general consensus among royal watchers is that Sofia is not really princess material – she’s a reality show famewhore and softcore p0rn model – and that this wedding is probably going to be a lot of fun to watch because a few of Carl Philip’s family members don’t seem especially jazzed about the union. To battle those kinds of perceptions, People Magazine ran a soft-focus piece about the Scandalous Sofia and how Carl Philip has tamed the wild girl or something. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
Margareta Gotthardsson, royals reporter at Svensk Damtidning, tells People: “From the beginning, there was a struggle for Sofia to be accepted… She has told the press that she and the prince tried to fall out of love with each other since they knew that it would be a struggle for them when her background was revealed.”
Carl Philip on whether his sisters disliked Sofia: “Absolutely not, not at all. My parents and my sisters were curious about her, open, and welcomed her with a big hug.”
Carl Philip on the media’s treatment of Sofia: “She was hung out to dry in a bullying type of way.”
Sofia on how the royal family treated her: “I felt welcome from day one and nothing else… A lot has been written over the years, not only following our engagement. For me it’s pretty boring, it happened 10 years ago and I’ve moved on with my life. But no regrets. Experience shapes a person.”
Gotthardsson says perception about Sofia changed after the engagement: “Now everyone has changed their minds about her. She is very lovely, charming and smart. The Swedish people have taken her to their heart.”
Royal reporter Johanna Lejon says the wedding will be better than Will & Kate’s: “The Swedes love royal weddings! The whole country is in a party mood. It will be a very emotional and touching wedding, just like William and Kate’s. But Carl Philip and Sofia’s wedding will be more open and not so private as Kate and William’s was. For example, SVT [a Swedish TV network] will air most of the dinner and the party after the wedding.”
People Magazine also quotes that royal reporter Margareta Gotthardsson as saying that Crown Princess Victoria has always been supportive of Sofia because “Victoria had to fight for the approval of marrying Daniel, who was a luxury gym owner, it was easier for Prince Carl Philip to get approval from their parents to wed Sofia. Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel have always supported Sofia and Carl Philip during their relationship.” See, I think that would be a reason why Victoria would have mixed feelings about Sofia generally speaking – Victoria and Daniel had to wait years and years for her parents to accept him, and Daniel was and is a lovely, scandal-free, upstanding dude without a whiff of famewhore. And after all of the work Victoria and Daniel had to do, then Sofia just waltzes in wearing a bikini with a snake wrapped around her privates and suddenly it’s the same thing?
But yes, I bet the royal family has accepted that Sofia will be marrying Carl Philip and that’s the end of that. The only good thing that will come of it is that party-girl Sofia will make her sister-in-law Victoria look that much better by comparison.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
Not quite – she courted the media attention with her outlandish behaviour, she wanted fame SO BAD. If she hadn’t have hooked up with the Prince she would have probably gone on to be Sweden’s Katie Price or that Farrah person from the Teen Mom show.
I love Victoria and Daniel – wish Willy and Waity were more like them.
There are some of us who think that although Sofia made some terrible choices and decisions in her late teens and early twenties, she’s moved on from that, and so should everybody else. She’s trying, which is more than Kate can say. Sure, she’s getting a whitewashing in the run up to her engagement, so did Kate. The test will be what kind of princess she’ll be after the wedding. I’m rooting for her. I’m hoping she’ll show Kate how it’s done.
For whatever reasons, I’m glad that someone with Sofia’s obvious “tarnished” background is marrying into a royal household. I think it’s very progressive. Matte Meritt (sp) of Norway (?) was a baby-Moma when she married into the royal family.
Dena: wasn’t Mette Merrit (sp?) a druggie party girl single mother?
If I remember correctly, she made a televised apology for her behaviour (or possible background?!) on the eve of her wedding, and has lived upto her whitewashing ever since.
Since Sofia started dating her prince, we haven’t seen any new soft porn pics, no falling out of clubs, no crotch shots, nothing that suggests she’s still the glamour model she once was.
Even if her charity was specifically set up to whitewash her into a suitable companion for a prince, at least she’s risen to the challenge and worked for the charity.
Can anyone say the same for Kate before or after her whitewashing and marriage?
I’m with Red Snapper. I’m rooting for her.
Isn’t it Mette Marit?
I’m not rooting for her. And I don’t get why people think that she’s more ambitious than Kate. She didn’t do anything except this one charity which was probably initiated by the palace to whitewash her. I think she’s very much like Kate.
Can’t help, but root for her a bit too. She’s putting the effort in.
Sofia herself babbled on Twitter she was dating Carl Philip at the beginning of their relationship. “Wanna know a secret? I’m dating the Prince!” She’s hardly a shy person and clearly craves for attention.
They’re both tacky. He’s a wannabe race car driver (crashes most of his races) who wants a pit-girl men’s model girlfriend like all his racing buddies. But his father is the same: both often frequent strip clubs, party hard with people of queationable background, sofia was the rumored mistress when he was dating emma (and the king has had plenty of known mistresses). There’s a reason Victoria is the most popular royal…. she acts like duty and country are her first priority right there with her family.
if this was a disfunct royal family, who cares. But tax payers will pay for their wedding (the king said they won’t, but he said that about Madeleines and then took money for security and asked for more money the following year to regain the loss…) and will pay for their lifestyle. As an American i plan on sitting back and enjoying the train wreck. But would you elect a former Miss Slitz, ex reality star, blogger of sugar-daddy chasing who’s “charity” funds originally went to her personal bank account? I wouldn’t. Usually you have to wait til their in office to find out about these scandals (makes me wonder if theres something worse out there esp about her “charity”) And if you wouldn’t elect her, ask why sweden should be happy and not complain?BHey all. Mom and I were talking about doing another day in the city. Would you be interested? I was kinda feeling below, but let me know if you’re interested, and if that date works.
Sun Jun 14: Thai for lunch, Tuescher for chocolates, St Patrick’s candle, & Central Park zoo… Ice cream before train home (Serendipity3?) Because she’s about to represent the Swedish people… represent the government, foreign diplomats/dignitaries, and nobel laureates. I doubt they want even the king to represent them.
Charity funds went to her personal bank account to be used for personal use? I remember Mad’s wedding scandal and then her move to NYC. It was not good to say the least.
And what’s with the “day in the city” comment? Was that meant to be posted? I’m having trouble understanding it.
The first funds she solicited went to her personal account. How much was eventually transferred to the charity is anyone’s guess. The photoshoot done of their “offices” was clearly her apartment. Did she use that money to pay for her apartment and claim it was office space?
She briefly attended a dicey for-profit school in the US that specializes in getting foreigners student visas, but she never graduated with anything. That was when she made the blog posts mocking her disabled teacher. She worked while in the US, which was a violation of that student visa. There’s a whole lot that has been hidden, it isn’t just the racy photo shoots and reality tv show.
I think the poster is planning a fun day out after the wedding, drowning her sorrows for the reputation of Sweden in ice cream from Serendipity (an ice cream parlor in NYC).
Nota
Wow!
Few things to play devil’s advocate in an attempt to get a better understanding.
I’ve known a few workers of charities to handle the donations themselves in an unethical way. Sometimes the money did make it back. Sometimes not all. We can’t know if she kept all, returned all, or some so I won’t condemn without more evidence.
And just like W&K’s KP apartment is part office, part residence it’s legal to claim that and use the funds that way. And sometimes cheaper for overhead cost while also being seen as a poor choice and selfish spending.
And the blog… That’s bad. What she attacking the teacher’s disability? Or that they had something annoying about them that exsted apart from the condition?
Either way though. It’s online bullying.
She wrote that she and a friend got a great abdominal workout laughing at the teacher and his uncontrolled muscle movements.
Nota
I’m shocked at that. She sounds awful. Hopefully she’s matured and found a better set of friends.
That’s what i get for doing 2 things at once. Ice cream for everyone!
Karen, I’m in. I’ve always wanted to go to Serendipity!
I still think it’s progressive but will say “DAMN!” as I shake my head from side to side. Didn’t know about her channeling funds into her personal account. Then laughing at disabled folks. No. Unacceptable. I’d honestly prefer her stealing money over that one. Once again, I’m sure they know what they are getting in each other.
As far as both of them being tacky, tacky is as tacky does. Perhaps they are soul mates; they understand each other. Why foist some “innocent” off on him if he’s straight up tacky? Anyway, tacky needs love too.
Karen. Your lunch plans sound good. I don’t know about the rest but if I’m to join you we’d definitely have to meet midway between Chgo & NY. Make it easy on me☺️
The Prince is really hot.
+1
+2
He’s a babe
He’s for me, The best looking Prince in Europe , he’s so gorgeous. IMO
I wasn’t a fan of Sofia originally, but I wish them the best. They seem very much in love.
+10,0000 off the chart HOT Prince. 🙂
The Royal Fam may have welcomed her, but her colourist still obviously HATES her. That harsh black works on nobody.
It’s something I noticed while living in a Scandinavian Country, there were so many blondes of all shades that the girls would sometimes overnight come to class with their hair dyed jet black or a bright red shade to stand out. A lot of the young girls were doing it when I was there taking language classes. But I think Sofia is brunette …just not that shade…
I think Sofia is a brunette, naturally, but her hair is not that dark as she dyes it, , but many say she loves that the press compares her looks to the Prince’s mother, a youthful Queen Silvia.
CP Victoria doesn’t need Sofia in order to look better. Victoria from all that I’ve read appears to do great job. She comes across as a modern professional royal who is caring, interested and engaged. She and her husband also seem to be taking a balanced and incremental approach to exposing Princess Estelle to the media and royal life. William and Kate and their various handlers should take note. But then again, having and gaining maturity is not a PR stunt or perhaps I should say a PR blunder in W/K’s case.
Well said. Victoria is a terrific CP, in spite of her father’s preference and deference to Carl-Phillip. She’s fought through her body issues and came out on the other side a strong, self-reliant royal with a wonderful husband and adorable child.
This is what I was thinking too. Victoria had a huge struggle with her ED and Depression. Daniel was key to her recovery. And IMO that time was needed for recovery, proving his dedication, and worth, and acceptance.
And CPVictoria has shown pure class time and time again. I don’t doubt this is how she feels.
Crown Princess Victoria tops polls regularly as being most popular Royal and the public wanting her to take over the Throne from her father. I got the feeling the movement against the Monarchy had a lot to do with The King’s behavior over these past twenty years.
Victoria is also incredibly naive. She has no understanding of the Republican movement or that some in Sweden think they’d be better off without a monarchy. I like her a lot, but her blinders about Reality are a serious issue.
As to her embracing Sofia? She still has not issued any official congratulations. She refused to answer questions about the wedding on a recent trip. Photos from the hen party show Victoria walking away from the hot tub debacle and returning later to get all of them to stop posing for the paps hidden in the trees.
I think Kaiser is right, they’ve accepted that there is nothing they can do about this, especially since the King is promoting Sofia and has allegedly assigned her a position in his office.
Hot tub debacle? Was there a lack of discretion and a bit of showing off for the lenses? If so that would be really bad.
Sofia and her friends in bikinis and drinking champagne in a hot tub out on the deck of a conference hotel. Victoria, fully-dressed, walked away and came back later to get them out and back inside. Outdoor hot-tubbing may be tradition in Sweden, but it was a poor choice.
Aww, the woman grew up, yes she may have done some “wild” things when she was younger but people can mature I’m wishing them the best.
She didn’t grow up, she just landed the biggest fish in her gold digging career. She’s lived off men her whole life and never had a real job.
Just like Kate Middleton. Yet Kate gets a pass.
Kate will never get a pass from me nor will Sofie until they both prove their worth.
She does remind me of Kate in her clamping down on the prince and hanging on until she closed the deal.
I find several of the new breed of Royal wives, simply lacking and really not exactly worthy of admiration or praise and that includes Kate Middleton, Mette Marit.
I saw the title and got distracted by words “Prince Carl Philip” and “hung” in the title…..
*fans self*
LOL!
I don’t think she did anything terrible. Who cares. However, seeing as he is a Prince, his choice makes me question his judgement. Same as if a politician married someone with a problematic past.
Agree. Unless evidence comes to light that she is a completely debauched and depraved human being, she can make a clean break with her past. However, with respect to his family and title, she was a very poor choice.
The press still describes Sofia first and foremost as a porn/reality show star; it sees her as a bimbo who scored a prince and a royal title. She’ll never live down her past.
Not the press I’ve been reading and I lived in Scandanavian Countries for the past two years. Her press has been quite good.
Look at the Spanish and Italian press. She’s been call an “ex-stripper” in their news.
As I posted above, I still think it’s progressive that Sofia is marrying into a royal family. Now I said that to say this: after reading what Aquarius64 wrote about Sofia never living down her past, the words “you can’t turn a ho into a housewife” popped into my mind. Difference between a ho and porn star, I know. But there it is. That’s how my mind works in terms of word associations.
You know? I wonder who first uttered those words about hos and housewives–a man or a woman? I can hear both genders saying it–men in barbershops, thinking they are solving the world’s problems, and women gathered together at church with their heads close together.
That was one hell of a softball interview.
That being said, it seems like a good match – Carl Philip seems like an entitled party boy from what’s out there. Best of luck to them.
I know we shouldn’t judge people by their looks, but she just looks so…sweet and cute. Not like I would imagine a “party girl”/amateur porn star to look.
You’re seeing the post-engagement whitewashed version of her.
I don’t think she’s horrible. Just not the image we’re seeing. It’s amazing how quickly the whitewashing version of history is accepted. The effort to rebrand in a way is so large it’s the 1st many hear about it outside of their respective nations.
I soooooo can’t hardly wait for this wedding. The comments across the blogs and boards will be epic! I’m rather enjoying the bbc.co fact that some of these high profile men of royalty are chosing to marry the women they love as oppose to letting the public try to dictate who THEY feel is worthy wife material. The same could be said for CP Victoria to because Daniel wasn’t considered “proper” or “good enough” for her either, but she hung in there with him because SHE loved him. Same with King Willem Alexander, CP Frederik, Prince William, Prince Charles (wiith Camilla) and so on. People will just have to get over it and they usually do.
It isn’t really about love more often than not. It’s expectations. The best of the acceptable pool. And who will take the position. Passion, lust, respect are all attributes of love, but are not love itself.
Very rarely is it a case where love is the prime motivating factor. This, where they had more to lose than gain by their coupling leans more to love. And that he supported her and didn’t lean against is refreshing to see.
And his drunken brawl in NYC a few years ago, when he couldn’t handle what men were saying about Sofia’s past? What does that say?
Not a fan of drunken brawls personally, but if people were talking smack about his gf I can see why he felt he had to do something. He gets points from me for defending her.
If he is okay with her past, he wouldn’t have been so easily goaded by other drunken fools. Doesn’t say a lot for him, but he’s been on a downward spiral for years.
I was never a fan of Sofia, but when she put a whooping on some dude that started pounding on her Prince boyfriend in the street in St.Tropez, I had to give the girl props for being able to take care of herself and her man in a street brawl. LOL
Nota
Not so. You can be ok with something and still be justified in upset feelings when someone you care for is being attacked.
Like (and i’m terrible at analogies) your spouse was once 1 who got around indiscriminately. You and they have put that behind you. Then some fools use that in the worst way hell bent to get you upset while drinking with your inhibitions lowered.
So, it has so little to do with how he’s accepted her past, but still will not let her be belittled like that. It’s defending. Not lashing out because of something he can’t handle or deal with personally/internally. And those guys sounded like horrible patrons who’s goal was to start a fight at all costs.
BS, nas. Men tend not to like their women (partners and mothers in particular) insulted by others — especially other men.
FLORC, I’m with you on this one.
I’m swedish and I can honestly say that the people I know adore Victoria and are completely okay with Sofia
It’s only the royal advisors that’s always trashing her
And yet you’ll find many Swedes on royal blogs and discussion forums who are horrified that she is going to be a working royal.
I’m not saying that everybody likes her just that many aren’t upset about her becoming princess.
I really like her because she’s really into charity and she seems smart.
I like her. I don’t know why, maybe she doesn’t necessarily look like a famewhore/soft porn actress, maybe because she has moved on. Her past is exposed to the world because of who she is dating, maybe she has changed or maybe not. Carl Philip loves her, I’m sure her prenup is air-tight, and she won’t be able to do as she pleases with the royal family. I wish them well. I love it when a marriage works.
Marriages are HARD! Worth it, but hard. That they have lasted through such adversity and are still continue on bodes well.
Nota
Re: drunken brawl.
(comment wouldn’t attach to yours)
He stood by her. Not in the ideal fashion, but still. There’s love there. Not great judgement, but love all the same. He’s yet to throw her under the bus.
You can’t change the past or control what others think, but you can change how you’re thought of in the future. This is a tough task and not simply done by PR rebranding. You need to follow through and become that better person. I hope they follow through on this.
I agree. People are acting like we should throw stones at her for having a colorful past. Many people have ugly things in their past, some worse than others, some people are lucky that they haven’t done things that are too awful or juicy. Whatever her story is, she’s getting married now, and I want it to work for her.
The problem is, on top of her past, that she has no apologies for it. She’s marrying into a family where they’ve been fighting sex trafficking, p 0 r n, and the King’s reputation for years. Her “no regrets” stance is disturbing to many, especially those who work to combat those things.
The trafficking part is not great, but not the worst when you think of what that usually means. Her “no regrets” supports that though the age was part of it.
You can accept your past, take it as a learning experience, and move forward. I am not proud of every decision i’ve made, but have accepted it, learned from it, and having grown from it do not regret it. So, no regrets from me too. And I, like a great many of us, have not stayed on the right side of the laws.
I think this is what she’s meaning. No Regrets does not translate into Pride/Proud of actions. I think that’s where our opinions might differ herre.
If she continues to act like she has and reverts/regresses(?) I will think otherwise. Until then we’re discussing her past and not her current actions.
Just like with Kate. I am a fan until she proves she had no intention of changing.
What would an apology mean, why does she need to apologize for posing with a snake? She was so young, she posed in bikinis, went topless or something from what I gather, did a cheesy reality show all BEFORE she met the Prince.
I’m just not sure what an apology would accomplish at this point, what difference would it make, those who don’t see her as suitable never will anyway regardless of what she may say. Should she be made to feel guilty for being young , wild and wearing bikinis and no tops, or posing in bikini photos and going topless, BEFORE she met the Prince?
She’s not a drug addict, she didnt live with a drug dealer,, she won’t be Queen like Mette Marit will be, so I’m just not sure why she needs to sit and apologize to the nation for being a bit of a wild child model who did a reality show before she ever met Pr.Carl Phillip. I’m not really a fan of Sofia, but I just don’t believe she needs to apologize for being wild and young , she didn’t physically harm anyone,….
She has some tacky, photos
I always hated how the Spanish press ripped Eva Sanumm apart for modelling in a bikini with a bone in her hair or top or something, when she dated the Spanish Prince, no she also wasn’t a perfect choice, but the way they ripped Eva a new a-hole for modelling something, she was doing even before she met the Prince, always irked me.
That said, I don’t really find any of the current choices of brides that great, except for maybe Queen Mathilde. Mathilde is a class act all the way, love her.
Pace U, from what I’ve read elsewhere. Her first set of photos (the bondage, forest, and beach ones) are considered child pornography in Sweden. That’s why she had to get parental permission to leave the country to do the photo shoot. She was only 16, and photos like that of anyone 18 or younger are considered child pornography according to Swedish laws.
So it appears she participated in the creation of child pornography because she wanted to be famous. She could have waited two more years but she didn’t.
I love reading about them!!
Continue on with this coverage of the Swedish Royals! Pomp, Ceremony, and Great Gossip all in one!
I’m Swedish and also a socialworker. And I do not appreciate a famewhoring ex soft porn model becoming a princess for our country. The porn industry was an easy way for Sofia to get fame, and she doesn’t regret her choices. It got her this far she says in interviews. A women who support the pornindustry should not represent me as a Swede and a woman. In Sweden we have plenty of women and children who are victim of sexual abuse and even killed.
Sofia would never get a job representing Ikea, H&M or any other company, they would not want a woman with no education and a past as a soft porn model. But the Swedish royal family thinks she is good enough to represent Sweden just because she satisfies Carl Philip in bed.