In April, we learned something pretty cool: Sweden’s Princess Sofia applied for and got a job as a hospital staffer during the pandemic. Sweden had a need for extra hospital staff, medical staff and nursing staff, and they took applications and offered a training course. Sofia applied and took the training course, and she went to work at Sophiahemmet Hospital, where she apparently took on kitchen work and work cleaning and disinfecting hospital rooms, etc. It feels weird to praise a princess for getting a low-level job, but damn, here we are. Sofia clearly did it because of the pandemic and the need for more hospital staff this year. And as it turns out, she’ll be returning to work at the same hospital this fall:
Princess Sofia of Sweden isn’t planning on hanging up her scrubs this year. Prince Carl Philip ’s wife will continue working at Sophiahemmet Hospital this fall amid the global health crisis. Margareta Thorgren, the Swedish Royal Court’s information director, told Swedish newspaper Expressen, “Princess Sofia continues her work at Sophiahemmet and will start her part-time job again in September. She is very much looking forward to it.”
The royal mom of two began volunteering at Sophiahemmet Hospital back in April. Sofia underwent intensive training to help relieve the nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic and was placed in a hospital ward to assist with simpler care tasks, cleaning and more.
Sofia, 35, hinted earlier this summer that she would continue working in healthcare. During Sophiahemmet University College’s digital graduation ceremony in June, the Swedish Princess, who is honorary chair of Sophiahemmet, called her volunteer experience “absolutely outstanding,” and revealed that she was “not finished” with it. “This autumn, new challenges await where we are all needed,” Sofia said.
I would assume this means that her first stint as a hospital worker has already come to a close? Did she get a month off for a summer holiday with her family or something? Perhaps. I won’t nitpick it – she and Prince Carl Philip have two young sons. Prince Alexander is four years old and Prince Gabriel will be three years old on August 31st. Is this what it would look like if a princess worked a 9-5 job?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, IG.
There was beginning to be some speculation that she did it for good PR as she was never seen helping again an after her first days in April. This helps counter that.
Sadly, there’s always been hate talk against her. But, kudos to her for doing a job that those complaining about her behind their keyboards probably wouldn’t do with or without a pandemic going on.
If she is spending her time sanitizing hospital rooms, she deserves all of the praise. Working in facilities for a hospital is a dirty, gross job filled with bodily fluids. There is certainly nothing glamorous about it, so props to her for continuing her hard work.
Hear, hear!
Absolutely zero shade for this. She came from a background where she worked and supported herself, she understands the value of and takes pride in hard work. She didn’t have to go work in a hospital during a pandemic but she took the training and did the job. I really like Princess Sofia. She has been a great addition to the family and it’s clear she and Carl Philip adore each other.
Princess Sofia seems like a lovely person who “GETS” the struggles ordinary people face in their day to day lives. I think she’s a wonderful addition to the Swedish Royal Family.
It’s sad we live in a society where people always look for the worst in everything, try to find fault in everyone, and suggest/suspect “other” people’s actions as having some ulterior motive or hidden nfarious agenda.
I think Swedes are similar to the UK in that they get 5 weeks paid leave, public sector is usually a bit more. Also if they were a part time worker on a 20 hour contact. My mum was an NHS nurse while we grew up and would work it out that she could take long breaks in the summer time as my dad didnt have as much flexibility (we didnt have any childcare apart from school or parents lol!).
Sofia is a princess so I’m sure getting a month of is *no* issue, but healthcare can be flexible for parents due to shift work (nightshifts etc) and part time hours. If my mum had done a 9-5 I dont know how her and dad would have juggled it (there were 6 of us so not simple).
Love to see it! My sister lives in Sweden, so I’ve learned a little more about Swedish culture in recent years, and it’s quite common for most people there to take a large chunk of the summer off from work…Usually the month of July. So if she did get a long summer holiday I wouldn’t necessarily assume it was special treatment (though who knows!).
It’s great that she’s doing this and wants to keep doing this. She gets such an unfair rep amongst certain royal watchers but she really doesn’t deserve half of it (or maybe even most).
Agreed! She seems like a great person overall
I loved the photo in the orginal story where she is standing in scrubs and a big smile with the others who finished training. As opposed to the usual staged Cambridge photo where the are at the center, Kate is overdressed, and everyone is in semi-circle around them but no one else fully faces the camera.
How very Lady Sybil of her! JK, this is awesome.
I applaud her for this and for drawing attention to all the challenging and vital but ‘low level’ work required to keep hospitals functioning.
Here in the uk the pandemic has really helped focus our attention on what essential jobs look like. Of course that doesn’t mean our government won’t try to screw over all low-paid workers, especially if they’re not British but it has helped raise public perception.
No shade from here, actually I think she is putting all other royals to shame.
Yes. She is not doing zoom calls one a week with a pony tail. This is quite more than what we could ever expect from the lazies down at Kensington palace.
That’s the first thing I thought when I read this. It’s quite a poke in the eye for the Top CEO. “Here ya go, honey … this is what a REAL working royal looks like.”
The memory of work like as a military vehicle mechanic and truck driver during the WWII is why QEII is still beloved to many. Sofia’s work follows in that tradition of leading through service. Harry was a great example of that, pity that William and Kate are not.
I can’t really think of any modern royal who is doing such a gross, thankless volunteer job. There are plenty who volunteer, some in a greater capacity than others, but I kind of doubt any of them are mopping up vomit. That’s what people on facilities/ sanitation crews at hospitals do all day.
No one from US first family is pitching in either. Pitiful.
Honestly I have only admiration for her volunteering for the requisite training and doing whatever she was told to do like every other nonaristo ***in a hospital of which she is the honorary chair.***
Take notes, FFQ Kate. THIS is how you support your patronage.
The married ins have to do the heavy lifting as usual.
How about William, Harry, Kate, Meghan and so on consider doing something like this. They all could easy find or already have live in child care. People mention Kate but the others are worth mentioning too.
uhh, keep harry and meghan out of this. they are not working royals. add in the rest of the scroungers all living in expensive council houses.
Harry and Meghan can regularly be seen doing hands on tasks in soup kitchens, handing out school supplies and delivering meals. They are/were the UK ‘s version of Sofia….Until the vile British press and BRF ran them out of the country. Wondering why they would even be mentioned.
If she is actually doing this work, I have mad respect for her. My mom is in charge (Not a dietitian…she does the ordering/scheduling/maintenance/etc) of the dietary department for a small, rural hospital/nursing home and it is hard f-ing work. Because it is hard/sweaty and the pay is usually minimum wage or slightly higher, no one wants to do the job so they oftentimes are short staffed. They are on their feet all day in dirty conditions and the food sucks, so they always get a bad rap. I’m not verbalizing myself very well here, but it’s dirty, hard, thankless work and I have so much respect and gratitude for my mom, so if Princess Sofia is involved in any way with a job like that, she gets a cookie from me.
Thanks —you painted the picture very well
Is she the most beautiful European royal?
Personally, I thnk her husband takes that prize…
She appears to be a beautiful lady doing beautiful things. I’m impressed. William, take note and get off the sofa where we know you’re watching TV and go fly emergency services choppers or whatever the hell you were keen to imagine yourself doing. I’ll leave Kate alone for now since I agree with the earlier post that the burden is always on the married-ins to be earning their keep and proving their worth.
Does anyone else think Sofia looks a little like the late Kelly Preston? Or maybe Kate Beckinsdale. Or Beckinsale or however it’s spelled. I could have sworn it was Beckinsdale but apparently autocorrect and Wiki disagree with me.