Swedish News:

American student wins 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize. The new princess reports for her first day of work. A clothing exhibition celebrates a princess. 

  • H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria awarded the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize to Perry Alagappan, of Houston, TX at the Global Water Conference in Stockholm on August 25, 2015. Photo: Jonas Borg/SIWI

  • American student wins Stockholm prize
    Perry Alagappan, of Houston, Texas, received the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden. Alagappan, now 18, spent the last three years inventing a filter that purifies drinking water from heavy metals. "This project addresses a critical water issue with broad implications for the whole world … The technology used could revolutionize the way water can be treated and heavy metals recovered," the jury concluded. On August 25 H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria awarded the prize at an award ceremony during World Water Week. She has been the patron of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize since 1994. From August 23 to 28, experts, scientists and organizations from around the world met in Stockholm to discuss water issues during the Global Water Conference organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). Stockholm Junior Water Prize is open to young people between ages 15 and 20, encouraging thousands of participants from around the world to get creative in developing sustainable solutions for the environment.

  • The Duke and Duchess of Värmland, Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip, visit their dukedom for the first time. Photo source visitvarmland.se

  • The new princess reports for her first day of work
    On August 26 and 27, Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip traveled to their dukedom, the province of Värmland in western Sweden, for their first official royal visit. It was also the first day of Sofia's new job as a princess. The newlyweds attended the opening of the Byamossarnalänk nature reserve outside Arvika, the home of protected marshland and a 3.5-kilometer-long (about 2 miles) trail — part of the wedding gift the county of Värmland gave the royal couple, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Värmland. They also visited the home of 1909 Nobel Prize winning author Selma Lagerlof, enjoyed dinner with the county governor and his wife, and stopped at the Mariebergsskogen Children’s vegetable garden, where they appreciated the flowers and a special welcome concert. They met many Värmland residents, old and young, and attended celebrations on the main square in Karlstad. Their visit ended in Kristinehamn, where Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia attended an installation at the Picasso exhibit and got a guided boat tour through the historic Kristinehamn archipelago.

  • "The Lilian Look!" exhibition at the Royal Palace. Photo by Kungligaslotten.se

  • A clothing exhibition celebrates a princess
    Queen Sylvia opened "The Lilian Look!" exhibition, featuring about 30 garments from Princess Lilian's wardrobe. The clothing represents a span of 30 years of several different types of garments — evening dresses and costumes, hats and bags — divided into six categories: weddings, family celebrations, entertainment, Nobel, inaugurations and charity, and last but not least, humor. The opening ceremony included comments from fashion historian Tonie Lewenhaupt, who spoke of Princess Lilian's sense of style, and the queen introduced the clothing, saying, "The pieces shown in this exhibition reflect Princess Lilian's personality. We recognize her in the pastel colors, the elegant cuts and even in the fine details. There's that 'tongue in cheek' that was so characteristic of her."
    Princess Lilian, who died in 2013, would have turned 100 years old on August 30. She had been a fashion model as a young woman in South Wales and became a member of the Swedish royal family when she married Prince Bertil in 1976, making her an aunt of King Carl XVI Gustaf. She was beloved by her extended family and represented the royal family at official engagements and other occasions, even after Prince Bertil died in 1997. She was the patron of many organizations. The exhibition opened August 28 and goes through January 6, 2016 at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.