The Christening of Prinsessan Estelle: Yrma's Title Trumps Her Personality: Vickan Knows About the Coming Danish Republic

"Somebody please listen to me about that Mary creature!!"

Sweet little Princess Estelle was baptised today in the Royal Chapel in Stockholm. Depending on your read of the political structure in Sweden, the future queen or future gym empire heiress was sprinkled with water from Öland and joined the family of Christians in a noble ceremony that put the Danish heir's baptism to shame, style-wise. The Order of the Seraphim was bestowed on the little one, she was laid in an 18th century cradle next to the receiving line in a gown from 1906, and kept a skeptical look on her face during the entire service. She knows she got f*cked in the royal godmama department. She knows she's sharing breathing space with Unca Carl Philip's Snake Girl. She knows Unca Derfie hit on Auntie Madde, not recognising her with dark hair.

Yrma wore her flying saucer hat from Monaco that she bought to wear to Will and Kate's wedding, except that she didn't get an invitation; a gold Chanel quilted bag that signals her middle-age; a gold dress she wore on an official visit to Romania to get fresh gypsy wiglets; and a white coat from her large collection. She was fidgety, lost and wholly self-conscious as a high level guest with an actual role as spiritual advisor to this young princess. Madde looked elegant, pretty and happy; her dark hair is very flattering to her blue eyes and complexion and Mr. O'Neil is clearly flattering to her spirit. Maxima was true to her source and rocked a bright red suit and wonderful turban hat with some misguided stripper pumps. Sweet Mathilde looked great, too, in shimmery, dark neutrals.

Victoria must know that having Cousin Derf as a godparent would only lead to embarrassing waterworks and Daniel's discomfort knowing Fred's love for Victoria. She must also have a sense that asking the Crown Princess of Denmark instead of the future king signals the impending end to the Danish monarchy. Poor Mary. She thinks it's because she's a wonderful role model. Nah. Just favours to Daisy & Daniel and keeping Fred's tears from staining the baby's dress.

Video, Part 1: SVT

Video, Part 2: SVT

Official Photos: Kugahuset

Photo Gallery: BT

Photo Gallery: NWT

Princess Christina and husband Tord Magnusson

Princesses Margretha, Désirée and Birgitta

Hereditary Grand-Duke Guillaume and fiancée Stéphanie de Lannoy

Princess Mathilde and Prince Philippe

Yrma and Crown Prince Haakon who wisely wore sterile gloves in Madam's presence

Princess Maxima, Derf and Princess Madeleine

This is not a face that will age well

Photos: Henrik Montgomery

Funeral: Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, né Prince of Sweden

Carl Johan with his wife Gunilla at their home in Sweden

This morning at the Maria Church in Båstad, Sweden, Carl Johan Bernadotte was laid to rest. Carl Johan was the younger brother of Denmark's Queen Ingrid and therefore the uncle to the Danish queen, and Swedish king, via his father, Crown Prince Gustaf (died 1947). Both were in attendance at the church service, in addition to their spouses, Princess Benedikte, Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Princess Victoria & Prince Daniel, and two of the king's sisters.

Carl Johan was a beloved member of the family, staying close to his sister Ingrid and his royal nieces and nephews and providing them with a link to their Bernadotte roots, and British Connaught connections (via his mother Crown Princess Margareta, born Princess Margaret of Connaught). He was a jovial man who also reminded Daisy of her Rosenborg cousins' fate, losing his princely title upon marriage to a commoner compatriot.

Princess Désirée and one of her sons

Princess Margretha, Princess Christina and Prince Carl Philip

Widow Gunilla with Carl Johan's adopted children Monica and Christian

Anne-Marie and Benedikte

Photos: Lehtikuva.fi

RIP: Count Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, 1916-2012

Daisy's uncle Carl Johan died Saturday, 5 May. He was the youngest brother of her mother Queen Ingrid, the son of the future King Gustav Adolf of Sweden. His mother Margaret was the British daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the Duke himself a son of Queen Victoria (the British, not Swedish, version). Margaret died when Carl Johan was only three years old. Like his Danish counterparts as well as his older brother Sigvard, when he married a commoner Swede, he lost his title of Prince of Sweden. Later, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Swedish through her own family, bestowed the title of Count of Wisborg on the man who had been known as Mr. Bernadotte and enjoyed a successful career in the US. He lived quietly in southern Sweden with his second wife, Gunilla, and had two adopted children.

Derf and Yrma will be on their misery tour of South Korea and therefore will not be available to attend and camera-whore, nor will the Sluuuuuuurrrrrrrrpsons be present to load up on free food and flowers for their converted goat barn avec satellite dish in the shadow of the Chateau de Cayx. Daisy and Benedikte will be present at the funeral representing Denmark. Look for Gustav & Carina and other various royal cousins to also be present.

Obituary: Trond Noren Isaksen Blog

Obituary: New York Times

With mother Margaret, Crown Princess of Sweden, and sister Princess Ingrid, future queen of Denmark

At his 90th birthday celebrations in Båstad, Sweden in 2006.

At uncle Carl Johan's 90th birthday party.

Psyche: First Day of Mary's US Conference Triumph Trumped By Darling Estelle

Poor little Princess Elle. She seems so troubled by her fourth name, really trying to reconcile it. But she'll soon understand. It's just been revealed that Daisy and Silvia, with consultations by Sonja, Maxima, and Marie, have cleverly decided that if they could convince Vickan and Dansie to add Mary as a caboose (arse end, if you please!) to their adorable daughter's name, not a difficult task given the new parents' penchant for the new and sentimental, that Mary would then be forever tied to royal protocol and discipline, forced to march in lock-step with the party line. In the wake of Yrma's ectasy following last Friday's announcement of the names, the reality will sink in and Mary will see that Daisy has called checkmate and Mary's right now sitting in a middle-level hotel room, several miles from the centre of Washington and the presidential guest quarters, Blair House, where gorgeous Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt had the great honour of staying on that very same day of the names announcement. Now everyone's talking about the Oscars, which Mary probably watched in the loneliness of her hotel room. C'mon, Mary, you gonna rally? Or are you gonna let these dames just run right over you? You're a Boganson, Mary, give us your best! We're waiting!

(Dear readers, you will be relieved to know that the original fourth name was to be the very royal and Swedie compound name Désirée-Ulrika-Kristina.)

The Ecstasy of Mary Donaldson: Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary of Sweden, Duchess of Östergotland

Ew, a Mary! What fun: Ew right in front of Mary! LOL. Well, Mary will finally be a godmother to a royal child, perhaps. Victoria truly is a kind-hearted soul, taking pity on the royal outcast, seeing how she is isolated and strange. But then again, the article below indicates that Swedish opinion is that the name Mary is to honour the connections between the British royal family. Also, giving the child the name Mary might get Vickan off the hook naming La Boganista as godmother - pretend it's for Mary, get other royal heirs to actually be the godparents and she won't know any better. Shhh, don't tell Mary, as she is flying high as a kite over Copenhagen right now! But don't worry, Vickan, Mary knows all about snubbing people and still pretending to be their friend. Exhibit A: Amber Petty.

As for the rest of the names, both grannies are honoured - very nice - and Estelle harkens back to the American wife of Folke Bernadotte, a few of Victoria's paternal cousins and is a French name meaning star. Vickan's Bernadotte cousins via her father's sisters have chosen Estelle as a first name. Frenchy to match her last name Bernadotte. Common, pleasant enough and without a royal pedigree in Sweden, but what do we expect from a couple who had a Disney song sung to them at their otherwise beautiful and digified wedding?

Lille Elle will be Duchess of Östergotland (east Gotland), and her parents are Duke and Duchess of Västergotland (west Gotland). A little too cute, very Vic and Dan, and not a duchy on the level as, say, Skåne, the large southern region across from Denmark.

It may be very safe to say that the choice of name and ducal title indicate that on some level, at least, this young girl will never be queen of Sweden. Time will tell!

Denmark's conservative Berlingske broadsheet has a front page article up describing the name as one of a nightclub queen. The Swedes, apparantly, are not amused by the names.

Video: King of Sweden announcing names

Article: Berlingske

Estelle Sounds Like a Nightclub Queen

This is how Swedes have come to know the name given to their new little princess who came into the world Thursday and is the daughter of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel. And it was a bit of a surprise, according to several Swedish media, after the name had been announced by the Swedish king on Friday morning.

Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg, a former press officer at the Swedish court, told the news agency TT that it was "completely unexpected" that the princess has gotten such a name that she, like journalist and popular historian Herman Lindqvist, is 'appalled'.

"It is totally unexpected and very inappropriate for a Swedish, future queen called Estelle. It is completely against all tradition and experience," he said to Aftonbladet.

"It sounds like a nightclub queen, he says.

Estelle is French and means "star" and also is the name known from the Swedish nobility as Count Folke Bernadotte had married a woman named Estelle.

Additionally, the little princess has received names respectively from grandmothers, Silvia and Ewa.

And then there is the name of Mary that the Princess has as her fourth name. Here Katarina Leibring researcher from the University of Uppsala, guesses that the name comes from the Danish crown princess.

"Mary, I think, may indicate that Crown Princess Mary of Denmark should be godmother," she says to Swedish newspaper Expressen.

Several others point out, however, that the name is probably due to the connection between the Swedish and British royal families.

According to the Swedish court's parents, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, have agreed on the name in consultation with the king.