Stockholm
The House of Sussex may have flopped in Britain, but elsewhere it does seem to be inspiring others. Here in Stockholm a trendy podcast Värvet (The Task), known for host Kristoffer Triumf’s in-depth interviews with media and entertainment figures, had a surprise guest recently: Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden. He was not so gauche as to attack the constitution or to drop any Prince Harry-style bombs, but his presence on a podcast was seen as the latest part of a royal awokening.
Even in exile, Harry has created an interesting challenge for the world’s monarchies. They can be regarded as old-fashioned — normally aligned with the state religion and run by a pensioner. But certain royals are trying to reinvent themselves as a progressive force, as warriors for justice, by becoming allies with campaigns to end racism, transphobia etc. They bypass traditional media, create their own social media accounts and go on edgy podcasts to command the world’s attention.
The Queen Elizabeth model has been silence in public, while supporting worthy (but not necessarily sexy or Insta-friendly) charities. She raised her son the same way. Prince Charles once published a children’s book about an old man living in a cave. A couple of years ago Sweden’s Princess Madeleine pushed the envelope somewhat with one called Stella and the Secret. The secret in question is not a magical pony with wings, but incest. The book is about a child who has been sexually abused by a family member and confides in a friend. Inbreeding may well be an area of expertise in Europe’s royal families, as the ‘Habsburg jaw’ attests. But abused kids have enough problems without a princess using their traumas to score political points.
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