According to superintendent Leila Tuuli, state visits awaken Stockholm’s Royal Palace to its full glory. Even on the eve of the visit, you could see a dust blower and a vacuum cleaner in the halls.
STOCKHOLM The ballrooms of the Swedish Royal Palace are being prepared by the President of the Republic by Alexander Stubb and mrs By Suzanne Innes-Stubb for a two-day state visit. Visitation begins on Tuesday morning.
was able to peek into the halls of the castle in advance, the intendant Leila Tuulin as a guide. On the eve of the visit, you could still see a dust blower and a vacuum cleaner in the halls.
Sweden’s Royal Castle, or castles as he himself recalls, have been Tuuli’s workplace for nearly twenty years.
According to Tuuli, the combination is fascinating: the objects of the castles are historical, but they must withstand use.
The setting of the dinner table has already started
Leila Tuuli carefully opens the double doors, which have a sign hanging on them, saying that dinner preparations are in progress. A view of the dinner table opens before your eyes, which can accommodate a maximum of 170 guests.
Even on the eve of dinner, the chairs are on the wall of the hall, because otherwise there would be no time to set the table. Flowers and napkins are also still missing, which according to Tuuli are brought to the table at the very last minute.
A long table requires 7–8 cloths with pleats like those drawn with a ruler.
The sight is deafening, even if there is no fire in the candles yet.
Halls open to the public in party use
According to Leila Tuuli, notes from the 18th century reveal that castles have always been visited. The Royal Palace is held as little as possible.
The difference to the usual tourist visit is now that the carpets in the halls have been opened to their full glory and the protective hoods on the furniture have been removed from the silky covers.
The castle has a calm atmosphere, even though the preparations are in full swing. Stacks of plates can be seen in the rooms surrounding the halls, and the smell in one of the rooms is intoxicating.
There, the court florist Claes Carlsson with his colleagues prepares Tuesday and Wednesday’s flower arrangements. There are enough colors.
The president meets the Finns of the court
According to Leila Tuuli, some of the preparations can be said to be going smoothly as if from old memory, but there are differences in the years. In some years there may be five or even six state visits, while in other years the king and queen themselves visit more.
According to Tuuli, all state visits always have their own characteristics. In the case of Finland, for example, it is familiarity, because many aspects of the countries’ thinking and actions are similar.
President Martti Ahtisaaren since the visit, there has been a new tradition in the castle, which is repeated on Tuesday as well. The president meets the court’s employees of Finnish background.
– It has always been a valued and warm-hearted occasion, Leila Tuuli recalls.
However, there are also differences in state visits. The Stubbs stay in the guest apartment of Kuninkaalinna, which is located on the party floor. Cameras are not allowed there.
In May, the new king of Denmark will come to visit Frederick X and the queen Mary follow their own traditions and come to Stockholm by ship, where they also spend the night.