Spain’s Princess Letizia was looking decidedly thin at the wedding of Victoria of Sweden.

Letizia donned an eye-catching red gown for the pre-nuptial celebrations the night before. Her arms were sinewy and her body mass index seemed as though it would barely register on a scale.

Since marrying Prince Felipe of Spain in 2004, Letizia has undergone several changes in her appearance. The most recent was her nasal surgery, described as a necessity for a deviated septum. The bridge of her nose, which once sported a natural bump, was shaved completely straight. Her shoes were also designed to make her look different – though stylish, they have platforms on the bottom to make Letizia appear several inches taller.

The most drastic change is her weight: it seems to have dropped substantially, a worrying sign. Letizia is a petite woman and probably doesn’t weigh much to begin with, but her bones are starting to become noticeable.

Has becoming a Princess caused Letizia extreme stress over her appearance? She was a very high-profile person as a news journalist on Spanish television, but as the wife of the heir to the throne, she naturally has a different kind of responsibility and an image to maintain. Has it all proved to be too much?

The Swedish Haga Palace is the new official residence for HRH The Crown Princess Victoria and her new husband, Prince Daniel. They will move in upon their return from their Tahitian honeymoon.

King Gustav IV Adolf had envisioned a home in Haga just outside Enskede, so he commissioned architect Carl Christoffer Gjörwell to build a modern palace in the style of an Italian villa. The result looked less like a palace and more like a large, sunny country home. It has been used alternately as a private home and a summer house for several members of the Swedish royal family over the years.

Haga is the birthplace of Princess Victoria’s father, King Carl XVI Gustaf. The King – Prince Carl Gustaf at the time – and his four sisters spent their childhood at this palace with their parents, Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sybilla.

Young Carl Gustaf played happily on the grounds with Princesses Margaretha, Birgitta, Désirée, and Christina and they were photographed enjoying their small playhouse in the park. The Swedish media and the public were charmed by the royal children, especially the girls, who became affectionately known as Hagasessornas, “Haga Princesses”.

The death of their father in an airplane crash in 1947 outside Copenhagen, Denmark, devastated the family. Princess Sybilla, who felt as though “the floor fell out from under my feet”, took the children to live in an apartment at The Royal Palace in 1950.

Haga, abandoned as the official home, was left empty for several years. King Gustaf VI Adolf eventually transferred its ownership to the Swedish government for use as a guest house for visiting dignitaries in 1966.

Happily, Haga reverted back to Royal property in 2009. Just after Princess Victoria’s engagement was announced in February 24th of that year, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt declared that the rights of disposal to the palace would be transferred back to the royal court as a wedding gift to Victoria and her new husband, Prince Daniel. Attempting to echo the sentiments of Winston Churchill upon the wedding of Princess Elizabeth in 1947, Reinfeldt said: “[T]he royal engagement [i]s a beacon of light in the dark times of economic crises.”

This happy, warm palace looks extremely welcoming and should be perfect for the beaming royal couple. Congratulations to Victoria and Daniel upon the return of a very precious family home.

[picappgallerysingle id="9156572"]The bride is the highlight of any wedding, in this case much more so if she is the first Swedish female successor to the throne to be married.

In this day and age sometimes it’s difficult to merge tradition with modern practices. In this case, the tradition of the Cameo tiara, worn by her mother Queen Silvia at her wedding, was not a choice that most people, prior to the wedding, would have chosen for Crown Princess Victoria. But in this case, it worked with the simplicity of her wedding dress. Designed by Pär Engshede, who has created many dresses for members of the royal family, it is made of cream-coloured duchess silk satin, with short sleeves and a turned-out collar, which follows the rounded neckline. The dress has a v-shaped back with covered buttons. The sash at the waist is buttoned up at the back.

Crown Princess Victoria wore Queen Sofia’s lace veil, last worn by Victoria’s mother, Queen Silvia at her 1976 marriage to King Carl XVI Gustaf. The 5 metre (about 16 feet) long train edged with a border, was fastenened at the waist, the same shape as the veil.  Her unseen shoes were made of the same fabric as the dress.

Although she arrived at the the cathedral in a Rolls Royce, after the ceremony, the Princess and her new husband departed in the Parade Barouche from the Royal Mews, the same carriage used by her parents at their wedding exactly 34 years to the day. The traditions continued with the newlyweds taking a journey on the Royal Barge Vasaorden

- Marilyn Braun

Picture of the Mo’

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, during the King of Sweden’s birthday celebrations. This hat is quite a statement. It says, “I finally have a place to put my quill”.