Nice pics. And, finally, I found out who the guy in that unbelievable plaid suit was - Pekka Heino! Does he always wear such outlandish outfits?!?!?
52-year old Pekka Heino is a popular television presenter in Sweden, he is a Sweden Finn, born in Turku, Finland. He has been together with a norwegian born producer Erik Kristensen for over 20 years, they registrated their relationship (civil union) in 1997.
Pekka Heino SVT.se
How has the king done his work?
SVT news interviewed on Friday Henrik S Järrel from the Royalist Association, deputy chairman Anna Steele from the Republican Association and PR-professional Birger Östberg.
Järrel says he sees the king as a quite modern monarch. As a king he should promote Sweden abroad, he should be a good representant for a little country in Sweden, their people, culture and history. Steele says that when spoken about the king, she thinks all the pomp, all the scandals, parties and a very fine speech after Tsunami. Birger Östberg says that the most positive thing as a promotor for the king is that he is the king. To be a monarch raises interest in many countries.
But how the king is doing as a marketer of Sweden?
Östberg says: oldfashioned, conservative and feels very old.
The reporter says that maybe that is why the king has lost popularity. But there is also another family member who has come to the stage. Östberg says that he thinks that Victoria is seen as much more modern than the king. And he thinks that it is modernity which is really important if you are supposed to market Sweden, because the business life and tourism in Sweden want to be connect to modernity.
According to Östberg there can be another reason why the king has it difficult to promote Sweden: the king's poor management with the media is so comprehensive that Östberg thinks that more and more people are almost ashamed of the king we have in Sweden. And that is a big problem for brand Sweden.
About the abdications in the Netherlands and Belgium, Järrel says that the Bernadottes haven't a tradition to abdicate. But a thought about crown princess Victoria at the throne, frightens one and another republican. Steele from the Republican Association says that Victoria seems very sympathetic and hard-working, and they would have it more difficult to carry through their thoughts if Victoria would be the Queen.
Hur sköter kungen sitt jobb SVT Play