Queen Silvia of Sweden has purchased the first Mayflower pin of the year, as she traditionally does. The sale of this year’s pin began yesterday, 12 April. The 2018 pins are gold and black with a pearl in the middle.
The Queen, who always looks forward to this event each year, bought the pin from two students, Yossef (10) and Alice (9), yesterday who had been invited to the Royal Palace of Stockholm. They were from Class 2-3 C of the Barkarby School outside Stockholm.
Her Majesty spoke to the children and thanked them for the excellent example they have set in showing that children can help other children who are being bullied or ignored. She said, “It’s so nice that you as children help other children. Now I think you should go around the whole palace and sell these majestic flowers to everyone who works here!”
The Queen also made sure to buy Mayflower sticker sheets for all of her seven grandchildren and her husband, King Carl XVI Gustaf. She told Yossef and Alice, “I need one for Estelle and one for Oscar, one for Leonore, one for Nicolas and one for little Adrienne. She is very small, but she can wear it on her hat. Then we have Alexander and little Gabriel.”
She also added, “And then I’ll take one to the King … They are very good; you can have them in the car.”
Queen Silvia also posed for a photo with the two children after making her purchases in Princess Sibylla’s Apartments.
Photo: Henrik Garlöv / Kungahuset.se
Each year the purchase of a Mayflower pin goes toward disadvantaged children and ending poverty in the Scandinavian country. They were able to raise 34 million Swedish kronor in 2016. The Mayflower Charity Foundation is the largest children’s charity in Sweden, and the Queen is the royal patron of the organisation.
