Norrtälje is a city in Stockholm County in the Kingdom of Sweden. The City was founded in 1622 by Gustav II Adolf and in 2010, the city had 17,275 inhabitants. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden visited the city of Norrtälje on March 29th 2022 to draw attention to the fact that it is 400 years since the city received its city privileges from King Gustav II Adolf.
The Crown Princess was received at the town hall by the chairman of the City Council together with employees and politicians from Norrtälje municipality. After a presentation about the city, the Crown Princess received The Norrtälje Key of Honor.
The Norrtälje Key of Honor has been awarded since 1988 when King Carl XVI Gustaf was the first one to ever receive this honour. Since then, keys have been awarded to Swedes who, with regard to their activities or efforts in general, are considered deserving of the award.
Afterwards, the Crown Princess was given a guided tour through the city of Norrtälje, where she passed the most famous attractions. In connection with the lunch, which was served in Norrtälje’s tallest building, the tower of the harbour, the Crown Princess received a presentation of Norrtälje harbour’s history and future plans.
The afternoon began with the Crown Princess visiting Norrtälje Art Gallery and the Pythagoras Industrial Museum. The museum also provided an opportunity for a conversation about business in the city of Norrtälje. At the end of the day, the Crown Princess participated in the anniversary celebration in the local park. During this last part of the visit Her Royal Highness gave a speech.
Her Royal Highness said: “Today is the 29th of March – on the day 400 years since Norrtälje received its city privileges from King Gustaf II Adolf. It is an anniversary worth celebrating really well! When another king was visiting here 123 years ago, my great-great-great-grandfather King Oscar II, he gave a speech. In it, he regretted that he had not had the opportunity to visit the city before. Because he could see that Norrtälje was an unusually beautiful city. And having done a tour myself earlier today, I can only agree with my ancestor’s judgment”.
