Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden took part in a seminar on dyslexia organised by their foundation.
On Tuesday, 28 March, the Prince and Princess arrived at Jonkontoret, a conference space in Stockholm, accompanied by the Speaker of the Parliament, Andreas Norlén, and the Minister of Education, Lotta Edholm.
The first session of the conference was dedicated to the presentation of “The Value of Being Yourself,” a report developed by the Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia Foundation together with consulting and audit firm EY (Ernst&Young).
Two key points were highlighted during the presentation: the first is an issue that still needs work: 88% of surveyed people said they choose not to share their dyslexia diagnosis with their employer for fear of being penalised.
The second point was broader and talked about the advantages of creating a society where everyone is given the space to be themselves and where unique individualities and abilities are valued.
It was then time for Prince Carl Philip to give a speech in which he emphasised the importance of providing each individual with the space to be themselves and honestly express their potential.
He said in part: “When you have the opportunity to be yourself and can feel secure that you will not be treated differently, then you have the best opportunities to achieve your full potential.”
During the event, there were also two panels about the inclusion of neurodivergent people in both school and work life. Some speakers included Education Minister Lotta Edholm, the chair of the Swedish teacher’s association, Johanna Jaara Åstrand, and the Chief Human Resource Officer of Spotify, Katarina Berg.
Dyslexia has been the main focus of the work of the Prince Couple’s foundation since its creation in 2015, on the occasion of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia’s wedding. Dyslexia is a topic very close to the Swedish Royal Family’s heart since King Carl XVI Gustaf, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine were all diagnosed with it.
