The Swedish Royal Opera has a long and close history with the Swedish Royal Family, and the King and Queen of Sweden, together with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, visited the Royal Opera to see the opera performance “Löftet” directed by Stefan Larsson.
It was just before 7 PM, and the royal procession arrived directly into a side street beside the opera, where the Royal Family has its own entrance, called “the Royal Stairs.” Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel arrived first, quickly followed by the Crown Princess’ parents, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. According to the old tradition, the Swedish Royal Anthem was sung before the performance began, which is common every time a member of the Royal Family participates in the royal opera.
According to the Royal Court, “The performance is inspired by the librettist Susanne Marko’s own family history and depicts the reunification of a Jewish couple in the aftermath of the Holocaust. The work was created for the Royal Opera in collaboration with the composer Mats Larsson Gothe and had its world premiere earlier this year on the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust.”
During the break, Their Majesties and the Crown Princess Couple spoke to singers, composers, conductors and librettist Susanne Marko. They also had the opportunity to chat with the opera’s managing director and opera director.
Royal Swedish Opera is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm. It was founded by King Gustav III of Sweden in 1773.
The Royal Swedish Opera actually has a dramatic connection to the Royal Family and the opera’s founder, King Gustav III. On 16 March 1792, King Gustav III was shot by Captain Jacob Anckarström during a masquerade at the Stockholm Opera, and on 29 March, he died of his injuries. The event is the subject of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Un ballo in maschera” from 1859.
