A tearful Crown Princess Victoria, accompanied by her husband Prince Daniel, visited the site of the terror attack in Stockholm yesterday morning saying, “There is a tremendous sadness.” She brought red roses that she laid down in tribute, and she briefly spoke to the assembled media after standing for a moment of silence at the memorial that has formed to the victims.
An emotional Victoria told the press, “I feel great sorrow; I feel emptiness.
“We must show great strength. We must fight against this. Swedish society is built on huge confidence, on a sense of community.”
A reporter then asked her, “How do we move on?”
She simply replied, “Together.”
Yesterday, flags at Stockholm Palace and Haga Palace were flown at half-mast. Haga Palace is where the Crown Princess lives with her husband and their two children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar. Drottningholm Palace, the Riddarholmen Church and the Treasury at the Royal Palace were closed yesterday, as well.
The Crown Princess Couple, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia met King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia at Stockholm Palace yesterday afternoon where they were briefed by the Chief of Police and head of the Security Service. The King then addressed the nation where he said, “Sweden is, has long been, and will continue to be a safe and peaceful country.”
On Friday, Crown Princess Victoria’s younger sister, Princess Madeleine, who lives in London with her family, posted on her official Facebook account a response to what her father called a “heinous deed.” Madeleine said, “My thoughts go to my beloved Stockholm and the affected ones and their families.”
The King released a statement earlier that day on behalf of the Swedish Royal Family saying, “It is with dismay the Royal Family and I have been informed of the attack in Stockholm this afternoon. The background and full extent of the incident is not yet known. We are closely following the developments but our thoughts are already now with the victims and their families.”
The attack happened when a lorry was hijacked as it was making beer deliveries on Friday afternoon. It was driven down the the pedestrian thoroughfare, Drottninggatan, mowing down pedestrians. It then crashed into the Åhlens department store. Swedish media later reported that explosives were also found in the lorry. Four have died, while another 15 have been injured.
