Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden got the Grand Final of Eurovision 2024 under way in a regal start to this year’s contest after a day of controversy.
The heir to Sweden’s throne was seen walking through the corridors of Stockholm’s Royal Palace as millions around the world tuned in to see the 68th edition of the annual music competition.
The Crown Princess then invited viewers into the contest, saying ”it’s my great honour to welcome you all to Sweden” before adding ”I hope you will enjoy the show”.
(Kungahuset Instagram/ still/ fair use)
She ended by saying ”I wish all the contestants the best of luck”.
The Crown Princess was later seen dancing in the audience as the show got under way.
However, the controversy that had hit Eurovision just hours earlier was still evident. The entry from the Netherlands, Joost Klein, was disqualified on the morning of the Grand Final after a backstage incident. The Dutch broadcaster, Avrotros, described the decision as disproportionate. As soon as the Swedish Royal House posted the video of the Crown Princess at Eurovision, comments appeared about Joost Klein, many of them asking for him to be reinstated to the contest.
There has been further controversy with protesters at the hotel where the Israeli entry, Eden Golan, is staying.
The competition was won by Switzerland.
Royal involvement in the Eurovision Song Contest is nothing new. In 2023, the Princess of Wales pulled a surprise by playing the piano in the introduction to the competition.
