The Bill for the Crown Princess's SF-visit
During the opening of the new Swedish Consulate General earlier this year, Crown Princess Victoria and her husband visited San Francisco. The trip, requested by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, cost taxpayers extra for flights, hotels, and VIP services.
The Swedish Royal Court receives an annual allowance of 158 million SEK (approx. 14 million USD) for 2024 to fund the royal family's official duties, the upkeep of royal palaces, and the operation of royal activities. However, the San Francisco visit fell outside the allowance.
"State visits and official visits are carried out at the request of the government, and it is also the Government Offices that hold the primary budget responsibility," writes Johan Tegel from the Royal Court's communications department.
Katrin André at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Stockholm confirms that the Royal trip costs were covered outside of the annual allowance.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs covered the costs for the Crown Princess and two other participants from the Royal Court in connection with the official visit, carried out at the government's request.”
According to the invoices, the costs included round-trip flights and hotels for the Crown Princess couple and two more participants, special airport services, and local transportation in California.
The Royal trip cost the Swedish taxpayer almost 30,000 USD, covering local transportation, accommodation, flights, and VIP services.
Among the invoices reviewed by Silicon Valley Nordic Beat is also an invoice for a meal prepared by Chef Robert Sundell. The menu included gravlax, crab, shrimp, brioche, avocado, rhubarb raspberry crostata with lemon verbena curd and whipped cream, and canapés with coconut yogurt, kiwi, yuzu gel, and blossom. The cost for this meal was $3,350, although the invoice does not specify the number of people served.
During their two-day stay in the San Francisco Bay Area Crown Princess Victoria and her husband, Prince Daniel, participated in several events focusing on innovation, climate issues, and Swedish-American collaborations within the tech sector.
Swedish Foreign Trade Minister Johan Forssell also participated in the delegation, but the costs for his trip are not included.
The visit marked the opening of a full-time Swedish consulate general in San Francisco, led by Consul General Anna Lekvall.
Earlier stories about the visit: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/technology/2024/02/23/swedish-royal-visit-to-palo-alto-focuses-on-urgency-of-green-transition/