25 August 2021

The Crown Princess Couple visit Västra Götaland County

On Wednesday 25 August, The Crown Princess and Prince Daniel – Duchess and Duke of Västergötland – visited Västra Götaland County to highlight initiatives being carried out in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Visiting the upper secondary special school at Kavelbro Upper Secondary School in Skövde.

Visiting the upper secondary special school at Kavelbro Upper Secondary School in Skövde. Photo: Pelle T Nilsson/SPA

The Crown Princess Couple's visit to the county took place in Skövde, and was hosted by County Governor Anders Danielsson.

Skaraborg Hospital

During the morning, The Crown Princess Couple visited Skaraborg Hospital. Here, infection control physician Thomas Wahlberg gave an introduction to the infection situation in the county. The Crown Princess Couple then had the opportunity to meet hospital staff and to thank them for their efforts during the pandemic.

The Crown Princess Couple speak with representatives from Skaraborg Hospital.

The Crown Princess Couple speak with representatives from Skaraborg Hospital. Photo: Pelle T Nilsson/SPA

The upper secondary special school at Kavelbro Upper Secondary School

The Crown Princess Couple then visited students and staff at the upper secondary special school at Kavelbro Upper Secondary School. The students spoke about how they had been given the chance to remain at school, even when other schools had been forced to remain closed.

The visit concluded with students performing music, including the national anthem, outside the school building.

The Crown Princess Couple speak with students and staff at the upper secondary special school.

The Crown Princess Couple speak with students and staff at the upper secondary special school. Photo: Pelle T Nilsson/SPA

Prince Daniel cycles with one of the school's students.

Prince Daniel cycles with one of the school's students. Photo: Pelle T Nilsson/SPA

Ätbart and Skövde Pentecostal Church

The visit continued to Skövde Pentecostal Church at lunchtime. Here, Chair of the Municipal Council Conny Brännberg welcomed the visitors and spoke about various projects within the municipality. Pastor Simon Holst described the work carried out by the church during the pandemic, including online services. The Crown Princess Couple then met Mickaël Gayet, co-founder of Ätbart, an association which collects left-over food from shops and restaurants.

Mickaël Gayet explains how Ätbart grew from an initiative at his upper secondary school and now distributes food parcels twice a week to hundreds of local people in need.

Mickaël Gayet explains how Ätbart grew from an initiative at his upper secondary school and now distributes food parcels twice a week to hundreds of local people in need. Photo: Pelle T Nilsson/SPA

At the church, The Crown Princess Couple met representatives from Göteborg Opera's local company in Skövde, who described cultural life in the city and how it has been affected during the pandemic.

ASSAR Industrial Innovation Arena at Skövde Science Park

The Crown Princess Couple concluded their visit to Västra Götaland County at Skövde Science Park, where they found out how the pandemic has affected the county's industries. The science park brings together several different operations, including industry, academia, the region and the municipality, who carry out joint research to find industrial solutions.

The Crown Princess Couple meet representatives from the Valheim computer game, which was developed at the science park.

The Crown Princess Couple meet representatives from the Valheim computer game, which was developed at the science park. Photo: Pelle T Nilsson/SPA

The Royal Family visit Sweden's counties

In connection with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, members of the Royal Family will be visiting Sweden's 21 counties at the initiative of HM The King.

The first four visits took place in autumn 2020, but subsequent visits were postponed due to the second wave of the pandemic. The visit to Kalmar marked the resumption of visits to Sweden's counties during autumn 2021.

Through these visits, The King hopes to show the Royal Family's solidarity with those who have been affected and to highlight local initiatives within different sectors of society.

All visits will be adapted in view of the ongoing pandemic, and will be carried out in accordance with the Public Health Agency of Sweden's recommendations.