Royal Confirmation, 1952 (Sepia Saturday 745)

My paternal grandfather Gustaf T. was a journalist at a local newspaper (in Borås, Sweden). He also often took his own photos to go with his articles. Unfortunately, the notes in his private albums are usually very brief with few details about when, where or who. 

For Sepia Saturday's October theme "Special Times", one album page with three photos on it came to mind for me. The only note is Royalty at Levene. 

I could see that the photos must be from the early 1950s, and that they included members of the royal family. But I've never known the occasion, nor been sure who of the princesses it is who is in focus here, or why. So I decided to try some googling...

Levene is a small village in the province of Västergötland (the same province where my grandfather lived; as do I). The vicar there (Tell Törnblad) happened to have connections in some noble families in Stockholm, and the royal family came to choose to send three of their princesses to him in the small remote countryside village for summer confirmation teaching; including having the ceremony in that church rather than in Stockholm. The first to have her confirmation at Levene was princess Margaretha, the oldest; in 1950. But she is not the one coming out of the church in my grandfather's photos. 

Googling a bit more, I found an online photo (No 4 below), which is clearly from the same occasion as in the photos I have: the confirmation of Princess Birgitta, in July 1952. 

"Royalty at Levene"

 

Princess Birgitta receiving flowers from a little boy outside the church; and that must be the vicar Tell Törnblad behind her.

Princess Sibylla (mother of princesses Margaretha, Birgitta, Desirée and Christina and their younger brother, our present king Carl XVI Gustaf; and widow of crown prince Gustaf Adolf, who tragically died in plane crash in 1947, when his son was only nine months old.)

Queen Louise (born Mountbatten), grandmother

King Gustaf VI Adolf, grandfather.
Princess Margaretha, older sister

Photo found online: 

Prinsessan Birgittas konfirmation 18/7 1952.
Prinsessan konfirmerades i Levene 1700-talskyrka.
Högtiden bevittnades av Kung Gustaf VI Adolf,
Drottning Louise samt prinsessorna Sibylla och Margaretha.

Foto: Historisk Bildbyrå / Svenskt Fotoreportages samling

Photo of  Levene Church from the Church of Sweden's website.