Dream factory royal family: Sweden

It is hard to imagine today that the Swedish royal court was once a male household.
The arrival of Queen Silvia brought a breath of fresh air to the palace in Stockholm.
King Carl Gustaf's grandmother and mother had died years earlier.
A court of mostly old-fashioned gentlemen initially made life difficult for the young queen.
She was not even allowed a typewriter at first - typing was a matter for the staff, it was said at the time.

Silvia has reinvented the role of wife at the monarch's side: She is a manager in the family business and Sweden's ambassador for those in need.
Her children also follow this role model.
But doing good and looking good at the same time is not all that the job profile demands of a member of the royal family.
The royal family sees its mission as a full-time job with accountability.
The costs and benefits of the royal family are constantly scrutinized.
The royal family receives more than 14 million euros from state funds in the current year.

Even personal matters are discussed in public.
Hardly anyone knows this better than the daughters of the house.
The choice of Crown Princess Victoria's husband was a political issue.
It was said that Daniel, a man of the people, was not up to the task.
But Victoria prevailed and silenced the critics.
Daniel had worked his way up from fitness trainer to entrepreneur, bringing his professional experience into everyday royal life.
The young couple's household is now regarded as the most successful profit center in the Swedish royal family.
A small staff ensures that everything runs smoothly, the crown princess and her husband have a large list of duties and enjoy maximum popularity.

Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill also have to face the scrutiny of the public.
No sooner had the engagement been announced than the first sleuths started looking for a blemish on the résumé of the bourgeois new addition to the royal family.
The extent to which the media siege was wearing on Chris's nerves was soon emblazoned across the gazettes, which depicted him making an unseemly gesture.
In the meantime, Chris O'Neill has become accustomed to his new role in the spotlight.
He is flanked by members of the royal family, who also familiarize him with the customs at court in the run-up to the wedding.

The royal family is relaxed about the wedding preparations.
The Swedish court is probably the most professional event agency in the country.
State banquets are regularly on the roster.
The royal house will soon be back in all its glory when the wedding bells ring on June 8.

First broadcast: Tuesday, June 04, 2013, 8:15 p.m., ZDF.