An eyewitness at Solliden Palace describes the crush of visitors and the very ordinary scene Carl Philip and Sofia made with their children.
Most royal families disappear for the summer. The Swedish one does the opposite. At Solliden Palace, Prince Carl Philip, 47, and Princess Sofia, 41, are happy to be out among everyone else.
Alongside the Solliden Sessions concerts, King Carl Gustaf, 80, Princess Victoria, 49, and other members of the family regularly turn up at events on the grounds of their summer residence, which draw hundreds of visitors. For royal fans, it is about the closest they get to the family all year.
Chaos at the car show
Lina Landström found that out for herself. She went along to the annual vintage car exhibition on Sunday, July 26, 2026, and came away shocked at the chaos the crowds created. What stayed with her, though, was how unremarkable Carl Philip and Sofia seemed with their children, Princess Ines among them, in the middle of it all.
Sofia at the concert, barely noticed
The day before, on Saturday, July 25, Swedish singer Peter Jöback, 55, played as part of the Solliden Sessions. Anyone looking closely would have spotted Queen Silvia, 82, Princess Madeleine, 44, and Sofia taking their seats in the royal section with almost no fuss at all. Landström was in the audience for that one too, on Öland, the island off Sweden’s southeastern coast.
