As is tradition, the Swedish royal family pulled out all the stops to preside over a new edition of the Nobel Prizes in Stockholm. Unlike the solemnity that characterizes the Peace Prize ceremony, the only one held in neighboring Oslo, which this year featured the debut of Princess Ingrid of Norway, the gala in the Swedish capital is known for being one of the events with the most pomp in European Monarchy throughout the year. It almost turns into a competition among the women of the Bernadotte dynasty in terms of high fashion dresses and historic jewelry.
But not even the spectacular tiaras worn on Wednesday by Queen Silvia and her daughters, Princesses Victoria and Magdalena, could overshadow the single topic currently affecting the Stockholm Court: the controversy surrounding the relationship that allegedly existed many years ago between Princess Sofia - wife of Prince Carl Philip - and the pedophile businessman Jeffrey Epstein.
Nothing else is being talked about in Sweden. And Sofia's absence at the Nobel Prize ceremony has only increased the ambient noise. It was the first time since her marriage that the only son of the kings attended alone the ceremony. While it is true that the princess's agenda has been quite limited since she gave birth last February to her fourth child, a girl - Ines, Duchess of Västerbotten - it is also true that the ceremony for the most prestigious awards in the world is an event of extraordinary importance for the royal family. The Court had announced days earlier that Prince Carl Philip's wife would not attend, just as the Epstein issue began to escalate.
Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden.GTRES
What do we know so far? We have to go back two decades when Sofia, at 20, was an aspiring actress eager to succeed in such a challenging profession in the United States. According to leaked documents published by the DN media, the Swedish-American financier Barbro Ehnbom, with many connections in the business world, allegedly showed photos of Sofia Hellqvist to Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy businessman well-connected in many sectors, suggesting that it might be interesting to meet her.
Epstein was a very influential figure in the jet set, with properties in New York, Florida, New Mexico, or the Caribbean, hosting the best parties and counting among his friends some of the wealthiest people on the planet, members of royalty like Prince Andrew of England, political leaders, future presidents (like his close friend Donald Trump), actors, entrepreneurs, and more. His arrest in July 2019 for prostitution and abuse of minors came much later than the events now involving Princess Sofia. But it is worth noting that by 2005, the time in question, Epstein's reputation was far from commendable.
The US federal prosecutor's office found him guilty of exploiting 36 girls, some as young as 14, whom the millionaire had coerced, deceived, manipulated, or paid for sexual relations, with him or his friends. He was sentenced to prison, but after a surprising judicial agreement, he only spent 13 months behind bars.
"She is Sofia, an aspiring actress who has just arrived in New York. She is the girl I mentioned before leaving, and I thought you would like to meet her. Maybe we can visit her before you leave for Christmas?" reads the aforementioned letter that the financier wrote to Epstein, as recently circulated. The financier has responded to the monumental controversy by stating that she played no role in mediating between Epstein and the current wife of the Swedish prince. She has claimed that if she was present at any of the meetings organized by the businessman, it would have been simply as one among a group of professional women.
When it rains, it pours. And Prince Carl Philip was seen very smiling both at the Nobel Prize ceremony and at the spectacular banquet with the awardees, which as always took place in the impressive Blue Hall of the Stockholm City Hall.
Sofia would now be the third royal affected by the Epstein scandal, following the disgraced Prince Andrew of England and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. In the case of the once-favorite son of Queen Elizabeth II, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, as he is now known, has lost all his titles and honors, to the point that he is no longer even a prince. As for his ex-wife, it is known that she also maintained a long friendship with the pedophile.
The major scandal erupted after the letter she sent in April 2011, three years after Epstein was convicted for soliciting a minor for prostitution, recently leaked by the US Congress, which clearly shows the close relationship the former duchess had with the sexual predator for years. "I know you feel terribly disappointed in me. And I must humbly apologize to you and your heart. You have always been a loyal, generous, and extraordinary friend to me and my family. I apologize for not responding to your email or contacting you," she wrote in what is considered an attempt to seek his help.