A picture is worth a thousand words, it is often said. And it is no coincidence that in recent months, photographs of almost all members of European royal families linked to this rearmament mode that is clearly activated are multiplying. In most Monarchies, their heads exercise the high command of the armed forces of their respective countries, which is why audiences of kings and princes with the military have always been quite common - in Spain, in the agenda of Felipe VI, military events clearly dominate - and their visits to places linked to Defense. But it is very evident that in a short time, we have gone from royal photos in uniform conveying the idyllic image of a peaceful Europe to the whole setup reinforcing, on the contrary, that the continent is facing a pre-war climate.
Surely King Guillermo would also share his impressions of his visit in February to the Dutch troops deployed in Estonia during his meeting with Rutte at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, where he was well informed, dressed in his corresponding military uniform, about NATO's mission and the recent deployment of Dutch F-35 fighters for the protection of the Baltics.
King Felipe VI was also seen on occasion with his general's epaulettes during the important visit he made in June to Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, in a context where the Monarch sought, among other things, to highlight NATO's efforts to protect the eastern flank against the Russian threat. And as narratives are so important, the reader will remember that this State visit by the Spanish Head of State was marked by controversy since no minister - neither the Foreign Minister, Albares, nor the Defense Minister, Robles - accompanied King Felipe on a trip that Moncloa never saw with good eyes. In the end, the Defense Minister ended up traveling to Lithuania for a few hours to try to deflect the criticism. But the episode already reflected a situation similar to what is happening now with the Rearmament Plan presented by the European Commission, led by Ursula Von der Leyen: while almost all of Europe, especially the center and the north, seek to instill in the average citizen the notion of seriousness, in Spain, Sánchez's Government minimizes and even masks anything that could be interpreted as a state of war. And the images of a King in military uniform next to the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I in Tallinn left little doubt that these are no longer times that can be called peaceful.
Prince William in camouflage uniform during his visit to British troops in Estonia.EFE
In that sense, few photographs have had as much informative power in recent days as those of Prince William, first in the British line of succession, equipped with combat gear and a uniform where the NATO identification was clearly visible, during his visit to his country's troops deployed in Estonia, on a trip aimed at emphasizing the UK's support for Alliance operations in Eastern Europe. The heir inspected infantry combat vehicles and got into a tank while wearing a full camouflage military uniform. All perfectly designed to reinforce the strategy of the British Prime Minister, the Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is not only accelerating London's approach to Brussels on Defense matters but has also taken clear leadership, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, in the new scenario in Ukraine, with summits aimed at designing that volunteer coalition for the day after a peace agreement.
Needless to say, the countries most aware that this is not a game and where the concern of their citizens has skyrocketed are all those that share a border with Russia, whether land or maritime, as is the case with Sweden, on high alert due to the disturbing situation in the Baltic region.
Princess Victoria of Sweden presided over the events for her name day at the Royal Palace of Stockholm dressed in military uniform.GTRES
The symbolic gestures of the Bernadotte Monarchy in this regard are also not going unnoticed. Days ago, the Crown Princess, Victoria, celebrated her name day. But, unlike what she had always done, this time she presided over the events at the Royal Palace of Stockholm in an unprecedented way, dressed in military uniform. The new wardrobe for the name day, as highlighted by the newspaper Expressen. The Court clarified that it was only intended to highlight the role of the armed forces and to value the training of the daughter of King Carl Gustaf up to the rank of ensign that she now holds. But it is clear to everyone that the Swedish royal family is increasing its military acts, not by chance, like the audience at the Royal Palace of Stockholm with Lieutenant General Thomas Nilsson, head of the Military Intelligence and Security Service, to stay well informed about the Swedish Government's decisions regarding rearmament plans.
The same can be said of the Monarchy of neighboring Norway. One of the regular duties of Crown Prince Haakon, a general in the Armed Forces, is to visit military camps and witness certain maneuvers. But few times have been as interesting as his recent participation, along with his daughter Ingrid, in the most extreme exercise of the battalion to which she belongs, in its training phase: a simulation of the defense of the northern border of Europe in the extreme cold conditions typical of the Arctic climate, another mission under the NATO umbrella.
It is worth noting that Princess Ingrid is still focused on her military training. Initially, it was supposed to last for a year. But it has finally been extended to over 15 months at the express request of the future Queen of the Norwegians, probably motivated by the growing awareness of the looming challenge.
European royal families are in rearmament mode, and, logically, they cannot escape the changing circumstances of the highly volatile geopolitical scenario. In this sense, it was not a mere anecdote that Crown Princess Victoria canceled a scientific exploration trip - similar to the one she took 15 years ago - with Haakon of Norway and King Frederik of Denmark - the Head of State of the Arctic island, according to Swedish media reports, news never officially confirmed. Apparently, the three members of royalty were planning to return to Greenland to participate in an outreach project on issues such as climate change, which would not be considered appropriate now given the annexationist aspirations expressed at all times by US President Donald Trump.