Sweden News

The funeral of the Welsh-born Princess Liliane of Sweden is being held today in the capital Stockholm.

Lillian May Davies was born in Swansea in 1915 and met Prince Bertil, the third son of the King of Sweden, in London during the Second World War.

The pair shared a 33-year romance but never married because as it would have deprived the prince of his place in the succession.

A funeral service was held in the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace of Stockholm in her honour.

Princess Liliane died on Sunday at the age of 97.

Read more about Princess Liliane here.

• Royal
• Sweden
• Wales

HRH Princess Lilian of Sweden has died aged 97.

She was born Lillian May Davies in Swansea on August 30 1915. Moving to London in her teens, she took on various careers including modelling, dancing and singing.

In 1943 she met Prince Bertil, the third son of the King of Sweden. They chose not to marry as it would have deprived the prince of his place in the succession, so the couple lived together discreetly.

ITV News' Lucrezia Millarini looks back at her life:

• World
• Sweden

• World
• Sweden

Princess Lilian’s decades-long love story with the king's uncle was one of Sweden's best-known love stories.

She died yesterday aged 97 after an eventful life:

• Born in Swansea, she moved to London at 16 to embark on a career as a model and an actress
• She showcased hats and gloves in commercials

• She met Prince Bertil in 1943 during WWII – he was stationed at the Swedish Embassy in the London as a naval attaché
• His obligations to the throne and Lilian's status as a divorced commoner prevented them from making their love public

• In 1976, some 33 years after they first met, they were finally given approval to get married

• World
• Sweden
• Swansea

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has paid tribute to Princess Lilian of Sweden, who passed away yesterday aged 97.

The Welsh-born actress married Prince Bertil in her 60s after finally receiving the king’s blessing – the pair first met in London during World War II when she was 28.

Reinfeldt said that a "much loved and appreciated member of the royal family has now passed away".

Prince Bertil's father, King Gustaf VI Adolf, had refused to allow the couple to get married because she was commoner and divorcee.

• World
• Princess Lilian
• Sweden

Czech inspectors have found horsemeat in meatballs made in Sweden for the furniture retailer IKEA group, the Czech news agency CTK reported.

• World
• horsemeat
• IKEA

An unsuspecting elk fell into a swimming pool during a morning stroll in Sweden. The creature was wandering around a residential area in Linkoping when it fell into the pool which was covered by a protective metal sheet. The elk was freed from the cold water by emergency services.

• And Finally
• Sweden

A Swedish zoo worker claims bosses barbecued their own animals and served the meat to employees at a staff party, the country's Eskilstuna-Kuriren newspaper reported.

The staff member said colleagues at Parken Zoo in Stockholm killed two wildebeests because the animals were too expensive to keep and claimed it was no secret that the meat was then barbecued for staff.

Parken Zoo chief executive Torbjorn Bergvall denied the reports and said that someone was trying to create negative publicity for the zoo. He confirmed the wildebeests had been put down, but said this was because they were too aggressive.

• World
• Parken Zoo
• Sweden

West Brom defender Jonas Olsson tweeted this picture of the boots worn by Sweden team mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score one of the most spectacular goals of all time:

Olsson is giving away the boots in a charity raffle and says he will pick the winner next Thursday.

• Sport
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic
• Sweden