Research-stories, part 1- The Royal Palace of Stockholm

I love doing research, especially when I get to go places. In my quest for stories, I have been brought behind the stage of theatres, been showed hidden places where a murderer could act from and talked to nurses in psychiatric wards. I am always so grateful for people wanting to help me in my writing. I never know the people I ask for help. I just call them and ask kindly if they would like to answer some of my questions, as I am writing a book.( A children´s fantasy-book influenced by the Swedish king Gustav III and his interest in mysticism.)

One of the funniest and most interesting meetings I had was with a priest at the Swedish Royal Chapel (Slottskyrkan)situated inside the Royal Chapel of Stockholm.  He was so helpful and so full of humor I wish he would write a book of his own.

I asked away about the history of the Chapel, the paintings, the wooden-benches, in which order he enters the Chapel when the King and Queen attend church and about personal anecdotes to get my imagination going. I loved every minute of it! But this priest was still to give me one of my strongest memories from the visit within the Royal Palace.

When the priest showed me the vestry of the Chapel he excitedly opened the wardrobe and showed me a rope-like belt (think what monks wear around their waist) and happily said:
-Here you go! The perfect murder-weapon! Strangling…

I remember staring at the priest.

A priest suggesting how to murder? I didn’t expect that when I entered the Palace.

After the priest had given me more ideas for my crime novel, we met with one of the Marshals of the court. The priest introduced me and said, with a smile on his face,

-This is Helena, she is about to murder, here at the Royal Palace, you see!
- Right… Murder you said? the Marshal answered and looked at me, as if to check if I was possibly holding a weapon in my hand.

-Yes! Isn´t it exciting! the priest said and pulled me along.

I have never been so embarrassed in my whole life. (I do hope that they will let me into the Palace again…)

But nevertheless it is a lovely story and he is a lovely priest. And no, I didn’t murder anyone at the Royal Palace. Yet.

My notebook in the vestry of the Royal Chapel:

Mitt anteckningsblock på skrivbordet i Slottskyrkans sakristia:

A room with a royal view:

Utsikt från Stockholms Slott mot Grand Hotel:

Where the Swedish King Gustav III used to sit when attending the Royal Chapel:

Kung Gustav III:s privata rum, beläget snett bredvid koret, som användes när han närvarade vid gudstjänster i Slottskyrkan: