The King of Sweden meets the new head of the security police – the Royal Central
Sara Friberg / Kungl. The Court States
The Swedish royal family has recently spent a lot of time highlighting the Swedish police force.
On January 25, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden held an audience at the Royal Palace for Charlotte von Essen, who is the new head of the Swedish security police.
The audience gave Charlotte von Essen the opportunity to talk to the king in her new role and discuss current issues that the Security Police are dealing with. She became head of the Security Police on October 1, 2021. She was previously Deputy Chief of the Security Police.
Under the Ministry of Justice, the Security Police is responsible for counter-espionage and counter-terrorism tactics; they investigate terrorism and national security threats. They are also known for being responsible for the protection of dignitaries in Sweden.
Police intelligence work has also become more relevant for the royals in recent weeks when drones were discovered flying over two royal residences. This is now being investigated by the Security Police.
Prince Daniel of Sweden, husband of Crown Princess Victoria, has devoted time and resources to supporting the Swedish police.
In December 2021, Prince Daniel accompanied the police patrol in Skarholmen – a small district in Stockholm – during one of their evening and night shifts. In October, he also attended a ceremony honoring police officers who had died in the line of duty.