A fairytale princess makes dreams come true

It was like a fairytale. A beautiful princess in her perfect dress and sparkling with jewels appeared in a palace and sat down to tea. But this was no story book. Princess Madeleine of Sweden threw open the doors of her royal home today to treat seriously ill children to an afternoon of pure magic.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden hosts a very special party for some very special children

(photo Kate Gabor/ kungahuset.se)

Madeleine is the patron of Min Stora Dag, My Big Day, an organisation which organises exciting and extraordinary activities for children with serious illnesses. A group of twelve children, aged between 5 and 8, had been invited along to be princes and princesses for the day at a special party in the Royal Palace. They knew a real princess would be there but they didn't know she'd be dressed like a fairytale come true. It was a really special moment on a really special day.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden at the special party she held at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on February 22nd 2016

(photo Kate Gabor/ kungahuset.se)

In fact, the guests met two princesses as Madeleine brought her little girl, Leonore, along just days after this young royal celebrated her second birthday. Mum wore a dazzling grey dress and aquamarine tiara while daughter chose pink and a huge bow in her hair. Both looked magical but the real magic was in the special effort they had made for this event.

There was cake, there were games, there was a man with a crown - it was a perfect day at the Royal Palace

(kungahuset.se)

Min Stora Dag believes that all children in Sweden with serious illnesses should ''be a part of something positive out of the ordinary that provides power and self-esteem."  They later shared a video of the event on their Facebook page.

Sagokalas på Stockholms Slott med Prinsessan Madeleine och Min...
Första unika filmen från sagokalaset på Stockholms Slott som Min Stora Dag arrangerade tillsammans med Prinsessan Madeleine. 12 barn med svåra sjukdomar, från hela Sverige, lekte med Prinsessan, underhölls av Tobbe Trollkarl, åt tårta och fiskade fiskdamm.
Posted by Min Stora Dag on Tuesday, 23 February 2016

It's just another insight into a magical day made even more sparkly by the  kind and thoughtful gesture of their patron which no doubt brought huge joy to the children she met. Sometimes, fairytales really do come true and this princess just proved it.

And you can read more about the past week for Sweden's royals on this special page.