Crown Princess Victoria will arrive in Mariehamn this evening on a two day long visit to Åland. It’s the first time Åland  has received an official visit from a member of the Swedish royal family since it received autonomy in 1921.

The run up to the event has been covered in Åland’s media (which is vibrant for a population of around 25 000, with 2 daily newspapers and 2 radio channels) widely and Åland is expecting many members of the Finnish mainland’s press to cover the event. The Swedish royal family are always popular fare in Finnish tabloids and gossip magazines.

Mariehamn has also been planning for the visit by the heir to the Swedish throne, with many buildings around the main square getting a fresh lick of paint. During Thursday, when people will have a chance to meet the crown princess in the main square, drivers can expect traffic problems as parking places are closed down and roads closed.

The newspaper Nya Åland reports that royalist football fans will face a difficult decision. Crown Princess Victoria is scheduled to arrive at the main square in Mariehamn at the same time as kick-off is scheduled for IFK Mariehamn’s league match against VPS (from Vasa) - 18.30