Swedish royal family plagued by Pokémon fever at palace
The Swedish royal family's summer residence has joined the likes of doctor's waiting rooms and cemeteries in that it's been inundated by a new pest: Pokémon. It seems the pesky creatures are wreaking havoc at Solliden Palace.
Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel and their children Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar are currently in residence, enjoying the summer holidays with Victoria's parents King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.
But it seems their peaceful retreat on the island of Öland, which is open to members of the public during the day, has become a hotspot for Pokémon fans.
Crown Princess Victoria and her family are holidaying at Solliden Palace
The palace's security team found themselves warding off a group of youngsters who could have committed a crime of trespassing. When the group approached the castle at night with their mobiles and torches in hand, the team became suspicious.
Head of security Sven Stensson told Aftonbladet: "When they saw the people with their torches trying to enter a garden, they became suspicious. They went over and did a check and it turned out they were Pokémon hunters."
Pokémon hunters have been trying to catch the little monsters at the palace
Sven added that there was "reasonable explanation" for the incident and that the youths were not punished as they didn't enter the palace grounds. "They are welcome to come back during the day [when the palace is open]," he said. "Then they'll be free to chase all the Pokémon they want."
When asked if the king plays Pokémon, Sven laughed, replying: "No I don't think he does."
Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm
One of the young players added to the Swedish newspaper: "There are probably loads of Pokémon inside Solliden Palace."
The craze has taken the world by storm, with fans tripping over themselves to collect all of the virtual monsters. First released in the US, Australia and New Zealand on 6 July and now available in more than 30 countries, Nintendo's Pokemon Go has become a global phenomenon.
