Swedish royals hit Houston BBQ
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden sampled Houston BBQ at a consulate reopening — highlights included smoked brisket, pork ribs and jalapeño‑cheese sausage. (x.com)
Sweden’s new Consulate General in Houston was officially inaugurated on March 17, 2026, although the mission began operations in September 2025. (regeringen.se) The inauguration events and a subsequent reception included Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, Ambassador Urban Ahlin and Consul General Anna Hammarlund Blixt alongside the Crown Princess. (kungahuset.se) Business Sweden led a trade delegation to Texas from March 16–18 intended to deepen commercial ties and open new markets for Swedish firms. (business-sweden.com) The delegation highlighted roughly 90 Swedish companies already active in Texas, collectively supporting about 40,000 jobs in the state. (business-sweden.com) As part of the Houston programme the Crown Princess visited Rice University and toured NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where she spoke with astronaut Jessica Meir from Mission Control. (kungahuset.se, alamy.com) Named delegation participants ranged from tech and research groups to exporters — including Einride, Elekta, Ovzon, KTH, Lund University and RISE — signalling a focus on innovation, space and life‑science links. (business-sweden.com) The Houston consulate opening stems from a 2025 government decision to strengthen Sweden’s diplomatic presence in the U.S. and to better promote trade and investment as part of Sweden’s 2026 programme tied to the U.S. 250th anniversary. (government.se, business-sweden.com) The Crown Princess’s visit continues with planned stops in Austin and Norfolk, Virginia, completing a multi‑city U.S. programme on March 16–19, 2026. (regeringen.se)
