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Design scandal burns Swedish prince

The Local Sweden
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Design scandal burns Swedish prince

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip's reputation as "the design prince" has been tarnished this week after it was revealed that a work bearing his name was actually designed by someone else.

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On Tuesday, a designer came clean and admitted it was he and not the prince who created a fireplace guard which bore the royal's name that has captivated the Swedish media this week.

"It was I who designed the fireguard," said Eric Ericson to the Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) newspaper.

Earlier this week, Form magazine exposed Carl Philip in a scathing editorial that suggested the so-called "design prince" didn't actually design his own products.

Carl Philip, who is third in line to the throne, had put his name to a castle shaped fireguard with the signature "designed by Prince Carl Philip 2010". However, it turned out his involvement in the project was, at best, limited, and his name has since been removed off the product.

"I didn't work with this for a very long time and the conditions changed as time passed. At first I thought I was just going to be his tutor but then it is became apparent that I was to do his stuff. In hindsight, it all really feels bloody wrong," Ericson.

The product was marketed and sold by the Svensk Tenn interior design company. They have since scrubbed Carl Philip's signature off the fireguard, which retails for 14,500 kronor ($2,200), and replaced it with 'designed by CPhB design 2010.'

"It wasn't a serious collaboration but I don't want to blacken his name. He has only studied (design) for a short time," Ericson added.

"He can become a designer but it takes a lot of hard work and you must enter the profession to be successful."

According to Ericson, the prince may be the "world's nicest but doesn't have to get up at five in the morning and slave to pay the rent".

Ericson's remarks follow a damning editorial by Form Editor-in-Chief Bo Madestrand who slammed the prince for being a "fake."

"Carl Philip is not guilty of plagiarism – because he hasn’t designed his own products. If Prince Carl Philip had better advisors – and worked a little harder – he might succeed better at his chosen profession.

"The question is, why does he continue? Who benefits from Carl Philip’s playing at being a designer, when, like his father, he’d really rather be tearing up the roads behind the wheel of a sports car?" said the editor.

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