Nobel Prize Banquet

And the Nobel Prize for OPULENCE goes to... Swedish royals dust off dazzling jewels for magnificent banquet to honour the ten winners for science, literature and medicine 

• By Tom Wyke For Mailonline, Phoebe Jackson-edwards, www.dailymail.co.uk
• December 10th, 2015

If there is an international award for the sheer magnificence of its glittering white tie events, on the evidence of tonight's spread Sweden would bag first prize.

The Nobel Prize Banquet held at Stockholm's City Hall was a blaze of gold candelabra, rows of hand-tied floral arrangements, and richly attired royals hosting the world's biggest brains and brightest talent after the Nobel Prize ceremony at the city's concert hall tonight.

And the women of Sweden's royal family pulled out all the stops - along with the family jewels - to look their best for the splendid occasion with Crown Princess Victoria, 38, Princess Madeleine, 33, and their sister-in-law Princess Sofia, 30, dusting off the Bernadottes' most eye-catching tiaras to wear with their floor-length evening gowns.

Stockholm's City Hall was the vaulting location for the annual Nobel Prize that saw the world's brightest minds celebrate achievement 

Pregnant Crown Princess Victoria showed off her baby bump in an elegant skirt and sheer top, accessorised with the dazzling Connaught Diamond Tiara, as she entered on the arm of Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner Canadian Arthur B McDonald wearing white tie and tails

Princess Sofia wore a floor-length midnight blue gown, topped with the emerald and diamond tiara that was designed for her wedding day, to escort Nobel Physics Prize 2015 co-winner Japanese Takaaki Kajita who was feted for his discovery that neutrinos have mass

Princess Madeleine, the youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, wore the stunning Aquamarine Koloshnik tiara with her lilac embellished dress as she made her entrance with Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner Paul Modrich, from the US

The ceremony was decked out for the occasion with 20,000 white, yellow and orange flowers which were donated by the Italian city of San Remo, where Swedish scientist and prize creator Alfred Nobel died on December 10, 1896.

The ten laureates received their Nobel diplomas and gold medals from the hands of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, in a ceremony interspersed with classical music and presentations by the prize-awarding institutions.

The ceremony took place in front of 1,600 specially-invited guests at Stockholm's Concert Hall, 

China's Tu Youyou, William Campbell of the US and Satoshi Omura of Japan received the medicine prize for revolutionary treatments of malaria and roundworm.

Takaaki Kajita of Japan and Arthur McDonald of Canada were given the physics prize for determining that neutrinos have mass.

Sweden's Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich of the US and Aziz Sancar, a Turkish-American, won the biology prize for work on how cells repair damaged DNA.

Belarussian writer and dissident Svetlana Alexievich was given the literature prize for her work chronicling the horrors of war and life under the repressive Soviet regime.

Poverty expert Angus Deaton, a US-British microeconomist, took home the economics prize for groundbreaking work using household surveys to show how consumers, particularly the poor, decide what to buy and how policymakers can help them. 

Each female member of the Swedish royal family descended the sweeping staircase of the vaulting hall on the arm of the Nobel laureates, all clad in white tie and tails.

Crown Princess Victoria entered the ceremony on the arm of the Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner Arthur B McDonald.

The pregnant royal, who announced her pregnancy with Prince Daniel in September, wore a flowing dress in a plum shade with a sheer chiffon top.

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden wore white tie and tails, while his wife who is pregnant wore a high-waisted full-skirted evening gown

Princess Sofia wore a black dress with unusual detailing for her appearance at the ceremony

The event celebrating the greatest minds in the world and their achievements is a far cry from Princess Sofia's former career as a model who showcased her fantastic physique by posing for several bikini shoots.She paired her tiara with drop earrings

Princess Madeleine of Sweden (centre), with Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner US Paul Modrich, Princess Christina of Sweden, left, and Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winner Turkish-American Aziz Sancar arrive for the 2015 Nobel Banquet at the Stockholm City Hall; Princess Christina (right) was resplendent in Queen Josephine's Six Button Tiara

Princess Madeleine, who is married to an American financier, wore racy dark nails with her delicate gauzy gown and stunning headpiece

Queen Silvia was resplendent in red and her tiara encrusted with 500 diamonds; she was escorted by Professor Carl-Henrik Heldin, a Swedish molecular biologist and vice president of the European Research Council

Michiko Kajita, wife of Nobel prize winner Takaaki Kajita, wore traditional Japanese evening dress including a delicate silk kimono and a brocade obi decorated with a bearl brooch, a pair of white 'tabi' socks and wedged flip flop-style footwear; she was escorted down the marble steps by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in white tie and tails

Princess Madeleine smiles for the camera in natural makeup and a chic updo to accentuate her domed tiara with the country's rarely seen Aquamarine Koloshnik tiara made up of diamond lattices holding five huge aquamarines in place

Queen Silvia wore the particularly regal Nine Prong Tiara with a diamond necklace and drop earrings. It is often regarded as her favourite tiara and is encrusted with 500 diamonds and has a sunburst motif that culminates in nine prongs

Princess Sofia, a former bikini model who reportedly caused somewhat of a stir when first introduced to the royal family, wore a dark gown with floral 3D detailing, topped by her delicate emerald and diamond tiara which was designed for her wedding day

She topped off her finery with the Connaught Diamond Tiara, which has five distinctive upright loops of forget-me-not wreaths with a diamond pendant suspended in each.

Made by E. Wolff & Co., it was a wedding gift to Princess Margaret of Connaught from her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, when she married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, the future King Gustaf VI Adolf, in 1905. 

Queen Silvia wore an asymmetric dress in a ruby-red brocade wearing the Nine Prong Tiara, which is thought to be one of Queen Silvia's favourite tiaras.

Encrusted with more than 500 diamonds, the headpiece is arranged in a sunburst-type motif that ends in nine graduated prongs.

Guests at the glittering bash were upstanding as the guests of homour seated at the long central table, bedecked with blooms, made their progress down the stately marble stairs of Stockholm's City Hall

Nobel Physics Prize 2015 co-winners Japanese Takaaki Kajita (second left) and Canadian Arthur B McDonald (third left), Nobel Chemistry Prize 2015 co-winners Sweden's Tomas Lindahl (fourth left), US Paul Modrich (fifth left), Turkish-American Aziz Sancar (sixth left) arrive among others for the 2015 Nobel prize award ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall on December 10, 2015. The Prize ceremony for the
Laureates and guests are pictured during the ceremony with the hall decked out in fresh flowers as is tradition

Writer Svetlana Alexievich, laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature receives her Nobel Prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony

King Carl XVI Gustaf presented the awards to the laureates in front of members of the royal family and guests at the hall

Princess Sofia, 30, who married Prince Carl Philip in June this year, also topped her ensemble off with a delicate tiara edged with emeralds which she had made for her wedding this year.

Sofia Hellqvist, a former glamour model who reportedly caused somewhat of a stir when first introduced to the royal family, wore a dark gown with floral 3D detailing.

She announced her first pregnancy in October and her burgeoning bump was hidden beneath the swathes of fabric.

Princess Madeline, 33, also topped off her pale embellished gown with the Kokoshnik tiara with aquamarine jewels with the Kokoshnik tiara, featuring large rounded sea blue stones are each framed by diamonds and connected with delicate diamond work.

The royals may have been inspired to don their finest after the Duchess of Cambridge sported the diamond and pearl Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara at the Diplomatic Reception held at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

Queen Silvia glittered in her diamond tiara, earrings, necklace, rings and bracelet during the ceremony

Prince Daniel, left, sat next to the Crown Princess who appeared to be delighted to take part in the festivities

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden pulled out all the stops tonight for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall tonight where many Swedish royals appeared

From left to right: Queen Silvia, Prince Daniel, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria examine their programmes

King Carl XVI Gustaf jokes around with a playful point at Silvia while seated in gilt gold chairs during the ceremony

Princess Sofia greets guests at the ceremony with a smile before taking to her seat

The royal had her tiara specially made for her wedding in June to Prince Carl Philip and gave it a second outing tonight for the celebrations

Crown Princess Sofia wears her sash underneath her floaty cape while seated and pairs her dress with her impressive amethyst necklace and matching earrings. Her diamond tiara was closely associated with her late grandmother Princess Sibylla

Madeleine wears the Kokloshnik tiara with aquamarine jewels, so called because it resembles the Russian Kokloshnik headdress
 
Laureate of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Irish William C Campbell, left, receives his medal from King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf, right, during the 2015 Nobel prize award ceremony 

 
Crown Princess Victoria is deep in conversation at the banquet and her elegant chignon hairstyle emphasises her royal jewels 
Queen Silvia looks on during the banquet and is resplendent in her diamond brooch, drop-jewel necklace and tiara 


Madeleine looks regal in the Kokoshnik tiara with aquamarine jewels which perfectly complements the shades of her embellished dress 


 
Princess Sofia in her crowning glory, a diamond and emerald tiara which has great sentiment as she had it created for her wedding earlier this year 


Prince Carl Philip shares a smile across the table in front of the lavish surroundings, the table is decked in golden candelabras and fresh flowers

The vast hall was bisected by the immense top table, with other guests on tables situated in rows to along the sides 

A bird-eye view of the hall shows the grand setting and lavish surroundings of the banquet where diners were surrounded by flowers
 
Waiters parade with the desserts down the marble stairs and light up the way with the sparkler detailing decorating the course
Guests dine on suitable opulent gold plates inside the packed city hall while dressed in their finery

When the winners of the Nobel Prizes in literature and sciences received their prizes from King Carl at the Stockholm Concert Hall, they did so against a backdrop of flowers and gold candelabra cradling blazing white candles

British-born Nobel laureate in economics, Angus Deaton gave a speech during the banquet at Stockholm city hall

After presenting the awards, King Carl XVI Gustaf, his family and their partners were seated at the 'honour table' for the traditional Nobel banquet. 

When the winners of the Nobel Prizes in literature and sciences received their prizes from King Carl at the Stockholm Concert Hall, they did so against a backdrop of flowers.

Earlier today, the winner for the prestigious prize was revealed as the National Dialogue Quartet, which won the Peace Prize for helping build democracy in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.

They accepted the prize at a ceremony in Oslo held under tight security following the armed attacks in Paris.

At the earlier ceremony in Oslo, Norway's King Harald V and his wife Queen Sonja attended the annual award ceremony along with Prince Haakon and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

Each year the scientific and literature awards are presented in Stockholm, Sweden, while the Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in Oslo, Norway. 

'Today we are most in need of making the fight against terrorism an absolute priority, which means perseverance on coordination and cooperation between all nations to drain its resources,' Hussein Abassi, head of the Tunisian General Labour Union, one of the quartet honoured, said in a speech.

The Nobel Prize giving ceremony took place at the Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. Events then progressed to the banquet at City Hall

The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was awarded the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution in 2011

Hussein Abassi spoke out about the plight of Palestinians and the need to keep fighting terrorism

As well as maintaining the war on terrorism, the pro-democracy group called for Palestinians to be given the right to self-determination. 

'We need to accelerate the elimination of hot spots all over the world, particularly the resolution of the Palestinian issue and enable the Palestinian people the right to self-determination on their land and build their independent state,' he said.

Security was tight at the event in Oslo with personnel positioned over the banquets and concerts for hundreds of political, intellectual and business leaders attending the lavish Nobel awards ceremonies held jointly in Oslo and Stockholm.

'Security is higher than it would otherwise have been because of the situation in Europe,' Johan Fredriksen, chief of staff for Oslo police told Reuters, referring to the Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed.

Last year, a demonstrator carrying a Mexican flag disrupted the ceremony at Oslo City Hall when Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai and Indian activist Kailash Satyarthi received their Nobel Peace Prizes. He was not a guest but managed to get through the security checkpoints.

The quartet of the Tunisian General Labour Union, the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, the Tunisian Human Rights League and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers was formed in the summer of 2013.

As well as maintaining the war on terrorism, the pro-democracy group called for Palestinians to be given the right to self-determination

The pro-democracy group accepted their award and made a passionate speech for Palestinian rights and a call for the continued fight against terrorism

It won the award for the role it played in the peaceful transition of power in Tunisia in a region struggling with violence and upheaval.

With a new constitution, free elections and a compromise arrangement between Islamist and secular leaders, Tunisia has been held up as a model of how to make the transition to a democracy from dictatorship, said Kaci Kullman Five, head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Last year Tunisia held successful legislative and presidential elections but the country has been hit by violence this year. In March, Islamist gunmen killed 21 tourists in an attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunis, and 38 foreigners were killed in an assault on a Sousse beach hotel in June.

The winners of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize were widely applauded as they accepted their prize

King Harald V (left) and his wife Queen Sonja (dressed in blue) were at the award ceremony 

Norwegian Prince Haakon (right) and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit (left) attended the Peace Prize awarding ceremony

'In this time of terror, the threats against Tunisia and the Tunisian people are indistinguishable from the threats against other countries,' she said in her speech.

'I came here to share this extraordinary moment with the whole of Tunisia. I am so proud,' said Haddad Fayssal, a 39-year-old Tunisian engineer from Paris, draped with the red-and-white flag of the North African nation over his shoulders.

'This prize is a powerful message against all types of extremism and terrorism. It is a message that we can all live together,' he told Reuters outside Oslo City Hall, the peace award ceremony's venue.

In neighbouring Sweden, the Nobel Prize winners in literature, chemistry, physics, medicine and economics gathered in Stockholm to receive their prizes from the King of Sweden later in the day.

Dozens of heavily armed security personnel were guarding the building in the capital city, Oslo

Security staff make final preparations and check over their plans before the important event

The devastating terror attacks in Paris left organisers fearing for the security of their guests 

Belarussian author Svetlana Alexievich won the literature prize for her portrayal of the harshness of life in the Soviet Union.

In Stockholm, the winners will collect their medals at a concert hall before attending a banquet at the city hall, which will include VIPs like European Central Bank President Mario Draghi.

Security around the festivities - which has hundreds of royals and prominent politicians as guests - has also been heightened this year after Sweden raised its terror threat level to the highest ever after the Paris attacks. 
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Nothing less than perfection is on the menu for the Nobel banquet

By Johan Ahlander

December 10, 2015

Young chefs work to prepare the Nobel menu in the kitchen of the city hall, where the Nobel Banquet, one of the most prestigious banquets, will be held, in Stockholm, Sweden, December 8, 2015. REUTERS/Johan Ahlander
By Johan Ahlander
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - In a shiny new kitchen beneath Stockholm's city hall, more than 40 chefs are peeling, scooping, moulding and baking local ingredients late into the night to feed an army of the world's great and gifted.
The Nobel Banquet is held every year since 1901, when the first Nobel prizes were awarded. The dress code is white tie and tails for men and gowns for women, and it one of the world's most prestigious awards events
The air is filled with delicious smells. The food has to be fit for a king - Sweden's Carl 16th Gustav, to be precise. It also needs to pass muster for 1,350 assorted royalty, aristocrats, notables from politics, business and the arts, scientists and the Nobel laureates themselves.
The menu is a secret, to be revealed only minutes before the food is served. Nothing is allowed to go wrong.
"I'm pretty calm and I want to enjoy myself", said Sayan Isaksson, this year's head chef and a rising star of Swedish gastronomy. "I've been preparing the menu for almost a year".
Following his selection as head chef by the Nobel Foundation, Isaksson presented three potential main courses to the food committee in March.
The final menu was set in August. Since then Isaksson has fine-tuned the dishes and has cooked them for the food committee almost every month.
"The banquet is held in extremely high regard internationally and the quality of the food served must be absolutely world-class," said Fredrik Eriksson, a gastronomy consultant to the Nobel Foundation for over 10 years and member of the food committee.
"The food must have clear Swedish influences and carefully selected produce with good sustainability. There must be creativity but with a classic tone."
Nothing is left to chance, with a team of electricians and maintenance workers standing by should any kitchen equipment break down. Slip-ups are almost unheard of.
"I remember we once made bad coffee," Eriksson said. "But we just brew a new batch."
In addition to serving 1,300 people simultaneously, the menu must be appropriate for diverse diets and tastes. Certain foods are excluded for religious reasons, such as pork.
Last year, guests were served a cream of cauliflower soup, with red king crab followed by spiced loin of red deer, carrot terrine, salt-baked golden beets, smoked pearl onions, potato purée and game jus. The dessert was a saffron panna cotta with mousse and sorbet of wild dewberrries.
Isaksson is known in Sweden for his Japanese influences and while this year's menu is still a secret Eriksson thinks the Swedish and Japanese cuisines will be a perfect match.
"Sayan has taken the main course to a new level this year," he said. "It might be the best one yet."
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Michael Roddy and Larry King)