Guelph's Donna Strickland received the royal treatment throughout her time in Sweden, being escorted by police to accept her prestigious prize from the King of Sweden himself.
“I think it feels quite surreal,” said Strickland as she spoke to CTV News on Tuesday morning after the ceremony. “You’re sitting on a stage with 1200 people watching and there’s a royal family right across from you.”
Strickland reminisced on the night she’ll never forget.
“It was very exciting the whole thing. It’s just splendid,” she said. “The flowers come in from an Italian town where Nobel spent his last few years and it’s always kept secret.”
Alfred Nobel listed physics as the first award, which meant it is always presented first at the ceremonies.
“We sit directly across from the royal family. The queen had giant emeralds on that were just sparkling in my eyes the whole time,” said Strickland. “They have wonderful music. A soprano that was supreme would sing in between each of the medals being awarded. It’s just really quite a ceremony.”
Strickland got to experience things only heads of state and other Nobel Prize winners could do.
“We got to go to a beautiful royal concert where we sit beside the royal box and they had just amazing music to be performed for us,” she said. “I got to go to the Vasa Museum where they have this boat that famously sunk here in the harbor and only heads of state and Nobel Prize winners get to go on the boat and I got to go on the boat.”
Strickland’s schedule was very busy. On Tuesday evening she is to attend a special dinner at the palace.
"Today is the day that the royal family welcomes the Nobel laureates and their spouses to the palace. So tonight I’m just off to do hair and makeup before I get dressed to go to the palace and dine again with the royal family,” she said.
Strickland never dreamed she would be part of the ceremony.
“It wasn’t something I ever thought would happen.”
