'I've never had such a personal encounter with a royal on tour than with Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria in Sydney'

OPINION -- If I wanted to reach out and hug Sweden's future Queen during her recent visit to the Sydney Opera House, it could have easily been done.

Rather than being surrounded by a ring of stony-faced and towering bodyguards, Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel had a relatively low-key security detail while in Sydney on Wednesday.

And the access I had covering the visit was unprecedented compared to anything I had experienced on previous royal tours.

READ MORE: Sweden's Crown Princess speaks exclusively to 9Honey in Sydney

It was a refreshing and eye-opening look into the relaxed, but still incredibly regal and somewhat formal, nature of Europe's royalty.

The biggest difference was how the royals treated the media pack there to cover the visit.

Instead of Prince Harry's fierce disdain for the journalists simply there to do their job, Crown Princess Victoria, 45, and Prince Daniel, 49, appeared more than happy to be shadowed by the press pack.

Even when that meant getting incredibly close with our cameras and microphones as they were taken on a tour of the Opera House, their every move followed closely by the media.

The Crown Princess was keenly aware of the constant gaze of the cameras – she was 'on' the whole time and did not let her polite smile slip at all.

She even appeared genuinely interested in what she was being shown, much of it happening in the hot Australian sun.

READ MORE: Denmark's Queen Margrethe 'not afraid' to pass crown to her son

Climbing the countless steps in towering Gianvito Rossi heels, Crown Princess Victoria took the event in her stride.

Prince Daniel wore sunglasses while being shown the Swedish-made tiles that cover the iconic building's roof, most likely feeling the searing heat in his dark suit.

But they were gracious the entire time.

The Crown Princess even gave a brief interview as we were ending the tour, turning towards me as I followed closely behind.

She was smiling and acutely aware of my camera and microphone so I took the opportunity, even though speaking directly to royals is usually not encouraged at such events unless they instigate the conversation.

Well, a smile from the Crown Princess was as good an invitation as any.

And I was in luck as the only Australian journalist who was able to speak with her on Wednesday, not just once but three times.

Watch the videos above.

At Their Royal Highness' second event for the day, at the Royal Botanic Garden, I once again spoke with Crown Princess Victoria, this time on the more sombre subject of her father the King's impending back surgery next week.

Rather than brushing the question off and refusing to answer, she politely thanked me for asking and appeared touched, if not surprised, I knew what was going on.

The Swedish royals are certainly not as popular in Australia, or as well known, as their British counterparts.

That could also explain the more relaxed atmosphere surrounding their visit.

READ MORE: 'We want our privacy': Harry and Meghan mocked by South Park

There were no mass crowds or long rows of barricades as seen when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex came to the same location on the first day of their Australian tour, one day after announcing Meghan was expecting their first child.

Then, and at most other royal engagements either on tour or in the UK, media are put into fixed positions usually behind a barricade and told to stay put until the royals pass by.

Most times the royals will simply ignore the cameras and meet the crowds who've waited to see them.

Only one or two members of the media, usually a photographer, television camera and a reporter, shadow the royals for the whole of their 'walkabout'.

Some royals, such as King Charles and Camilla, have become known for acknowledging the journalists and photographers here and there, even having a joke or two – something that has endeared them to the media.

But for Prince Harry and Meghan, and even Prince William and Catherine, they largely ignore the press pack.

During the Sussexes' royal tour, journalists were kept at a distance. Prince Harry even had a rather rude encounter with the small group of media who travelled with the royal party on board the official plane.

During the flight from Tonga to Sydney, at the end of the tour, Prince Harry told the reporters: "Thanks for coming... Even though you weren't invited".

The Times correspondent Valentine Low recalled that incident in his book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown.

He described Harry as looking like a "sulky teenager" while "Meghan stood behind him, smiling benignly".

"Her only contribution was a comment about how much everyone must be looking forward to Sunday lunch at home," Low wrote.

"Harry sounded rushed, as if he couldn't wait to get back into the first-class cabin."

Harry's comment about journalists not being invited, while rude, is also incorrect as media are invited to cover such events.

As we now know, tensions between Prince Harry and Meghan and their staff were high during that tour.

Low claims the couple had become obsessed with Googling themselves every night of the tour, taking issue with some of the less favourable coverage.

The most touching moment for me of that tour was when Prince Harry and Meghan actually smiled and waved, and said goodbye, to me and a few of the media who had stuck around to the very end as they carried out their final engagement in New Zealand before flying home to London.

The European royals are not hounded as much as some within the British monarchy, so perhaps that explains their more relaxed approach.

They are often seen going about their business at home without too much press intrusion or bother from their subjects.

While Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel did have stern-looking security close by in Sydney, including members of the Australian Federal Police, they allowed the media to cover the visit from a close, but respectful, distance.

Just how close we got still amazes me.

It was a treat to be that near, to not only hear the Crown Princess speaking fluent English and her observations of Australia, but to see the detail of her flawless skin, sparkling jewellery and immaculately-fitted clothing was a rare experience.

And when Crown Princess Mary of Denmark was here for her last official visit in 2013, she took the time to acknowledge the media in Sydney, clearly not forgetting the laidback attitude of her former Aussies.

READ MORE: Why Crown Princess Mary won't have a coronation

In one particularly memorable moment from her first tour in 2005, while at Bondi Beach, a local journalist was speaking into the camera when Crown Princess Mary popped over her shoulder and said 'hi'.

Much like Crown Princess Mary in Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria is adored by her subjects.

She is consistently voted the most popular member of Sweden's royal family and having witnessed her warmth and professionalism in Sydney, I can see why the people adore her.

One of the female journalists from Sweden, who was part of the royal party's travelling media pack, spoke highly of the Crown Princess when I enquired about her before their arrival at the Opera House.

I was told Crown Princess Victoria was friendly and approachable and she very much lived up to that description.

With rumours the Prince and Princess of Wales might be heading Down Under later this year, and King Charles and Camilla expected to follow in 2024, the British royals might do well to look to the Europeans for how to boost their approval ratings.

To Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, well done. Australia would be more than happy to host another visit from Sweden's future Queen and King.