We collected interesting tidbits of information about Karle XVI Kustaa and pictures from the life of the 77-year-old monarch.
King of Sweden Karle XVI Gustav today exactly 50 years have passed since the rise to power.
The 27-year-old crown prince, called the “party prince” in the media, became king when his 90-year-old grandfather Gustav VI Adolf died 15 September 1973. Due to the early death of the Prince’s father, the crown passed over one generation.
The coronation in Sweden was already celebrated four days later.
In honor of the anniversary, we collect information about Kaarle Kustaa as well as coincidences and pictures from his life.
Princess Sibylla gave birth to Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus on April 30, 1946 in Haga Castle. The castle in Solna in Greater Stockholm is now a crown princess Victoria family home. The garden still has the same playhouse where the current king played as a child.Before the birth of the heir to the crown, four daughters had already been born into the family of Prince Kustaa Aadolf and Princess Sibylla: the princesses Margaretha, Bridget, Désirée and Christina. The princesses, called by the collective name Hagasessorna, derived from the princesses of Haga Castle, were objects of inexhaustible interest in their childhood and youth. Among other things, they were made into paper dolls and a song.The prince didn’t even turn nine months old when his father died after a plane crashed at Denmark’s Kastrup airport. The father was only 40 years old.Kaarle Kustaa became Crown Prince at the age of four, when his 92-year-old great-grandfather the king Kustaa V died October 1950.It has been said that Kaarle Kustaa was a well-liked guy at school. He was an enthusiastic scout as a child and his interest in scouting has continued even as an adult. He has been the honorary chairman of the World Scout Foundation since 1977.Kaarle Kustaan’s Favorite food is a secret. He, like no other member of the royal family, can’t tell the public about his favorite food, because after that, all visits would probably serve this exact food.Kaarle Kustaa has dyslexia, as a result of which he has reading and writing difficulties. Also with his children Victoria and At Carl Philip have dyslexia.Among foreign languages, according to the court, the king prefers to use English, but he also understands German and French very well. According to tradition, Hovi’s menus are always prepared only in French, Swedish is not used.Kaarle Kustaa enrolled as a high school student, but his school success was poor. He studied at Uppsala University, among other things, history and political science, but did not collect any credits.In the media, a picture of young Kaarle Kustaas was painted as an enthusiastic party-goer whose female companions changed frequently. This “party prince” became king at the age of 27 and unmarried.The king’s chosen motto is “För Sverige – I tiden” or “For Sweden – in the spirit of the times”. His predecessor’s motto had been “Duty above all else”.Since 1974, the king’s role has been ceremonial. He has no political power. Kaarle Kustaa himself has said that he searched for suitable, own interests for this reason. He became interested in environmental issues, for example. The king remembers In an interview with Dagens Industri this topic was still apolitical at the beginning of the reign.Kaarle Kustaa met his future wife Silvia’s At the Munich Olympics in 1972. During their courtship, the couple met secretly in a modest fishing cabin on Fölskär in the Åland archipelago. Interviewed by MTV royal couple on the matter in 2008.The wedding of Kaarle Kustaa and Silvia on June 19, 1976 was a huge media event. On the eve of the wedding, Abba first performed Dancing Queen, which later became a huge hit, and dedicated it to Silvia. When Crown Princess Victoria got married in 2010 Daniel’s with, he chose the same wedding day as his parents: June 19.You can return to the wedding atmosphere of 1976 through this video:
Kaarle Kustaa fiercely opposed the change in the order of succession to the crown that came into force in 1980. After the reform, the eldest child will become the ruler, regardless of gender. The king has returned to the subject even later, and still considers the change that took the position of crown prince from his son Carl Philip wrong.Kaarle Kustaa is the Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Defense Forces. He is a general and a naval admiral.In 2018, he became Sweden’s longest-reigning monarch. Great-grandfather Kustaa V, who managed to rule for almost 43 years, was left behind in the statistics at that time.Already ten different politicians have had time to be prime minister during Kaarle Kustaa’s reign. They have been prime ministers in chronological order Olof Palme, Thorbjörn Fälldin, Ola Ullsten, Ingvar Carlsson, Carl Bildt, Goran Persson, Fredrik Reinfeldt, Stefan Löfven, Magdalena Andersson and Ulf Kristersson.The king has made Finland five state visits. He made the first one in 1974 and the last one in 2015. In addition, the king has made several other visits to Finland.See the atmosphere from the royal couple’s visit to Finland in 1983:
In connection with the disasters that befell the Swedes, the king has given several speeches that comforted the people. After the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, the king said he knows what it’s like to grow up without a father. The king said that a parent lost to a child is always irreplaceable – and that he knows something about this longing. In the middle of the corona pandemic, the king created hope by reminding the nation in a speech that even the longest crises will end sometimes.In 2010, the king found himself in the middle of a gossip scandal when it was alleged in the book Carl XVI Gustaf – Den motvillige monarken that the king enjoyed himself in clandestine clubs and sex clubs. The book also claimed that the king had an extramarital affair with the singer of the Army of Lovers band known as La Camilla Camilla Henemark with.The king has become known for funny coincidences in public situations. The king, who visited Arboga in 1995, happily greeted the beloved residents of Örebro from the stage. On Sweden’s National Day in 2022, the king accidentally wished the Swedes a Happy Midsummer. In 2011, the king attracted attention by protecting himself from the rain at an outdoor concert by pulling on a black garbage bag.The king is interested in gastronomy. He tastes the food of the festive dinners he offers and has said that he visits the court kitchen to watch the food being prepared. On weekends, he likes to cook in the kitchen of Drottningholm Castle. Kaarle Kustaa is also interested in wines, and he has recalled that as a child he was interested in following the workers in the wine cellar.Karle XVI Gustav and the monarchy enjoy stable popularity in Sweden. of Dagens Nyheter according to a recent opinion poll published by Only six percent are dissatisfied with the king. 62 percent want to keep the monarchy and 25 percent would be ready to give it up.In Dagens Nyheter’s survey, 43 percent of Swedes think that the king could already retire and hand over his throne to Victoria. The court’s answer to whether it would be time for the 77-year-old king to abdicate in favor of his daughter Victoria is succinct. The king continues as long as he has enough health.It seems that I have accomplished quite a lot, the king sums up his 50-year reign For Dagens Industri magazine in a recent interview.Watch the video of Kaarle Kustaa’s chilling trip to Finland in 1970:
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