Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

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Carl XVI Gustaf
King of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf
Reign 15 September 1973 – present
Coronation 19 September 1973
Technically never crowned, merely took his oath (Swedish: konungaförsäkran) on this date.
Full name Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus
Full legal non-titular name
Born 30 April 1946 (1946-04-30) (age 61)
Haga Palace, Sweden
Predecessor Gustav VI Adolf
Heiress-Apparent Crown Princess Victoria
Consort to Silvia (née Sommerlath)
Issue Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland
Royal House Bernadotte
Royal anthem Kungssången
Royal motto För Sverige – i tiden
("For Sweden – with the times")
Father Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
Mother Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Swedish Royal Family
Styles of
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Reference style His Majesty
Spoken style Your Majesty
Alternative style Sir or The King

Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden since 15 September 1973. He is the only son of the late Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He ascended the throne upon the death of his grandfather, King Gustav VI Adolf.

Contents

Carl Gustaf was born at Haga Palace, Solna, Uppland. He was christened at the Royal Chapel on 7 June 1946 by the Archbishop of Uppsala, Erling Eidem and assumed the title Duke of Jämtland.

His godparents were The Crown Prince of Denmark, The Crown Princess of Denmark, The Crown Prince of Norway, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, King Gustaf V of Sweden, Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, The Crown Prince of Sweden, The Crown Princess of Sweden, Count Folke Bernadotte af Wisborg, and Countess Maria Bernadotte af Wisborg.

Prince Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus was the youngest of five children and the only son of Sweden's Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla. His father's death in an airplane crash outside Copenhagen, Denmark on 26 January 1947 left the nine-month-old Prince second in line for the throne, behind his grandfather, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf. When great grandfather King Gustaf V died in 1950, the four-year-old Prince became heir apparent of Sweden.

In a speech[1] in 2005, the King expressed some of his feelings about growing up without having known his father. His sister Princess Birgitta elaborated on these feelings in an interview around the same time, commenting that their mother and the strict Swedish royal court of the time didn't consider the emotional needs of the Prince Gustaf Adolf's children. In that era, she said, tragedy was seldom discussed with children. "Children’s questions were met with silence, children’s anxiety and fear with the same silence."

As a result, Crown Prince Carl Gustaf was seven years old before he had been told about his father's death. "It was Mother’s way of handling the situation, to handle living her life. Of course it was not good for us children. It would have been much better to be able to speak about Father’s death," continued Princess Birgitta. She said it had been difficult for the future king to come to grips with not having a father and not having the same memories of him as his older sisters.

After graduating from high school, the Crown Prince completed two and a half years of education in the Royal Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy and Royal Swedish Air Force. He received his commission as an Officer in all three services in 1968 and eventually rose to the rank of Captain (Army & Air Force) and Lieutenant (Navy) before he ascended the throne. He has also completed academic studies in history, sociology, political science, financial rights and economics at the universities of Uppsala and Stockholm.

To prepare for his role as head of state, Crown Prince Carl Gustaf followed a broad programme of studies on the court system, social organisations and institutions, trade unions, and employers' associations. In addition, he closely studied the affairs of the Riksdag, Government, and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Crown Prince also spent time at the Swedish Mission to the United Nations and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), worked at a bank in London, the Swedish Embassy in London, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France, and at the Alfa Laval company factory in France.

On 15 September 1973, Carl Gustaf became King of Sweden, upon the death of his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf. He was invested as King, at the Hall of State of the Royal Palace of Stockholm on 19 September 1973. King Gustaf VI Adolf was the last who used the style By the Grace of God King of the Swedes, the Goths/Geats and the Wends (Swedish: med Guds Nåde Sveriges, Götes och Wendes Konung; Latin: Dei Gratia Suecorum, Gothorum et Vandalorum Rex). This traditional title had been in use since the establishment of the hereditary monarchy in 1544. Carl XVI Gustaf instead chose the plain and simple title King of Sweden (Swedish: Sveriges Konung), thereby ending an age old tradition.[2]

King Carl XVI Gustaf is also the first Swedish monarch not styled By the Grace of God.

Such innovations are reflected in his personal motto För Sverige, i tiden, "For Sweden, with the times".

The king decided to marry Silvia Sommerlath, the half Brazilian daughter of a German businessman. Ms Sommerlath met the then crown prince at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where she was an interpreter and host. The wedding was held 19 June 1976 at Stockholm Cathedral and the ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Uppsala, Olof Sundby. The king and his family reside at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm since 1980, and use the Royal Palace of Stockholm as their workplace.

They have three children:

  1. Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (1977– )
  2. Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland (1979– )
  3. Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (1982– )

Prince Carl Philip was born heir apparent. However a constitutional reform that was already under way at the time of his birth made his older sister, Victoria, the crown princess and heiress apparent on 1 January 1980, according to the principles of equal primogeniture, which Sweden was the first country to adopt.[3]

The King and Queen of Sweden at the White House, October 23, 2006
The King and Queen of Sweden at the White House, October 23, 2006

The King's duties are, according to Regeringsformen, of a representative and ceremonial nature. He pays State Visits abroad and receives those to Sweden, opens the Annual Session of the Parliament, Chairs the Special Council held during a change of Government, holds regular Information Councils with Ministers, Chairs the meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council, and receives and signs Letters of Credence of foreign ambassadors to Sweden — and signs those of Sweden to foreign nations. The King holds the highest ranks in the three branches of the Swedish Armed Forces à la suite according to the constitution.

Worldwide, Carl XVI Gustaf is probably best known as the presenter of the Nobel Prizes each year. He also hands over the Polar Music Prize. The King holds honorary doctoral degrees from; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm School of Economics and from Åbo Akademi University in Finland.

In connection with his state visit to the United Kingdom in the summer of 1975 he was appointed an honorary Admiral in the Royal Navy by Queen Elizabeth II, with seniority of the 25 June 1975.[4]

The King is passionate about the environment, technology, agriculture, trade, and industry. In 1994, he delighted Swedes by reportedly saying, in response to the clubbing of baby seals in neighboring Norway, that a prime minister who couldn't take care of baby seals couldn't be very good at taking care of a country. The Norwegian response was a comment on his well known interest in elk hunting. On his initiative, an international symposium on the environment is held regularly. He is the protector of the Swedish Royal Academies, and takes active part in the proceedings of a few of them.

Like many members of the royal family, the King has a keen interest in automobiles. He owns several Porsche 911s — a car model which is said to be a particular favorite of the King — as well as a vintage Volvo PV444, a Ferrari 456 MGT, an authentic AC Cobra and other cars.[5] The first pictures taken of him and his future wife were of them sitting in his Porsche 911. In the summer of 2005 he was involved in a traffic accident in Norrköping. The accident was described as a "fender bender", with no serious personal injuries claimed. Nevertheless, the incident caused national headlines.[6]

László Nagy presents the Bronze Wolf to Carl XVI Gustaf.
László Nagy presents the Bronze Wolf to Carl XVI Gustaf.

The King is the Honorary Chairman of the World Scout Foundation, and often participates in Scout activities both in Sweden and abroad. The King visits regularly World Scout Jamborees, for instance in 2002 in Sattahip, Thailand and 2007 in Hylands Park, UK. He attended the 1981 National Scout Jamboree in Virginia, U.S., and was awarded the Bronze Wolf, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world scouting, in 1982.

The King’s current title is simply His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden.

Carl XVI Gustaf is usually referred to as simply "the King" (Swedish: Kungen). In formal events and protocols, he is however entitled to "Your Majesty" (Swedish: Ers Majestät) or "His Majesty the King" (Swedish: Hans Majestät Konungen).

For many years, it was widely rumoured that the king had dyslexia. Journalists noted that he misspelled his name when signing his accession document, and in 1973, when visiting a copper mine in Falun, he misspelled his name as "Cal Gustf" when signing it on a rock wall. In an interview on Swedish television in 1997, however, the condition was admitted publicly when his wife addressed the issue. "When he was little, people did not pay attention to the problem," she said. "He didn't get the help he needed." She also noted that the couple's children have "a bit of" dyslexia themselves.

Ancestors of Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

Carl's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son.

Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that Carl XIV is a member of the House of Bernadotte. Unusually for a European monarch, Carl's patriline cannot be traced back further than the 17th century.

House of Bernadotte

  1. Jean Bernadotte, 1683 - 1760
  2. Jean Henri Bernadotte, 1711 - 1780
  3. Charles XIV John of Sweden, 1763 - 1844
  4. Oscar I of Sweden, 1799 - 1859
  5. Oscar II of Sweden, 1829 - 1907
  6. Gustav V of Sweden, 1858 - 1950
  7. Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, 1882 - 1973
  8. Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, 1906 - 1947
  9. Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, 1946 -

 Scouting Portal

  • (Swedish) Ordenskalender 1969 & 1975, Riksmarskalksämbetet, Stockholm.
  1. ^ (Swedish) http://wwwb.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,587642,00.html
  2. ^ (Swedish) SFS (1973:702)
  3. ^ SOU 1977:5 Kvinnlig tronföljd, p.16.
  4. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46627, page 8697, 7 July 1975, Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
  5. ^ (Swedish) http://expressen.se/index.jsp?a=573067
  6. ^ Swedish king crashes car, The Local, 25 August 2005.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Carl XVI Gustaf
Born: April 30, 1946
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Gustav VI Adolf		 King of Sweden
1973–		 Incumbent
Designated heir:
Crown Princess Victoria
British royalty
Preceded by
Alexis Broschek		 Line of succession to the British throne
188th position		 Succeeded by
Prince Carl Philip
v • d • e
Monarchs of Sweden
House of Munsö Eric the Victorious & Olof Björnsson · Olof Skötkonung · Anund Jacob · Emund the Old
House of Stenkil Stenkil · Eric Stenkilsson & Eric the Pagan · Halsten · Anund Gårdske · Haakon the Red · Halsten & Inge the Elder · Blot-Sweyn · Eric of Good Harvests · Inge the Elder · Philip Halstensson & Inge the Younger · Ragnvald Knaphövde · Magnus the Strong
Houses of Eric (E)
and Sverker (S)		 Sverker the Elder (S) · Eric the Saint (E) · Magnus Henriksen · Charles Sverkersson (S) · Kol & Boleslas (S) · Canute I (E) · Sverker the Younger (S) · Eric Canutesson (E) · John Sverkersson (S) · Eric Ericsson (E) · Canute II · Eric Ericsson (E)
House of Bjelbo Valdemar Birgersson · Magnus Ladulås · Birger Magnusson · Mats Kettilmundsson (regent) · Magnus Ericsson‡ · Eric Magnusson · Magnus Ericsson & Haakon Magnusson‡
House of
Mecklenburg		 Albrekt of Mecklenburg
Monarchs (M) and
Regents (R) during
the Kalmar Union		 Margaret I of Denmark (M)†‡ & Eric of Pomerania (M)†‡ · Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (R) · Eric of Pomerania (M)†‡ · Charles Canutesson (R) · Eric of Pomerania (M)†‡ · Charles Canutesson (R) · Christopher of Bavaria (M)†‡ · Bengt Jönsson (Oxenstierna) (R) & Nils Jönsson (Oxenstierna) (R) · Charles Canutesson (M)‡ · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna (R) & Erik Axelsson Tott (R) · Christian I (M)†‡ · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) (R) · Charles Canutesson (M) · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) (R) · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna (R) · Erik Axelsson Tott (R) · Charles Canutesson (M) · Sten Sture the Elder (R) · John II (M)†‡ · Sten Sture the Elder (R) · Svante Nilsson (R) · Eric Trolle (R) · Sten Sture the Younger (R) · Christian II (M)†‡ · Gustav Eriksson (Vasa) (R)
House of Vasa Gustav I · Eric XIV · John III · Sigismund* · Charles IX · Gustavus Adolphus · Christina
House of
Palatinate-
Zweibrücken		 Charles X Gustav · Charles XI · Charles XII · Ulrika Eleonora
House of
Hesse-Kassel		 Frederick I
House of
Holstein-Gottorp		 Adolf Frederick · Gustav III · Gustav IV Adolf · Charles XIII‡
House of Bernadotte Charles XIV John‡ · Oscar I‡ · Charles XV‡ · Oscar II‡ · Gustav V · Gustav VI Adolf · Carl XVI Gustaf
† also Monarch of Denmark · ‡ also Monarch of Norway · * also Monarch of Poland
Persondata
NAME Carl XVI Gustaf
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus (full name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION King of Sweden
DATE OF BIRTH 30 April 1946
PLACE OF BIRTH Haga Palace, Sweden
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_XVI_Gustaf_of_Sweden"
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