Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

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King Carl XVI Gustaf
King of Sweden
King Carl XVI Gustaf at the Nordic Council Jubilee session, 2002 (Photo: Nordic Council)
Reign	September 15, 1973 - Present
Coronation	September 19, 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	April 30, 1946 (age 60)
	Haga slott, Solna, Uppland
Predecessor	Gustaf VI Adolf
Heiress-Apparent	Crown Princess Victoria
Wife/wives	Silvia, Queen of Sweden (nee Sommerlath)
Issue	Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland
Royal House	Bernadotte
Dynasty	Bernadotte
Royal anthem	The king's song Swedish: Kungssången
Royal motto	"For Sweden - With the times" Swedish: För Sverige - i tiden
Father	Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
Mother	Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus) (born April 30, 1946, at Haga Palace, Solna, Uppland), is the head of state of the Kingdom of Sweden. He is the only son of the late Prince Gustaf Adolf (1906-1947) and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1908-1972). He ascended to the throne on September 15, 1973, upon the death of his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf.

He was Christened at the Royal Chapel on 7 June 1946 by the Archbishop of Uppsala, Erling Eidem. 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.

Contents 1 Youth and education 2 Ascent to throne 3 Marriage and family 4 Royal duties and personal interests 4.1 Honours 4.2 Patronages 4.3 Style of reference 4.4 Scouting 5 Dyslexia 6 Ancestors 7 See also 8 External links 9 Notes and references

[edit] Youth and education

Prince Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, Duke of Jämtland, 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 January 26, 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 Army, Navy and 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.

[edit] Ascent to throne

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 (med Guds Nåde Sveriges, Götes och Wendes Konung, Dei Gratia Suecorum, Gothorum et Vandalorum Rex). This traditional title had been in use since the establishment of the hereditary monarchy in 1540. Carl XVI Gustaf instead chose the title King of Sweden (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.

[edit] Marriage and family

Swedish Royal Family

HM The King HM The Queen HRH The Crown Princess, Duchess of Västergötland HRH Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland HRH Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland HRH Princess Birgitta, Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen HRH Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland

The King decided to marry Silvia Sommerlath, the half Brazilian daughter of a German businessman. Silvia met the then Crown Prince at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where she was an interpreter and host. The Wedding was held June 19, 1976 at Stockholm Cathedral and the act was performed by the Archbishop of Uppsala, Olof Sundby. The King and his family resides at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm since 1980, and uses the Royal Palace of Stockholm as their workplace.

They have three children:

1. HRH Princess Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (1977- )
2. HRH Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland (1979-)
3. HRH 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 January 1, 1980, according to the principles of equal primogeniture. It should however be noted that Sweden is the only country, so far, to have practiced equal primogeniture retroactively.

[edit] Royal duties and personal interests

Styles of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Reference style	His Majesty
Spoken style	Your Majesty
Alternative style	Sir or The King

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 conjunction 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, dating the 25th of June.^[3]

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.^[4] The first pictures taken of him and his future wife was 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.^[5]

[edit] Honours

  Swedish Royalty
  House of Bernadotte

Charles XIV John Children    Oscar I Oscar I Children    Charles XV    Gustaf, Duke of Upland    Oscar II    Princess Eugenie    August, Duke of Dalarna Charles XV Children    Lovisa, Queen of Denmark    Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland Oscar II Children    Gustaf V    Oscar, Duke of Gotland    Eugén, Duke of Närke    Carl, Duke of Västergötland Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway    Astrid, Queen of Belgium    Carl, Duke of Östergötland Gustaf V Children    Gustaf VI Adolf    Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland    Erik, Duke of Västmanland Gustaf VI Adolf Children    Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten    Sigvard, Duke of Uppland    Ingrid, Queen of Denmark    Bertil, Duke of Halland    Carl Johan, Count af Wisborg Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Princess Birgitta    Princess Désirée    Princess Christina    Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf Children    Crown Princess Victoria    Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland    Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland

• Lord and Master of the Order of the Seraphim
• Lord and Master of the Order of the Sword
• Lord and Master of the Order of the Polar Star
• Lord and Master of the Order of Vasa
• Lord and Master of the Order of Charles XIII
• Knight with Collar of the Order of the Elephant
• Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog
• Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose
• Grand cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon
• Grand Cross with collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
• Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II
• Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross
• Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
• Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur
• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
• Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great
• Grand Cross of the Order of Adolph of Nassau
• Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Dutch Lion
• Grand Cross of the House Order of Orange
• Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword
• Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece
• Grand Cross Collar of the Order of Charles III and Saint Fernando
• Stranger Knight of the Order of the Garter
• Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain

[edit] Patronages

• African Medical and Research Foundation Sweden (AMREF)
• Allmänna Idrottsklubben (AIK)
• Barnens Dags Riksförbund
• Centralföreningen för Idrottens Främjande i Sverige
• Djurgårdens Hembygdsförening
• Friends of the Nationalmuseum
• Friends of the Swedish Museum of Natural History
• Friluftsfrämjandet
• Föreningen Svenska Atheninstitutets Vänner
• Föreningen Konstnärernas Vänner
• Föreningen för Svenskar i Världen
• Gastronomiska Akademien
• Gripsholmsföreningen
• Kulturen i Lund
• Kungl. Automobil Klubben
• Kungl. Motorbåt Klubben
• Kungl. Svenska Aeroklubben
• Kungl. Svenska Segel Sällskapet
• Riksföreningen mot Cancer
• Royal Physiographic Society in Lund
• Royal Society of Sciences and Letters in Gothenburg
• Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala
• Royal Swedish Academy
• Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry
• Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
• Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences
• Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities
• Royal Swedish Academy of Music
• Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
• Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences
• Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences
• Rädda Visby Ringmur-aktionen
• Stiftelsen Det Naturliga Steget
• Stiftelsen Drottningholmsteaterns Vänner
• Stiftelsen Håll Sverige Rent
• Stiftelsen Stockholm Water Foundation
• Stiftelsen Svenska Flaggan
• Stiftelsen Svensk Våtmarksfond
• Stockholms Konserthusstiftelse
• Stockholms Studentsångarförbund
• Svenska Arkeologiska Samfundet
• Svenska Blå Stjärnan
• Svenska Djurskyddsföreningen
• Svenska Jägareförbundet
• Svenska Kennelklubben
• Svenska Livräddningssällskapet - Simfrämjandet
• Svenska Motionsdagen (Korpen Svenska Motionsidrottsförbundet)
• Svenska Rominstitutets Vänner
• Svenska Turistföreningen
• Svenska Scoutförbundet och Svenska Scoutrådet
• Svenska Sällskapet för Antropologi och Geografi
• Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen
• Sveriges Allmänna Konstförening
• Sveriges Hembygdsförbund
• Sveriges Riksidrottsförbund
• Sveriges Skogsvårdsförbund
• Swedish Bible Society
• Swedish Lions
• Swedish Red Cross
• Swedish Rotary
• Sångsällskapet Orphei Drängar
• The American-Scandinavian Foundation
• Wilhelm Peterson-Berger Society
• World Scout Foundation
• World Wide Fund for Nature Sweden (WWF)
• Östasiatiska Museets Vänner

[edit] Style of reference

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

[edit] Scouting

The King is the Honorary Chairman of the World Scout Foundation, and often participates in Scout activities both in Sweden and abroad. He attended the 1981 National Scout Jamboree in Virginia, USA 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.

[edit] Dyslexia

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.

[edit] Ancestors

Carl's ancestors in three generations

Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden	Father: Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten	Paternal Grandfather: Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden	Paternal Great-grandfather: Gustaf V of Sweden
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Victoria of Baden
		Paternal Grandmother: Princess Margaret of Connaught	Paternal Great-grandfather: Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught
	Mother: Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha	Maternal Grandfather: Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha	Maternal Great-grandfather: Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany
		Maternal Grandmother: Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein	Maternal Great-grandfather: Frederick Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Princess Caroline of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg

[edit] See also

• Swedish Royal Family
• Carl XVI Gustaf's ancestors
• List of state visits made by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
• List of national leaders

[edit] External links

• Royal Court of Sweden - Official site
• [1]
• [2]
• [3]
• [4]

[edit] Notes and references

• (Swedish)Ordenskalender 1969 & 1975, Riksmarskalksämbetet, Stockholm.

Preceded by Gustaf VI Adolf	King of Sweden 1973–	Succeeded by Crown Princess Victoria (heiress apparent)
Preceded by Alexis Broschek	Line of succession to the British throne	Succeeded by Prince Carl Philip

Persondata
NAME
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION
DATE OF BIRTH
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DATE OF DEATH
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