* Swedish royalty: Carl XVI Gustaf Swedish royalty: Carl XVI Gustaf








Swedish Royalty: Carl XVI Gustaf (1946- )


Figure 1.--The future Carl XVI Gustaf is seen here with one of his sisters. He wears a long pants suit even before his curls were cut. This photograph was taken about 1949.

Prince Carl was only 1-year old when his father Prince Gustav was killed in an Copenhafen airplane accident in 1947. The little prince was one of many who could trace his ancestry back to Queen Victoria. He was raised by his German mother and watched over by uncles and aunts. With Carl XVI Gustaf Folke Hubertus�s accession to the throne in 1973, Sweden had a King who was no less than two generations younger than his predecessor. When the 27-year-old Carl Gustaf--the youngest of the Bernadotte monarchs ascended the throne he took as his motto "For Sweden--in Keeping With the Times". Carl XVI Gustaf was born on 30 April 1946 at Haga Palace, the youngest child and only son of the Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha. The Prince and Princess already had four daughters (the Princesses Margaretha, Birgitta, D�sir�e and Christina), three of whom were to marry commoners. As Prince Gustaf Adolf was killed in an air crash in 1947, his son was already Sweden�s Crown Prince when his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf acceded to the throne in 1950. His mother, Princess Sibylla, died in 1972. Crown Prince Carl Gustaf, then 27 years old, became Sweden's Head of State. The new King took as his motto "For Sweden - With the times", thereby declaring his intention of meeting the demands of society on a modern monarch.

Swedish Text

Carl XVI Gustaf Folke Hubertus, Sveriges Konung, föddes den 30 april 1946 på Haga Slott. Hans föräldrar var dåvarande arvprinsen Gustaf Adolf och prinsessan Sibylla av Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha. Prins Gustaf Adolf omkom 1947 i en flygolycka och prinsessan Sibylla avled 1972. Efter Gustaf V:s bortgång 1950 tillträdde Gustaf VI Adolf tronen och Carl Gustaf blev Kronprins. Gustaf VI Adolf avled den 15 september 1973 och Kronprins Carl Gustaf blev då, vid 27 års ålder, Sveriges statschef. Som valspråk tog den nye Konungen "För Sverige - I tiden". Under de olympiska spelen i München 1972 mötte Carl Gustaf Silvia Sommerlath. De gifte sig den 19 juni 1976 i Storkyrkan i Stockholm. Kung Carl Gustaf och Drottning Silvia har tre barn: Kronprinsessan Victoria, född den 14 juli 1977, Prins Carl Philip, född den 13 maj 1979 och Prinsessan Madeleine, född den 10 juni 1982. Konungens plikter är representativa och cermoniella. Kungen avlägger statsbesök utomlands och tar emot utländska statschefer på statsbesök i Sverige. Han öppnar Riksmötet varje år och är också ordförande vid sammanträden med Utrikesnämnden (Se även Monarkin i Sverige). Kungen är intresserad av natur och friluftsliv och deltar ofta i scoutaktiviteter av olika slag både i Sverige och utlandet. Kungen är även intresserad av jakt, båt-och vattensporter, bilsport, längdskidåkning och utförsåkning. Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf Folke Hubertus was born April 30, 1946 at the Haga Palace. His parents were the heirs presumptive to the throne Gustaf Adolf and princess Sibylla of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha. Prince Gustaf Adolf died 1947 in an airplane crash and princess Sibylla died 1972. After King Gustaf V died in 1950 Gustaf VI Adolf assumed the throne and Carl Gustaf remained heir to the throne. Gustaf VI Adolf died September 15, 1973 and the Crown Prince Carl Gustaf became at the age of 27 Sweden' king and head of state. The king took as his motto "for Sweden, with the times". During the Olympic games in Munich 1972 Carl Gustaf met Silvia Sommerlath. They married June 19, 1976 at Storkyrkan in Stockholm. King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia had three children: Kronprinsessan Victoria , born July 14, 1977, Prince Carl Philip, born the May 13, 1979 and Princess Madeleine, born June 10, 1982. The Kings duties are representative and ceremonial. The King makes state visits abroad and recieve foreign head of states on state visit in Sweden. He openes the "Riksdagen" (parliamentary session) every year and is also chairman on the meetings with "Utrikesnämnden" (Abroad comittee). The King has great knowledge of nature and is very interested in environmental issues. He often attends scout activities both in sweden and abroad. The King is also interested in hunting, boat and watersports, motoring, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing.


Figure 2.--Carl Gustaaf in this photograph wears a two-piece sun suit with a stovking cap that had a very large pom.

Parents

Carl was the youngest child and only son of the Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha.

Prince Gustaf Adolf

Gustav Adolf was born in 1906, the eldest son of future King Gustav VI and Princess Margaret Victoria Wettin (1882-1920). Her father was Queen Victoria's son Prince Arthur (1850- ), Duke of Connaught and Strathern who married Princess Louise Margret of Prussia and was known as the Duchess of Clarence. He married Princess Sibylla (Sibylla Calma Marie Alice Wettin) of Saxe-Coburg Gotha. They were married in Coburg in 1932. He was was killed in an air crash at Copenhagen during 1947. Hus son Gustav became Sweden�s Crown when Gustaf VI Adolf acceded to the throne in 1950.

Princess Sibylla (1908-72)

Princess Sibylla (Sibylla Calma Marie Alice Wettin) of Saxe-Coburg Gotha was born in 1908. Her parents were Prince Leopold (Leopold Charles Edward Wettin), Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1884- ). The Prince was a grandson of Queen Victoria. His father was Prince Leopold. Her father did not fare well in World War I. He abdicated as Duke of Saxe-Coburg at the end of te War in 1918. His British titles (Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow were removed in 1919. Princess Sibylla's mother was Princess Schleswig-Holste Victoria Adelheid (1885- ). Princess Sibylla died in 1972.

Childhood

Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus was born on April 30, 1946 at Haga Palace. His father died in 1947, when Carl Gustaf was less than a year old. HBC has at this time little information about Carl's childhood. He apparently was a keen Scout as a boy which perhaps build his strong interest in environmental issues.

Sisters

Carl was the youngest child and only son of the Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha. The Prince and Princess already had four daughters (the Princesses Margaretha, Birgitta, Désirée and Christina), three of whom were to marry commoners. In accordance with the then Act of Succession, at birth Carl became third in line to the throne after his father and grandfather, despite the fact he had an older sister.


Figure 3.--The future Carl XVI Gustaf is seen here with Prince Bertil, his father' uncle.

Childhood Clothing

We do not have a great deal of information about Car's childhood clothing, but some available information provides us some information. Carl appaers to have worn less fancy clothes than were worn by royal children in previous years. He wore snow suits and long pants suits of various styles. He also appears to have worn a rather British-styled school uniform.

Snow suits

Sweden as a Scandinavian country is located at norhern latitudes. There is as a result, a good bit of snow. Carl had a snowsuit which appears to have ankle-length elasticized legs. He wore it with a sticking cap that had a very large pom.

Suits

Carl appears to have worn long pants suits, even at an early age. One photograph shows him in a long pants suit even before his curls were cut. One long pants suit is rather like a tuxedo.

Schoolwear

Carl as was common with royalty had tudors as a little boy. His parents then broke precedent and was sent to a boarding school. Some images suggest a rather British looking uniform, but we are not sure just what the uniform regulations were at the school.

Hair Styles

While Carl as a young boy commonly wore long pants, he appears to have worn rather childish hair styles. Available images show him wearing very curly hair styles--although not real long.

Education

Crown Prince Carl Gustaf received his early education from tutors and then entered a private boarding school in Sigtuna. The school was not far from Stockholm--Broms and Sigtuna Boarding School. We have no information on what Carl thought of the school. He completed his education there in 1966. He then began his military service in the Army, Navy and Air Force, his main emphasis being Naval Training. , and passed his university entrance examination in 1966. After his military training, the Crown Prince pursued a specially designed 1-year educational programme including a number of courses in history, sociology, political science, fiscal law and economics at the University of Uppsala. Later the Crown Prince continued studying national economy at the University of Stockholm.

Military Service

After that the Crown Prince fulfilled his military service which meant two and a half years of training in the army, navy and air force. He concentrated mainly on his naval training and has since then kept his great interest in life at sea.

Royal Training

Prince Carl's father was killed in an air crash in 1947. Carl was thus already Sweden�s Crown Prince when his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf acceded to the throne in 1950. To give the Crown Prince a thorough and diversified knowledge of how Sweden is governed and functions, as well as an insight into how Swedes of today live, a training programme for his future position as Head of State was composed for him. He made study visits to state and local government agencies and administrations, to industries, factories, laboratories and schools. He studied law courts, social welfare institutions, trade unions and employer associations. Special emphasis was placed on the work of the government, the Riksdag and the Foreign Ministry. He also gained experience of the international political scene by studying the activity of Sweden's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, by studies of the work of the Swedish International Development Authority in Africa, and by spending some time at Hambro's Bank in London and at the Swedish Embassy and Chamber of Commerce in that city.

Reign (1973 - )

Crown Prince Carl Gustaf, then 27 years old, became Sweden's Head of State (1973). His predecesors reigned in tumultous tines. Sweden was fir a time a great power, but generally declined as as Poland, Russiam and Germany emerged as power houses. Two world Waes racked Eurooe in the first half of the 20th century. Sweden unlike mosr orher counrries was able to stay out of the War and remanin neutral, although the threat of a German invasion in World War II was very likeky. The NAZIs occupied the rest of Sancanavia. Cael Gustaf reigned in more traquil times, basically thanks to the American backed NATO alliance which porevented Soviet expansion west. This allowed Seeden to retain its neutrality throughout the Cold War. The new King took as his motto "For Sweden - With the times", thereby declaring his intention of meeting the demands of society on a modern monarch. After having acceded to the throne, Carl XVI Gustaf has continued to keep himself well informed of developments in the various sectors of Swedish society, by visiting authorities, organizations and institutions. Of great importance in this context are the official tours of every province and county in Sweden, a royal custom called "Eriksgata" dating back to the Middle Ages. Ever since his boyhood days as an active member of the Boy Scouts, the King has been keenly interested in nature and outdoor life. In 1977 he became honorary president of the World Scout Foundation. He very early took a strong and outspoken position in favour of protecting the environment, and is president of the Swedish organization for the World Wide Fund for Nature. The King enjoys boating, scuba diving, downhill and cross-country skiing and has participated a couple of times in the 90-km Vasa Race, Sweden's famous annual cross-country skiing competition.

Scouting

The King as a boy was a keen Scout. As king he has stronly supported Scouting in Sweden and around the world. He has served as Honorary President of the World Scout Foundation. The King is one of the world's most enthusiastic supporters of Scouting. He often appears at Scouting events wearing his uniform.

Marriage

Carl at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games he met his future wife Miss Silvia Sommerlath. Miss Sommerlath was the daughter of the late Walther Sommerlath, a West German businessman, and his widow Alice, nee de Toledo. Their engagement was announced on March 12 1976, and on June 19 that same year they were married at the Stockholm Cathedral. We note images of Queen Silvia doing her royal duties. We see here with Swedish brownies. And promoting SOS children villges on a trip to India.

Children

King Gustaf VI has three children. According to the Act of Succession which in 1980 superseded that of 1810, succession to the throne of Sweden is fully cognatic. This means that the eldest child of the King and Queen is heir to the throne, regardless of gender. Accordingly, the Crown Princess Victoria, born on 14 July 1977, is heir to the Swedish throne.

Crown Princess Victoria

Crown Princess Victoria Ingrid Alice D�sir�e Bernadotte is the eldest child of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Her Majesty Queen Silvia. July 14, 1977 at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm she has a younger brother Prince Carl Phillip (1979) and younger sister Princess Madeleine (1982). In accordance with the 1979 Act of Succession Princess Victoria is heir to the Swedish throne. Crown Princess Victoria was christened on September 27, 1977 at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. From the day of her birth, Victoria Ingrid Alice Desiree had the attention of a nation. The heavy media coverage devoted to the Swedish heir forced her mother, Queen Silvia, to travel to Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm disguised for the birth. On July 14, 1977 the Queen provided the heir to the throne--Victoria. When Victoria was born, the Swedish succession favored a younger son over the eldest daughter. Her birth prompted to government to consider changing that law to allow the eldest child, whether male or female, to become the heir. Though a son, Prince Carl Philip, was born while this act was being deliberated, the government passed it anyway. Under this law, the 1979 Act of Succession, Princess Victoria became heir over her brother. As a child, the Princess attended school with other children. She graduated from the secondary school Enskilda Gymnasiet in June 1996 after studying science and social studies. After graduation, she went to Angers, France to study French, and she is now studying English, history and French at Yale University in the United States. Victoria, whose nickname is "Oja," is an equestrian, and like most of her royal counterparts, enjoys skiing. She lives with her family outside Stockholm in Drottningholm Palace, and holds the title of Duchess of Vastergotland. The Princess, however, does not have the perfect life. Last November her mother confirmed that Victoria suffers, like millions of others, from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. A possible source of the problem could involve the media, who sometimes referred to her as plump. She is now getting help for the problem.

Prince Carl

Prince Carl Philip Edmund Bertil. His title is Prince of Sweden, Duke of V�rmland. Born on May 13, 1979 at the Royal Palace, Stockholm. Prince Carl Philip is the second eldest child of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Her Majesty Queen Silvia. He has two sisters, Crown Princess Victoria, born on July 14, 1977 and Princess Madeleine, born on June 10, 1982. In accordance with the 1979 Act of Succession which entered into force on January 1, 1980, Prince Carl Philip is second in the line of succession, next to Crown Princess Victoria. In the autumn of 1992, Carl Philip began upper senior high school at Enskilda Gymnasiet in Stockholm. In 1994, he then enrolled at Kent, a private school in Connecticut, USA, where he spent two years. In 1996, he then enrolled at Lundsberg School, where he is currently following a science programme. Carl Philip was confirmed in the summer of 1994 at Vadstena Church. Carl Philip was a keen scout, and very fond of the outdoors. His interests in sport extend themselves to athletics, as well as football, tennis, swimming and skiing. When this prince was born a month early at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, he was dubbed the "Surprise Baby." Today he is nicknamed "Lippie." Most of the world, though, knows him as Carl Philip Edmund Bertil, Prince of Sweden and Duke of Varmland. Born on May 13, 1979, he is the middle child in the family, and second in line for the throne. Like Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip attended Enskilda Gymnasiet in 1992 and 1993. The Prince, however, also spent two years in the private Connecticut, USA boarding school Kent, starting in 1994. Returning to Sweden, he began studying science at Lundsberg School, from which he has since graduated. He is planning to go into the military before continuing at a university. While attending Kent, Carl Philip played soccer and tennis for the school. Other sports he enjoys include swimming and skiing. He currently lives with his family at Drottningholm Palace.

Princess Madeleine

Princess Madeleine Th�r�se Amelie Josephine. Her title is Princess of Sweden, Duchess of H�lsingland and G�strikland. Born on June 10, 1982 in Drottningholm Palace. Princess Madeleine is the youngest child of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Her Majesty Queen Silvia. She has a sister, Crown Princess Victoria, born on July 14, 1977 and a brother, Prince Carl Philip, born on May 13, 1979. In accordance with the 1979 Act of Succession, which entered into force on January 1, 1980, Princess Madeleine is third in the line of succession, next to Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Carl Philip. On June 10, 1982 at Drottningholm Palace, the last of King Carl XVI Gustaf's children was born. This little girl was Madeleine Therese Amelie Josephine, the third in line of succession to the Swedish Throne. Now 17, she is the Duchess of Halsingland and Gastrikland and lives with her family at Drottningholm Palace. The Princess is still in secondary school at Enskilda Gymnasiet. Madeleine is an enthusiastic equestrian with a horse named "Touching News." The Princess, known as "Madde," loves animals in general. Like her brother and sister, Madeleine enjoys skiing as well.







HBRC








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Created: March 19, 2001
Last updated: 3:43 AM 4/21/2020