Carl XVI Gustav: biography of the King of Sweden

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

Sweden is one of those countries where the institution of the monarchy has been preserved. For more than 40 years, King Carl XVI Gustaf has been sitting on the throne. His life is worthy of detailed study, it is an example of how duty has overcome personal inclinations and interests. But even today, the king is constantly pursued by the paparazzi, and he himself periodically gives reasons for the discontent of his subjects. Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia and their children are a favorite topic of discussion among the people and the media.

Dynasty

On April 30, 1946, the heir to the royal family of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, was born. The Bernadotte dynasty has been on the throne of Sweden for almost 200 years. The founder of the royal family was Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte. He was not at all of an aristocratic origin, Jean-Baptiste was born in the family of a Gascon lawyer. But due to the difficult financial situation, he entered the military service and made a dizzying career in Napoleon's army. Marshal Bernadotte showed himself to be a very humane person when dealing with the captured Swedes, which made him a very popular person in this country. And when in 1810 there was a monarchical crisis in the country, KarlXIII and the State Council offered him to become the heir to the throne, but on the only condition - the adoption of Lutheranism. In 1810 he became regent, and in 1818 he ascended the throne under the name of Charles XIV Johan. In 1844, the son of Marshal Oscar I ascended the throne. Today, Sweden is ruled by the seventh representative of the Bernadotte dynasty, Carl XVI Gustaf.

Childhood

Carl XVI Gustav was born the third and became the only son and youngest child in the family of Prince Gustav Adolf, who bears the title of Duke of Västerbotten. At birth, he received the name Carl Gustav Folke Hubertus, but he is usually called only by the first two names. Carl Gustav's father died when the boy was only 9 months old. It was a plane crash. There was an atypical situation when the throne was passed from grandfather to grandson, bypassing a whole step of heirs. When the boy was three years old, his great-grandfather, the king of Sweden, died, and Carl Gustaf officially became crown prince. Grandfather from an early age began to prepare his grandson for the ascension to the throne, he understood that the child needed special education and special skills and qualities. Therefore, it is difficult to call the childhood of Carl Gustav happy. He was constantly reminded of the mission entrusted to him. Fortunately, his childhood was spent surrounded by loving women: his mother and four older sisters took care of his upbringing and, of course, spoiled the boy. But grandfather always tried to keep him strict.

Education

Traditionally, the future monarch received primary education at home. He was taught palace etiquette,languages, history of Sweden. Then he was sent to a boarding school in the suburbs of Stockholm. There, Carl Gustav experienced certain difficulties, as he suffered from dyslexia and did not perceive printed text well. Later he was given to another private boarding house. From childhood, the prince was a shy and not very sociable child. To overcome these qualities, he joined the Scouts. And all his life he warmly remembers that movement and is the patron of scouts in Sweden. For higher education, the prince enters the university in Uppsala, where he studies sociology, political science, history, economics and tax law. He later completed his education at Stockholm University, where he learned the basics of the national economy.

Preparing to reign

Gustav's grandfather personally developed a program to prepare him for the ascension to the throne. In order for the monarch to have a complete picture of how the state functions, his grandfather sent him for internships and internships in all ministries and departments of the country. He visited schools, factories, rural enterprises, deeply immersed himself in the study of the work of the courts, social security services, and government activities. In this regard, there was not only education, but also compulsory sports. Carl Gustav studied horseback riding, yachting, water sports. He kept these passions for the rest of his life. Since the monarch in Sweden is more of a representative figure, even at the stage of preparation for accession to the throne, Carl Gustav had an internship at the international missions of Sweden in variouscountries. Also, the future monarch had to serve two and a half years in the armed forces of Sweden. He served in all branches of the military, but he especially liked the activities of the fleet - he always loved the sea. Thus, the future king spent many years preparing to assume the supreme power in the country and was generally prepared for the duties that awaited him.

Coronation

In August 1973, Carl Gustav was called to his grandfather, who was very ill. For several weeks, the grandson did not leave the sick bed. The current monarch, a 92-year-old man, tried to pass on all his experience to the future king, a 27-year-old young man. On September 15, 1973, Carl XVI Gustaf informed the people from the balcony of the royal palace of the death of the monarch. On September 19, the coronation of the youngest ruler in the history of Sweden took place. In his speech, he voiced, according to the established tradition, his motto: “For Sweden, keeping up with the times!”

Life of a King

In modern Sweden, the king must stay out of politics, he is even forbidden to publicly express any political preferences. Carl XVI Gustaf, whose biography is forever connected with the life of the country, focused his efforts on representing Sweden on the world stage. He also regularly visits all regions of the country, inspects the work of state services and departments. The list of duties of the king is quite long. He annually opens a new season of the work of parliament, he has to receive and present credentials to ambassadors of foreign states. Carl XVI Gustaf isChairman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, occupies the highest position in the armed forces and, in connection with this, hosts parades, inspects the army. In addition, he participates in various forums, congresses, symposiums, opens exhibitions and various public events. The King has the honorable duty of presenting the Nobel Prizes. He travels a lot around the world, representing Sweden at the highest level events, such as the Olympics, international meetings in honor of anniversaries. As part of official visits, the royal couple visited Russia three times.

Community activities

The king's days are scheduled by the minute, his calendar is scheduled for the year ahead. But he still has time for social activity. Carl XVI Gustaf is the honorary chairman of the World Organization of Scouts, respected by him since childhood. From an early age, the king was concerned about environmental issues, and he heads the Swedish branch of the World Wildlife Fund. Carl Gustav is a member of many different committees and unions and oversees the activities of several sports organizations in Sweden.

Private life

Carl XVI Gustav, whose photos regularly appear in the media, tries to lead a lifestyle that corresponds to the status of a symbol of the nation. He does a lot of sports: yachting, diving, skiing, horseback riding. The monarch has repeatedly participated in the 90-kilometer cross-country skiing marathon. The king has been struggling with dyslexia all his life and has achieved greatgood luck with that.

Wife and children

While still a prince, Carl Gustav meets translator Silvia Sommerlat at the Olympic Games in Munich. A spark ran between the young people from the very first meeting. For a while, they met in secret so that the royal family would not find out anything. But feelings grew stronger, and in 1976 the couple got married. They got married in a Lutheran church, and the whole of Sweden watched the ceremony. The couple had children: two daughters and a son. The royal family, consisting of King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia and their three children, is a symbol of stability and unity for Sweden. Despite various rumors and attempts to compromise the royal couple, they fulfill their duties to the people with dignity and deserve respect.

Queen Silvia is actively engaged in social and charitable activities, she heads several large foundations of great social significance. In 1979, the country's Parliament decided that the succession to the royal throne would be based on seniority, regardless of the gender of the heir. Thus, Princess Victoria became the heiress of the first line. The family lives at Drottningsholm Castle in Stockholm. At the initiative of the royal couple, the residence became open to the general public. In 2010, Princess Victoria got married and settled with her family in the suburbs of the capital. In 2012, the couple had a girl - Princess Estelle. In 2010, the son of the monarch also got married; his son was born in 2016. In 2013, the King's youngest daughter Madeleine alsogot married. In this marriage, the grandson and granddaughter of the king were born.

Awards

Royal activity has been rewarded more than once. Carl Gustav is a holder of the Order of the Seraphim, sovereign of the orders of the Polar Star, the Sword, Vasa, Charles 13, and also the owner of countless awards from foreign countries.

Subjects and the King

Carl XVI Gustaf, whose family is constantly under the scrutiny of the public, causes mixed feelings among the people of Sweden. Members of the royal family have their fans and detractors. There is a whole stratum of people who believe that those 10-15 million euros that the maintenance of monarchs costs the treasury is an absolutely unreasonable waste of taxpayers' money. But there is also a large army of Swedes who believe that the king is a symbol of stability and tradition, and the institution of the monarchy should be preserved.

Royal scandals

Royal privacy is subject to constant media and public scrutiny. The monarch says that nothing human is alien to him. And journalists have repeatedly recorded how Carl Gustav indulges in the joys of life. From his youth, he paid increased attention to the ladies, and for a long time he could not get rid of this habit. In 2010, the book "Carl XVI Gustav, unwitting monarch" was published, around which a terrible scandal erupted. This work was an unauthorized biography of the monarch. Carl Gustav did not deny anything, he simply stated that all this was“deeds of the past.”

No less scandals were caused by the life of Princess Madeleine, who before her marriage loved to spend time in clubs and constantly got into binders.

Interesting facts

Carl XVI Gustav dreamed of being a steam locomotive driver as a child. At the age of three, he learned to play the harmonica and has not forgotten about this hobby until now.

At the king's wedding with Sylvia, the ABBA group sang, which dedicated the song "Dancing Queen" to the bride.

The king's daughter Victoria has inherited his disease - dyslexia, she has serious difficulties with reading and writing. The king was able to overcome his illness through incredible efforts.