King Carl Gustaf of Sweden: Crises shaped his life – until the great change

King Carl Gustaf of Sweden
Crises shaped his life – until the great turning point

King Carl XVI. Gustaf of Sweden is 75 years old.

© Linda Broström Kungl. Hovstaterna / Linda Broström, The Royal Court of Sweden

King Carl Gustaf of Sweden celebrates his 75th birthday on April 30th. His in jubilation, but there were also many crises life.

King Carl XVI. Gustaf of Sweden celebrates his 75th birthday on April 30th. Reason enough to look back on an unusual life. As a young Crown Prince, he was known for his love of fast cars, beautiful women, and parties. But the life of what was once the youngest monarch in the world was not always easy. The Scandinavian monarch had to endure these crises:

His father died when Carl Gustaf was nine months old

Even the start in life is not easy for little Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus Bernadotte, who was born on April 30, 1946 at Haga Castle near Stockholm. Because his father, the Hereditary Prince of Sweden, died in a plane crash in January 1947. The future king grew up with his mother, the German Princess Sibylla (1908-1972), his four older sisters and the grandfather, King Gustav VI. Adolf (1882-1973), on.

After the death of his grandfather, he becomes king at the age of only 27

1973 his grandfather dies. At the age of 27, Prince Carl Gustaf ascends the Swedish throne. He is only one year older than Queen Elizabeth II (95) when she was enthroned and at that time the youngest monarch in the world. He is considered shy and he does not like to give speeches because of his reading and spelling weaknesses. The monarchy critics sense their chance. In 1975 the constitution is reformed by the Swedish parliament and the king is deprived of almost all political participation rights.

His love for a commoner from Germany

At this point in time he made his “best decision in life”, as ZDF-Royal expert Julia Melchior called it in an interview with spot on news: Carl Gustaf wants to marry Silvia Sommerlath (77) from Germany, the fair hostess he Had met in 1972 at the Olympic Games in Munich. A German as a Swedish queen? Not everyone liked this idea at the time. But the king prevailed: in 1976 the dream wedding was celebrated in Stockholm. Marrying a commoner is only possible because Carl Gustaf is already king at this point – otherwise he would have had to renounce the throne. But Silvia can convince as queen: to this day she is extremely popular with the Swedes.

Changes in Succession Law

The royal offspring is not long in coming. Princess Victoria saw the light of day in 1977, Crown Prince Carl Philip in 1979. One year later, the Swedish Parliament changed the rules of succession – regardless of gender, the firstborn should now inherit the throne – and Victoria becomes Crown Princess. The king is against it, such a task is “too difficult for a girl”, he thinks. But the parliamentarians had decided.

Crown Princess Victoria loves her fitness trainer

Crown Princess Victoria (43) is actually under too much pressure at some point, and she develops an eating disorder. At the end of the 1990s, it’s not just parents who are very worried about them, whoever is interested in royals suffers too. Victoria goes to the USA to study. When she returned in 2000, she was considered cured. But sport remains important to them. How important will be revealed by 2009 at the latest. Because the king lets her fidget until he finally gives in and Victoria is allowed to get engaged to her long-time friend (since 2001), fitness trainer Daniel Westling (47). Not an easy decision for the king.

Red light milieu rumors and extramarital escapades

As conservative as Carl Gustaf was at that time, in the year of the wedding of his first-born and in the following year 2011, a great scandal shook the royal family. In the center: the king himself. The red light milieu rumors can be invalidated as falsifications, but the extramarital escapades are supposed to have been true. At this point the king is unpopular than ever.

Princess Madeleine flees to New York

When all this comes out, there is no stopping the royal couple’s youngest daughter, Princess Madeleine of Sweden (38). She flees to New York. Because before the king’s scandal became known, he had asked his baby to break off his engagement with Jonas Bergström (42) because of his affair with an athlete. That happened in April 2010, a few weeks before Victoria’s wedding and a few months before the scandal … Madeleine found happiness in New York with businessman Christopher O’Neill (46). The family now lives in Florida.

The happy twist

But then comes the turning point and one happy event after the other: engagement, wedding, pregnancy, birth, baptism, engagement, wedding … All in all, the Swedish royal family has now organized three romantic weddings, and the royal couple has already organized eight Grandchildren are given for free. Except for the youngest addition to the family, Julian, who saw the light of day in March 2021, everyone is already old enough to serenade their grandfather on his jubilee day today: Grattis pa födelsedagen!

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