King Carl Gustaf: Sister Princess Christina stood by him

King Carl Gustav
Sister Christina helped him in a difficult task

This is sibling love: King Carl Gustaf, 77, has overcome his fear of making speeches thanks to his older sister Princess Christina, 80. The Regent suffers from dyslexia.

King Carl Gustaf: First speech as regent at 27

“My admired and beloved grandfather became the symbol of the modern monarchy.” With these words, Carl Gustaf began his first speech to the nation as Swedish head of state in 1973. King after the death of his grandfather Gustav Adolf, †90, on September 15 he was proclaimed king – at the age of just 27 years. His father, Hereditary Prince Gustav Adolf, † 40, died in a plane crash in 1947 when Carl Gustaf was nine months old. His mother, Princess Sybilla, died of cancer in 1972 at the age of 64.

Princess Christina helped her brother

So now, at 27, Carl Gustaf – nervous and without his mother or father by his side – had to take his royal oath before the government in the council chambers of the royal palace. Fortunately, his four sisters, Princess Margaretha, 88, Princess Birgitta, 86, Princess Désirée, 85, and Princess Christina sat in the front row to be there for their little brother. Carl Gustaf had a particularly close relationship with Christina.

Dyslexia was the reason for his fear

In the documentation “Kungens innersta krets” (German: “The innermost circle of the king”), the youngest of the so-called “Haga Princesses” remembered the day.

It was a moment that was very special. At least as special for us as for him, I think. All four of us probably had our hearts in our mouths

she said according to “Svensk Damtidning”. Much of the anxiety that built up before his speech had to do with the king’s dyslexia. Like his son Prince Carl Philip, 44, Carl Gustaf also has a dyslexia. Some of the words in the speech should have been replaced to make things easier for the king.

Words had to be changed

“Of course he had received a proposal for a speech and as he was known to have trouble reading speeches we changed a few words,” said Princess Christina, who knew her little brother intimately and had become a confidant and close advisor to him. “Whenever he was like, ‘I can’t say that,’ we changed it.”

“Yes, it was a bit difficult”

King Carl Gustaf was also frightened by the thought that his speech had to be delivered loud and clear so that everyone in the hall and in front of the television screen could understand it. “Yes, it was a bit difficult,” admitted Princess Christina in the documentary. “Then we realized that I was at one end of the room and he was at the other, and then I yelled, ‘You need to speak up, I can’t hear!’. So we went on like that.” His sister’s support eventually helped Carl Gustaf through his debut as king.

Source used: svenskdam.se

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