Royals
King Carl Gustaf remembers Prince Philip
© Dana Press
In a new interview, King Carl Gustaf talks about his friend, the late Prince Philip.
Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf, 74, gives a podcast interview for the radio station “Värvet” in the run-up to his 75th birthday on April 30, 2021. In it he philosophizes about his life. Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021 at the age of 99, is also discussed. “He was a wonderful person, so warm-hearted and very humorous, always with a twist,” recalls Carl Gustaf of Queen Elizabeth’s husband, 94. The two of them met when Carl Gustaf was still a teenager. The Swedish king thinks back fondly on a boat trip that Prince Charles, 72, and Princess Anne, 70, also took part in.
Prince Philip made King Carl Gustaf laugh
The group apparently had to drive through a sluice at that time, which had quickly spread among the people. Some people then gathered and curiously watched the royals as they went about their project. According to Carl Gustaf, Prince Philip commented on the scene with his typical dry sense of humor: “Now I know what it feels like to be a butterfly in a museum.” King Carl Gustaf “always fondly remembered this story,” he says in the podcast.
© Dana Press
The Swedish monarch wanted to meet Queen Elizabeth’s husband again, but …
Unfortunately, there was no last meeting with Prince Philip before his death, says Carl Gustaf with regret: “About a year ago we made contact and tried to arrange a visit. I was afraid that it would [sein Tod, Anm. d. Red.] The monarch does not explain why the reunion failed. However, it is obvious that the regulations caused by the corona pandemic prevented the meeting.
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The pandemic also made it impossible for King Carl Gustaf to bid farewell to Prince Philip on April 17, 2021 at St. George’s Chapel. Apparently, the 74-year-old followed the funeral service on television. He explains: “It was a very soulful and beautiful funeral. Different, of course. I would have loved to have attended the funeral.”
Despite his death, King Carl Gustaf is happy about the long life that Prince Philip was given: “Prince Philip was almost 100 years old. Fantastic!”
Sources used: Dana Press, Radio Väret