In a documentary, the sovereign of Sweden put his foot in the dish by regretting that the repeal of the Salic law removed his boy from the throne.
Through Marc Fourny
© PONTUS LUNDAHL / TT News Agency via AFP
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EStill a monarchy under tension… After the settling of scores within the Windsors and the humiliation of the younger branch in Denmark, here is the King of Sweden who comes out of the woods to belittle his daughter Victoria, heiress to the throne. To celebrate his fifty years of reign, Carl XVI Gustaf found nothing better than to express his regrets at not seeing his son succeed him on the throne…
In an official interview with Swedish broadcaster SVT, the sovereign hinted that his son Carl Philip has clearly been wronged compared to his older sister Victoria. Born after her, Carl Philip was the heir to the throne only a few months before the repeal of the Salic law by Parliament in 1980, which suddenly demoted him in favor of his sister… that has still not digested, it seems, the king of Denmark, who retains a preference for his boy.
Victoria humiliated
“I still think it’s not a good idea to have laws that work retroactively. That doesn’t sound wise. We can accept that for the next generation. But my son, Prince Carl Philip, was born and all that was taken away from him. It’s quite strange. You can’t do that…” And when asked if he thinks it’s unfair, he answers in the affirmative: “As a parent, I think it’s terrible. »
Extremely clumsy remarks that directly affect the Crown and the principle of succession, not to mention the media humiliation inflicted on his daughter Victoria in front of the whole nation. We can already imagine the atmosphere in the salons of Drottningholm Palace during the next family reunion…
royal blunder
Aware of the royal blunder, the Palace reacted by asking the SVT channel to add a new exchange with the king to the documentary, in order to clarify its point. “A prince is born as heir to the throne,” he explains. A decision was made months later, establishing new conditions. I think he took it well. I did not perceive any problem between brother and sister, they get on well, ”wants to specify the sovereign of Sweden in order to prevent any controversy. And to weave laurels to his daughter, called to sit one day on the famous silver throne, the one made for Queen Christine in the 17th century.e century: “She is very committed, I understood that. Victoria is already aware of her responsibility. She is at the age of maturity, but still remains a young woman. »
READ ALSOVictoria of Sweden on the verge of divorce? The Palace tries to put out the fireAt 76, King Carl Gustaf has no intention of abdicating, he has always been firm on this point, even if the polls are much more favorable to his daughter Victoria, 45, who is increasing commitments and official outings to prepare for the function. Married to a commoner, Daniel Westling, her ex-sports coach, mother of two children, Estelle and Oscar, she recently faced rumors about her couple, which were quickly denied. Polyglot, trained at the University of Uppsala, in Sweden, Victoria has also made stays in France, in Angers, as well as at Yale University, in the United States. And when the time comes for the succession, she will be the first queen of Sweden to accede to the throne for three centuries.