Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
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| Reign | September 15, 1973 - Present |
| Coronation | No coronation ceremony |
| Accession | September 19, 1973 |
| Royal motto | "För Sverige i tiden" ("For Sweden - With the times") |
| Queen | Silvia Sommerlath |
| Royal House | Bernadotte |
| Predecessor | Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden |
| Heir Apparent | Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden |
| Date of Birth | April 30, 1946 |
| Place of Birth | Haga Palace, Stockholm |
His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus Bernadotte), styled HM The King (born April 30, 1946), is the reigning Swedish monarch. He is the only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, an heir apparent to the throne of Sweden (1906-1947), and his wife, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1908-1972). He was created Duke of Jemtia at birth and acceded to the throne on September 19, 1973, upon the death of his grandfather, King Gustav VI Adolf.
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Education
After graduating from high school, Carl Gustaf completed two and a half years of education in the Army, Navy and Air Force. He completed his exam as Officer of the Deck in 1968. He has also completed academic studies in history, sociology, political science, financial rights and economics at the universities of Uppsala and Stockholm.
To prepare for his role as head of state, Carl Gustaf followed a broad programme of studies on the court system, social organisations and institutions, trade unions, and employers' associations. In addition, he closely studied the affairs of the Parliament, Government, and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Carl Gustaf also spent time at the Swedish Mission to the United Nations and the Swedish International Development Agency, worked at a bank in London, the Swedish Embassy, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France, and at the Alfa Laval company factory in France.
Marriage and Family
The king married Silvia Sommerlath on June 19, 1976. The half German, half Brazilian daughter of a businessman, she met the then Crown Prince at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where she was an interpreter and host. The King and Queen reside at Drottningholm Palace outside Stockholm, and use the Royal Palace of Stockholm as their workplace.
They have three children:
- HRH Princess Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Westrogothia (1977- )
- HRH Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Wermelandia (1979-)
- HRH Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Helsingia and Gestricia (1982-)
Prince Carl Philip was born heir apparent. However a constitutional reform that was already under way at the time of his birth made his older sister, Victoria, the Crown Princess and heiress apparent on January 1, 1980, according to the principles of equal primogeniture.
Royal Duties, Personal Interests
The King's duties are, according to the constitution, of a representative and ceremonial nature. He pays State Visits abroad and receives those to Sweden, opens the Annual Session of the Parliament, Chairs the Special Council held during a change of Government, holds regular Information Councils with Ministers, Chairs the meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council, and receives and signs credentials of foreign ambassadors to Sweden - and signs those of Sweden to other countries. The King holds the highest ranks in the three branches of the Swedish Armed Forces.
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The King is passionate about the environment, technology, agriculture, trade, and industry. In 1994, he delighted Swedes by reportedly saying, in response to the culling of baby seals in neighboring Norway, that a prime minister who couldn't take care of baby seals couldn't be very good at taking care of a country. On his initiative, an international symposium on the environment is held regularly. He is the protector of the Swedish Royal Academies, and takes active part in the proceedings of a few of them. He also is the Honorary Chairman of the World Scout Foundation, and often participates in scout activities both in Sweden and abroad.
Worldwide, Carl XVI Gustaf is probably best known as the presenter of the Nobel Prizes each year. He also hands over the Polar Music Prize.
Dyslexia
For many years, it was widely rumored that the king had dyslexia. Journalists noted that he misspelled his name when signing his accession document, and in 1973, when visiting a copper mine, he misspelled his name when signing it on a rock wall. In an interview on Swedish television in 1997, however, the condition was admitted publicly when his wife addressed the issue. "When he was little, people did not pay attention to the problem," she said. "He didn't get the help he needed." She also noted that the couple's children have "a bit" of dyslexia themselves.
See also
External link
- Royal Court of Sweden (http://www.royalcourt.se/) - Official site
| Preceded by: Gustav VI Adolf | King of Sweden 1973-present | Heiress Apparent: Crown Princess Victoria |
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