Sweden marks king and queen's 50th wedding anniversary
Crowds packed the streets of Stockholm on Saturday to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, cheering as the couple paraded through the capital. The popular royal couple married on June 19, 1976, four years after the then-playboy and car-enthusiast crown prince met Silvia Sommerlath, a German-born commoner working as an interpreter at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Celebrations for the golden jubilee were held on June 13 to avoid coinciding with Sweden's Midsummer's Eve holiday, which falls this year on June 19. The king and queen, aged 80 and 82 respectively, kicked off the day with a morning thanksgiving service, called a Te Deum, in the palace chapel. After a palace lunch, they boarded the royal barge Vasaorden, with the queen dressed in a coral-red suit and a pillbox hat.
Under sunny skies, they were rowed across the water before transferring to a horse-drawn carriage for a procession through the capital. Thousands of Swedes gathered along the route, waving and cheering as the couple made their way to a love-themed concert in central Kungstradgarden park. A special jubilee concert was also scheduled at the Royal Opera, before a private dinner at the palace for friends and family.
In an interview with newspaper Dagens Nyheter at their royal residence ahead of the jubilee, the couple spoke candidly about their relationship. The queen praised the king's "humour", "sense of duty" and "honesty", while he described her as "unbelievably considerate". Asked what irritates them about each other, the queen joked: "There are so many things!" The king, in turn, teased her habit of shutting herself away in rooms "all the time".
"Yes, so no one can find you. We have quite a few rooms out here so there are lots of possibilities," he said. Reflecting more seriously, the king said successful relationships for couples just starting out take work. "You have to be prepared that it may not be as rosy as you imagined. You have to be humble and accept that there may be uphill struggles." Sweden has marked several royal milestones recently, including an 80th birthday bash for the king in April and his 50th anniversary on the throne in September 2023.
A keen hunter and sportsman, the king is the longest-reigning Swedish monarch and also the European monarch with the longest reign, 52 years. The royal couple have three children: Crown Princess Victoria, 48, Prince Carl Philip, 47, and Princess Madeleine, 44. Despite occasional scandals -- notably claims in a 2010 book alleging he frequented sex clubs and had numerous affairs -- the king remains broadly popular. A recent poll by the Novus institute found that 69 percent of Swedes believe he represents the country well.
