As King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrates his Golden Jubilee, let’s look at some of the causes close to his heart.
The Swedish Royal House website lists the environment, nature and conservation, Scouting, technology and cars, art, music, food and sports among the causes the King passionately supports.
The King also has 61 patronages listed on his official web page; though these include honorary memberships as well. Patronages from members of the Swedish Royal Family are time sensitive, usually for a period of five years, and are sourced by organisations through applications sent to the Royal Court.
Among King Carl XVI Gustaf’s patronages are the African Medical and Research Foundation Sweden; the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences; Djurgården’s Hembygdsförening; the Swedish Red Cross; and Sweden’s National Sports Confederation.
The King’s environmental passions stem back to childhood. The Royal Court said that it “laid the foundation for a long-term commitment to issues relating to the environment and nature conservation.”
Among his environmental patronages and appointments—stemming into nature, conservation, animal and wildlife—are Outdoor Promotion, The Forest Association, The Natural Step Foundation, and the Swedish Wetlands Foundation.
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s involvement with the World Scout Foundation stems back to his early years. A new foundation called Young Leadership was formed ahead of his 60th birthday to encourage young people to learn the values of the Scouts in their everyday lives.
The King also counts the Swedish Scout Association and the Swedish Scout Council among his patronages.
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s interest in automobiles also dates to his early life, “He was wooed on his fifth birthday with a wheelbarrow, trowel, bricks, garden tools and a yoke with two buckets. Interest in motoring has persisted.”
Among his auto-centric patronages, there are the Royal Automobile Club, the Royal Motorboat Club and the Royal Swedish Aeroclub.
Arts and culture, particularly art and music and food, are among the King’s chief interests. He is involved with the Friends of Artists; the Gastronomic Academy; The Royal Academy of Liberal Arts; Lund Culture; the Royal Vitterhets History and Antiquities Academy; the Stockholm Concert Hall Foundation; the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography; Sweden’s General Art Association; and Orphei Drängar.
Sports are important to King Carl XVI Gustaf as well. He supports the Central Association for the Promotion of Sports in Sweden; The Royal Swedish Sailing Society; the Swedish Lifesaving Society – Swimming promotion; the Swedish Exercise Day (Korpen Swedish Exercise Sports Federation); and supporting Swedish Olympians and Paralympians.
A full list of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s patronages can be found here.
