The jubilee year for King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has officially begun, with the first official event surrounding celebrations taking place.
The Royal Palace of Stockholm was the setting for the Sweden Dinner hosted by the King and Queen Silvia for those who have made significant contributions to Sweden.
Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia also attended the event with government representatives from all of Sweden’s counties.
They were treated to performances by the Army’s band under the direction of Fredrik Burstedt; they performed various music from the 16th century to the present day before premiering a new march composed by Erik Berndalen as a gift for the King’s 50th anniversary on the throne.
The royals and their guests then moved to Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s Dining Hall before dinner, where the Royal Family greeted their 200 guests before everyone took their seats in the White Sea Ballroom.
Chef of the Year 2022, Jessie Sommarström, was in charge of the menu that featured charcoal-grilled beetroot, baked Mälargös with glazed cabbage, and baked winter apple with ice cream on artichoke, among other items.
The King gave a speech during the meal where he thanked those in attendance for representing Sweden well and for attending the dinner. He said: “You do not only represent your respective hometowns. You represent Sweden. And you are all doing fantastic work for our country.”
He also encouraged them to interact with one another and create new friends and shared his and the Queen’s excitement over their plans to visit all of Sweden’s 21 counties during the jubilee year.
The first visit begins next month in Södermanland County.
The Sweden Dinner is just the beginning of a very busy year for the Swedish royals celebrating King Carl Gustaf and the 500th anniversary of Sweden as a country.
