It’s going to be a big year for King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia!
The Swedish Royal Court announced that celebrations are forthcoming for both King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 80th birthday in April and the royal couple’s 50th wedding anniversary in June.
Further details will be released closer to each anniversary, but the royals have already shared that on 30 April, the Swedish king’s birthday, a Te Deum will be held in his honour at the Royal Palace’s chapel. Afterwards, a military honour guard will be on display and the public will have a chance to greet their king; and in the evening, a gala dinner for invited guests.
On 19 June, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will celebrate 50 years of marriage. However, because their wedding anniversary—which is also shared by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel—falls on Midsummer, they will instead publicly celebrate on 13 June.
The royal couple will attend a Te Deum and take a carriage ride around Stockholm to celebrate, and a host of events are yet to be announced. The Royal Palace will also play host to an exhibit about their wedding.
To spark the celebrations, the Swedish Royal Court released three new portraits of the royal couple. A joint photograph of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia in their regalia is accompanied by individual portraits.
In King Carl XVI Gustaf’s portrait, he is wearing an Admiral’s uniform with the Order of the Seraphim sash, badge and kraschan. He also wears the Orders of the Sword and Vasa, as well as several medals related to Swedish and Norwegian monarchs. King Gustaf V, King Gustaf VI Adolf, King Haakon VII, King Olav V, and King Harald are all represented with medal placements.
Queen Silvia, meanwhile, wears her Order of the Seraphim and her Royal Family Order featuring her husband’s miniature. As a nod to her Brazilian roots, she is wearing the Brazilian tiara, otherwise known as the Braganza tiara.
The Braganza tiara dates back to 1829, made from diamonds that belonged to Empress Maria Leopoldina of Brazil. Upon her death in 1873, the tiara was inherited by her sister, Queen Josephine of Sweden and Norway, and has stayed in the Swedish Royal Family ever since, worn only by queens.
More details about the upcoming Swedish celebrations can be found here.
