King Carl XVI Gustaf presented the Solliden Prize to Pav Johnsson, a nature expert, in a ceremony in Öland at Solliden Palace on Thursday.
King Carl XVI Gustaf was accompanied by Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria, who were dressed in traditional Öland folk costumes for the ceremony.
The Solliden Prize is presented annually to “a person who has made a recognised effort or achievement in any area or has taken measures or taken initiatives that promote the island’s interests and development or which have made contributions to Öland’s pious for a long time,” per the Royal House’s website.
Pav Johnsson received the award for his love and knowledge of the natural world in Sweden and particularly in Öland.
“This year’s laureate is a passionate folk artist with solid knowledge of Öland’s birds and nature,” the Royal House announced.
The knowledge is something that he “generously shares as soon as he gets a chance. His work resonates in classrooms, in rural gardens and in the nature he loves, and through radio, television and books, he reaches an audience far beyond the boundaries of the landscape.”
Johnsson found out that he’d won the Solliden Prize in June during a nature talk, which was interrupted because his phone kept ringing. He told Ölands Bladet, a newspaper, that he was urged to answer because it was important, and that he was shocked to learn why he was being called.
“I was really surprised,” Johnsson told the newspaper. “These are the giants who have received the prize before. I only came to Öland in 1998. I thought it was too short, I didn’t have three generations back. But I’m humbly surprised, I really didn’t think [I’d receive it].”
Crown Princess Victoria received the Solliden Award in 2018. Other past recipients include an athlete, a musician, a footballer, a farmer, a sound engineer, and an entomologist.
The Royal Family of Sweden spends its summer months at Solliden Palace, and Crown Princess Victoria’s birthday is celebrated every year at Solliden, where members of the public are able to visit the family’s private summer residence to give her birthday greetings in person.
