Sweden’s longest-tenured consort turns 80

Queen Silvia of Sweden marks her 80th birthday today, but who is the longest-tenured consort in Swedish history? We discuss the German-born wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf as she celebrates a milestone birthday.

Silvia Renate Sommerlath was born on 23 December 1943 in Heidelberg, Germany, to Walther and Alice Sommerlath. Silvia is half German, through her father, and half Brazilian, through her mother.

Silvia grew up with older three brothers (Ralph, Walther, and Jörg), and from 1947 through 1957, they lived in São Paulo, Brazil, which was their mother’s hometown. During this time, her father worked as the President of the Brazilian subsidiary of Swedish company Uddeholm among other positions during their ten years in South America. While in Brazil, Silvia attended school at the private and bilingual Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro, which is a traditional German school in São Paulo. The family returned to West Germany in 1957.

Silvia graduated from high school in Düsseldorf in 1963. She studied at the Munich School of Interpreting from 1965 to 1969 with a focus on the Spanish language. After graduation, she worked at the Argentinean Consulate in Munich as an interpreter.

The 1972 Summer Olympic Games were held in Munich, Germany, where Silvia was working as an interpreter and host. From 1971 to 1973, she worked for the Organising Committee for the Munich Olympic Games. A polyglot, Silvia’s work at the Olympic Games as an interpreter was a natural fit. She spoke her native German and Portuguese, French, Spanish, and English. When she accepted the position, she had no clue how her life would soon change.

The then Crown Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden travelled to Germany to support the Swedish athletes. At the time, he was the heir apparent to the Swedish throne. While there, he was introduced to a beautiful hostess by the name of Silvia, whose job was to guide some of the high-profile guests attending the games. That day, he asked Silvia out on a date, and just a few hours later they had dinner. As he would later say, they ‘just clicked’ after their initial meeting.

Carl Gustaf became King Carl XVI Gustaf the next year after the death of his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolph on 15 September 1973.

Silvia visited Carl Gustaf in Stockholm several times, and reportedly once disguised herself in a blonde wig to throw off the press. By the beginning of 1973, the couple had been photographed together riding in a car by a Swedish journalist. Many people at the time assumed the mysterious woman in the car was Margarita of Romania since the King had previously been linked to her. By 1974, Silvia had moved into an apartment in Stockholm, which was owned by Carl Gustaf’s older sister, Princess Christina.

On 12 March 1976, they announced their engagement. He proposed with his late mother, Princess Sibylla’s engagement ring.

Sweden’s future queen would go on to work as the Deputy Head of Protocol of the Organising Committee in 1976 for the Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. They waited to announce their engagement until she had completed her duties with the Olympic Games that year.

They were married on 19 June 1976 at Stockholm Cathedral in the Swedish capital, two days after Silvia became a Swedish citizen. Their wedding was the first of a reigning Swedish monarch since 1797.

Sweden’s queen admitted that she felt lonely during the first year of her marriage and life in Sweden due to the lack of a female guide on life as a queen. She explained that His Majesty’s sisters, especially Princess Christina were always there to lend an ear and give advice.

Their first child, the then Princess Victoria was born on 14 July 1977. On 13 May 1979, their only son the then Crown Prince Carl Philip was born. In 1980, the laws of succession in Sweden were changed to absolute primogeniture. This made Victoria the Crown Princess of Sweden and changed her brother’s title to just Prince Carl Philip. Their youngest child, Princess Madeleine was born on 10 June 1982. After her birth, the family moved to Drottningholm Palace.

Her Majesty works with many charitable organisations, but one that is closest to her heart is the World Childhood Foundation which she founded in 1999. It aims to support children who have been victims of abuse and sexual exploitation, street children, children in alternative care and families at risk in more than 100 programmes annually in 17 countries.

Silvia and Carl Gustaf have eight grandchildren: Princess Estelle, Prince Oscar, Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Prince Julian, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas and Princess Adrienne.