Carlos Gustavo of Sweden, aged 76, celebrates his half-century on the throne in 2023, the longest reign in his country’s history. Descendant of the Marshal of the Napoleonic Empire Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, who gave his name to the dynasty, the anniversary comes with 60% citizen support for the Swedish monarchy. The figure remains stable in the polls, contrasting with the lukewarmness of Parliament and the government towards the institution itself. Although there has been no recent movement in search of the republic, writer Herman Lindqvist, biographer of the sovereign, confirms the degree of Popular acceptance of the Crown while noting the existence of “Republican feelings among most politicians of all parties”. That January, the surprise caused by persistent opposition to the abolition of the 1980 Salic Act, which made his eldest daughter Victoria crown princess, forced him to emphasize his support for the future Queen of Sweden.
The crown fell to Carlos Gustavo in dramatic fashion. He was born on April 30, 1946, the fifth child (and only son) of Gustav Adolf, Prince of Sweden and heir apparent to the throne, and Sibyl, Princess of Saxe-Coburg. Nine months later, his father died in a plane crash in Denmark at the age of 40. The tragedy changed the line of succession, and after the death of his great-grandfather King Gustav V in 1950 and the subsequent enthronement of his grandfather Gustav Adolf VI. became the current Swedish king heir at the age of just four. Gustavo Adolfo VI reigned for two decades, and Carlos Gustavo was only 27 when he succeeded him in 1973.
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“Then the current Swedish monarch was the youngest in the world and he didn’t feel prepared,” explains Herman Lindqvist, who gave history lessons to Princess Victoria, via email. “I was often criticized and ridiculed in the media and the wind was blowing strongly from the left. Then Prime Minister Olof Palme said we were one step away from the republic. And that the Swedish king studied two and a half years in the land, sea and air army before ascending the throne and also studied economics, history, political science, law and sociology at the Universities of Uppsala and Stockholm. The author assures that things have changed for the king by marrying Silvia Sommerlath: “She was young and beautiful, and the family she founded and the positive effect of Queen Silvia was enormous.”
The couple met in 1972 at the Olympic Games in Munich, where the native German worked as a stewardess and interpreter, and they married in 1976. Carlos Gustavo had been on the throne for three years at the time of their marriage and was small. Often a king of his age was single. A close precedent is cited for Baudouin of Belgium, who ruled for almost a decade when he married Spanish aristocrat Fabiola de Mora y Aragón in 1960 at the age of 30.
King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden at a religious ceremony in Uppsala on October 4, 2022. Michael Campanella (Getty Images)
Until 1975, Carlos Gustavo of Sweden played a role in the administration of the country: from signing government decisions to appointing the person who would form a new government. Later, a constitutional amendment made its function symbolic. Among other things, supporters brought him the modernization of the monarchy, a gesture similar to that of other European royal houses. As of 2019, only he and the Queen consort, as well as the Crown Princess and her husband Daniel, receive public funds. “They are the main representatives of Sweden in the country and before other states,” it said at the time in the royal palace. In second and third place are Princess Estelle, her eldest granddaughter, and her brother, Prince Oscar.
The monarch has dyslexia, as do his children, Victoria and Carlos Felipe. “Everyone knows he’s not a good conversationalist,” recalls his biographer Herman Lindqvist. His criticism of the Salic law change, voiced in a documentary for public television SVT (brought forward on its website on January 8 and aired on the 12th), is nothing new. However, they had never caused the current stir before. As previously noted by the cameras, lifting the rule retrospectively appears to have been a mistake for him as his son, Prince Carlos Felipe (aged 43), had already been born and it would have been best if he had taken the next step Generation. The repeal followed legal requirements: in 1978 there was a first vote in parliament and a year later general elections were held, followed by a second parliamentary vote. And it came into effect in 1980. “The king says he feels sorry for his son because he was born an heir and then they took him away, but he is speaking on behalf of a baby who could not have an opinion on the matter,” the Swedish commentator says of the subjects of the royal house of Sara Mitchell-Malm. In a phone conversation, he adds: “Carlos Felipe lives a quiet life and his wife Sofía Hellqvist is a clear example of how a commoner can enter a royal family and become one of their finest assets.” According to this journalist, there was no malice in the king’s words; “But a lot of people could interpret it as an attack on Princess Victoria. His work is excellent and he is the most beloved member of the royal family.”
After the TV interview was taped for SVT, the Swedish royal family’s information managers called the journalist to clarify things. “In a second shot, the sovereign said the same thing about the succession, and both moments appear on the show,” explains Mitchell-Malm. Seeing the negative reaction, Carlos Gustavo issued a statement saying he was “deeply hurt” and warned that his words should not be taken as criticism of Princess Victoria. “I’m proud of her,” he added. For his part, the prince has expressed his support for his father and sister. “Carlos Felipe was shy and introverted before he met Sofía, his wife. It changed him completely, but the general feeling is that not having to govern was a relief for him,” says Lindqvist.
Princess Victoria with her father, King Carl Gustaf, at an event in Stockholm in 2019. Michael Campanella (Getty Images)
For Swedes under 60, Carl Gustaf is the only king they have ever known. “He can be funny in interviews, he likes to joke; Overall it’s good to see,” explains the commentator. Mitchell-Malm adds: “He came forward with the book about his personal life after the scandal, which alleged spousal infidelity and that there were paid female company at private parties organized by his friends. I don’t think this Salic Law thing leaves much of a mark.” “Of course there was dissent, but not enough to debate the oppression of the monarchy,” he claims. The book in question was entitled Carl XVI Gustav, Den motvillige monarken (Charles XVI Gustaf, The Reticent Monarch) and after its release in 2010, the King himself admitted that he had spoken to his family and to the Queen: “We are looking ahead: these things happened a long time ago.” Lindqvist concludes by saying that the current storm over the succession will clear up. “People are supporting Victoria and waiting for her.”