Stockholm brings together this Thursday the largest number of royalty members from around the globe in quite some time. Perhaps because in this era marked by diplomatic conflicts and wars everything turns gray, almost no one wants to miss the festivities on the occasion of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden's 80th birthday. A very special jubilee to honor a monarch who has already broken all records in his country, including the longest reign, which now exceeds 52 years. In fact, although he has not shown any signs of wanting to step back, the debate of a possible abdication is very present among the Swedes, especially now that he is reaching an advanced age. The retirement of other kings like Queen Margrethe of Denmark is a topic of public discussion.
Whether he decides to remain on the throne or pass it on to his eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, the truth is that Carl Gustaf is experiencing a very sweet moment of popularity. Probably even he can't believe it himself, since in 2010 he was involved in an extraordinary scandal when an investigation in the form of a book revealed his infidelities, his sexual escapades, his dangerous friendships and his fondness for wild parties in highly questionable places. Back then, the Swedes' trust in their sovereign plummeted, and some polls at the time indicated that two out of three people demanded his abdication. Not only that. There was much speculation for a long time about a breakup of the marriage he has with Queen Silvia.
Since then, with a much more humble attitude than before, and a significant increase in the institutional activity of the royal couple -Silvia, the enduring one, has been the great support of the monarchy in the Scandinavian country for a long time and nothing has ever managed to erase her stoic and professional smile-, the head of the Bernadotte family has been regaining the support of his people, and the institution enjoys an enviable stability. A survey from last year by the Novus company indicated that 70% of citizens consider that the royal family represents the country well or very well, and 63% viewed the king's work very positively. It's definitely a reason to celebrate in a big way his 80th birthday on April 30, while the dynasty also prepares to celebrate in June the golden wedding anniversary of Carl Gustaf and Silvia.
It seems like the Bernadotte family spends their days in festivities. And it's because no one beats them in Old Europe in the ease with which they unearth the royal jewelry and display the pomp so closely linked to the Crown. They are, if you will, the antithesis of the current Bourbons in Spain.
The authorities have prepared an extensive program of events for the Jubilee, including a solemn thanksgiving service at the Royal Palace church in Stockholm at the start of the day, followed by fife and drum music and military parades, the monarch's greeting to the people, the performance of choirs singing the king's favorite songs -surely some ABBA songs will be heard-, the official meal at the City Hall, and above all, the gala dinner that will bring together foreign guests, all in formal attire.
Carl Gustaf met Silvia Renate Sommerlath -her maiden name- during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, where she was working as an interpreter and head of protocol in one of the VIP lounges of the main stadium. The monarch would later declare that seeing her made his "click." And it must have been true, as he didn't take long to invite her to dinner and they had a great time those days at one of the trendy nightclubs in the German city.
At that time, Carl Gustaf's grandfather reigned in Sweden -his father had died much earlier in a tragic plane crash-, who would not have allowed such an unequal marriage for his successor. But the death of Gustav VI Adolf in 1973 made Carl Gustaf become king much earlier than expected. And, as a monarch, he insisted on marrying the charming Silvia. However, the wedding had to wait until 1976. In the meantime, it was a romance kept secret for quite some time, and they resorted to simple strategies to avoid being discovered, such as her wearing wigs, as Ingrid Thörnqvist recounts in the book De profesión: Reina. Cómo Silvia de Suecia cambió el mundo.
Rumors of infidelity on the king's part would soon surface. Throughout the decades, there have been talks of three very serious marriage crises, especially the one in 2010 when the media frenzy began to reveal the double life the sovereign was leading.
"I have spoken with my family and with the queen. We turn the page and look ahead because, as I understand it, these matters happened a long time ago," Carl Gustaf said in what was interpreted as an apology to the nation. And it seems that the couple was able to establish a new pact, perhaps with her forgiving her husband for everything, and since then they have shown great complicity and harmony in their public appearances.