Carl XVI Gustaf
(His motto is ‘For Sweden – with the times.’)
King Carl XVI Gustaf is the seventh monarch of the House of Bernadotte. He was born on 30 April 1946 as the fifth child and only son of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla.
Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf died in an air crash in Denmark the following year.
In 1950, Carl Gustaf became Crown Prince of Sweden when his great-grandfather Gustaf V died and was succeeded by the then 68-year-old Gustaf VI Adolf, the Crown Prince’s grandfather.
As head of state, the King is Sweden’s foremost unifying symbol. According to the 1974 constitution, the monarch has no political affinity and no formal powers. The King’s duties are mainly of a ceremonial and representative nature.
King Carl XVI Gustaf has a strong commitment to the global environment and is a recognised authority on environmental issues. Among other things, he has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Award. He is likewise deeply committed to the preservation of Sweden’s cultural heritage and considers it important that the public has access to the royal palaces with their collections and parks.
Swedish monarchs date back around a thousand years and have belonged to eleven dynasties, with the current one, the House of Bernadotte, ruling the longest.
The Swedish Royal Family is related to all the reigning royal courts of Europe.
