Carl XVI Gustaf

King of Sweden

Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden was born on April 30 1946 at Haga Palace, Stockholm. Carl Gustaf is the youngest, and has four older sisters. However, in accordance with the then Act of Succession, at birth he became third in line to the throne after his father and grandfather.

Tragically, the following year, his father Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf was killed in an air crash in Copenhagen. In 1950, Carl Gustaf's grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf became King upon the death of Carl Gustaf's great-grandfather Gustaf V, making Carl Gustaf the Crown Prince of Sweden at the age of four. When Gustaf VI Adolf died in 1973, Carl Gustaf, then only 27 years old became Head of State.

After completing upper senior high school Carl Gustaf in 1966 at Broms and Sigtuna Boarding School. He then began his military service in the Army, Navy and Air Force, his main emphasis being Naval Training.

To prepare himself for his future duties, he followed an academic study program focusing on history, sociology, political science, financial law and economics at Uppsala University. He also studied National Economy at Stockholm University. An especially composed program of field trips was also designed within the national and local authorities.

In 1972, two major events occurred in Carl Gustaf's life: In Stockholm, his mother Princess Sybilla of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha died; and at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games he met his future wife Miss Silvia Sommerlath. Miss Sommerlath was the daughter of the late Walther Sommerlath and his widow Alice, nee de Toledo. Their engagement was announced on March 12 1976, and on June 19 that same year they were married at the Stockholm Cathedral.

The couple have three children, Victoria (July 14 1977), Carl Philip (May 13 1979) and Madeleine (June 10 1982) who reside with their parents at Drottningholm Palace, which has been their residence since 1981 after moving from Stockholm Palace. During the summer, they time is spent at their summer residence Storlien, on the island of Öland. Here they cultivate their various interests, which include water sports, riding, outdoor life and gardening.

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