The Swedish king and queen celebrated 50 years of marriage in Stockholm in June. This was the second time in Sweden’s history that a king and queen have celebrated their golden wedding.
On a sunny Saturday, June 13, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia held a thanksgiving service in the Royal Palace Church, followed by a rowing trip on the royal sloop Vasaorden along Stockholm’s waterways, a horse-drawn carriage procession through central Stockholm, and a concert in the name of love at Kungsträdgården.
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The 22-piece Swedish Army Band (SAB) included ABBA’s 1976 mega-hit Dancing Queen on the setlist for good reason: aside from being the most famous song by Sweden’s biggest band, it was also performed live for the royal couple on the eve of their wedding. Symbolism matters, especially on a day like this, and ABBA encapsulates an image of modern Sweden as joyous, multilingual, and ahead of its time. The past 50 years have transformed this country, its monarchy, and its armed forces.
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The last time in Sweden’s history that a king and queen celebrated 50 years of marriage was in 1907, when King Oscar II and Queen Sofia celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. But in 1976, they had small children at home and could watch the wedding on TV.
The King and Queen of Sweden’s Gold Wedding, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
Feature image (top) © Elisabeth Toll/The Royal Court of Sweden