Coins of Sweden 50 Kronor Silver Coin 1976 Royal Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia
Commemorative issue: Royal Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia
Obverse: Heads of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia facing front.
Lettering: 16 · JUNI · 1976 KONUNG · CARL · XVI · GUSTAF DROTTNING · SILVIA.
Reverse: Crowned coat of Arms of Sweden with Order Chain and supporters at sides, value below.
Lettering: 50 KR U.
Metal: Silver (.925).
Weight: 27.03 g.
Diameter: 36 mm.
Shape: Round.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf, in full Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus (born April 30, 1946, Stockholm, Sweden), king of Sweden from 1973.
The only son of King Gustav VI Adolf’s eldest son, Prince Gustav Adolf (who died in an air crash in 1947), Carl Gustaf became crown prince in 1950, when his grandfather acceded to the throne. He studied at military cadet schools, at the University of Uppsala, and in France and was commissioned as a naval officer in 1968. He married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976, three years after his accession. The royal couple had three children, Crown Princess Victoria (b. July 14, 1977), Prince Carl Philip (b. May 13, 1979), and Princess Madeleine (b. June 10, 1982).
Carl Gustaf’s accession occurred when the role of the Swedish monarchy was being radically altered. Under the constitution prior to 1975, the king played a formal role in the administration of the country; for example, he presided over councils of state, signed government decisions, commanded the armed forces, and appointed someone to form a new government upon the resignation of the current administration. The new constitutional laws, enacted in 1973 and made effective on Jan. 1, 1975, relieved the king of all these duties, leaving him with a solely symbolic function.
Queen Silvia of Sweden
Queen Silvia of Sweden (born Silvia Renate Sommerlath on 23 December 1943) is the spouse of King Carl XVI Gustaf and mother of the heir apparent to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria. In 2011, Silvia became the longest serving queen of Sweden, a record previously held by Sophia of Nassau.
During the 1972 Summer Olympics, Silvia Sommerlath met Crown Prince Carl Gustaf. In a later interview, the King explained how it just "clicked" when they met.
After the death of King Gustaf VI Adolf on 15 September 1973, Carl XVI Gustaf succeeded to the throne.
He and Silvia announced their engagement on 12 March 1976 and were married three months later, on 19 June in Stockholm Cathedral ("Storkyrkan Cathedral") in Stockholm. It was the first marriage of a reigning Swedish monarch since 1797. If he had married Silvia during the reign of his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf, he would have lost his position as heir-apparent to the Swedish throne. This was due to the inflexibility of his grandfather, who believed that royalty must marry royalty. This was also the reason why Carl Gustaf's uncle, Prince Bertil, did not marry until after Gustaf VI Adolf's death. (Bertil was second-in-line to the throne until his nephew produced an heir, and was therefore unable to marry the Welsh commoner, Princess Lilian, with whom he had been in love for decades, until 1976.) In celebration of the forthcoming wedding of the King and the soon-to-be-Queen, Silvia, the internationally famous pop group ABBA performed the song Dancing Queen on Swedish television the night before the ceremony, although the song was not actually written for Queen Silvia.
The King and Queen of Sweden have three children and three grandchildren.
Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland (born 14 July 1977). She is married to Daniel Westling, and they have a daughter, Princess Estelle.
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland (born 13 May 1979). He is married to Sofia Hellqvist.
Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, (born 10 June 1982). She is married to Christopher O'Neill, and they have a daughter, Princess Leonore, and a son, Prince Nicolas.