The Swedish Monarchy
Unlike the British royal family, the Swedish monarchy is not usually in the news. However, it does occasionally appear in media. It is one of the oldest monarchies in Europe. Its kings are also occasionally featured in fiction.
The Swedish royal family consists of King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia and their children. The first born child in the line of succession inherits the throne. The Swedish monarchy changed the rules on succession in 1980. The rules were changed from agnatic primogeniture to absolute primogeniture. This change was controversial because it made the eldest child the heir-apparent, thereby making it possible for an unmarried man to become king. It also meant that a prince would have to wait a generation before he could succeed his father. The rule change made Crown Princess Victoria the first female royal to inherit the throne as heir-apparent, but it did not prevent Prince Carl Philip from succeeding his father.
The king's position is largely ceremonial, though the monarch has a variety of official duties. The king receives about thirty-to-forty newly-appointed foreign ambassadors at formal audiences. He also receives an ambassador at a formal audience whenever the posting in Sweden ends. When the new government takes office, the change of government council is held.
The royal family is devoted to a number of charitable causes. The Crown Princess of Sweden has completed internships at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC and New York and studied geology at Yale University. She has also taken private lessons in current affairs and history. She has been awarded the H.M. The King's Medal, the highest honour a Swedish citizen can receive. She also has a scholarship fund in her name.
King Carl XVI Gustaf is known for his down-to-earth nature. He is also the longest-reigning monarch in Sweden's history. He is considered a good father, and is respected by the nation. He and Queen Silvia have three children. The youngest child is Princess Madeleine, who was born 10 June 1982. She graduated from the University of Stockholm with a Bachelor of Arts. She has also been a professional interpreter for the Argentine Consulate in Munich. She is bilingual in English, Swedish and Spanish. She also volunteered at Sophiahemmet hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Swedish monarchy has been ruled by a monarch since before recorded history. However, there are few runestones that mention kings. The order of Swedish regnal succession is based on controversial Norse sagas. The king's powers include both the powers of a judge and the priest at the Temple at Uppsala. In addition, the king has the power of war chief. The king also has the power to combine these powers. He also has the power of the Instrument of Government, which is an important normative role in state administration.
The Swedish monarchy is one of the few monarchies that has a complete, verifiable record of its kings from before the middle of the 18th century. However, the monarchy had an agnatic male line of succession for several centuries. It was not until the rule change in 1980 that the monarchy changed the rules of succession to allow the eldest child to succeed irrespective of gender.
