British State Visit to Sweden, 1956

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are starting their two-day Official Visit to Sweden today, and in honour of the visit, we are taking a look at the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s first State Visit to Sweden in 1956, which coincided with the Equestrian Olympic Games. The Queen and Duke had hosted the Swedish King and Queen in 1954, and visited Sweden on another State Visit in 1983.

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The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were welcomed warmly by King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise of Sweden, not just as fellow monarchs, but as family- Queen Louise was the Duke’s maternal aunt.

In the evening, King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise (wearing the Braganza Tiara) hosted a State Banquet in honour of the Queen (in the Vladimir Tiara with the Delhi Durbar Parure) and Duke at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. Also in attendance were Princess Sibylla (wearing the Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara), Princess Margretha (in the Aquamarine Bandeau), Prince Bertil, Princess Brigitta, Mary, Duchess of Devonshire (in the Devonshire Palmette Tiara), and Lord Mountbatten.

The following evening, the Queen (in Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara and the Greville Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace), King Gustaf Adolf, Queen Louise (wearing Queen Sofia’s 9-Prong Tiara and the Napoleonic Amethyst Parure), and the Duke of Edinburgh attended a Gala Performance at the Theatre in Stockholm. Princess Sibylla (in the Connaught Diamond Tiara), Princess Margretha (wearing Queen Louise’s Tiara), Princess Brigitta, Princess Desiree, and Mary, Duchess of Devonshire (in the DevonshirePalmette Tiara) were also in attendance.

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After the completion of the State Visit, the Queen and Duke accompanied King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise for the Opening Ceremony of the Equestrian Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm. Other Royals joined the party, and they attended many events together.

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On one of the evenings, King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise hosted a Gala Performance at the Drottningholm Palace Theatre for all their royal guests. Front RowFrom L-R: Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom (wearing the Halo Scroll Tiara), the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Louise of Sweden (wearing the Baden Fringe Tiara), Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Queen Elizabeth II (wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure), King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg (wearing the Belgian Scroll Tiara), then Crown Prince Olav of Norway, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (wearing the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara), and Prince Wilhelm of Sweden. Back Row: Princess Margretha of Sweden (wearing Queen Louise’s Tiara), Princess Eugenie of Greece (wearing the Radziwiłł Tiara), and Princess Desiree of Sweden.

The Royal Party also attended the Amaranterbalen at the Stockholm City Hall, which marked the end of the British State Visit. King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise (in the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure) were joined by the Queen (wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara) and Duke of Edinburgh, Crown Prince Olav of Norway, Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands, Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg (wearing the Belgian Scroll Tiara), Princess Margaret (wearing the Halo Scroll Tiara), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (wearing the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara), Princess Margareta of Sweden and Denmark (in the Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara), Princess Eugenie of Greece (wearing the Radziwiłł Tiara)

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