As Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden begin their Official Visit to Britain today, it is confirmed that they will be received by the Prince and Princess of Wales at Windsor Castle tomorrow, ahead of the Royal Variety Performance. The Swedish and British Royal Families have had a long and close family relationship over the years, with several Official and Private Royal Visits to Britain over the last century!
While there had been an indirect link between the British and Swedish Royal Families through the Danish Royal Family, it was solidified in 1905, when Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden married Princess Margaret of Connaught, the niece of King Edward VII, at Windsor Castle. Their children, including the future Queen Ingrid of Denmark, remained close to Britain throughout their lives, especially on numerous visits to their grandfather, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught.
After the tragic death of Crown Princess Margareta, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden remarried another lady from the British Royal Family, Lady Louise Mountbatten, gaining a further link since the future Queen Louise was the aunt of the future Duke of Edinburgh.
In 1935, the British Royal Family were represented by the Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife (aunt of the bride, in the Fife Fringe Tiara), Lady Patricia Ramsay (aunt of the bride, wearing her Diamond Tiara), and Princess Helena Victoria (cousin, in a Diamond Tiara) at the Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden.
Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Crown Princess Louise returned to the United Kingdom in 1937, to attend the Coronation of King George VI, remaining for a Coronation Gala in London. The two were also leading guests a decade later, at the Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and their nephew, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark.
Naturally, King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise were the first Foreign Heads of State in the new Queen’s Reign to make a State Visit to Britain in 1954, being entertained with numerous events, including a Gala Performance at Covent Garden, hosted by the City of London in honour of King Gustaf VI Adolf (wearing the Order of the Garter) and Queen Louise of Sweden (in the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure), also attended by the Queen (wearing Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara and the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure) and Duke of Edinburgh along with Princess Margaret (wearing the Cartier Halo Tiara), the Duchess of Gloucester (in the Emerald Bandeau Tiara), the Princess Royal (wearing the Harewood Scroll Tiara), Princess Marie Louise (in the Cartier India Tiara), and Lady Patricia Ramsay (in her Diamond Tiara).
The King and Queen (wearing the Baden Fringe Tiara) were back in Britain the following year, a Banquet hosted by the Royal Navy’s Board of Admiralty in the Painted Hall of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
The next year, it was the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s turn to go on a State Visit to Sweden, the second outgoing State Visit of the Queen’s reign, for which 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, and the following evening, the King and Queen Louise (wearing Queen Sofia’s 9-Prong Tiara and the Napoleonic Amethyst Parure) joined the Queen (in Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara and the Greville Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace) and Duke for a Gala Performance at the Theatre in Stockholm.
They also attended the Opening Ceremony of the Equestrian Olympic Games, for which King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise hosted the Queen (in the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara) and Duke alongside several foreign Royals a Gala Performance at the Drottningholm Palace Theatre, who later also joined them for the Order of Amaranth Ball.
In 1960, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra of Kent were among twenty-seven royals from nine countries invited to attend a Ball at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.
King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise (in the Baden Fringe Tiara) were back in London in 1961, joined by their granddaughter, Princess Margaretha (wearing the Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara) for the Anglo-Swedish Society Dinner at the Hyde Park Hotel.
The following year, Princess Alexandra was back in Sweden to preside over the British Industries Trade Fair in Stockholm, with King Gustaf VI Adolf joining Princess Alexandra (wearing her Diamond Flower Tiara and Pearl Corsage Brooch) for a Ball given by the Federation of British Industries at the City Hall in Stockholm, where she ended up losing Empress Frederik’s Pearl Corsage Brooch, which was later recovered and handed in by a Swedish Guest.
Queen Louise was often in London, staying incognito and preferring to jaywalk as she crossed the busy streets to shop, but kept a note in her purse saying “I am the Queen of Sweden” in case she was hit by a car or bus.
Since the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were on Tour, Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood represented the Royal Family at the Funeral of Queen Louise of Sweden in 1965, just a few weeks before her own passing.
Princess Alexandra returned to Sweden in 1968 to mark British Week in Sweden where she was personally welcomed by King Gustaf VI Adolf at the airport, and the Princess (in the Kent Pearl Bandeau) was seen with Princess Sibylla of Sweden at several events.
In 1972, it was Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (in her Diamond Palmette Tiara) who represented the British Royal Family at King Gustaf VI Adolf’s 90th Birthday Celebrations, which came during the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Wedding Anniversary Celebrations.
The following year, the Duke of Edinburgh attended the Funeral of his uncle, King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, in Stockholm, along with his uncle, Lord Mountbatten.
Two years later, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden made a State Visit to Scotland, with a State Banquet hosted by the Queen (wearing Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara and the Order of the Seraphim) and Duke of Edinburgh at the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh.
There was also a Return Dinner hosted by the King for the Queen (wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara) and Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Mother (wearing the Oriental Circlet Tiara), Lord Mountbatten, and the Princess Royal (in her Festoon Tiara).
The following year, Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duchess of Gloucester represented the Royal Family at the Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia.
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia were present at the Funeral of Lord Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in 1979.
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia attended the Wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, also being pictured at that evening’s Gala at Claridge’s Hotel.
In 1983, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were hosted by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia on their second State Visit to Sweden, which included a State Banquet hosted by King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia (in the Braganza Tiara) in honour of the Queen (wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara) and Duke at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.
The Queen (in the Modern Sapphire Tiara and the King George VI Sapphire Suite) and Duke also hosted a Return Banquet in honour of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia (wearing the Cameo Tiara) on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
King Carl XVI Gustaf was given the Order of the Garter in 1983, but did not come to Windsor Castle for the Investiture Ceremony until 1985.
In 1989, the Duke and Duchess of Kent (in the Kent Pearl and Diamond Fringe Tiara) joined King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia (in the Cameo Tiara and Parure) for a Banquet at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia joined Royalty from around the world as they attended the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s Golden Wedding Anniversary Celebrations in 1997.
Just days after Queen Silvia joined the Royal Family for Mstislav Rostropovich’s 75th Birthday Gala in 2002, she and the King were back in London to attend the Funeral of the Queen Mother.
A few months later, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia attended the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Dinner at Windsor Castle, followed the rolling day by a special Order of the Garter Service.
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia were among the guests who attended the Prince of Wales’ 60th Birthday Dinner at Buckingham Palace in 2008.
Despite several members of the Royal Family being invited, only the then Earl and Countess of Wessex attended the Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010.
The following year, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel were at the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, also attending the Dinner at Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London.
In 2012, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall made an Official Visit to Sweden as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, just a few months before King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia were in London to attended the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex were the representatives at the Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden in 2013, and also at the Wedding of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden in 2015.
In 2018, the Swedish Royal Family received the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on an Official Visit to Sweden, during which they were accompanied by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel at almost all events.
Last year, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden with Princess Christina were among the leading mourners at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey.
Just a few months later, the King and Queen were leading guests at the Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, being among the select few invited for the Committal Service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, and also attended the Heads of State Reception at Buckingham Palace the previous evening.
Crown Princess Victoria (wearing the Duchess of Albany’s Sapphire Bracelet) was in London a few months ago, when she accompanied the King to attended the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the two also attended the Coronation Reception at Buckingham Palace. This week’s visit is a continuation of over a century of close family ties, that now continues over to a new generation!
