Happy Golden Wedding Anniversary to King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden! Royal Guests and Relatives joined the Swedish Royal Family to celebrate the Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Silvia Sommerlath at the Storkyrkan in Stockholm on this day in 1976, 50 years ago, following a Gala at the Royal Opera in Stockholm and a Ball at Drottningholm Palace.
King Carl XVI Gustaf married Silvia Sommerlath at the Storkyrkan in Stockholm, in a ceremony officiated by the Archbishop of Uppsala, Olof Sundby, along with the First Chaplain to the Swedish Court, and Reverend Ernst Sommerlath, Queen Silvia’s uncle and a Professor of Theology at Leipzig University. According to Swedish tradition, both the bride and groom walked up the aisle together. Two historic crowns were displayed alongside a new breed of red roses in two antique silver vases.
Afterwards, the King and his new Queen rode through the streets of Stockholm in an open horse-drawn landau and then boarded the Royal Barge towards the Royal Palace of Stockholm.
At the Royal Place, the King and Queen were serenaded by 200 folk musicians from Dalarna playing a Swedish bridal march, before they appeared on the balcony to greet the crowds. Afterwards, there was a luncheon for 300 in the Vita Havet Hall of the Royal Palace.
Queen Silvia wore a floor-length white duchesse silk Dior gown with the Swedish Cameo Tiara and Queen Sofia’s Veil. King Carl XVI Gustaf wore his Swedish Naval Admiral’s Uniform with the insignia of the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of the Polar Star, and the Order of the Sword.
Five Kings and Six Queens led the Royal Guests and Relatives from around Europe who joined the Swedish Royal Family to celebrate the Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.
Queen Ingrid of Denmark (aunt, in the Diamond Daisy Brooch) and King Olav V of Norway
Queen Margrethe II (first cousin, in the Pearl Poiré Brooch and Earrings) and Prince Henrik of Denmark
King Baudouin (cousin) and Queen Fabiola of Belgium
Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte of Luxembourg (cousin, in her Congo Diamond Necklace) with Earl Mountbatten
King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (first cousin, wearing her Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Necklace)
Tsar Simeon II and Tsaritsa Margarita of Bulgaria
Princess Beatrix (wearing the Dutch Diamond Stars) and Prince Claus of the Netherlands
Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja of Norway
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (wearing the Pink Topaz and Diamond Necklace)
Princess Margaretha, Princess Birgitta, Princess Désirée, and Princess Christina
Count Sigvard and Countess Marianne Bernadotte of Wisborg with Count Carl Johan and Countess Kerstin Bernadotte
Alexander Ramsay of Mar and Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun
Royal Guests and Relatives joined the Swedish Royal Family for world premiere of ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ at the Wedding Gala of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Silvia Sommerlath at the Royal Opera in Stockholm on this day in 1976, 50 years ago, followed by a Ball at Drottningholm Palace on the eve of the Wedding.
The Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath was celebrated with a Gala of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Silvia Sommerlath at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, which featured the world premiere of ABBA’s iconic ‘Dancing Queen’.
The evening before the nuptials were due to take place, a gala concert was held in the couple’s honour, with a performance by ABBA of Dancing Queen dedicated to the bride-to-be. Silvia wore her first her tiara to the event, the Connaught Diamond Tiara, which had been a beloved diadem of the groom’s late mother, Princess Sibylla, at the insistence of the king’s sisters.
Afterwards, the Royal Guests and Relatives joined King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath at a Dinner for 200 Guests at Drottningholm Palace, which ended with a Ball.
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath (wearing the Connaught Diamond Tiara, Karl Johan Earrings and Diamond Chain with the Royal Order of the Seraphim)
King Olav V of Norway with Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte of Luxembourg (in the Sapphire Bracelet Tiara and her Sapphire Necklace)
Tsar Simeon II and Tsaritsa Margarita of Bulgaria (wearing Queen Marie-Amélie’s Diamond Parure)
Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja of Norway (in the Norwegian Emerald Parure)
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (wearing the Diamond Necklace Tiara)
Princess Margaretha (in the Queen Sofia’s Nine Prong Tiara and Napoleonic Amethyst Parure) and Princess Birgitta (wearing the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure)
Princess Désirée (in the Baden Fringe Tiara and Pink Topaz Parure)
Princess Christina (wearing the Four-Button Tiara and Processional Necklace) with Prince Andreas and Princess Karin of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha (in the Duchess of Albany’s Diamond Necklace)
Lilian Craig (wearing the Laurel Wreath Tiara)
Count Sigvard and Countess Marianne Bernadotte of Wisborg (in her Pearl and Diamond Tiara)
Count Carl Johan and Countess Kerstin Bernadotte (wearing her Diamond Necklace Tiara)
Countess Madeleine Bernadotte (wearing her Von Rosen Tiara)
Countess Estelle Bernadotte (in her Diamond Tiara)
Earlier this week, Royal Guests and Relatives joined the Swedish Royal Family to celebrate the Golden Wedding Anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden in Stockholm
Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara
Princess Lilian’s Laurel Wreath Tiara
Princess Sofia’s Wedding Tiara
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Portrait Brooch