King Carl XVI Gustaf awards Queen Silvia golden wedding medal of honour

On 11 June, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf presented Queen Silvia with the Seraphim Order medal, recognizing her decades of humanitarian work. The golden anniversary celebrations take place in Stockholm on 14 June, as the couple's actual anniversary on 19 June falls on Midsummer's Eve this year.

The Swedish royal couple King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia are marking their golden anniversary this week, fifty years after they were married in Stockholm. Before the grand celebrations, the King honored his spouse with a rare distinction.

Prestigious medal for humanitarian work

According to the Swedish royal court, the 80-year-old King Carl XVI Gustaf presented the Seraphim Order medal to the 82-year-old Queen Silvia on 11 June. This is a high honor awarded to individuals who have distinguished themselves in Sweden through exceptional efforts in charity or for the public good. Since 1973, the King has awarded this medal to just 16 people, making Silvia the 16th laureate and the first member of the Swedish royal family to receive it.

Queen Silvia has devoted decades to helping children in difficult circumstances. She is a founding member of the World Childhood Foundation, established in 1999, and actively engages with issues concerning people with disabilities, addiction problems, and dementia. At her initiative, Silviahemmet was founded in Stockholm, a center where nurses specializing in dementia are trained and memory diseases are researched.

Personal connection to dementia

Queen Silvia's interest in dementia is deeply personal. Her mother, Alice Sommerlath, suffered from Alzheimer's disease for years, and Silvia has described that time as the most painful period of her life. "It was painful to see how my previously so active, organized and sharp mother could no longer remember anything at all. A terribly sad feeling," the Queen has said.

Celebrations in Stockholm

The golden anniversary celebrations began on Saturday, 14 June, with a thanksgiving service in the chapel of Stockholm's royal palace. The King and Queen then boarded the historic royal yacht Vasa and sailed through Stockholm to Djurgården, where the festive procession continued on land. The public lined the streets to celebrate the royal couple. The route led to Kungsträdgården, where Stockholm authorities organized a concert featuring music from five decades.

In the evening, a gala concert was held at the Swedish Royal Opera House for selected guests, and the day ended with a dinner at the royal palace with family and friends. All three of the royal couple's children participated in the ceremony: Crown Princess Victoria (48) with her husband Daniel, Prince Carl Philip (47) with his wife Sofia, and Princess Madeleine (44).

Although the royal couple's actual wedding date is 19 June, the main celebrations took place on 14 June, as the anniversary falls on Midsummer's Eve this year. Unlike Estonia, in Sweden Midsummer's Eve is a movable holiday, celebrated on the Friday of the 25th week of the year.