40 Years on the Throne: Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

On Sunday, the Swedish Royal family united to commemorate the jubilee of King Carl XVI Gustaf on the Swedish throne. The pregnant Princess Madeleine stole much of the attention. And Prince Daniel's 40th birthday went (almost) completely unnoticed. It is a tough life for the diffident husband of Crown Princess Victoria having been born on the day of his father-in-law's accession to the throne.

Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

The Swedish Royal family assembled the complete set for the jubilee with Princess Madeleine's husband Chris O'Neill jetting in from New York to mark the occasion. He and his wife were acting very much as scene stealers on an occasion that should have been all about the king. People were much more interested in the royal baby bump of the Princess.

As Chris O'Neill has declined the honour of a title, it may be expected that the couple will forgo the pleasure of a title for their children, too. The precedent has been set by The Princess Royal, Princess Anne of the United Kingdom and seems to work well for her two very normal children. As Princess Madeleine's children will be far removed from the succession, allowing them a almost normal life would be a wise decision.

Prince Daniel's 40th birthday was lost in the jubilee proceedings. Princess Madeleine though chose Facebook to make a public statement congratulating him on his birthday and making him the compliment of expressing her happiness of having him as part of the family. The diffident and often retiring Prince would never make an issue of it.

While Carl XVI Gustaf had catapulted Royal feelings with the Swede's to a previously unknown high with his 1976 wedding to German commoner Silvia Sommerlath and the subsequent births of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, and Princess Madeleine, he has come under heavy fire over the last few years for various reasons. His reluctance over the marriage of Princess Victoria to Prince Daniel and an unauthorized biography have plunged his acceptance rates to an all-time low. The love felt by the general public for Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, and Princess Estelle has not been diminished by all this, though.

Further reading
Elected Monarchs on Europe's Thrones
Christina, The Female King of Sweden
Princes With a Gay Warrant

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