Looking back at the wedding of the King and Queen of Sweden

The King and Queen of Sweden have been married for 50 years, and celebrations are kicking off in Stockholm.

King Carl XVI Gustaf married German-born Silvia Sommerlath on 19 June 1976 at Stockholm Cathedral in front of 1,200 guests, including the Swedish and foreign royal families.

The night before, a gala performance took place at the Royal Swedish Opera, where ABBA dedicated their song, “Dancing Queen,” to Silvia.

The King wanted the wedding to be as close to the people as possible, and as a result, it was the first Swedish royal wedding to be televised.

The noon wedding was officiated by Olof Sundby, Archbishop of Uppsala, with the Rev. Dr Ernst Sommerlath (Silvia’s uncle) assisting.

Following Swedish tradition, the bride and groom entered the chapel together, with Silvia donning a bespoke silk duchesse satin gown by Dior; her detachable 3.6 metre train was an heirloom first worn by the King’s sisters (Princesses Birgitta and Désirée). She wore the lace veil of Queen Sofia that had been worn by the King’s mother and sisters before her. The veil was held in place by the Swedish Cameo Tiara, and the traditional sprig of myrtle was also in her hair.

The wedding picture of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia 1976
Photo: Lennart Nilsson, Royal Court

His Majesty wore his Admiral uniform from the Swedish Navy.

The pair were supported by six child attendants, including the couple’s nieces and nephews.

Aside from the Swedish Royal family, royals from across Europe attended. In the congregation were representatives from the Danish (close relatives of the Swedes), Bulgarian, Belgian, Dutch, Luxembourgish, Norwegian, Spanish and British royal families. As the bride was German, German officials also attended the nuptials alongside their Swedish counterparts.

Once the pair said ‘I Do,’ commoner Silvia was officially the Queen of Sweden.

Following the ceremony, the King and new Queen of Sweden travelled through the streets of Stockholm, first by carriage and then by boat to Stockholm Palace, where their reception was held. Around 200,000 people had gathered in the streets to celebrate the couple. Their Majesties later appeared on the balcony of the palace to greet the crowds while 300 guests gathered inside for the luncheon.

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia then honeymooned in Africa, Sweden, and the United States.