The wedding of Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, and Silvia Sommerlath took place on Friday, 19 June 1976 at

Storkyrkan Storkyrkan (, ), also called Stockholms domkyrka (Stockholm Cathedral) and Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Church of Saint Nicholas), is the oldest church in Stockholm. Storkyrkan lies in the centre of Stockholm in Gamla stan, between Stockholm Palace and ...

. Carl XVI Gustaf had been reining

king of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument o ...

since 1973 and Sommerlath was a German-born translator. The couple had met at the

1972 Summer Olympic Games The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

and became engaged in 1976.

Olof Sundby Olof Sundby (6 December 1917 – 6 December 1996) was a Swedish bishop within the Church of Sweden. He was the archbishop of Uppsala in the period 1972–1983. Biography Carl Olof Werner Sundby was born at Karlskoga in Örebro County, Sweden. ...

Archbishop of Uppsala The Archbishop of Uppsala (spelled Upsala until the early 20th century) has been the primate (bishop), primate of Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward un ...

, presided over the

Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...

ceremony in

. The ceremony was attended by the bride's and groom's families, as well as members of foreign royal families, diplomats, and various Swedish and German officials. It was the first marriage of a reigning Swedish monarch since King Gustav IV Adolf married Princess Frederica of Baden in 1797. Sommerlath became Sweden's first queen consort since 1965.

Engagement

In 1972, then Crown Prince Carl Gustaf attended the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, where interpreter Silvia Sommerlath was charged with escorting him. In a later interview, the King explained how it just "clicked" when they met. In the subsequent years, Carl Gustaf's mother, Princess Sibylla, died, as did his grandfather,

Gustaf VI Adolf Gustaf VI Adolf (Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf; 11 November 1882 – 15 September 1973) was King of Sweden from 29 October 1950 until his death in 1973. He was the eldest son of Gustaf V and his wife, Victoria of Baden. Before Gustaf Ado ...

, and he, therefore, acceded to the Swedish throne. On 12 March 1976, King Carl XVI Gustaf announced his engagement to Silvia Sommerlath. The King presented his fiancée with a single solitaire ring set with a 2-carat diamond. The ring once belonged to his late mother. The date was set for 19 June. The same date that the future

King Oscar I Oscar I (born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte; 4 July 1799 – 8 July 1859) was King of Sweden and Norway from 8 March 1844 until his death. He was the second monarch of the House of Bernadotte. The only child of King Charles XIV John, Oscar i ...

married

Josephine of Leuchtenberg Joséphine of Leuchtenberg (Joséphine Maximilienne Eugénie Napoléone de Beauharnais; 14 March 1807 – 7 June 1876) was Queen of Sweden and Norway from 8 March 1844 to 8 July 1859 as the wife of King Oscar I. She was also Princess of Bologna f ...

in 1823 and their son, the future King Charles XV married Princess Louise of the Netherlands in 1850. 34 years later, their daughter,

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

married Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

Daniel Westling Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...

on the same date in the same cathedral.

Pre-wedding celebrations

Sommerlath was unable to join the King for the celebrations of Sweden's National Day on 6 June due to illness. Despite her illness, she was present when the

banns of marriage The banns of marriage, commonly known simply as the "banns" or "bans" (from a Middle English word meaning "proclamation", rooted in Frankish and thence in Old French), are the public announcement in a Christian parish church, or in the town cou ...

were read the following day in the

Royal Chapel A royal chapel is a chapel associated with a monarch, a royal court, or in a royal palace. A royal chapel may also be a Chapel (music), body of clergy or musicians serving at a royal court or employed by a monarch. Commonwealth countries Both ...

. On 17 June, Sommerlath was given the

Royal Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim ( sv, Kungliga Serafimerorden; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the P ...

and became a Swedish citizen. On 18 June, a gala performance was at the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera ( sv, Kungliga Operan) is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the center of Sweden's capital Stockholm in the borough of Norrmalm, on the eastern side ...

where Swedish pop group

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

first performed their song ''

Dancing Queen "Dancing Queen" is a Europop and disco song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''Arrival'' (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. Andersson and Ulvaeus al ...

'' in honour of their queen-to-be. The gala performance was followed by a ball at

Drottningholm Palace The Drottningholm Palace ( sv, Drottningholms slott) is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. Drottningholm is near the capital Stockholm. Built on the island Lovön (in Ekerö Municipality of Stockholm County), it is one of Swede ...

. At the insistence of the king's sisters, Silvia wore the Connaught Diamond Tiara which had been a favourite of their late mother.

Wedding

The wedding began at 12:00

CET CET or cet may refer to: Places * Cet, Albania * Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus * Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England Arts, entertainment, and media * Comcast Ente ...

on 19 June 1976. The

ceremony was officiated by

, in

. At approximately 12:45, the marriage was solemnized and Sommerlath automatically became

Queen consort of Sweden Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

Music

The bride and groom entered together to

Johan Helmich Roman Johan Helmich Roman (26 October 1694 – 20 November 1758) was a Swedish Baroque composer. He has been called "the father of Swedish music" or "the Swedish George Frideric Handel, Handel." He was the leader of Swedish Opera through most of Swedish ...

's "Sinfonia de Chiesa". The service included several Swedish hymns. The couple proceeded back down the aisle to " Sinfonia in D major, BWV 1045" by

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

Attire

The bride wore a silk

duchesse Duchesse (Duchesse satin) was a soft, heavy, and glossy satin cloth made in France. Weave Duchesse was produced with a satin weave with fine silk threads using a higher number of threads per square inch in the warp with at least seven floati ...

satin gown with a high neck, long sleeves, slim skirt and train extending from the shoulders designed by

Marc Bohan Marc Roger Maurice Louis Bohan (born 22 August 1926) is a French fashion designer, best known for his 30-year career at the house of Dior. Early life and career Bohan was born in Paris and grew up in Sceaux. As a child, Marc Bohan was encourag ...

for

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds ...

. Sommerlath wore a lace veil that had belonged to

Queen Sofia Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

and was worn by the King's mother and sisters on their wedding days. The gown was deliberately left simple to highlight the heirloom veil. The veil was anchored by the Cameo Tiara, which had belonged to

Empress Joséphine Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810. ...

and was worn by the King's sisters, Princess Birgitta and

Princess Désirée Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

, on their wedding days in 1961 and 1964, respectively. The bride's mother discreetly placed a handkerchief around her daughter's wrist with a rubber band, this is viable in some photos. The seamstresses who worked on the dress were not told at the time they were working on the future Queen of Sweden's dress. The groom wore the uniform of an

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

in the Swedish Royal Navy with the insignia of the

Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim ( sv, Kungliga Serafimerorden; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword ...

Order of the Sword The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the Or ...

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the ...

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III. It was u ...

and the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

Attendants

The couple had six child attendants: Prince Hubertus of Hohenzollern, son of the groom's sister, Princess Birgitta; Master James Ambler, son of the groom's sister, Princess Margaretha; Baroness Hélène Silfverschiöld, daughter of the groom's sister,

; Miss Carmita Sommerlath, daughter of the bride's brother, Ralf Sommerlath; Miss Sophie Sommerlath, daughter of the bride's brother, Walther Sommerlath; and Miss Amelie Middelschulte, daughter of the bride's friend, Beate Middelschulte.

Guests

Relatives of the groom

* Princess Margaretha, Mrs Ambler, and Mr John Ambler, ''the groom's sister and brother-in-law'' ** Miss Sybilla Ambler, ''the groom's niece'' ** Master Edward Ambler, ''the groom's nephew'' ** Master James Ambler, ''the groom's nephew'' * Princess Birgitta and

Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern , image = Wedding of Princess Birgitta and Johan Georg von Hohenzollern 1961 004.jpg , caption = Princess Birgitta and the bridegroom, Johan Georg von Hohenzollern, after their wedding ceremony , spouse = , issue = Prince Carl ChristianPrinc ...

, ''the groom's sister and brother-in-law'' ** Prince Carl Christian of Hohenzollern, ''the groom's nephew'' ** Princess Désirée of Hohenzollern, ''the groom's niece'' ** Prince Hubertus of Hohenzollern, ''the groom's nephew'' *

Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld (Désirée Elisabeth Sibylla; born 2 June 1938) is the third child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and granddaughter of King Gustaf VI Adol ...

, and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld, ''the groom's sister and brother-in-law'' ** Baron Carl Silfverschiöld, ''the groom's nephew'' ** Baroness Christina-Louise Silfverschiöld, ''the groom's niece'' ** Baroness Hélène Silfverschiöld, ''the groom's niece'' * Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson, and Mr Tord Magnuson, ''the groom's sister and brother-in-law'' * Count Sigvard and Countess Marianne Bernadotte af Wisborg, ''the groom's paternal uncle and aunt'' * The Duke of Halland and Mrs Lilian Davies, ''the groom's paternal uncle and his partner'' * Count Carl Johan and Countess Kerstin Bernadotte af Wisborg, ''the groom's paternal uncle and aunt''

Relatives of the bride

* Mr and Mrs Walter Sommerlath I, ''the bride's parents'' ** Mr and Mrs Ralf Sommerlath, ''the bride's brother and sister-in-law'' *** Miss Carmita Sommerlath, ''the bride's niece'' ** Mr Jörg Sommerlath, ''the bride's brother'' ** Mr and Mrs Walther Sommerlath II, ''the bride's brother and sister-in-law'' *** Miss Sophie Sommerlath, ''the bride's niece''

Foreign royal guests

Queen Ingrid of Denmark Ingrid of Sweden (born: Princess Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta of Sweden; 28 March 1910 – 7 November 2000) was Queen of Denmark from 1947 until 1972 as the wife of King Frederick IX. Born into the House of Bernadotte, she was the daug ...

, ''the groom's paternal aunt'' **

The Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...

and Prince Henrik of Denmark, ''the groom's first cousin and her husband'' ** The Princess and

Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...

, ''the groom's first cousin and her husband'' * The King of Norway, ''the groom's second cousin once removed'' ** The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway, ''the groom's third cousin and his wife'' * The King and

Queen of the Belgians The wives of Belgian monarchs have all been titled Queen and styled Majesty, with the exception of Leopold III of Belgium's second wife Mary Lilian Baels, who was titled Princess of Belgium and Princess de Rethy, Princess of Réthy. All Belgian mo ...

, ''the groom's second cousin once removed, and his wife'' *

The Grand Duke ''The Grand Duke; or, The Statutory Duel'', is the final Savoy Opera written by librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, their fourteenth and last opera together. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 March 1896, and ran for 12 ...

and

Grand Duchess of Luxembourg The territory of Luxembourg has been ruled successively by counts, dukes and grand dukes. It was part of the medieval Kingdom of Germany, and later the Holy Roman Empire until it became a sovereign state in 1815. Counts of Luxembourg House of A ...

, ''the groom's second cousin once removed and her husband'' *

Princess Beatrix Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husban ...

and

Prince Claus of the Netherlands Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg (born Klaus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg; 6 September 1926 – 6 October 2002) was Prince consort of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until his death in 2002 as the husband ...

, ''the groom's third cousin and her husband'' (representing the

Queen of the Netherlands The monarchy of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. As such, the role and position of the monarch are governed by the Constitution of the Netherlands. Consequently, a large portion of it is devoted to the monarch. Roughly a third of ...

) * The Duke and Duchess of Cádiz, ''the groom's third cousin and his wife'' (representing the

King of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

) * The Duke and

Duchess of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curren ...

, ''the groom's third cousin and his wife'' (representing the

Queen of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwi ...

) * The Earl Mountbatten of Burma, ''the groom's paternal step-granduncle (and second cousin once removed)'' * Captain Alexander Ramsay of Mar and The Mistress of Saltoun, ''the groom's first cousin once removed and his wife''

Members of non-reigning royal houses

Tsar Simeon II Simeon Borisov von Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ( bg, Симеон Борисов Сакскобургготски, translit=Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski, ; born 16 June 1937) is a Bulgarian politician who reigned as the last tsar of the Kingdom of Bul ...

and Tsarista Margarita of Bulgaria, ''the groom's fourth cousin once removed and his wife'' *

King Constantine II Constantine II ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Βʹ, ''Konstantínos II''; 2 June 1940) reigned as the last King of Greece, from 6 March 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973. Constantine is the only son of King Paul an ...

and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, ''the groom's third cousin and first cousin''

Republican heads of state

Urho Kekkonen Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as Prime Minister ...

President of the Republic of Finland The president of the Republic of Finland ( fi, Suomen tasavallan presidentti; sv, Republiken Finlands president) is the head of state of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the Finnish Government and the p ...

Walter Scheel Walter Scheel (; 8 July 1919 – 24 August 2016) was a German statesman. A member of the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP), he first served in government as the Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development from 1961 to 1966 and l ...

, Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Mrs Scheel *

Kristján Eldjárn Kristján Eldjárn (; 6 December 1916 – 14 September 1982) was the third president of Iceland, from 1968 to 1980. Biography Kristján was born in Tjörn, Svarfaðardal, Iceland. His parents were Þórarinn Kr. Eldjárn, a teacher in Tjörn, ...

, President of the Republic of Iceland, and Mrs Eldjárn

Aftermath

Upon marriage, Sommerlath immediately became

queen consort of Sweden Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

, the first since the death of Louise Mountbatten, her husband's step-grandmother, eleven years earlier. The couple drove through Stockholm in an open landau before returning to the Royal Palace for a luncheon reception for 300 guests. The newlyweds appeared on the balcony where they were serenaded by 200 folk musicians from

Dalarna Dalarna () is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in central Sweden. English exonyms for it are Dalecarlia () and the Dales. Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland Värmland () also known a ...

. An estimated 200,000 people lined the streets of Stockholm. The couple honeymooned in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

and finally at

Solliden Palace Solliden Palace -- commonly known as just ''Solliden --'' is the summer residence of the Swedish Royal Family and the personal private property of King Carl XVI Gustaf. The palace is situated near the Borgholm Castle ruin on the island of Öland ...

Öland Öland (, ; ; sometimes written ''Øland'' in other Scandinavian languages, and often ''Oland'' internationally; la, Oelandia) is the second-largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area ...

. The wedding boosted the popularity of the monarchy as the public saw the bachelor king settling down. The couple has three children,

(b. 1977), Carl Philip (b. 1979) and Madeleine (b. 1982), and eight grandchildren. In 2010, their daughter, Victoria, married Daniel Westling on the same date in the same cathedral, becoming the fourth Swedish royal couple to marry on 19 June.

Reference

{{Swedish royal weddings Swedish royal weddings Marriage, unions and partnerships in Sweden

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

1976 in Sweden 1970s in Stockholm June 1976 events in Europe