In 1946, a boy was born in the Swedish city of Stockholm. His fate could well have gone unnoticed, and his life could have passed in one of the city's forges. But this was no ordinary blacksmith's son, and none other than Carl Gustav. His family belonged to an ancient royal dynasty. During his reign, Charles managed to gain fame as a sensitive and cheerful ruler. In the memory of the Swedes, he will long remain a king who, to everyone's surprise, could not read at all.
Carl Gustav's early biography
A boy born in a palace knew his destiny from birth. It was Prince Carl Gustav. Sweden was never able to see how his father rules, as he died in a plane crash just a year after the birth of his son. And without recognizing his father, Karl fell into a truly female society. He was surrounded by his mother, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gott, and four sisters. Their names were Margareta, Christina, Brigid, Desira. The family and all relatives were very happy that a male heir was finally born.
Howand all the children of his country, he loved to play, wanted to drive a locomotive or be a driver. At the age of three, Karl played the harmonica perfectly, and at four he was already a real scout. But his future demanded that he put the games aside and begin to study all the royal subtleties. His reigning grandfather personally prepared a program of education and training. At a very early age, he was taught the basics of science by court tutors, and after that Karl studied at private boarding schools.
Karl received his basic primary education at the Sigtuna boarding school. Then he spent two and a half years in military service. There was a guy in the navy, and in the ranks of the air force, and even among the ordinary army. He was especially interested in the navy (he is still in awe of it).
After military service, Karl spent a year at Uppsala University, studying in a specialized curriculum. This program included courses in political science, history, economics, tax law, and sociology. At Stockholm University, Karl began to study the national economy. The future king was able to gain international experience while studying the work of his country's representation in the United Nations, the Swedish embassy in the capital of England - London, in Swedish rule in Africa.
Spouse
Carl Gustav met his future wife in 1972 in Munich, at the Olympic Games. It was 30-year-old Silvia Sommerlath, a native of Heidelberg. She was the daughter of a businessman and worked as a translator at the games. She lived most of her life in Brazil, as her father marriedBrazilian. Returning to Germany, Silvia settled in the city of Düsseldorf, where she graduated from high school. In Munich, she took a course in Spanish translation and found her first job at the Argentine consulate. Her subsequent work at the Olympic Games completely changed her life, because there, in the stadium, Sylvia felt the eyes of the prince on her. By the way, he was three years younger than her. Karl looked at the girl through binoculars, standing very close, and it seemed to her very funny. If only she knew that this funny young man is the future King Carl Gustav!
Binoculars her future husband then used not for laughter, but simply because his short-sightedness did not allow him to see everything around. The prince was always looking for an excuse to come to Germany to enjoy the company of his beloved. The lovers played the wedding four years later. The couple gave birth and raised three children: Princess Victoria (hereditary), Princess Madeleine and Prince Carl Philip.
Ascension to the throne
In order to prepare for his ascension to the throne, Carl Gustav studied many aspects. He thoroughly understood how Sweden functions, mastered the intricacies of the art of managing it. In order to understand everything about the daily life of his people, the king visited schools, laboratories, judicial authorities, enterprises, employers' unions and workers' unions on a special program. Key attention was paid to the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, government and parliament. In 1973 his grandfather died, and then Charles became kingSweden.
King Carl Gustav: history of government
To say about Charles that he did something important during the years of his reign, passed a law that changed the course of the country, or won an important battle, is simply impossible. In Sweden, the king does not act as a politician or commander in chief, but personifies the unity of the whole nation.
This activity is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. A lot of time and effort is spent on endless royal receptions, attending ceremonial events. Carl 16 Gustav did not sit idle. He visited all kinds of institutions, organizations, institutions. The king did not neglect the old tradition of making trips to even the smallest regions of the country.
Unexpected illness
In 1997, it became officially recognized that Carl Gustav had a mild form of dyslexia. This disorder never allowed him to read at least one, even a children's book. His daughter, Princess Victoria, suffered from the same problems with reading and writing. The princess once admitted to reporters that she had to endure ridicule from her classmates. The girl had to think all her life that she was stupid and could not do anything at the same pace as her peers.
Not royal at all
Many, having forgotten history, no longer perceive the Bernadotte dynasty as foreigners. But in fact, they are exactly what they are, and you certainly cannot even call them Swedes.
Today's rulers of Sweden have noblood connection with the once-ruling Charles XII, a representative of the full-blooded Swedish royal dynasty. In the XIX century, the country was defeated in the war with Russia and lost Finland. At the same time, the ruler Gustav IV Adolf was overthrown. Instead, Charles XIII began to rule. His age was already quite decent, and he had no children. Due to the lack of a prince of the nobility, he had to turn to the ruler of neighboring France, Napoleon, for help. He sent a French marshal named Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte to Stockholm. By origin, he was only the son of a solicitor's assistant. Jean-Baptiste and became the founder of the current ruling dynasty, King Charles XIV Johan.
