Silvia Queen of Sweden

Swedish Royal Family HM The King HM The Queen HRH The Crown Princess, Duchess of Västergötland HRH Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland HRH Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland HRH Princess Birgitta, Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen HRH Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland

Styles of Queen Silvia as consort Reference style Her Majesty Spoken style Your Majesty Alternative style Ma'am

Queen Silvia of Sweden (born Silvia Renate Sommerlath) (born 23 December 1943) is the Queen consort of King Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden's monarch, and the mother of the heir apparent to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria. She is styled Her Majesty The Queen and is in Sweden most often referred to as Queen Silvia. Image File history File links Queen_silvia_of_sweden. ... Image File history File links Queen_silvia_of_sweden. ... The Swedish Royal Family consists of a number of persons in the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden, who are entitled to royal titles, and some of which are performing various official engagements on behalf of the Royal Family and ceremonial duties of State. ... Image File history File links Sweden_greater_arms. ... Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus Bernadotte) (born April 30, 1946), styled His Majesty The King, is the King of Sweden. ... Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée Bernadotte), born July 14, 1977, Duchess of Västergötland, is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne. ... Prince Carl Philip of Sweden (Carl Philip Edmund Bertil Bernadotte), born May 13, 1979, Duke of Värmland, is the second child and only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. ... Princess Madeleine of Sweden (Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine Bernadotte), born on June 10, 1982, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, is the youngest child and second daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. ... H.R.H. Princess Birgitta of Sweden, Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Birgitta Ingeborg Alice) (January 19, 1937-) was born at Haga Palace in Sweden. ... Princess Lilian of Sweden, née Lilian May Davies, (born 30 August 1915), Duchess of Halland, was born in Wales in the United Kingdom as the daughter of William and Gladys Mary Davies. ... Image File history File links Sweden_greater_arms. ... A style of office, or honorific, is a form of address which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a title or post, or to the political office itself. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... King George V of the United Kingdom and his consort, Queen Mary A queen consort is the wife and consort of a reigning king. ... Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus Bernadotte) (born April 30, 1946), styled His Majesty The King, is the King of Sweden. ... HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria, Victoria Ingrid Alice Desirée, (born July 14, 1977), Duchess of Westregothia, is the heir apparent of Sweden, being the first-born child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and his commoner Queen Silvia. ...

Childhood

Born Silvia Renate Sommerlath, the queen is the only daughter of the German Walther Sommerlath, who as a businessman became the president of the Brazilian subsidiary of the Swedish steel-parts manufacturer Uddeholm. Her mother was Alice Soares de Toledo, a Brazilian of Portuguese and Spanish descent. Silvia was born in Heidelberg, Germany during World War II, where her father was a member of the Nazi Party. After the war the family moved to Brazil and Silvia was raised in São Paulo between 1947 and 1957, after which her family returned to Germany. Walther Sommerlath (January 22, 1901 - October 21, 1990), father of Queen Silvia of Sweden, was a German businessman, president of the Brazilian subsidiary of the Swedish steel-parts manufacturer Uddeholm. ... Heidelberg is a scenic city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, halfway between Stuttgart and Frankfurt. ... This article is becoming very long. ... The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; NSDAP), generally known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. ... Landmark buildings Edifício Italia (at left) and Copan (curved façade at center), in São Paulo Downtown. ...

Career

Before her marriage to the king of Sweden, Silvia Sommerlath worked at the Argentinian Consulate in Munich, was an educational host during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and served as the Deputy Head of Protocol for the Winter Games in Innsbruck in Austria. She also was briefly a flight attendant. Argentina is a country in southern South America, situated between the Andes in the west and the southern Atlantic Ocean in the east. ... The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ... The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were held in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. ... Flight attendants, formerly called sky girls, air hostesses, stewardesses and stewards are responsible for the wellbeing of airline passengers. ...

She is an educated interpreter and speaks six languages: Swedish, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and English. She also is largely fluent in sign language for the deaf. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A sign language (also signed language) is a language which uses manual communication instead of sound to convey meaning - simultaneously combining handshapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to express fluidly a speakers thoughts. ... The word deaf can have very different meanings depending on the background of the person speaking or the context in which the word is used. ...

Marriage

During the 1972 Summer Olympics, Silvia Sommerlath met Crown Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden. In a later interview, the King explained how it just "clicked" [sic] when they met. The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ... Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus Bernadotte) (born April 30, 1946), styled His Majesty The King, is the King of Sweden. ...

After the death of King Gustav VI Adolf on September 14, 1973, Carl Gustav was enthroned on September 19 that year. He and Silvia announced their engagement on March 12, 1976 and were married three months later, on June 19, in Storkyrkan Cathedral in Stockholm. It was the first marriage of a reigning Swedish monarch since 1797. This was necessary, because if the King had married Silvia, who did not have the proper heredity, before being crowned, it would have rendered him ineligible for the crown. In celebration of the wedding, the internationally famous popgroup ABBA performed the song Dancing Queen on Swedish television the night before the ceremony, although the song was not actually written for Queen Silvia. Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Gustaf VI Adolf (Oskar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf) (November 11, 1882 – September 15, 1973) was King of Sweden from 1950 until his death. ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in leap years). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Stockholm panorama from the City Hall (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ... ABBA (1972–1982) were a Swedish pop music group characterised by a generally uplifting but melancholic sound. ... Dancing Queen was one of the biggest hit singles recorded by Swedish group ABBA. The song was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, recorded in 1975 for the groups album Arrival, and released as a single in 1976. ...

The King and Queen of Sweden have three children:

1. Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland (born 1977)
2. Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland (born 1979) (for a brief period, Carl Philip was Crown Prince instead of his elder sister. Victoria gained the title in 1980 after the Swedish constitution was altered)
3. Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (born 1982)

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée Bernadotte), born July 14, 1977, Duchess of Västergötland, is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne. ... Västergötland ( ♫) is one of the historical provinces of Sweden (landskap), situated in the southwest of Sweden. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden His Royal Highness Prince Carl Philip of Sweden (Carl Philip Edmund Bertil) (born May 13, 1979), Duke of Wermelandia, is the second child and only son of HM King Carl XVI Gustaf and HM Queen Silvia of Sweden. ... â–¶(?) is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Princess Madeleine of Sweden (Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine Bernadotte), born on June 10, 1982, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, is the youngest child and second daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. ...   Hälsingland?, is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. ... Gästrikland, is a historical Province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Relationship with the press

Though initially cool to the idea of a commoner queen, the Swedish press quickly warmed to Queen Silvia and soon began publishing admiring articles about how easily she fit into the country's expectations of queenly deportment. As the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet noted in 1994, on the occasion of the Queen's 50th birthday, she had revived the popularity of the monarchy. "With Silvia, the republic died. You could put it that way. Even if Silvia's arrival was like kicking someone lying down. Or hitting a guy with glasses. The guy with glasses was mostly to be found with the Social Democrats. A few lines in the party manifesto, ever more vague over the years. It has always been there, but nobody has ever done anything to implement it." 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

In 2003, Queen Silvia told a Swedish reporter that she and the royal family would like to be more open to contact with magazines and newspapers but that false articles about the family's lives -- including photograph montages purported to show the Crown Princess and Princess Madeleine with their "secret" babies, published in the German magazine "Frau mit Herz" -- had made them wary. As she told the Swedish news agency TT, "If a person is hurt too much, the natural reaction is to withdraw. That is a pity, because I really think our children are very natural and open toward other people and toward journalists."

The previous year, the Queen had become the unwelcome subject of international curiosity when an article published in the syndicalist newspaper Arbetaren in 2002 reported that German state archives record that the queen's father, Walther Sommerlath, joined the Nazi party's foreign wing, the NSDAP/AO, in 1934, when he was living in Brazil and working for a German steel company. Rumors had long circulated about Sommerlath's life and career during World War II, especially so when his daughter's relationship with the future king of Sweden became known, but until his death in 1990, the businessman denied any connection to the Nazi Party. However, study of state records further revealed that Sommerlath, in 1938, became the owner of a steel fabrication plant that "produced components for the German war effort, including parts for Panzers, as well as gas masks," according to the Scotsman (July 20, 2002). When the revelations about Walther Sommerlath broke in the Swedish press, a palace spokesman said, "The queen’s father has never been a part of the royal family and therefore I have no comment." Central Organization of the Workers of Sweden (in Swedish: Sveriges Arbetares Centralorganisation) is an anarcho-syndicalist trade union federation in Sweden. ... Arbetaren (The Worker) is a Swedish weekly newspaper. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Walther Sommerlath (January 22, 1901 - October 21, 1990), father of Queen Silvia of Sweden, was a German businessman, president of the Brazilian subsidiary of the Swedish steel-parts manufacturer Uddeholm. ... The NSDAP/AO was the Foreign Organization of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is becoming very long. ... The Nazi swastika symbol The National Socialist German Workers Party ( German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... Scotsman may mean: a man from Scotland, in common parlance (Scotswoman is the equivalent for a woman) The largest bronze statue of a Scotsman is located in Clinton, South Carolina at Presbyterian College, home of the Bluehose. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Sweden was neutral during the Second World War. This article is becoming very long. ...

Charity Involvement

Queen Silvia is involved in numerous charity organizations, especially in the area of disadvantaged children, and has made several public statements about human rights and the sexual exploitation of children. She was a co-founder of the World Childhood Foundation in 1999. She also works actively for handicapped, among other things as the Chairman of the Royal Wedding Fund and Queen Silvia's Jubilee Fund. In 1990, she was awarded the prestigious German prize "Deutscher Kulturpreis" for her work for the handicapped. The Queen is also an honorary board member of The Mentor Foundation International, that works against drug use in adolescents and young adults. She is also the Patroness of the "Queen Silvia Fund" operated by the World Scout Foundation which raises funds for Scouts with disabilities. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... This article is about the year. ... The World Scout Foundation provides financial support for the growth and development of Scouting worldwide under the aegis of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. ...

Her commitment for the work with dementia and the care of elderly people at the end of life is also well known and respected. On her initiative, Silviahemmet was established in Stockholm. It works to educate hospital personnel in how to work with people suffering from dementia, and also initiates research in the area. Stockholm panorama from the City Hall (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ...

The Queen also has brought the subject of dyslexia into the public arena in Sweden. For many years, it was widely rumored that the King has dyslexia. Journalists noted that he misspelled his name when signing his accession document, and in 1973, when visiting a copper mine, he misspelled his name when signing it on a rock wall. In an interview on Swedish television in 1997, the condition was admitted publicly when the Queen addressed the issue. "When he was little, people did not pay attention to the problem," she said. "He didn't get the help he needed." Developmental dyslexia is a condition which causes difficulty with reading and writing. ... Developmental dyslexia is a condition which causes difficulty with reading and writing. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Trivia

• In recent years the Queen has become a friend of former ABBA-member Anni-Frid Lyngstad, now titled HSH Princess Anni-Frid Reuss von Plauen, due to the Queen's connection to Lyngstad's late husband, Prince Ruzzo Reuss von Plauen, whom Lyngstad married in 1992. In 1976, on the eve of the royal wedding, ABBA performed their hit "Dancing Queen" in a concert for the King and the Queen, dressed in 18th Century costume Video clip of "Dancing Queen" performance at YouTube.. In 1993, Lyngstad again performed "Dancing Queen" at a celebration of the Queen's fiftieth birthday; this time, Lyngstad performed the song a cappella with the backup support from the Swedish a cappella group The Real Group. Video clip of "Dancing Queen" performance at YouTube..

ABBA (1972–1982) were a Swedish pop music group characterised by a generally uplifting but melancholic sound. ... Lyngstad in 1996 Anni-Frid Synni Frida, Princess Reuss better known as Anni-Frid Frida Lyngstad (born November 15, 1945) is best known as one of the four members of the Swedish pop group ABBA. She is of German and Norwegian origin. ... Dancing Queen was one of the biggest hit singles recorded by Swedish group ABBA. The song was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, recorded in 1975 for the groups album Arrival, and released as a single in 1976. ... YouTube is a popular free video sharing web site which lets users upload, view, and share video clips. ... A cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. ... The Real Group. ... YouTube is a popular free video sharing web site which lets users upload, view, and share video clips. ...

See also

• List of Swedish queens
• Swedish Royal Family

This is a list of Swedish queens, starting with the consorts of King Gustav I. Queen Christina 1523-1535 : Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (first wife of Gustav I) 1536-1551 : Margareta Leijonhufvud (second) 1552-1560 : Katarina Stenbock (third), d. ... The Swedish Royal Family consists of a number of persons in the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden, who are entitled to royal titles, and some of which are performing various official engagements on behalf of the Royal Family and ceremonial duties of State. ...

External links

• Page on Queen Silvia from the website of the Royal Court of Sweden
• World Childhood Foundation - Official site
• The Mentor Foundation International - Official site
• The Swedish Royal Family - Information site with pictures, news etc.