“It just clicked” – that’s how Queen Silvia once described the moment she met Carl Gustaf. It was 1972 when the Heidelberg merchant’s daughter, who was still called Silvia Sommerlath at the time, looked after prominent guests at the Olympic Games in Munich as head hostess and interpreter. And on the occasion he met one of the most sought-after bachelors in Europe, the future King of Sweden. This began a romance that was sealed with a dream wedding in Stockholm in 1976.
Historians agree that Silvia was and still is a stroke of luck for Sweden. The pretty German not only allowed her husband, who often seemed insecure and awkward, to shine, she also helped the entire royal family, which was in crisis at the time, gain new popularity. “She saved the monarchy,” says nobility expert Roger Lundgren. “The Queen has the unique ability to really see the people she speaks to. When she walks into the room, you can literally feel her presence.”
Photo: APA/Janerik Henriksson
The first time at court was not easy for the daughter of a businessman and his Brazilian-born wife. Silvia grew up with three older brothers and lived in São Paulo for ten years. “I came from a completely different background and there were so many things I had to learn.” Her roots also helped her, she says. “They say I have a Brazilian heart, a German head and a Swedish soul.”
Image: APA/Franz Neumayr
With her discipline, modesty and determination, Silvia is a role model for many people in the Scandinavian country. One of the things she is passionate about: her commitment to disadvantaged children. In 1999 she founded the “World Childhood Foundation” – a foundation that supports dozens of projects worldwide. Her own children, Crown Princess Victoria (46), Carl Philip (44) and Madeleine (41), perfect the image of the likeable royal family. The idyll is completed by eight grandchildren. The relationship also survived a scandal surrounding the king’s affair and rumored visits to the red light district. Silvia remained silent and stayed at Gustaf’s side. “If you love someone, it doesn’t matter whether they’re the head of a company or a king,” she explained in English at the beginning of their marriage. Today she speaks perfect Swedish.
Valerie Hader
