Sylvia Queen of Sweden. What Queen Silvia thinks about retirement. Office in the old town
In 1993, the Riksbank (Bank of Sweden) issued a commemorative version of 1,000 crowns in honor of the 50th birthday of Sylvia Renata Sommerlath, Queen of Sweden, wife of Carl XVI Gustaf. The coin weighing 5.8 grams and 20 millimeters in diameter was minted from 900 gold at the national mint in Eskilstuna. In total, 14 thousand copies appeared, to which another thousand with exquisite dressing (prooflike) were then added.
On the obverse is the profile of Queen Silvia, facing right. The image is complemented by a crown (left) and a lily (right). At the top, along the circumference, the words: "Queen Silvia of Sweden" are engraved, and at the bottom is the date of the memorable event: December 23, 1943-1993. The reverse is completely occupied by a large version of the Swedish coat of arms. The shield is divided into four fields by a golden cross. At the top left and bottom right are three golden crowns, two above one - a national symbol since the era of Albert of Mecklenburg. At the top right and bottom left is a golden crowned lion with its tongue hanging out, representing the ruling house of the Folkungs. The coat of arms of the ruling royal house of Bernadotte is located on the central shield, combining the emblem of Vase (a sheaf of ears, on the left) and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (an eagle over the bridge, on the right). The shield topped with a crown is supported on the sides by heraldic lions standing on their hind legs, in crowns and with forked tails. Below is the denomination in abbreviated form (100 kg), to the left of it is the letter E, to the right is the letter D; they stand for Myntverket AB, which issued Swedish coins UNTIL 2011. Sylvia Renata Sommerlath was born on December 23, 1943 in Heidelberg, Germany. Her father, Walter Sommerlath, was a German entrepreneur; mother, Alice Soares de Toledo, was from Sao Paolo, Brazil, where the family moved in 1947-1957.
After returning to Germany, Silvia graduated from the Faculty of Philology at the University of Düsseldorf. In 1972, she participated in the organization of the Olympic Games in Munich, during which she met her future husband, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Their marriage took place on June 19, 1976 in the Stockholm Cathedral. To mark the occasion, the Royal Family invited the Swedish pop group ABBA to perform at the Stockholm Opera House. After the wedding ceremony, having received the title of "Her Majesty the Queen Consort" of Sweden, Sylvia moved with Karl to the royal palace in Drottingholm. The monarchs have three children: Princess Victoria (born 14 July 1977), Prince Carl-Philip (13 May 1979) and Princess Madeleine (June 1982). there are also real scandals in her name, although she was not always really involved in them. In spite of everything, Sylvia held herself in line with her high rank and won the favor and sympathy of the majority of her fellow citizens. In addition to the traditional duties of the queen, Sylvia also performs other duties related to the patronage of many public organizations.
June 26, 2010, 02:55 “My mother wanted to find couples for me and my sister who would correspond to our position, that is, would be crown princes, best of all, with castles surrounded by a moat ... ... However, she could not fashion princes for us from dough . Would you like a little more history from my family life? Shortly after my parents' wedding, my mother slipped on the slippery floor of the castle. When she told my father about this, he remarked dryly: Everyone notices that you did not grow up in a castle, otherwise you could run around on the parquet. "It was clear to me that only great love can become an occasion to talk about marriage, whether either a man with or without a castle. Naturally, the person I choose must understand me and my family, and also accept all the conditions of my upbringing. "From my mother, I learned that the princess must remain calm in every situation. For example , not to squeal hysterically if a spider runs along her arm. In addition, you need to be responsible for traditions and history. Therefore, it is quite difficult to find a permanent partner with such conditions. "That's how she told about her love story, about the traditions of her family the day before crown princess Victoria of Sweden. Even from this short interview, it becomes clear how close the princess is to her parents. Who is he, King Carl XVI Gustaf? Who is she, who grew up for through the palaces, charming companion of the King of Sweden? Their story began not so rosy and so far apart that it seemed unlikely that they would meet. A descendant of the Napoleonic general from the Bernadotte dynasty, Prince Carl Gustav Folke Hubertus was born on April 30, 1946 in the Haga Palace in Solna and 9 months later lost his father, Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten. He tragically died in a plane crash near Copenhagen on January 26, 1947. The only son of his father, Carl Gustav, along with his four sisters, was brought up by his mother, Princess Dowager Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, great-grandfather Gustav V, grandfather Gustav Adolf (future King Gustav VI Adolf). At the age of 4, Karl Gustav lost his great-grandfather and became the heir of his grandfather (See photo) Four generations of the family: great-grandfather King Gustav V, grandfather Gustav Adolf (future King Gustav VI Adolf), father Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, newborn Prince Carl Gustav (current King Carl XVI Gustaf). The current King Carl XVI Gustaf (aged 1) with his mother, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and great-grandfather King Gustav V The wedding of the parents of the current King Carl XVI Gustaf Crown Prince Carl Gustaf graduated from a boarding school in Sigtuna, near Stockholm, in 1966 year. After that, he served for two and a half years in various branches of the military - the army, navy and air force. His main focus was on the Navy, and since then he has retained a particular interest in the sea. After military service, the crown prince studied for a year in a special educational program at Uppsala University. This program included a series of courses in history, sociology, political science, tax law, and economics. After that, the prince continued to study national economics at the university in Stockholm. Carl Gustaf received a deep and varied knowledge of how Sweden is governed and how it functions, so that he could get an idea of the daily life of the Swedes, a special program was drawn up for the future head of state. He visited state and regional governments, enterprises, laboratories and schools. He studied the work of the judiciary, social security, the work of trade unions and employers' unions. Particular attention was paid to the work of the government, the Riksdag and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also gained international experience by studying the work of the Swedish Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, the Swedish International Cooperation Development Agency (SIDA) in Africa, he spent time at Hambro Bank, the Swedish Embassy and the Chamber of Commerce in London. 
The young Prince Carl Gustav, the future King Carl XVI Gustav Silvia Renata Sommerlath was born three years earlier than her future husband - December 23, 1943 in Heidelberg (Germany) in the family of German businessman Walter Sommerlath and his wife, Brazilian aristocrat Alicia Sommerlath, nee Soares de Toledo. In the Sommerlat family, 3 more sons were growing up. At the height of the war, the family was forced to leave Germany and settle in the Brazilian city of São Paulo, where Herr Walter ran his business (he supplied weapons for the German army), being also a representative of the Swedish company Uddeholm. 1943-1957 Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 1957 the family returned to Germany, where Sylvia continued her education. She entered the Munich Institute of Translators and graduated in 1969 as a Spanish translator. In 1971, she was appointed senior guide interpreter for the organizing committee for the 1972 Munich Olympics. During these Olympic Games, Sylvia Sommerlath met Carl Gustav, at that time the heir to the Swedish throne. In 1972, during the Summer Olympics in Munich, she worked as a translator. Sylvia also managed to be a flight attendant, though not for long. In the middle of a romance. However, a possible marriage between the heir to the Swedish throne and the translator was out of the question! Grandfather - the Swedish king Gustav VI Adolf was categorically not satisfied with the non-royal origin of the grandson's chosen one. But in 1973, the Dowager Princess, the mother of Crown Prince Sibylla, left this world, followed by the late old (almost 90 years old) King. King Carl XVI Gustaf became the master of his own destiny. Having endured mourning for relatives, the young monarch made an offer to his beloved to become the queen of his country and his heart. King Carl Gustaf with Silvia and her parents, Walter and Alicia Sommerlath. June 7, 1976, solemn service in honor of the upcoming marriage in the Chapel of the Royal Palace in Stockholm. June 19, 1976 Sweden rejoiced: Newlyweds. A touching wedding moment. Thanks to the new member of the royal family, the prestige of the monarchy skyrocketed. The Swedes fell in love with their young, charming queen. And 13 months later, Sweden again celebrated a pleasant event - the birth of Princess Victoria Ingrid Alicia Desiree. One of the godparents of the newborn was her own grandmother Alicia (the third name was given to the baby in her honor): Young with their first child. 27 September 1977, christening of Princess Victoria. In the background is Queen Silvia's mother. In 1979 and 1982, two more children were born in the family. The joys and worries of the young have increased. The young queen happily plunged into motherhood, while simultaneously performing the functions of a queen. June 14, 1982, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia with their children - the newborn Princess Madeleine, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Carl Philip. December 30, 1999, New Year's photo session. Happiness was always read on the faces of this wonderful family. It is not surprising that Crown Princess Victoria so wanted to repeat the happy family fate of her parents that she chose the same wedding date (June 19), the same church and even the crown. On June 19, 2010, Sweden rejoiced at the creation of a new royal family. And the king and queen remembered their happy day 34 years ago and rejoiced for the young. 
June 19, 2010
In the Royal Palace of Sweden in December, they celebrate not only Christmas, but also an important family holiday: December 23 is the birthday of Queen Silvia. This year, the wife of Carl Gustav celebrates her 75th birthday, in honor of which Her Majesty gave an interview to the Swedish media, in which she spoke about her plans for the future.
Sylvia's fans are pleased: Her Majesty is not going to retire and intends to continue her social and public activities for the foreseeable future. As the Queen said, as long as she can work, she will work. Sylvia assures that she does not feel really serious changes in her condition on the eve of her 75th birthday, but admits that she has become wiser with age. Now the lady just wants to continue the work that brings her satisfaction.
Her Majesty also spoke of a joint decision with her husband: Crown Princess Victoria should spend as much time as possible with her children before she takes the throne ( read also: "Crown Princess Victoria: Queen of Swedish Hearts"). Sylvia herself adores her grandchildren and calls them "the dessert of her life" (according to Her Majesty, she borrowed this definition from her mother).
However, the queen is not only interested in her grandchildren. Sylvia is very concerned about the drug use of young people in Sweden and the problem of violence. Supporting young people has been one of the most important parts of Her Majesty's work since she married Carl XVI Gustaf on June 19, 1976. Silvia collaborated with many organizations that provide assistance and support to children and adolescents, and in 1999 founded the World Childhood Foundation (World Childhood Foundation), the main purpose of which is to protect children from sexual abuse and help those who have already been victims of sexual abuse.
In a new interview, the queen spoke about how important such problems were and still are for her, and stressed that she strives to help as many people as possible (
The traditions of the Swedish crown allowed only marriages with representatives of royal families, but for the sake of happiness with the woman he loved, the current king of Sweden decided to change the age-old foundations and allowed the current kings to marry representatives of ordinary families.
True, even before this official permission, this already happened in Swedish history, when in 1568 King Eric XIV, the son of the founder of the Wasa / Vasa dynasty, “... humiliated his Majesty by a shameful marriage” to a commoner.
Queen Silvia / Silvia, nee Silvia Renate Sommerlath / Silvia Renate Sommerlath, was born on December 23, 1943 in Germany and became the fourth child in the family (she has three brothers). She can not boast of nobility origin.
Her father - Walther Sommerlath / Walter Sommerlath (1901-1990) came from a German merchant family. In 1920 he left for Brazil, and in 1925 he married Alice Soares de Toledo / Alice Suarez de Toledo. While still in Brazil, he joined the Nazi Party of Germany.
In 1938 he returned with his family to Germany and became the director of a metallurgical plant.
Her mother - Alice Soares de Toledo / Alice Suarez de Toledo (1906-1997) was of Brazilian-Portuguese origin.
From February 1947 until 1957 the family lived in Brazil, where Walther Sommerlath worked for the Swedish steel company Uddeholm.
When the family returned to Germany, Silvia/Silvia entered the University of Munich in the department of translation from Spanish (Silvia/Silvia speaks Swedish, Portuguese, German, English, Spanish, French and sign language of the deaf and dumb). After training, she got a job at the consulate of the Argentine Embassy. In 1972, at the Olympic Games in Munich, Sylvia was appointed to the executive committee. At one of the celebrations, she met the Crown Prince of Sweden.
Silvia became Queen of Sweden on June 19, 1976. She wore a Dior dress designed by Marc Bohan with a train carried by two footmen. On her head was a diadem that belonged to her mother.
Queen Silvia, a German by birth, managed to become the favorite of all Sweden and revive the popularity of the monarchy in the country. The foreigner managed to do the impossible: she not only won the hearts of the heir to the throne and his subjects, but also changed the traditions of the royal family.
Silvia Renata Sommerlath was born in Heidelberg to German businessman Walter Sommerlath and Brazilian mother Alice de Toledo. The girl became the fourth child in the family. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, the Sommerlats moved to São Paulo, where they lived for several years. Sylvia was a very assiduous child, she studied well at school. It was especially easy for her to learn foreign languages. In addition to her native German, she easily learned Portuguese and English. When the family returned to Germany, Silvia entered the University of Munich in the department of translation from Spanish. After training, she got a job at the Argentine Embassy, worked as an interpreter at the Olympic Games more than once. By the way, it was sport that played a decisive role in the fate of the German woman. In 1972, at the Olympic Games in Munich, Sylvia was appointed to the executive committee. At one of the celebrations, she met Crown Prince Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. “It was as if something clicked between us at once,” the Swedish king later told about the first meeting. The German won the prince's heart at first sight. And although the feelings of Carl Gustav were mutual, the happiness of the lovers seemed impossible. The traditions of the Swedish crown allowed only marriages with representatives of royal families, and a simple German woman was clearly an unsuitable party. But despite the prohibitions, young people continued to communicate.
Soon the serene life of the prince changed. In 1973, Carl Gustav's father, King Gustav Adolf, died, and the throne passed to the young prince. This period turned out to be the most difficult for the couple - it seemed that there would be no end to separation. However, it soon became clear that what is not allowed to the entire royal family, the king himself can afford. For the sake of happiness with his beloved woman, Karl Gustav decided to change the age-old foundations and allowed the current kings to marry representatives of ordinary families. Democratic-minded Swedes approved this decision. Nevertheless, the future queen was treated with all severity.
An impeccable biography, good education, knowledge of five foreign languages made a good impression on the Swedes. And yet, her every step, every word was closely watched by photo and video cameras. A few days after the wedding, Sylvia's first joint interview with King Carl Gustav took place. At that time, Sylvia practically did not know the Swedish language - she communicated with her husband mainly in English. As befits a queen, she was not at all embarrassed when the journalist, aware of her weakness, began a conversation in Swedish. Sylvia politely greeted the interlocutor, uttering a couple of simple Swedish phrases. But the reporter did not give in: he asked one question after another, addressing them to the newly-made queen. "Help me!" - in desperation, Sylvia turned to her husband when the vocabulary was exhausted. "He asked you," the king replied jokingly, "and you should answer."
But even such hitches could not overshadow the happiness of lovers. "I love you," the direct Sylvia whispered in the king's ear after the interview. "Shhh! There are journalists everywhere," her husband continued to admonish. Of course, the reporters did not miss this moment and did not hide the footage. But the sincerity and charm of the German woman conquered even the most callous hearts. Having failed the first test for the ability to communicate with journalists, she brilliantly won the first battle for the hearts of her subjects.
“Someone falls in love with directors, someone falls in love with presidents. And I love the king,” Sylvia said in the first days of her marriage. She could not even imagine what it was like to be the wife of the Swedish King. However, in more than 40 years on the throne, Queen Silvia has proven time and time again that she deserves to be queen like no one else. She quickly learned Swedish and was soon able to speak fluently on any topic. She is actively involved in charitable activities, and always respectfully and adequately responds to even the most caustic criticism of journalists. Sylvia gave birth to three heirs - Princess Victoria, Prince Philip and Princess Madeleine, in which most Swedes simply do not care. It was thanks to the queen that the popularity of the Swedish monarchy grew from year to year. According to a public opinion poll in 2012, 70 percent of Swedes adhere to monarchist views.
But all this might not be. After all, it is not the first year that the royal family has been haunted by a series of high-profile scandals. And most of all goes to King Carl Gustav. Over the past three years, several exposé books have been published in Sweden at once. Each of them reveals new secrets from the life of the monarch: numerous mistresses, connections with the mafia. The royal court refrains from any comments on this topic. The scandal also affected Sylvia. In 2002, an archive was declassified in Germany that confirmed that Sylvia's father, Walter Sommerlath, was a member of the Nazi Party. This was the first spot in the immaculate biography of Sylvia, so the journalists seized on this idea especially zealously. But the queen answered these accusations with calmness. She openly told reporters about her childhood and explained that her parents never talked to her about this topic. And now, thanks to historians, she has the opportunity to bit by bit restore the picture of the past. "There are many questions I would like to ask. But my parents and loved ones from their generation have already died. Perhaps many wondered why I did not talk about my father ... And it was not only the difficulties with controlling emotions. This the case required in-depth research into events that took place more than seventy years ago," Sylvia said.
Of course, one cannot say about Queen Silvia that she radically changed the history of Sweden. This was not required of her. But when you see how, despite all the gossip and scandals, most Swedes proudly tell what a wonderful monarchy they have, you clearly understand that the main merit in this belongs to Sylvia. She not only changed the traditions of the royal family, she brought her closer to the people. And thus forever won the love of Sweden.