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King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is celebrating 50 years on the throne this year. To kick off his Golden Jubilee year, the Swedish Royal Court released a new portrait of the monarch on Jan. 1.
Crown Princess Victoria , Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine ’s father posed in the Rikssalen at the Royal Palace in Stockholm next to the silver throne from Queen Kristina’s 1650 coronation. The Royal Court noted (translated to English) that the “silver throne is a symbol of the Swedish monarchy and is considered a sign of the kingdom’s dignity.”
The King, who was dressed in an admiral’s uniform, was pictured wearing the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of the Sword, the Order of the North Star, the Order of Vasa, the Grand Commander’s insignia of the Order of Dannebrog, as well as Swedish and Norwegian royal commemorative medals.
The Swedish royal acceded to the throne on Sept. 15, 1973. He became King at the age of 27. Princess Estelle’s grandfather is Sweden’s longest-reigning monarch of all time. The King’s anniversary year will kick off this month with a dinner. As part of the celebration in 2023, the King and Queen Silvia are scheduled to visit Sweden’s 21 counties between February and September.