King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden makes a speech during the jubilee banquet in the Rikssalen at Stockholm Palace on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf's accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Jonas EKSTROMER / various sources / AFP) / Sweden OUT / SWEDEN OUT / ALTERNATIVE CROP - ALTERNATIVE CROP
Sweden’s celebrations to mark King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 50 years on the throne culminated Saturday after a weekend of pomp and circumstance that included galas, street parties and a procession through Stockholm.
The 77-year-old king was the world’s youngest monarch when he was crowned aged 27 in 1973 after the death of his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf.
The two days of festivities were attended by foreign royals and dignitaries, with hundreds of thousands of people lining the capital’s streets to catch a glimpse of the king and Queen Silvia in a cortege on Saturday.
The king oversaw the changing of the guard at the palace Friday, and hosted business and religious leaders and other Scandinavian royals at a gala banquet there later.
“It’s an intense week,” palace spokeswoman Margareta Thorgren told AFP, saying preparations had been underway for years.
See photos from the celebration below:
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (L) looks on as Queen Silvia of Sweden waves to the crowds during festivities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 16, 2023. (Photo by Janerik HENRIKSSON / TT NEWS AGENCY / AFP)
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (L) and Queen Silvia of Sweden wave to the crowds during festivities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 16, 2023. (Photo by Janerik HENRIKSSON / TT NEWS AGENCY / AFP)(L-R) Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Prince Daniel of Sweden, Princess Sofia of Sweden, Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill stand on the Palace balcony during festivities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 16, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (L) and Queen Silvia of Sweden stand on a royal boat during festivities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 16, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)
Swedish marine soldiers row a royal boat during festivities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 16, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (R) and Queen Silvia of Sweden arrive in a carriage for festivities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 16, 2023. (Photo by Mikaela LANDESTROEM / TT NEWS AGENCY / AFP)Royal guards parade during festivities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 16, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)
Norway’s Queen Sonja and Iceland’s President Gudni Johannesson arrive at the jubilee banquet in the Rikssalen at Stockholm Palace on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Anders WIKLUND / various sources / AFP)
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Denmark’s Queen Margrethe arrive at the jubilee banquet in the Rikssalen at Stockholm Palace on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Anders WIKLUND / various sources / AFP)
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden gives a toast during the jubilee banquet in the Rikssalen at Stockholm Palace on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Anders WIKLUND / various sources / AFP)
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden makes a speech during the jubilee banquet in the Rikssalen at Stockholm Palace on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Jonas EKSTROMER / various sources / AFP)
Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria addresses her father the King during the jubilee banquet in the Rikssalen at Stockholm Palace on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Anders WIKLUND / various sources / AFP)
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden makes a speech during the jubilee banquet in the Rikssalen at Stockholm Palace on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Anders WIKLUND / various sources / AFP)
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf (2ndL) and the Prince Carl Philip of Sweden (R) oversee the Changing of the Guard in the Outer Courtyard for the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Christine OLSSON / TT News Agency / AFP)
(L-R) Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto, Sweden’s Princess Madeleine, British-American financier Christopher O’Neill, Princess Sofia of Sweden, Sweden’s Queen Silvia, Sweden’s Prince Oscar, Sweden’s Prince Daniel, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Denmark’s princess Benedikte, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Sweden’s Princess Estelle and Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria arrive on the balcony for the Changing of the Royal Guard in the Outer Courtyard for the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)
The Changing of the Royal Guard in the Outer Courtyard of the Royal Palace takes place for the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)
Prince Carl Philip of Sweden (R) oversees the Changing of the Royal Guard in the Outer Courtyard for the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)
The Changing of the Royal Guard in the Outer Courtyard of the Royal Palace takes place for the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)
The Swedish royal family (R) and the Nordic heads of state (L) attend a thanksgiving service, Te Deum, for the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne in the Chapel of the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Jonas EKSTROMER / TT NEWS AGENCY / AFP)
Sweden’s Queen Silvia (4thR) and King Carl XVI Gustaf (2ndR) attend a thanksgiving service, Te Deum, for the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne in the Chapel of the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Claudio BRESCIANI / TT News Agency / AFP)
