Carl Gustaf

Photo: Henrik Garlöv/Royal Court Sweden

Sweden has been celebrating King Carl XVI Gustaf and his Golden Jubilee for the past few days.

What legacy will the longest-reigning Swedish monarch leave?

The King began his reign with the motto “For Sweden – With the times,” and he has held true to that promise.

From the 1970s to now, he has helped lead Sweden into a new century and seen it develop into a new country.

The King’s role was severely restricted with the 1974 Instrument of Government, which pulled back the monarch’s power – giving him less powers than many of his European counterparts. Gone was the ability to appoint a prime minister, and bills no longer need royal assent.

The King took it all in his stride, but that wasn’t the only change his reign would see. His first child, Victoria, was born in 1977, and his second child, Carl Philip, came along in 1979. At the time, Swedish law said males preceded women in the line of succession to the Swedish throne, but changes were already underway with the government to give equal rights to women and men.

By 1980, Crown Prince Carl Philip was stripped of his title as heir to the throne, and Victoria became first in line to the throne, holding the title of Crown Princess. The King has been vocal about his disagreement with the law applying retroactively; he felt the change in law was needed but should apply from 1980 going forward. However, Crown Princess Victoria has proven herself ever the perfect heir, and the King has remarked how proud she has made him in representing Sweden.

King Carl Gustaf has been a passionate Scout and advocate for climate change and the environment. The King was vocal about environmentalism long before it was deemed cool. He’s passed this on to his children, and Sweden leads the world in sustainability.

In 2000, the King and his wife, Queen Silvia, made a statement eating under a rainbow flag at the Stockholm restaurant Djurgårdsterrassen, owned by a gay man. They made their position clear, and while it was popular at the time, it helped to move conversations forward in the country. Same-sex marriage became legal in 2009, bringing Sweden in line with many of their European counterparts.

Recently, he made a change to the Royal House to ease the burden on the Swedish taxpayer, again showing his ability to adapt to changing times and economic circumstances. In 2018, he revoked the styles of Royal Highness and places in the Royal House from his grandchildren not in the direct line of succession. He did this to streamline the monarchy and allow those grandchildren the freedom to choose their future. They will not be expected to carry out any royal duties on behalf of the Crown.

Carl Gustaf will have a legacy of persevering through change and ensuring his country kept up with the times – just as he vowed in his motto when he took the throne.