Photo: Clément Morin/The Royal Court of Sweden

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia have made another stop in their jubilee visits to all of Sweden’s counties – this time in Västra Götaland. 

Their Majesties arrived in the county’s main city, Gothenburg, where the Governor, Sten Tolgfors, and Mrs Karin Larsson welcomed them. 

The King and Queen were then escorted on a carriage ride through the streets of the city, starting from Götaplatsen, where they were sent off by music offered by the Gothenburg Symphonic Orchestra, through Kungsportsavenyn and to Gustaf Adolf Square. 

Once they arrived there, the governor couple were joined by the municipal council chairman on the steps of the local stock exchange, from where the governor gave a speech and the chairman led the crowds in three cheers for His Majesty the King. 

It was the monarch’s turn to offer a few words, during which he said in part: “But 1523 was a starting point for the development that led to today’s modern Sweden. It is worth celebrating for all of us who live in the country – regardless of whether your ancestors have been Swedish for a long time or if you received your citizenship just recently.”

1523 is, of course, the year in which Gustaf Vasa was elected King, making Sweden an independent kingdom – making 2023 not only the Golden Jubilee for King Carl XVI Gustaf but also the 500th anniversary of the foundation of Sweden. 

The King and Queen were then given a tour of a photo exhibition of past royal visits to the county in the 50 years of the King’s reign, travelling then to the Governor’s residence to have lunch and finishing the day with a commemoration of the city of Gothenburg’s 400th anniversary. 

This marks the King’s 13th visit to a Swedish county, in an effort that the sovereign is making to travel throughout the entire nation – an effort that will end on the 7th of September, with the 21st and last visit being in Karlstad, Värmland, before the official Golden Jubilee being marked on the 15th.