There were jubilant scenes at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on Sunday as King Carl Gustaf marked his 77th birthday.
The Swedish royals greeted the cheering public with a traditional appearance on the balcony overlooking the outer courtyard.
The King was joined by Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, her husband Prince Daniel and their children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, as well as Prince Carl Philip, his wife Princess Sofia, and their three children, Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel and Prince Julian on the balcony for the first time.
Prior to their appearance, Carl Gustaf and his only son, Prince Carl Philip, received troops during the Commander-in-Chief’s reception.
His Majesty then returned to the Outer Courtyard to see the High Guard ride into the square with the Dragoon Music Corps of the Life Guard. The military-led cheers for the King before all those in the courtyard sang The King’s Song.
There was one notable absence from the celebrations, however.
Princess Madeleine – the king and queen’s youngest child – was unable to attend the happy event given that she currently lives in Florida with her family.
Madeleine has been married to Christopher O’Neill since 2013 and together they share three children: Princess Leonore, nine, Prince Nicolas, seven, and Princess Adrienne, five.
But it won’t be long before the family reunites with the royals.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Madeleine, Christopher and their children are relocating back to Sweden over the summer.
They will set up a permanent home in an apartment at the Royal Stables in Stockholm with Leonore and Nicolas starting elementary school in the city this autumn. Meanwhile, little Adrienne, four, will start at a preschool.
Princess Madeleine and her husband moved to Florida in 2018 – although in the announcement at the time, they made it clear it was only temporary.
They have now decided to head back to Sweden, no doubt so Madeleine can be closer to her family, including her father King Carl Gustaf, who recently underwent surgery on his heart.
It’s also a move that will benefit the couple’s children within the structure of the royal family.
Swedish laws state that royal children must be educated in Sweden to be able included in the line of succession.
In 2019, Fredrik Wersäll, Marshal of the Realm, confirmed Princess Madeleine had been given a bit of scope when it came to her children living and attending school abroad.
Currently, Princess Leonore is ninth in the line of succession, following Crown Princess Victoria and her children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, Prince Carl Philip and his children, Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel and Prince Julian, and then her mother, Princess Madeleine.
In October 2019, the Swedish royal palace announced that the children of Princess Madeleine and Prince Carl Philip would no longer be members of the royal house.
The decision meant that Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, Princess Adrienne, and Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel lost their style of Royal Highness and would no longer be expected to perform duties incumbent on the head of state.
