Queen Silvia of Sweden celebrates her 80th birthday

Queen Silvia of Sweden celebrated her 80th birthday today.  She was born on December 23, 1943, in Heidelberg, Germany, the daughter of Walther Sommerlath and Alice Soares de Toledo.  As a hostess and translator, she met her future husband, then Crown Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich.   Carl Gustaf succeeded his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf in September 1973.

The couple's engagement was announced on March 12, 1976.   They were married in Stockholm on June 19th.   They have three children, Crown Princess Victoria (1977), Prince Carl Philip (1979) and Princess Madeleine (1981) and eight grandchildren.

Most of the photos in this post were taken by me in the 1980s and 1990s, when the Queen visited New York City and Washington, D.C.  The King and Queen and I were guests at Crown Prince Alexander's 60th birthday party in Belgrade in 2005.  I met the king and queen again in 2017 at Solliden for Victoriadag.

Belgrade, 2005 on the terrace at the Royal Palace

The King and Queen held a press conference at JFK Airport in NYC in the mid-80s.  I worked for the Associated Press as a librarian.  A Swedish reporter named Lars shared an office with the Daily Telegraph in the AP building in Rockefeller Center.  Lars asked me if I wanted to join him.  Sure.  I asked my boss and she said yes.  I had my 110 camera with me. 

These are the photos taken with my 110 camera.

NYC  1988 or 89

Washington, D.C.  1989

South Street Seaport, NYC  1988 or 89

The Queen is heading to a Lutheran church service   I also attended

No idea when this was taken .. in the 1980s

These next three photos were taken by the Associated Press photographer, who surprised me the next day with these prints.   It was a small group of reporters.  The Queen asked me -- of all the people there -- to sit next to her and ask a question.  Big chance, Marlene.  I must have asked a good question because Lars used it in his article.  

Can you spot me wearing Laura Ashley and using my 110 camera

The sign the queen was holding refers to a demand for Gallaudet University to appoint a deaf president.  At this event,  I was standing on one side and all the press were on the other side.  Much to my surprise turned to me to take the photo, not the main group of photographers.  I now had a point-and-shoot camera!

 

This next group of photos is from July 2017 when I was an official reporter at Crown Princess Victoria's 40th birthday celebrations

I had mentioned to the chief press officer that I had met the King and Queen in Belgrade, so she brought them over to me.  I told their Majesties that I met them in Belgrade, and told the king that on the final day -- at the buffet -- I let him cut in front of me in the dessert .. and the King asked me to pick his dessert.  The king said what had I chosen for him,  Chocolate, Your Majesty,  always for the chocolate.

The final three photos were taken by Dutch photographer Patrick van Katwijk