The British Royal Family hosted King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on this day in 1975, 50 years ago, during his first and only State Visit to the United Kingdom. The Swedish and British Royal Families have had a long and close family relationship over the years, with several Official and Private Royal Visits to Britain over the last century!
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh welcomed King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in an Official Ceremony in Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, which was followed by a Procession to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry.
In the evening, the Queen (wearing Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara) and Duke of Edinburgh held a State Banquet for King Carl XVI Gustaf at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, alongside the Queen Mother (in the Greville Tiara), Prince of Wales, Princess Margaret (wearing the Poltimore Tiara), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (wearing the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara), and Earl Mountbatten as well as the King’s sister, Princess Margaretha (in the Baden Fringe Tiara) and John Ambler.
King Carl Gustaf also held a Return Dinner for the Queen (wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara) and Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Mother (wearing the Oriental Circlet Tiara), Princess Anne (in her Festoon Tiara), and Earl Mountbatten.
Swedish Royal Visits to Britain
King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise were the first Foreign Heads of State in the new Queen’s Reign to make a State Visit to Britain in 1954, being entertained with numerous events, including a Gala Performance at Covent Garden, hosted by the City of London in honour of King Gustaf VI Adolf (wearing the Order of the Garter) and Queen Louise of Sweden (in the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure), also attended by the Queen (wearing Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara and the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure) and Duke of Edinburgh along with Princess Margaret (wearing the Cartier Halo Tiara), the Duchess of Gloucester (in the Emerald Bandeau Tiara), the Princess Royal (wearing the Harewood Scroll Tiara), Princess Marie Louise (in the Cartier India Tiara), and Lady Patricia Ramsay (in her Diamond Tiara).
The next year, it was the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s turn to go on a State Visit to Sweden, the second outgoing State Visit of the Queen’s reign, for which King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise (wearing the Braganza Tiara) hosted a State Banquet in honour of the Queen (in the Vladimir Tiara with the Delhi Durbar Parure) and Duke at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, and the following evening, the King and Queen Louise (wearing Queen Sofia’s 9-Prong Tiara and the Napoleonic Amethyst Parure) joined the Queen (in Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara and the Greville Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace) and Duke for a Gala Performance at the Theatre in Stockholm.
They also attended the Opening Ceremony of the Equestrian Olympic Games, for which King Gustaf Adolf and Queen Louise hosted the Queen (in the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara) and Duke alongside several foreign Royals a Gala Performance at the Drottningholm Palace Theatre, who later also joined them for the Order of Amaranth Ball.
In 1983, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were hosted by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia on their second State Visit to Sweden, which included a State Banquet hosted by King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia (in the Braganza Tiara) in honour of the Queen (wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara) and Duke at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.
The Queen (in the Modern Sapphire Tiara and the King George VI Sapphire Suite) and Duke also hosted a Return Banquet in honour of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia (wearing the Cameo Tiara) on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
