Queen Silvia of Sweden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Silvia |
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Silvia in 2023
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| Queen consort of Sweden | |
| Tenure | 19 June 1976 – present |
| Born | Silvia Renate Sommerlath 23 December 1943 Heidelberg, Germany |
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| Father | Walther Sommerlath |
| Mother | Alice Soares de Toledo |
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| Swedish Royal Family |
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HM The King
HRH Princess Birgitta Extended royal family
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Silvia (born Silvia Renate Sommerlath; 23 December 1943) is the current Queen of Sweden. She became Queen when she married King Carl XVI Gustaf in 1976. Together, they have three children: Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, and Princess Madeleine.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Silvia Renate Sommerlath was born in Heidelberg, Germany, on 23 December 1943. Her father, Walther Sommerlath, was German, and her mother, Alice Soares de Toledo, was Brazilian. Silvia has one older brother, Ralf. Her other two brothers, Walther and Jörg, have passed away. A special house in Berlin for mothers and children is named after her brother Jörg.
Silvia went to high school in Düsseldorf, finishing in 1963. She then studied at the Munich School of Interpreting from 1965 to 1969, focusing on Spanish.
Queen Silvia is very good with languages. She speaks her native German, her mother's language of Portuguese, and also French, Spanish, and English. Swedish is her sixth language. She can even use some Swedish Sign Language, which is used by the deaf community in Sweden.
Meeting the King and Royal Wedding
Silvia met Crown Prince Carl Gustaf during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. At that time, she was working to promote the city of Munich for the Olympics.
After King Gustaf VI Adolf passed away in 1973, Carl XVI Gustaf became the new King. He and Silvia announced their engagement on 12 March 1976. They were married three months later on 19 June 1976 in Stockholm Cathedral. This was the first time a reigning Swedish King had married since 1797.
The night before their wedding, a special show was held. The famous Swedish music group ABBA performed their song "Dancing Queen" for the very first time as a tribute to Sweden's future Queen.
The Royal Family
The King and Queen have three children:
- Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland (born 14 July 1977). She is married to Daniel Westling and they have two children.
- Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland (born 13 May 1979). He is married to Sofia Hellqvist and they have three children.
- Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (born 10 June 1982). She is married to Christopher O'Neill and they have three children.
In February 2021, Queen Silvia had a small accident and fractured her right wrist. She was taken to the hospital but recovered well.
Queen Silvia's Charity Work
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Queen Silvia is very active in charity work, especially helping young people and the elderly.
In 1994, she started Mentor International with the World Health Organization. Her goal was to help young people make good choices and feel positive about their future. She is now an honorary board member of this foundation.
She has also been involved with the Global Child Forum. This group works to improve the rights of children around the world.
Queen Silvia cares deeply about people with dementia and the care of older people. She helped create Silviahemmet in Stockholm. This center trains hospital staff to care for people with dementia and supports research in this area.
She also leads two special funds:
- The Royal Wedding Fund: This fund supports research in sports for young people with disabilities.
- The Queen Silvia Jubilee Fund: This fund supports research about children and disabilities.
Queen Silvia also holds honorary positions in several other organizations, including the Children's Cancer Foundation of Sweden and Save the Children Sweden.
Father's Past
In 2002, some news reports mentioned that Queen Silvia's father, Walther Sommerlath, had joined a part of the Nazi party in 1934. This happened when he was living in Brazil and working for a German steel company.
Queen Silvia asked an expert to look into these claims. The expert's report said that her father had actually helped the Jewish owner of the steel factory escape from Germany by taking over the factory. In an interview in 2011, Queen Silvia said that the way the media handled this information about her father was unfair.
Awards and Honours
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| Reference style | Her Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
Queen Silvia has received many awards and honours from Sweden and other countries. These awards recognize her important work and her role as Queen.
Some of her Swedish honours include:
- Member of the Royal Order of the Seraphim, which is a very high honour.
- Medals for special royal events, like the King's birthdays and Crown Princess Victoria's wedding.
She has also received awards from many other countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Japan, and the United States.
Honorary Doctorates
Queen Silvia has been given special degrees called honorary doctorates from several universities. These degrees recognize her contributions, especially her work on dementia.
- 1990 – University of Turku
- 1993 – Karolinska Institute
- 1994 – Linköping University
- 1999 – University of Gothenburg
- 2023 – University of Stirling, UK
Images for kids
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Queen Silvia's signature
See also
In Spanish: Silvia de Suecia para niños
