We need our “normal” king when the world trembles

Royal

Carl XVI Gustaf

We need the “normal” when the king is celebrated

 

We need our “normal” king when the world trembles
Royal
Carl XVI Gustaf
We need the “normal” when the king is celebrated

Jenny Alexandersson

Published 16.53

           

         

          King Carl XVI Gustaf turned 79 – and was celebrated in the usual way.

          1 / 2Photo: Viktoria Bank/TT

Straight- backed and with his shoes polished, the king received congratulations on his 79th birthday in the outer courtyard of the Royal Palace. The courtship was, as usual, framed by lavish musical entertainment from the Navy Band. A 21-gun salute was fired and cute children handed over flowers to the king.

Same procedure as last year.

When the world trembles under the threat of war, conflicts and economic uncertainty, it is nice that at least some things are just as usual.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Carl Philip. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT

Behind the birthday child, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Carl Philip formed a secure wall. Victoria wore the navy's strict uniform. She saluted as if she had never done anything else. The fact that she stood in the courtyard with her father for the first time on her birthday is very symbolic. Now she is an officer and thus one step closer to the role of head of state and the main representative of the Armed Forces.

One day she will be the one who will stand on the blue raised box and hear the salute echo away towards Skeppsholmen.

Time has its way. Everything is as usual.

On the palace balcony stood Princess Madeleine, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, Princess Adrienne, Prince Oscar, Chris O'Neill, Prince Daniel, Princess Estelle, Queen Silvia and Prince Alexander. Photo: Viktoria Bank/TT

On the palace balcony stood the rest of the royal family, some a little more blue-eyed than others. Princesses Leonore and Adrienne seemed to be grumbling a little about the icy spring winds. Chris and Madeleine did their best to cheer them up.

When the king joined the party on the balcony, Princess Sofia also stepped out with the king's youngest granddaughter, Princess Ines, who is almost three months old.

Next year, the courtship will be more spectacular. The king turns 80 and it will be celebrated for several days. At the same time, the king and queen are celebrating 50 years of marriage, something that will also be noted.

Cute children handed flowers to the king. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT / TT News Agency

It will be exciting, but this year I am satisfied with covering a "normal" royal birthday. It does not have a trace of politics about it, it is popular and completely according to tradition.

When there is great uncertainty in the world around us, we need the “ordinary” no matter what form it comes in. Some ordinaries are a little fancier than others, like the King’s birthday celebration, others are wonderfully banal – like the morning coffee in the old cracked mug on the front steps in the spring sun.