Thousands of Swedes are celebrating the golden jubilee of King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm.

Under the Swiss military band and a sunny sky, six horses pull the carriage in which the royal couple is seated; wears a canary yellow ensemble. The crowd cheers as he passes, waving small Swedish flags. On that occasion, the center of Stockholm has been cordoned off, the police are expecting several hundred thousand spectators.

The royal entourage is surrounded by about 3,000 soldiers and sailors of the armed forces. “I came for my brother, who is in the navy and participating in the parade,” 23-year-old industrial operator Vendella Seppi told AFP. “It’s quite unreal, I’m glad something is happening” in Stockholm.

Carl XVI Gustaf, King, independent of himself

Born Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus Bernadotte on April 30, 1946, the heir to the French soldier Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte who became King of Sweden in 1818, he was only 27 years old when he ascended the throne on September 15, 1973. started young which is not always easy to manage. In 2010, a shocking book called “Carl XVI Gustaf, King Despite Himself” portrayed him as a womanizer, revealing that he frequented sex clubs.

The Swedes, however, retain their constitutional monarchy. According to a recent poll by national daily Dagens Nyheter and the Ipsos Institute, 62% of respondents say they support the monarchy, a figure that has remained unchanged for 20 years. “We don’t have to abolish the monarchy,” one sixty-year-old still told AFP.

Boogie-woogie, salsa and rock ‘n’ roll

After the march, Stockholm organizes a concert where some of the biggest names in the Swedish music scene will perform, before the city center is transformed into a giant dance floor. The program includes boogie-woogie, Cuban salsa, rock and roll, disco and classic Swedish hits.

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