The role of the monarch in Sweden – Royal Central
Ingemar Lindewall/King. The court states
Sweden has a constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary system – similar to that in other countries in Europe. The current monarch is King Carl XVI Gustaf, who has been on the throne since 1973; his heir is Crown Princess Victoria.
The monarch in Sweden does not have the same powers as many counterparts, and his official role is limited. For example, he does not nominate or depose a prime minister or give royal assent to bills from the Swedish Riksdag. The king is also not the head of the armed forces but is their main representative. King Carl Gustaf is Admiral of the Navy, General of the Army and Air Force, and Honorary Commander of the Life Guard and the Life Regiment’s Hussars.
The Swedish monarch is not crowned. King Oscar II was the last monarch to be crowned. The royal coronets and coronets have not been worn since 1907; instead, they are displayed at royal occasions such as weddings, baptisms and funerals.
King Carl Gustaf, as head of state, has complete immunity from criminal charges while on the throne; however, he is not granted immunity from civil charges. He opens the Riksdag once a year at their request and receives letters of credence from foreign ambassadors in Sweden. The monarch also signs letters of credence for Swedish ambassadors in other countries.
Other tasks for the king are to lead councils with the government through the change of government council, government councils and meetings when a new member of the royal family is born. His Majesty chairs the advisory foreign affairs committees, hosts incoming state visits and carries out outgoing state visits on behalf of Sweden.
The king and the royal family are present every year at the Nobel ceremony in Stockholm. The monarch hands out the Nobel prizes on behalf of the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm’s Konserthus.
The monarch is also grand master of the Royal Swedish Order of Knights – the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of the Pole Star, the Order of Vasa and the Order of the Sword. The latter two will be reintroduced on January 1, 2023 after being dormant for many years.
Sweden adheres to absolute primogeniture, which means that the oldest child, regardless of gender, will inherit the throne. Sweden was the first European country to adopt this form of inheritance in 1980. To be in the order of succession, the person must be a direct descendant of King Carl XVI Gustaf, born in marriage, Protestant (Church of Sweden), raised in Sweden, have the government’s permission to marry himself and not become a monarch in another country without the consent of the government and the reigning monarch.