King Carl Gustaf said in an SVT documentary that his son should have become the heir to the throne. He now responds to criticism after the interview.
The Swedish king said i The SVT documentary «Sveriges siste kungar», who was disappointed when his son, Charles Philip, did not become king.
The statement caused strong reactions and was criticized.
thursday the The Swedish royal house released a statement on Facebookwhere King Carl Gustaf responds to criticism.
– This fall, in two interview occasions, I was asked about the change in the order of succession in 1980 in favor of the firstborn – regardless of gender. I then shared my thoughts on the fact that, in connection with the constitutional amendment, Prince Carl Philip has retroactively lost his position as crown prince.
– It hurt me when I later saw comments stating that I do not support my daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, as the heir to the Swedish throne, writes the Swedish king.
When Prince Carl Philip was born in 1979, he was intended to be heir to the throne, but the process of amending the constitution was already underway. On January 1, 1980, the succession to the throne was changed.
Thus, Carl Philip’s older sister Victoria became heir to the throne with the title of crown princess.
– Carl Philip was born as a crown prince, and I still think the law can’t be changed retroactively, he said in the documentary, according to NTB.
Today, King Carl Gustaf writes this about the interview, which is the first time he has made any statements about it:
– I would therefore like to clarify that my interview responses should not be taken as criticism of the female line of succession or of Crown Princess Victoria.
– The female line of succession is a matter of course for me. The Crown Princess is my heir. He is an amazing asset to me, my family and our country. I am proud of you and of your tireless work for Sweden, writes the king.
Correction: In an earlier version of this issue, VG wrote that King Carl Gustaf regretted the statements he made after an important SVT interview. The Swedish king responded Thursday to criticisms that had come after the interviews, but his response contained no regrets. The error was corrected at 21.37 on January 5, 2023
