King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has shown himself “very hurt” by the criticism originated as a result of some statements his recent ones in which he considered the retroactive abolition of the salic law in his country to be a mistake and an injustice.
The Swedish Parliament repealed in 1979 the Salic law, which regulates the monarchical succession in favor of men, after the birth of Carlos Felipe, middle son of the monarch, although this measure did not come into force until two years had passed, so he was heir to the throne in that period until the first-born Victoria assumed.
“It has hurt me a lot when I have subsequently seen the comments that insinuate that I do not support my daughter, Princess Victoria, as heir to the throne,” he said in a statement released by the Swedish Royal House.
clarifications
Charles XVI Gustaf He “clarified” that his words should not be understood as a criticism of the fact that there is a female heiress or of Princess Victoria.
“An heir to the throne is a no-brainer for me. The crown princess is my successor. She is an extraordinary asset to me, my family and our country. I am proud of her and her tireless work for Sweden,” he said in the letter.
The Swedish public television SVT advanced two days ago an excerpt from a documentary on the Swedish monarchy in which Carlos XVI Gustavo, 76, referred to the controversial issue of the Salic law.
“Having laws that work retroactively is not very smart, I keep thinking about it. My son Prince Carlos Felipe had already been born and, suddenly, there was a change that left him with nothing. It’s pretty weird,” he says in the documentary.
Carlos XVI Gustavo described the decision as “complicated” and “unfair”, in addition to considering it “terrible” as a father.
In his opinion, it would have been necessary to have “cold blood”, because such a change should have happened in the next generation.
The Swedish monarch stressed, however, that Carlos Felipe accepted the situation without problems and that this has not affected the good relationship between the two brothers.
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The SVT documentary, which premieres this Sunday, is broadcast in the year in which Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden’s longest-ruling king, celebrates fifty years on the throne.
Carlos XVI Gustavo has three children: Victoria, the heiress, 45 years old; Carlos Felipe, 43; and Magdalena, 40.