Princess Christina given one of Sweden’s highest honours
Princess Christina of Sweden served as first lady of the
Kingdom of Sweden from the death of her mother, Princess Sibylla, in 1972 until
her brother married Queen Silvia in 1976. At a ceremony at the Royal Palace in
Stockholm this week, His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf presented his sister
Princess Christina with His Majesty the King’s Medal of the twelfth size with
diamonds in a chain.
Princess Christina of Sweden, the youngest of King Carl
Gustaf’s four older sisters, receives the medal in recognition of her work over
many years. This is the highest honour that can be given to a Swedish citizen.
Since 1975, the King can no longer award orders to Swedish citizens, except
members of the royal house, and instead awards this special honour, His Majesty
the King’s Medal, which comes in several classes, of which the twelfth size
with diamonds to be worn in a gold chain around the neck is the highest.
His Majesty the King’s Medal, formerly known as the Court
Medal, has been awarded from the first half of the 19th century for special
merits in society. The medal “Litteris et Artibus” was established in 1853 and
is awarded for outstanding artistic contributions in mainly music, stage
production and literature. A total of 32 medals were awarded at the ceremony,
which was also attended by Her Majesty Queen Silvia.
While the medal of the twelfth size in a chain is usually
given to top officials such as former prime ministers, speakers of parliament
and archbishops, the version with diamonds has only been awarded once before to
a royal. This was to Prince Bertil of Sweden on his 75th birthday in 1987.
For many years Princess Christina of Sweden held the unpaid
job of President of the Swedish Red Cross, while also being patron of a number
of organisations and helping her brother by carrying out many public
engagements until she retired from royal duties on her 75th birthday in 2018.
Source Royalcentral
No comments