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ROYAL FAMILY

Sweden sees lowest support for republic in 20 years

It doesn't look like Sweden will be getting rid of its king any time soon, according to a new study showing that support for abolishing the monarchy is the lowest in over 20 years.

Sweden sees lowest support for republic in 20 years
Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria arrive at the coronation of Britain's King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. Photo: Phil Noble/Pool Photo via AP/TT

The SOM Institute’s latest report shows that support for the Swedish monarchy remains relatively stable, as does support for King Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden’s longest-reigning monarch ever, who celebrates 50 years on the throne this year.

He scored +15 on a scale from -50 to +50, with his popularity highest among the elderly and among Christian Democrat voters and lowest among Left Party voters – although there were still more in this group who liked him than disliked him (+3).

Last year, 54 percent were in favour of keeping the monarchy, while 20 percent wanted to abolish it. 

Only 11 percent of respondents were in favour of a republic with an elected president, the lowest figure since 2001, while 68 percent were against.

Liberal voters were least in favour of a republic, with 80 percent against. Left Party voters were most positive, but even this group didn’t have a majority – only 26 percent were in favour.

A possible explanation could be the current heir to the Swedish throne, Crown Princess Victoria, who is the most popular public figure ever in the history of the SOM Institute’s surveys, scoring +28 on the popularity scale.

“Men and women like the king equally, but when it comes to Crown Princess Victoria, it’s clear that women are especially positive,” said Ulrika Andersson, the researcher at the SOM Institute responsible for the study.

This puts her above both former US president Barack Obama and former Norwegian prime minister and current Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, who have previously returned high scores in the same study.

“Even those people who think the monarchy should be abolished have an overwhelmingly positive image of the crown princess, which must put her in a good position for a future accession to the throne,” Andersson said.

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ROYAL FAMILY

Denmark’s king and queen announce state visits to Sweden and Norway

King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark will visit Sweden followed by Norway on their first official state visits since taking over as regents.

Denmark’s king and queen announce state visits to Sweden and Norway

The Danish palace announced the two state visits in a statement on Friday.

“The first state visits will provide the occasion for the new King and Queen to meet with the sovereigns in Sweden and Norway, and they will thus mark the close relations between the Nordic monarchies,” the statement read.

The visit to Sweden is scheduled for the beginning of May, with the Norway visit following after that.

The two state visits will be part of a “a major tour around the Northern region” which will also include visits to Greenland and the Faroe Islands in June and July, the palace said.

Much of the tour will be in the royal yacht, Dannebrog.

“In June, the Royal Yacht Dannebrog will sail north on a cruise of the Realm. The King and The Queen will visit the Faroe Islands in mid-June, and then Greenland in late June and early July,” the palace said.

King Frederik and Queen Mary will be in Sweden from May 6th-7th and Norway from May 14th-15th. The full programme for the visits is yet to be announced.

Sweden recently welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron on a state visit, while Norway’s King Harald and Queen Sonja last year visited Denmark, when Queen Margrethe II was still regent prior to her abdication last month.

King Frederik recently visited Poland on his first foreign visit since becoming monarch. The trip to Poland was a a trade promotion trip, rather than a state visit, and was planned before Frederik took the throne on the abdication of his mother.

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