Queen Silvia of Sweden was born Silvia Renate Sommerlath on 23 December 1943 in Heidelberg, Germany.
She is the only daughter of Walther Sommerlath, a German businessman, and Alice Soares de Toledo, who was Brazilian.
The family lived in Heidelberg until 1947, when they moved to São Paulo, Brazil, where Silvia spent much of her childhood.
In 1957 they returned to West Germany and settled in Düsseldorf. On 19 June 1976 she married King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and has been Queen consort of Sweden ever since.
The couple have three children: Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, and Princess Madeleine.
Siblings
Queen Silvia has three older brothers. Ralf Sommerlath is the eldest and remains living.
Walther Sommerlath died in 2020 after a period of illness, and Jörg Sommerlath died in 2006.
The siblings shared a close family upbringing that spanned Germany and Brazil, and a home for mothers and children in Berlin operated by the World Childhood Foundation was later named after Jörg in his memory.
Career
Queen Silvia completed her schooling in Düsseldorf, graduating in 1963.
She then studied at the Munich School of Interpreting from 1965 to 1969, specialising in Spanish.
She speaks German, Portuguese, Spanish, English, French and Swedish, and has also learned Swedish Sign Language.
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After her studies she worked at the Argentine Consulate in Munich.
Between 1971 and 1973 she served as a training manager for hostesses at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and later as Head of Protocol for the organising committee of the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics.
It was at the Munich Games that she met the then Crown Prince Carl Gustaf.
As Queen she has devoted substantial energy to charitable and social causes. In 1994 she established Mentor International to support young people in making healthy life choices.
In 1999 she co-founded the World Childhood Foundation, of which she is Honorary Chair, to improve conditions for vulnerable children and combat sexual exploitation.
She also founded Silviahemmet, a centre focused on dementia care, education and research.
She chairs the Royal Wedding Fund, which supports sports and athletics research for young people with disabilities, and holds honorary positions with organisations including the Children’s Cancer Foundation of Sweden and Save the Children Sweden.
Accolades
Queen Silvia is a Member and Commander of the Royal Order of the Seraphim and holds numerous Swedish commemorative medals.
She has received a wide range of foreign orders and decorations from countries across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in recognition of her role as Queen consort and her humanitarian work.
She has been awarded several honorary doctorates, including from Turku University, Karolinska Institutet, Linköping University, the University of Gothenburg and the University of Stirling.
Additional prizes and awards have recognised her contributions to children’s rights, sustainability and dementia care.
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