Biography

Silvia Renate Sommerlath was born in the German university town of Heidelberg in 1943. Her father Walter was a German businessman and her mother Alice was Brazilian. In Silvia's youth, the family moved to Brazil, where Walter and Alice once had met. Walter worked for a major company in that country. After Walter's death, it was revealed that he had been a member of the Nazi Party during the Third Reich, a story that caused some stir. Silvia has always declined to comment on her father's past. He died in 1990. Her mother Alice suffered from Alzheimer's disease during her last years and died in 1997. Silvia served as hostess at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. That is where she met crown prince Carl Gustav of Sweden. They fell in love, but kept their relationship private for some time. On 15 September, 1973 Carl Gustav became King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden. He married Silvia in Stockholm on 19 June, 1976 and Silvia became the first "commoner" to be Queen of Sweden. Their children are: Victoria (crown princess, born 14 July 1977), Carl Philip (born 13 May 1979) and Madeleine (born 10 June 1982). Through the years, Silvia has supported groups like handicapped people and abused and/or orphaned children.