"It clicked" is how King Carl Gustaf described the moment he met hostess Silvia Sommerlath at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Four years later he made her the Queen of Sweden. With the middle-class German, the Swedish royal family not only got a new face, but a new chapter also began for Sweden's monarchy.
The country was just a signature away from the republic, but with Silvia's entry into Stockholm Castle, the monarchy experienced a renaissance. Silvia has reinvented the role of queen. She understands her position as a manager in a family business, mother of the nation and ambassador for those in need. She helped the royal house to a new splendour.
On the occasion of her 70th birthday, ZDF-History congratulates the popular Queen of Sweden with a look back at her life.
First broadcast: Sunday, 22 December 2013, 23:30, ZDF.
