As a result, Carl Gustaf no longer performs many of the duties normally accorded to a head of state in parliamentary regimes, such as the formal appointment of the prime minister, signing legislation into law, and being commander-in-chief of the nation's military.

The new instrument explicitly limited the king to ceremonial and representative functions, while he retained the right to be regularly informed of affairs of state.

As head of the House of Bernadotte, Carl Gustaf has also been able to make a number of decisions about the titles and positions of its members.

The King's heir apparent, after passage on 1 January 1980 of a new law establishing absolute primogeniture,[2] is his eldest child, Crown Princess Victoria.

Carl XVI Gustaf is the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history, having surpassed King Magnus IV's reign of 44 years and 222 days on 26 April 2018.

His father, Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, was killed in an airplane crash on 26 January 1947 at Copenhagen Airport.

The Crown Prince received his commission as an officer in all three services in 1968, eventually rising to the rank of captain (in the army and air force) and lieutenant (in the navy), before his accession to the throne.

[10] To prepare for his role as the head of state, Crown Prince Carl Gustaf followed a broad program of studies on the court system, social organisations and institutions, trade unions, and employers' associations.

[17] King Carl Gustaf holds the highest ranks in the three branches of the Swedish Armed Forces; this is due to the fact that he was, as stipulated by § 14 of the 1809 Instrument of Government in effect at the time of his accession to the throne in 1973, the Commander-in-Chief (Swedish: Högste Befälhavare; not to be confused with the military professional holding the position of Supreme Commander) and therefore he was promoted ex officio from his earlier ranks of captain (Army & Air Force) and lieutenant (Navy), to general and admiral.

Then-prime minister Göran Persson then failed to carry out his constitutional obligation to inform the king on matters of state which resulted in criticism of the government.

During a memorial ceremony held at Stockholm City Hall on 10 January 2005 the king gave a highly praised speech which restored support of the monarchy.

This crisis began when foreign minister Margot Wallström criticized Saudi Arabia's form of government and human rights situation.

He stated that Europe was in an extremely difficult situation and accused Russia of violating international law and creating a humanitarian catastrophe.

The celebrations included tours of all of Sweden's 21 counties, a jubilee banquet at the Royal Palace and a carriage procession through the streets of Stockholm.

Leading up to that year and including it, beginning already in 2018, some of the most serious criticism ever published took place about Carl Gustaf and the way his monarchy has developed.

[29][30][31][32] Support for the monarchy overall remained strong in the Swedish public, however, in large part due to the popularity of Crown Princess Victoria.

He said that whilst Sweden was not at war it could no longer consider itself at peace, echoing a sentiment voiced by prime minister Ulf Kristersson.

The King also highlighted the need societal preparedness and stated that he believed the public's willingness to defend the realm had grown in recent years.

This sparked mass criticism and the royal court issued a statement saying the king was still deciding on whether or not to attend the ceremony, as has been tradition since it was first held.

King Carl Gustaf made an appearance at the 2013 Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree in West Virginia.

[51] So empowered as head of the House of Bernadotte,[52] King Carl Gustaf, since he was enthroned in 1973, has made a number of personal decisions regarding the titles and positions of relatives and family members, including the demotion of a sister, elevation of several commoners to royalty, rebuff of an elderly uncle's wishes and the creation of new Swedish titles and duchies.

[60] King Carl Gustaf objected after the reform, not to the succession by females but to the fact that his son lost the position and title which he had had since birth.

Since his accession to the throne, he has used the greater coat of arms of Sweden although he is still associated with the ducal title of Jämtland he held as a prince.