Theodor, King of Sweden

## King Theodor

Theodor in 2019

**Theodor** (Theodor Frederik Karl Gustav; born 30 April 1988) is the King of Sweden, the titular Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, the titular Count of Oldenburg, a member of the Swedish royal family, and the head of the House of Oldenburg.

Theodor was born in Solna, Sweden, as the first child of the Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden (later King Frederik IV and Queen Emelina). His father acceded to the throne upon the death of his grandfather, King Alexander, in 1994, making Theodor the heir apparent. He acted as Crown Prince of Sweden under a regent (his uncle, Prince Elliot, Duke of Skåne) from the time of his father's death in 2001 until his 30th birthday in 2018.

In 2006, Theodor enlisted in the Swedish Army and served in the Västergötland Regiment until 2010. He completed two year-long tours in Afghanistan. In 2010, he resigned due to an accident wherein he was shot during a training exercise.

Theodor married Princess Beatriz Esqulin of Puerto Rico in December 2021. They have one child: Frederik, Crown Prince of Sweden.

## Early Life

Theodor was born at 17:11 CET on 30 April 1988 at the Karolinska Hospital in Solna, Stockholm County, Sweden, during the reign of his paternal grandfather, King Alexander. His father, Prince Frederik (later Frederik IV), was heir apparent to the throne of Sweden at the time of Theodor's birth. His mother, Lady Emelina Stolberg (later Dowager Queen Emelina of Sweden), was the second daughter of German aristocrat Ronald, Count of Stolberg.

Theodor was baptized by the Archbishop of Uppsala, Bertil Werkström, at the Royal Palace Church on 21 May 1988. He was named Theodor after his paternal uncle, who died only eight months after birth; Frederik after his father; Karl and Gustav after various relatives and kings of Sweden, notably his granduncle, Gustav, Duke of Gästrikland. His godparents were Prince Elliot, Duke of Skåne, his paternal uncle; Ronald, Count of Stolberg, his maternal grandfather; Linnea, Duchess of Gotland, his paternal aunt; and Queen Adelaide of Luxembourg, his maternal aunt.

Theodor's only sibling, Princess Josefina, Duchess of Östergötland, was born in 1992. The young royals were educated privately at home under the guidance of their parents and various tutors. Lessons focused heavily on history, particularly military history, as Theodor's father expressed significant interest in passing down the family's military legacy. As a child, Theodor's interest in history was oft-noted among relatives and fellow royals, as was an attitude of responsibility and an understanding of his position in life.

Theodor's father died of cancer in 2001. Reportedly, Theodor was at his father's bedside when he passed, along with his mother, sister, and Frederik's siblings. At his father's funeral, Theodor, then 13, stood alongside his mother and individually greeted each guest. He accompanied his mother, sister, paternal aunt and uncle, and paternal cousins in walking behind the funeral cortége from the Royal Palace to Riddarholmen Church.

## Education

For the first portion of his life, Theodor received private schooling from his father and a number of tutors. His father expressed interest in hands-on learning for his children, frequently allowing them to accompany him while conducting official business. In his adulthood, Theodor has cited these visits as the beginning of his interest in government and military service. He notably made over 30 visits to various military bases around Sweden and became something of a good luck charm for the soldiers he met. Hugo Markusson, an artillery officer based at the South Scanian Regiment (who would go on to become a top military strategist and advisor, as well as a close friend of the king), said of his visits:

> "Everyone looked forward to Theodor coming to visit. Anytime the higher-ups told us that the king was coming, we'd all start asking if Theodor would be with him. He just knew how to brighten up our days, even as a little kid. I don't know how, but it was always like he understood, you know, the experiences we'd all had. I used to give him piggy-back rides around the base. I remember the first time he visited, we all lined up at attention, and he got so excited about it, half of us broke and started laughing. I'd never broken attention before that, ever. But he just had this joy about it that was infectious."
>
>

After his father's death in 2001, he began attending day classes at an independent school in Stockholm. The royal family was silent on the decision to change the approach to his education, and has remained silent to this day. Theodor has only spoken about it once, calling it "a necessary change."

In 2006, Theodor enlisted in the military without attending a military academy first, expressing a desire to rise through the ranks naturally. In 2012, following his retirement from the armed forces, he began attending Uppsala University. Many speculated that he would join Stockholms nation, one of the student nations on campus. However, he declined, stating that he felt joining a student nation would be the same as choosing one region of Sweden over the others, which he did not want to do. He graduated from Uppsala University in 2016 with degrees in Peace and Conflict Studies and Political Science. When asked if he planned to go back and complete master's studies, he declined, stating that he found college "profoundly stressful."

## Military Career

### Training and First Deployment to Afghanistan

In 2006, the royal family released a statement revealing Theodor's enlistment in the military.