On the last day of April, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden will turn 70. A whole plethora of celebrations has been arranged by the royal palace to ring in the king's milestone birthday, including lavish banquets, carriage processions, a gun salute and musical concerts.
In keeping with tradition, the festivities will start at 8 o'clock in the morning on Saturday 30 April. Forty three Swedish flags will be hoisted in the outer courtyard of the royal palace in Stockholm while a royal band plays.
King Carl and his family, including his wife Queen Silvia and his children Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Madeleine and Prince Carl Philip, will then attend the Te Deum thanksgiving service at 10am in the royal chapel.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKing Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden will turn 70 on Saturday 30 April
It is likely that Victoria and Madeleine's husbands, Prince Daniel and Chris O'Neill respectively, will also attend the service. However it is not yet known whether Carl Philip's wife Princess Sofia will attend, as she is currently expecting her first child and may have just given birth by then.
Later that morning the king will step out of the West Gate to the sound of the army band playing a parade march. King Carl will then greet well-wishers in the outer courtyard of the palace, when children will have the opportunity to present the monarch with flowers.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe king and his family will celebrate with a lavish banquet and reception at the palace
At noon, 21 gun shots will be fired from Skeppsholmen, one of the islands in Stockholm. Scouts and armed forces will also march along the procession route that passes landmarks including the City Hall.
King Carl and his VIP guests will also enjoy a reception at the royal palace followed by a lavish banquet in the State Hall. The monarch will also be joined by his family on the palace balcony where he will be able to wave to the crowds and take in the atmosphere.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe birthday celebrations will take place over five days
The king's birthday won't just be marked on the day itself. A total of five days of celebrations from 25 to 30 April have been dedicated to the popular royal, who has sat on the throne for 42 years.
The night before King Carl's birthday, a concert will be held at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm, followed by a reception for the king's family, friends, Swedish authorities and other royal guests.
It's likely that the king's counterparts such as King Felipe and his wife Queen Letizia of Spain will attend, as will Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, although the royal guest list has yet to be revealed.
