Queen Silvia Series: A Realistic Take on Sweden’s Royal Romance Premiere
Queen Silvia, a new European aristocratic romance series, has made its world premiere at international TV conference Mipcom in Cannes, offering a fresh take on the traditional royal romance story. Unlike typical fairy-tale accounts, the six-hour limited series ditches the Cinderella story for a more realistic portrayal of the real-life romance between Silvia Sommerlath, a German-Brazilian interpreter, and Sweden’s Crown Prince Carl Gustaf. Showrunner Carsten Kelber said, “It’s not a Cinderella story.”
The Unconventional Royal Romance
The series, produced by Berlin’s Pyjama Pictures and Sweden’s Unlimited Stories, follows the couple’s story from their first meeting at the 1972 Munich Olympics to their 1976 wedding. The couple’s meeting was cut short by a terrorist attack — the Black September attacks on the Israeli team — but Silvia’s bravery under pressure caught the prince’s attention. However, Silvia was not ready to trade her career for a tiara, as she was a “very independent woman” with a “great career” who was “not at all impressed by all this royal baggage.”
“Silvia is not a woman who wants to become queen,” series director Miguel Alexandre said. “She was a very independent woman, following a great career, and was not at all impressed by all this royal baggage.”
Breaking Free from Expectations
German actress Alicia von Rittberg, who plays Silvia, described her character as a “powerhouse” who had to struggle to fit in with the royal world. Von Rittberg, who also stars in Becoming Elizabeth and Charité, noted that Silvia was very independent at a young age. She added that both leads are attempting to break free from the expectations of their parents.
Swedish actor Edvin Endre, who plays Carl Gustaf, said the series offers a “more realistic, more grounded” take on the monarchy, which could be a revelation for Swedes who often view their king in a less-than-favorable light.
The show’s approach is “a lot of sympathy and… making him as human as possible,” Endre said, pointing to the king’s dyslexia as the root of the teasing he faced. The story is also a "coming-of-age story" about two young people trying to figure out if they can make their relationship work.
Beta Film Sells Queen Silvia Worldwide
Beta Film is selling Queen Silvia worldwide.
To highlight the connection to ABBA, Beta Film hired German-US singer Caro Kelley to perform “Dancing Queen” at the series’ world premiere gala and the company’s Beta Brunch sales event. The Swedish group wrote the song as a wedding gift for Queen Silvia and performed it live on June 18, 1976, during a televised gala the night before the wedding.
The makers of the series are confident that the story will appeal to a universal audience, with executive producer Justus Riesenkampff saying, “Even though it’s a very European story, people will see that it’s universal and can be sold – and watched – from Tokyo to Buenos Aires.”
The royal couple’s story is set against the backdrop of their whirlwind romance, which began in 1972 and culminated in their engagement four years later. The series explores what happened during those four years, offering a nuanced portrayal of Silvia’s journey as she comes to terms with her new role.