Queen Silvia

▪ 1997

      On Aug. 27, 1996, Queen Silvia of Sweden welcomed representatives from over 100 countries to Stockholm for the first World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. Ironically, hers was one of several countries in which possession of child pornography was not a crime.

      In July, during a rare television interview, the queen sparked controversy when she denounced Sweden's weak child pornography laws and called on the Riksdag (parliament) to take action. While the publication and distribution of child pornography were made illegal in Sweden in 1980, possession of such materials was protected under a constitutional law that guaranteed freedom of speech. The queen went so far as to propose that politicians be made to watch a film containing child pornography, suggesting that this would compel them to amend the law more quickly. Having viewed such material herself, she said, "It was the worst thing I have seen. It shows torture of the worst kind." As a result of constitutional changes made in the 1970s, the Swedish royalty served primarily as figureheads, with no executive power. Many Swedes, even those who agreed with her motivation, questioned whether it was appropriate for the queen to speak out.

      Queen Silvia was born Silvia Renate Sommerlath on Dec. 23, 1943, in Heidelberg, Ger., to a Brazilian mother and German father. When she was three years old, her family moved to São Paulo, Brazil, where she spent much of her childhood. After they returned to West Germany in 1957, Silvia completed her schooling. She received a degree in Spanish in 1969 from the Munich School of Interpreting. Following her graduation she worked at the Argentine consulate in Munich and served as hostess at the 1972 Olympic Games, where she met her future husband, King Carl XVI Gustaf. The then crown prince, reported to have been somewhat shy, was immediately smitten with the gregarious and strikingly beautiful Silvia. After a courtship spanning some four years, they were married on June 19, 1976.

      As queen, Silvia directed much of her energy toward organizations serving the needs of children. While some might not have agreed with her decision to add her voice publicly to the fight against child pornography, it appeared that her efforts might prove fruitful. In the autumn of 1996, a parliamentary commission set up to review proposed constitutional changes that would ban possession of child pornography announced plans to make Sweden's laws some of the world's most stringent. (SANDRA LANGENECKERT)

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