Swedish Royal Family Honors Veterans on National Veteran Day 2025
The Swedish Royal Family honors veterans during National Veteran Day celebrations.
Key Points
- • King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prince Carl Philip attended the national ceremony in Stockholm.
- • Crown Princess Victoria commemorated veterans in Gothenburg.
- • Major Anders Eckerberg and Lieutenant Colonel Liridona Dauti received military honors for their service in Afghanistan.
- • National Veteran Day, recognized since 2018, coincides with the UN's International Day of Peacekeepers.
On May 29, 2025, the Swedish Royal Family commemorated National Veteran Day by honoring the nation's veterans, which has been recognized as a public flag day since 2018. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prince Carl Philip participated in a national ceremony held at the Sjöhistoriska Museet in Stockholm, where they laid wreaths and delivered speeches to pay tribute to veterans. During this event, King Carl Gustaf awarded Major Anders Eckerberg (P 18) and Lieutenant Colonel Liridona Dauti (F 17) with the Royal Swedish Order of the Sword military cross for their bravery and service during the battle in Chimthal, Afghanistan, in 2011.
Meanwhile, Crown Princess Victoria attended a separate ceremony at Gustaf Adolfs torg in Gothenburg, where she also placed a wreath to honor those Swedes who lost their lives in service. This day holds special significance as it coincides with the United Nations' International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, recognizing both military and civilian contributions to peacekeeping missions.
In related engagements, the Crown Princess met with Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at the Royal Palace on May 28, and the King held discussions with Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlén and three ambassadors during farewell audiences on the same day. Additionally, Prince Daniel visited Quandify, a company focused on digital water measurement, on May 27, further embedding the Royal Family's active engagement with national and global issues.