On May 31, 2024, King Carl XVI Gustaf awarded royal orders of knighthood to 13 deserving Swedes in a ceremony held at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. Among the honorees were two Nobel laureates and members of the iconic Swedish music group ABBA, each recognized for their exceptional achievements.

This momentous event marked the first time in nearly 50 years that royal orders of knighthood were awarded to Swedish citizens outside the Royal Family. The recipients were nominated by the public, with the Swedish government subsequently endorsing these nominations. His Majesty the King, who serves as the Grand Master of the royal orders, made the formal decision regarding the recipients.

The awards ceremony was a historic occasion, as Sweden had ceased awarding these orders to its own citizens in the 1970s, deeming the practice outdated—though foreign nationals continued to receive them. In 2019, a parliamentary committee was tasked with exploring how the Swedish orders, including the Order of the Sword and the Order of Vasa, could be reintroduced into the Swedish honors system. The committee’s findings were presented in September 2021, and a bill was submitted to the Swedish Parliament on April 19, 2022. The bill passed by a large majority on June 19, 2022.

On December 20, 2022, the Swedish government issued a new ordinance that repealed the 1974 regulation, reopening the royal orders to Swedish citizens and reactivating the Order of the Sword, Order of the Polar Star, and Order of Vasa, effective February 1, 2023. Shortly thereafter, new statutes for the Royal Orders of Knighthood were established during an extraordinary Chapter, and a new Council of the Royal Orders of Knighthood was formed.

On May 31, 2024, the royal orders were once again conferred upon Swedish citizens in recognition of their exceptional contributions. Below is the full list of the distinguished recipients:

Order of the Sword

• Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporre
  Commander with the Grand Cross
  For extraordinary leadership in warlike conditions in Mali.
• Colonel of the 1st Grade Ulf Henricsson
  Commander 1st Class
  For exemplary leadership in warlike conditions in former Yugoslavia.

Order of the Polar Star

• Professor Svante Pääbo
  Commander with the Grand Cross
  For outstanding research contributions.
• Professor Anne L’Huillier Wahlström
  Commander with the Grand Cross
  For outstanding research contributions.
• Third Secretary of the Embassy Catarina Wingren
  Knight
  For crucial engagement in Sweden’s international peace missions in Mali.

Order of Vasa

• Director Antonia Ax:son Johnson
  Commander with the Grand Cross
  For extraordinary contributions to business and other sectors of society.
• Artist Benny Andersson
  Commander 1st Class
  For outstanding contributions to Swedish and international music.
• Artist Agnetha Fältskog
  Commander 1st Class
  For outstanding contributions to Swedish and international music.
• Artist Anni-Frid Reuss
  Commander 1st Class
  For outstanding contributions to Swedish and international music.
• Artist Björn Ulvaeus
  Commander 1st Class
  For outstanding contributions to Swedish and international music.
• Actress Eva Rydberg
  Commander
  For long and successful engagement in performing arts.
• Social Worker Bettan Byvald
  Knight 1st Class
  For many years of significant social work.
• Business Area Manager Thomas Sjöström
  Knight
  For great personal courage during the Swedish evacuation from Kabul.

Source: Kungl. Maj:ts Orden