King Charles was deeply touched by a hidden detail as he welcomed King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden to Windsor Castle.
The two royal sovereigns and their wives gathered in the Home Park to plant a Swedish oak tree together. The ceremonial planting took place in the grounds of the historic royal residence.
The event marked a significant moment of Anglo-Swedish royal cooperation.
The Swedish oak tree was gifted by King Carl XVI Gustaf to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in May 2023.
King Charles deeply touched by hidden detail as he welcomes royals to Windsor
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The special tree came from the Royal Nursery at Solliden Palace, the Swedish Royal Family's summer residence.
This thoughtful gift symbolised the warm relations between the two royal houses.
The oak, scientifically known as Quercus robur, now has a permanent home in Windsor Castle's grounds.
In a hidden detail, the ceremony featured a historic D-handle spade once used by King Gustaf V, the great-grandfather of the current Swedish monarch.
The D-handle spade that King Gustaf V used on the November 19, 1908 to plant an English oak tree in Windsor Great Park
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This same spade was used on November 19, 1908, when King Gustaf V planted an English oak tree in Windsor Great Park.
The historic gardening tool was displayed ahead of the tree planting ceremony. Its use connected past and present royal traditions between the two nations.
King Carl XVI Gustaf has reigned since 1973, making him the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history.
He was born during the reign of his great-grandfather, King Gustaf V, as the only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are joined by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden
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Carl Gustaf became crown prince at age four when his grandfather ascended the throne in 1950.
He acceded to the throne on September 15, 1973, following his grandfather's death. His role has been limited to ceremonial and representative functions since the 1974 Instrument of Government.
In June 1976, King Carl XVI Gustaf married Silvia Sommerlath. The royal couple have three children: Victoria, Carl Philip, and Madeleine.
Crown Princess Victoria is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne. This followed the passage of a new law establishing absolute primogeniture on January 1, 1980.
King Charles and King Carl XVI Gustaf planting a tree in Windsor
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Before this law, her younger brother Carl Philip was briefly heir apparent from his birth in May 1979.
The tree planting ceremony represents a meaningful continuation of royal traditions between Britain and Sweden.
The oak tree stands as a living symbol of friendship between the two monarchies.
This event echoes a similar ceremony from over a century ago when King Gustaf V planted an English oak at Windsor.
The exchange of trees between the royal families demonstrates the enduring diplomatic ties that span generations of both royal houses.
