Tragedies That Shook Royal Families Around The World

King Carl Gustaf Of Sweden’s Father Perished When His Plane Exploded

Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

King Carl Gustaf is Sweden’s current monarch. The King never knew his father, as he was tragically killed in a plane crash when he was just nine months old.

Prince Gustaf Adolf was heading back to Sweden on a commercial flight from the Netherlands in 1947 when his flight made a planned stop in Copenhagen. All seemed well until the plane took off again and unexpectedly stalled, causing it to dive head-first into the tarmac. It exploded on impact, killing Gustaf Adolf and all of the other 21 passengers on board in one fell swoop. His family was devastated at his shock passing.