Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf decided to award four members of the world-famous pop group ABBA with the Vasa Knighthood, which had not been awarded to anyone in the past half century and was considered “frozen”.

The decision to award knighthoods to four performers, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frida Reuss (Lingstad), Björn Ulvaus and Agnetha Feltskog, was announced in an official statement from the royal household. The solemn ceremony of awarding the medals will take place on May 31.

In Sweden, candidates for knighthood are nominated by the public. Proposals are considered and decisions are made by a special board attached to Her Majesty’s Office. The award decision must receive the approval of the government and then be confirmed by royal decree.

The Order of Vasa is one of the four orders of Swedish knighthood, along with the Order of the Sword, the North Star and the Seraphim. It was founded in 1772 by King Gustav III and awarded to Swedes for service to their country in the fields of commerce, art, agriculture and science. Artist Gustaf Lundberg and chemist Johann Gottschalk Valerius were among the first to receive the medal.

However, in 1974, the Swedish authorities decided that royal orders should be awarded only to members of the royal household, as well as to foreigners who have rendered special services to Sweden. The decision not to award medals to Swedish citizens was explained to ensure their equality. The Order of Vasa had not been awarded since 1975.

The start of Carl XVI Gustaf’s reign coincided with an unprecedented rise in ABBA’s popularity worldwide. In June 1976, ABBA performed Dancing Queen on television before the wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and the future Queen Silvia Sommerlat. In May 2022, Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia attended the premiere of the new ABBA Voyage program of the famous Swedish quartet in London.