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 Carl XVI Gustaf, whose son and daughter-in-law tested positive last
month, used an annual royal Christmas TV special to highlight the
growing impact of the virus, in a rare intervention from a monarch
whose duties are largely ceremonial.
Sweden has stood out from most countries by shunning lockdowns and
face masks, leaving schools, restaurants and businesses largely open
and relying mainly on voluntary social distancing and hygiene
recommendations to slow the spread.
An official commission said on Tuesday systemic shortcomings in
elderly care coupled with inadequate measures from the government
and agencies contributed to Sweden's particularly high death toll in
nursing homes.
"I believe we have failed," the king said in an excerpt from the
programme broadcast by SVT on Wednesday. The full show airs on Dec.
21.
"We have had a large number of deaths and that is terrible. That is
something that brings us all suffering."
Sweden has registered more than 7,800 deaths, a much higher per
capita rate than its Nordic neighbours but lower than in Britain,
Italy, Spain or France, which have all opted for lockdowns.
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 The 74-year-old king has no
formal political power and rarely comments on
current and political issues, though he has
addressed the nation to offer encouragement
during the outbreak. In the
spring, the government's response to the pandemic was widely
supported by Swedes who carried on much as normal while most of
Europe entered lockdown.
But the rising death toll - particularly among elderly residents of
care homes - has drawn increasing criticism.
A poll in daily Dagens Nyheter on Thursday showed around a third of
Swedes expressed a high level of confidence in authorities' handling
of the pandemic, down from 42% in March and a peak of 56% after the
summer lull in infections.
(Reporting by Andrew Heavens)
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