Marianne Ginstrup has met both king Gustaf VI Adolf and king Carl XVI Gustaf. On Thursday, she was among the first to arrive.
There was a heavy police presence on Rådhustorget n Umeå on Thursday morning as crowds waited for the royal couple's horse-drawn procession to arrive to celebrate the king's 50th anniversary on the throne, writes Västerbottens-Kuriren.
– I have seen the king before. I was also at Sofiero Castle when the old king was there. They were not as protected as they are today. I was able to talk to the old king, he came out and walked among the people. That was in the 1960s," says Marianne Ginstrup, who was one of the first on the scene.
The security today is different from the 60s. Police from all over the county were present to maintain security, drones were in the air and military police patrolled among the crowd.
– This level of security we have not experienced in Umeå before, but with the current security situation, it has become like this, says Jörgen Boman, communications manager at the County Administrative Board (Länstyrelsen) .
During the celebration, the king watched, among other things, a joik by Jörgen Stenberg and a song by the children's choir Tonmix from the Cultural School in Umeå.
The king received flowers and greetings from a school class from Obbolaskolan.
The king was very pleased.
– It's always nice to be back, it's not the first time I've visited the city and the county. It was incredibly fun to see that there were so many Umeå residents out on Rådhustorget and in the town during the procession considering the weather. It was drizzling and cold, says King Carl XVI Gustaf.
In his speech on the square, the king talked about the cabin in Forsavan that he inherited from his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf. Since 1929, all the fish caught at the cabin have been recorded, data that is now used in a research project.
What is the largest Arctic char that the king has caught in Forsavan?
– Well, no, I haven't personally caught big ones. But there are some others who have caught some fish up to a kilogram. These are very fine fish that we try to protect, says King Carl XVI Gustaf.
The king did not bring up his hunting interest, but VK took their responsibility and asked for a greeting to all moose hunters who will head out into the woods for the hunting premiere on Friday morning.
– Yes, it's just to sit quietly and hold your breath, says King Carl XVI Gustaf with a laugh.