Sweden’s Queen Silvia, 82, joins wildfire fight
- By Maria Lopez -
- Aug 20, 2026
An unofficial inspection of aerial firefighters assisting the Belgian wildfire response led Queen Silvia on an unscheduled stop during her private trip to Belgium. A rare deviation from Royal protocol has the 82-year old Queen visit the Swedish firefighters tackling the worst wildfire in recorded Belgian history.
Published by the Swedish Royal House, official photographs show the Queen in practical clothes in sneakers, touring the tarmac and being allowed inside a Swedish water bomber currently working in Belgium.
What Sweden is Doing in Belgium The disaster ignited in the High Fens Nature Reserve, also bordering Germany in Belgium, burned tens of thousands of acres and caused hundreds of locals to abandon homes neighboring four Belgian towns.
Using EUs Civil Protection mechanism for international assistance Belgium asked and received aid from Sweden: a combination water bombing plane and several service technicians; teams from the Netherlands and the Czech Republic were also deployed.
Skipping a formal briefing, the Swedish King spoke directly with Sweden’s flight crews inspecting the equipment and operational plan within her country’s deployed military assistance unit.
Royal family has a busy summer of activity Sweden’s latest active royal task adds to a year of significant anniversaries: earlier this summer Sweden honored their reigning King Carl XVI Gustaf on his wedding and subsequent 50th anniversary to Sweden’s Queen Silvia during the King’s July royal wedding of 1976 to the now 82-year old.
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A steady royal’s public duties and global humanitarian projects rarely allow for visits, so Queen Silvia’s demonstration to the King of being present on the ground for Swedish military staff in foreign engagements will be more notable.