For your consideration is an exceptional original 1980 Swedish royal Christmas and New Year card, personally inscribed and signed by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden and presented to the Kings first cousin, Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his wife, Princess Carin. The folding card measures approximately 5.75 4.25 inches closed and 11.5 4.25 inches fully opened. Its cover is ornamented with the Swedish royal cipher, while the interior contains an original color photograph of the royal couples two eldest children, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Carl Philip, photographed together in the gardens of the royal residence.

Printed at the center is the multilingual seasonal greeting God Jul / Gott Nytt r / Merry Christmas / Happy New Year. In blue ink, the King has written above and below the printed text, Lieber Andr und Carin, mit vielen besten Wnschen, translating as Dear Andr and Carin, with very best wishes. He has signed Carl Gustaf at lower left and added the date 1980, while Queen Silvia has independently signed Silvia at lower right. The personalized inscription and both signatures appear to have been individually executed in live ink rather than printed or mechanically reproduced. The verso is blank, as expected for a privately issued royal-family presentation card.

The recipients are confidently identified as Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (19432025) and his wife, Princess Carin, ne Dabelstein (19462023). Prince Andreas was the son of Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, younger brother of King Carl XVI Gustafs mother, Princess Sibylla of Sweden, making Andreas and the Swedish King first cousins. He later succeeded his father as head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1998. The familiar form of address, Lieber Andr und Carin, records the close private relationship between the Swedish royal family and its German Saxe-Coburg relatives, transforming the card from conventional royal ephemera into a documented royal-to-royal presentation with significant dynastic provenance.

The card survives in apparently well-preserved condition, retaining its original color photograph, clearly defined royal cipher, strong blue manuscript inscriptions, and clean blank verso; any minor surface or handling wear is consistent with age and private presentation. Signed royal Christmas cards were produced in limited numbers for members of reigning and formerly reigning houses, senior officials, and personal friends, but examples addressed to identifiable close royal relatives are considerably more significant. Combining the signatures of both the King and Queen, an affectionate handwritten dedication, an original childhood photograph of Swedens future queen and her brother, and direct provenance to the head-designate of one of Europes most historically important dynasties, this is an unusually intimate and historically compelling artifact of the modern Swedish monarchy.