Royal honor

Abba members receive royal decorations

Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Benny Andersson received the Order of Vasa from King Carl Gustav in Stockholm.(Bild: APA/AFP/TT News Agency/TT/Henrik Montgomery)

A royal honor for Abba: The Swedish royal family awarded royal medals to the members of the cult band on Friday. At a ceremony at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, King Carl XVI Gustaf presented the so-called Order of Vasa to Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Björn Ulvaeus respectively. 

The band members, who now rarely perform together, were honored for "outstanding achievements in Swedish and international music".

Special honor
This is the first time in 50 years that the royal medals have been awarded to citizens of the Nordic country. In 1975, Sweden had stopped awarding the decoration to non-royal compatriots, as this was considered outdated.

Foreigners continued to receive the order. In 2022, however, the Swedish parliament reintroduced the practice.

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia presented the Order of Vasa to the members of Abba.(Bild: APA/AFP/TT News Agency/TT/Henrik Montgomery)

50th anniversary of the ESC
Exactly 50 years ago, Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Waterloo". The victory at the European music competition helped the musicians to their international breakthrough. This was followed by hits such as "Mamma Mia" (1975), "Dancing Queen" (1976) and "The Winner Takes It All" (1980). With catchy melodies and a unique style, Abba embodied the disco phenomenon around the globe. The band broke up in 1982.

Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Benny Andersson were honored in Stockholm.(Bild: APA/AFP/TT News Agency/TT/Henrik Montgomery)

All four singers are now over 70 years old. They have sold more than 400 million albums over the past 50 years. In 2021, the four Swedes released a new album after a long break.

Medals also awarded to two Nobel Prize winners
A total of 13 Swedish citizens were honored for their achievements at Friday's ceremony, including two Nobel Prize winners: geneticist Svante Pääbo and French-Swedish physicist Anne L'Huillier.