King Carl XVI Gustaf mocked for dyslexia on Swedish TV

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has become the subject of controversy following a joke on the satire program ‘Svenska nyheter’. During the recent opening of Parliament, an SVT reporter targeted the 80-year-old monarch by shouting, ‘King! I am a big fan! I also have Dyslexil!’, intentionally mispronouncing the Swedish word for dyslexia.

The joke specifically targeted the King’s lifelong struggle with reading and writing, a condition he has spoken openly about for years. Critics have noted that the segment serves not only to mock the King but also to ridicule others living with the same diagnosis, which also affects other members of the Swedish Royal Family.

While the King is frequently parodied in Swedish media, this incident has drawn scrutiny because it uses a diagnosed impairment as the basis for the humor. The King’s sister, Princess Christina, has previously highlighted the challenges associated with the condition, describing it as ‘hard work’ for those who live with it.