Sweden’s king, queen visit Baltic neighbor Estonia

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia have started a three-day state visit to Estonia. It is their first official visit to the Baltic nation in more than 30 years. The royal couple was welcomed warmly in the country’s medieval capital, Tallinn, by the Estonian president and his wife. The king and queen were given full military honors, and an enthusiastic crowd of adults and children alike waving Estonian and Swedish flags. The president’s office said the visit, to both Tallinn and the second city, Tartu, “underscores the close friendship between Estonia and Sweden, all the more so given that it is taking place during the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne.”