The iconic Swedish pop group ABBA reunited in Stockholm to receive the prestigious Royal Order of Vasa from King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Swedish and international music.
The members were knighted at a royal ceremony in Stockholm, with King Gustaf presenting them with the honor, which established them as Commanders of the First Class.
Sweden resumed awarding chivalry orders to Swedes after a 50-year pause, and the Vasa Order, given to ABBA, is the most junior of Sweden's four chivalry orders. Members of the public propose order recipients, and the government makes formal decisions.
ABBA, formed in 1972, split in the 1980s and has sold an estimated 385-400 million records worldwide, with enduring hits like Dancing Queen and Fernando. The group won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974.
The musical Mamma Mia! based on ABBA's songs has been seen by over 70 million people worldwide, and the musical led to two blockbuster movies.
ABBA recently received five Grammy nominations for their album Voyage, and fans will have the avatar show as a substitute for a live band reunion, with talks of taking the show to Glastonbury.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: USA Today, Variety, People, Vulture, AP, The Guardian, Telegraph India, americansongwriter.com, usmagazine.com