22 September 2024, 21:21 | Updated: 22 September 2024, 21:26
Picture:
Krestine Havemann/PA
Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus has married for the third time, tying the knot with his partner of two years in a ceremony officiated by the former Great British Bake Off host Sandi Toksvig.
The 79-year-old Swedish singer, who has been married twice before, exchanged vows with Christina Sas at a Copenhagen ceremony in front of family and friends.
The couple met in Nuremberg, Germany, in 2021 in connection with the release of Abba’s last album Voyage.
A post on the ABBA star’s Instagram page said: “Today on the 21st of September 2024, Bjorn Ulvaeus married Christina Sas from Herning, Denmark.”
The post added: “Sandi Toksvig, Anne Linnet and Kaya Bruel generously performed and made the evening extra special.
Ulvaeus posted photos from the day, one of which shows QI host and comedian Toksvig dressed in a red robe.
The presenter is standing next to Ulvaeus, wearing a suit, and his wife, wearing a muted green wrap dress.
Ulvaeus is known for being one-quarter of Swedish pop group Abba, who this year celebrated 50 years since they won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo.
The group was comprised of two couples – Ulvaeus and Agnetha Faltskog, and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
Faltskog and Ulvaeus, who married in 1971, divorced in 1980, while Andersson and Lyngstad divorced in 1981 – a year before the band split.
The quartet did not reform to perform at Eurovision this year despite the event being held in Sweden after Loreen won the competition in 2023 with her hit single Tattoo.
Ulvaeus was also previously married to Lena Kallersjo.
Picture:
Alamy
It comes after Ulvaeus suggested that a public reunion of Abba members in Sweden earlier this year might prove to be the “last occasion” they reunite.
Faltskog, Ulvaeus, Andersson and Lyngstad were made Commander of the First Class of the prestigious Order of the Vasa, the first time it had been given in almost 50 years, at the end of May.
They picked up their honours from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf following a nomination process involving the public and the Swedish government.
Ulvaeus told an episode of the podcast Rosebud With Gyles Brandreth, released on Friday, that “it was a great honour” but it is not a knighthood, so he will not be known as Sir Bjorn.
Picture:
Alamy
Recalling the moment, he added: “We stood there quietly, accepting it out of the king’s hand and him saying a few words, it was a very quiet and very elegant ceremony.
“All four of us of course were there… in public (we see each other) very rarely, and Frida (Lyngstad, also known as Reuss) said to me afterwards, ‘this might be the last occasion’.
“Very sad, and I thought about that afterwards, but we’re not getting any younger.”
Andersson joined Ulvaeus at the specially made arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to mark two years of Abba Voyage in London in May.
Ulvaeus also joined the cast of the London musical Mamma Mia!, which uses Abba music, to celebrate its 25 years in the West End by speaking to the audience.