by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Sofia, Duchess of Värmland; Photo: Mattias Edwall, Swedish Royal Court

Sofia Kristina Hellqvist is the wife of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, the second child and the only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. She was born on December 6, 1984, in Täby, Sweden, and is the second of the three daughters of Eric and Marie Hellqvist. Sofia has an older sister Lina and a younger sister Sarah. She grew up in Älvdalen, Dalarna, Sweden. Sofia attended high school in nearby Vansbro where she was involved in dance, theater, and music.

When she was 18, Sofia moved to Stockholm where she worked as a waitress and a glamour model.  Two years later, she did a risqué photoshoot for the men’s magazine Slitz and was later voted Miss Slitz 2004 by the readers. In 2005, Sofia appeared on the Swedish reality show Paradise Hotel. Sofia’s modeling and her appearance on Paradise Hotel were controversial after she became associated with Prince Carl Philip. She addressed this in the documentary The Year with the Royal Family: “Much has been written [about it] over the years, not only following our engagement. For me it’s pretty boring, it happened ten years ago and I moved on with my life. But no regrets. All experiences build a person, although I wouldn’t do it now if you asked me.”

After appearing in Paradise Hotel, Sofia moved to New York where she trained to become a certified yoga teacher at Yoga To The People and then started a yoga center. She also studied at the New York Institute of English and Business, where she trained in accounting focusing on business development. Sofia has also studied global ethics and child and youth studies at Stockholm University.

In September and October 2009, Sofia did volunteer work in Ghana where she visited orphanages and helped build a women’s center. In 2010, Sofia and Frida Vesterberg founded Project Playground, an organization that helps disadvantaged children and adolescents in South Africa. The organization does much good work and Sofia’s sister Lina Hellqvist is the organization’s project coordinator.

Sofia Hellqvist on the right with Frida Vesterberg and children from Project Playground; Photo Credit – http://image.gala.de

In August 2010, the Swedish Royal Court released a statement confirming that Sofia and Prince Carl Philip had a relationship. In the documentary The Year with the Royal Family, Prince Carl Philip explains how the couple met: “I was eating with friends in Baastad. Sofia was there with a friend and our friends knew each other. We started with a shy greeting and everything followed.”

In April 2011, the couple moved in together at a private estate in Djurgården, Sweden and the Swedish Royal Court confirmed this two months later. Sofia and Prince Carl Philip became engaged on June 27, 2014, and were married on June 13, 2015, at the Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist

On October 15, 2015, the Swedish Royal Court announced that Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia were expecting their first child.  In early April 2016, Carl Philip and Sofia moved from their apartment in Djurgården to Sjoflygeln (Lake Wing) on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace.

Carl Philip and Sofia with their first son Alexander – source: Swedish Royal Court

Sofia and Carl Philip have three sons:

• Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland (born 2016)
• Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna (born 2017)
• Prince Julian, Duke of Halland (born 2021)

On October 7, 2019, the Swedish Royal Court announced that King Carl XVI Gustaf had decided to make changes regarding the children of his son Prince Carl Philip and his daughter Princess Madeleine. At birth, the children of Carl Philip and Madeleine were styled as Royal Highness and were members of The Royal House. As of October 7, 2019, their children would no longer be members of The Royal House but would continue to be members of The Royal Family. Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, and Princess Adrienne would no longer enjoy the style of Royal Highness but they would retain their titles of Duke and Duchess previously granted by King Carl XVI Gustaf. They will remain in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. In the future, they will not be expected to perform any royal duties. They will be styled Prince/Princess <Name>, Duke/Duchess of <Geographical Area>.

Prince Alexander, Princess Sofia, Prince Julian, Prince Carl Philip and Prince Gabriel on the occasion of Prince Julian’s christening; Credit – Photo: Elisabeth Toll, Kungl. Hovstaterna / The Royal Court of Sweden

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson – photo: Wikipedia

Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson

Princess Christina Louise Helena of Sweden was born at Haga Palace in Solna Municipality, Stockholm, Sweden on August 3, 1943. She is the youngest of four daughters, known as The Haga Princesses, of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Christina is the fourth of the four elder sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Christina has four siblings:

• Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler (born 1934) married John Ambler, has one daughter and two sons
• Princess Birgitta of Sweden (1937 – 2024) married Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern, had two sons and one daughter
• Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld (born 1938) married Baron Nils-August Silfverschiöld, had one son and two daughters
• King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (born 1946) married Silvia Sommerlath, had two daughters and one son

Christina is the only one of her siblings who pursued higher education. Following her early education privately at home, she attended the École Française, in Stockholm, graduating in 1963. She then attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Stockholm University.

Princess Christina married Tord Magnuson on June 15, 1974, in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. Like her sisters Margaretha and Désirée, she lost her royal style and title, becoming Her Excellency Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson. The style of ‘Her Excellency’ comes from having been created a Knight of the Danish Order of the Elephant in 1973.

The couple had three sons:

• Gustaf Magnuson (born 1975), married Vicky Andrén, had one daughter
• Oscar Magnuson (1977), married Emma Ledent, had one son
• Victor Magnuson (1980), married Frida Bergström, had two sons

In the early years of her brother’s reign, before his marriage to Queen Silvia, Christina often served as ‘first lady’ as she was the only one of the Swedish princesses living in Sweden. She is one of the godparents of her niece Princess Madeleine.

Princess Christina has remained the most visible of the King’s sisters, typically attending the Nobel Prize ceremonies each year, and occasionally undertaking official engagements. She served as Chairperson of the Swedish Red Cross from 1993-2002.

In late 2010, Princess Christina revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer earlier in the year, and had undergone several operations along with radiation and chemotherapy treatment.  In October 2016, it was announced that Princess Christina had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia which progresses slowly and mostly affects people over the age of 60.  After initial treatment failed, the Princess received a stem cell transplant in 2017 which was successful.

In August 2018, in conjunction with her 75th birthday, Princess Christina announced that she is retiring from her royal duties.  Realizing that “life is not infinite”, she plans to enjoy her retirement with her husband and family.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Birgitta of Sweden, Princess of Hohenzollern; Photo: Wikipedia

Princess Birgitta Ingeborg Alice of Sweden was born January 19, 1937, at the Haga Palace in Solna, Sweden, the second daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was the second of the four elder sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Like her sisters, she was educated privately at Haga Palace, where her family lived until moving to the Royal Palace in 1950.

Birgitta had three siblings:

• Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler (born 1934) married John Ambler, has one daughter and two sons
• Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld (born 1938) married Baron Nils-August Silfverschiöld, had one son and two daughters
• Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson (born 1943) married Tord Magnuson, had three sons
• King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (born 1946) married Silvia Sommerlath, had two daughters and one son

After supposedly having turned down a marriage proposal from the Shah of Iran (citing religious differences as the reason), Princess Birgitta met her future husband, Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern, a fine arts expert, at a cocktail party in Germany in 1959. Their engagement was announced in December 1960.

The couple was married in a civil ceremony in Stockholm on May 25, 1961. A religious ceremony followed on May 30, 1961, at the parish church of St John The Evangelist at Sigmaringen Castle, the seat of the Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, in the Swabian Alb region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.  Princess Birgitta applied to convert to Catholicism at the time of her marriage. However, her spiritual commitment to the change was questioned and the application was rejected. Because she married a man of princely status, Birgitta retained her royal style and title as Princess of Sweden and is the only one of her sisters to remain an official member of the Swedish Royal House.

Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann Georg had three children:

• Prince Carl Christian of Hohenzollern (born 1962), married Nicole Helene Neschitsch, had one son
• Princess Désirée of Hohenzollern (born 1963), married (1) Heinrich, Count of Ortenburg, had two sons and one daughter, divorced  (2) Eckbert von Bohlen and Halbach
• Prince Hubertus of Hohenzollern (born 1966), married Uta Maria König, had one son and one daughter

Birgitta and her husband separated in 1990 but remained married. Prince Johann Georg lived in Munich, Germany while Princess Birgitta lived on the island of Majorca, in Spain. They were occasionally seen together at family functions, such as the 2010 wedding of Crown Princess Victoria. Princess Birgitta is one of the godparents of her nephew Prince Carl Philip.  Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern died in Munich, Germany on March 2, 2016, following a brief illness at the age of 83.

An avid golfer, Birgitta was an Honorary Board Member of the Royal Swedish Golf Society, and since 1991, hosted her own golf tournament, The Princess Birgitta Trophy, at the Santa Ponsa Golf Club on Majorca.

Princess Birgitta of Sweden, Princess of Hohenzollern, died, aged 87, on December 4, 2024, in Mallorca, Spain, where she lived. The funeral of Princess Birgitta of Sweden, sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was held on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace followed by the burial at the Royal Burial Ground in Haga Park in Solna, Sweden.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler – photo: Wikipedia

Princess Margaretha, Mrs Ambler is the eldest of the four sisters sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. She was born Princess Margaretha Désirée Victoria of Sweden on October 31, 1934, at Haga Palace, the eldest child of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Through both of her parents, she is a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Margaretha has three younger siblings:

• Princess Birgitta of Sweden (1937 – 2024) married Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern, had two sons and one daughter
• Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld (born 1938) married Baron Nils-August Silfverschiöld, had one son and two daughters
• Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson (born 1943) married Tord Magnuson, had three sons
• King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (born 1946) married Silvia Sommerlath, had two daughters and one son

Princess Margaretha was educated privately at Haga Palace, where she lived with her mother and siblings. Her father had died in a plane crash in Denmark in 1947. She later attended Märthaskolan (Martha School), a dressmaking school in Stockholm. In 1950, her great-grandfather King Gustaf V died and her grandfather became King Gustaf VI Adolf. The family moved from Haga Palace to the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

For many years, Margaretha and her three sisters, known as “The Haga Princesses”, were very prominent in Swedish society. All quite beautiful and sought after, they were often seen in photos at various events. Following a romance with Robert Douglas-Home, a Scottish diplomat (and later paramour of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom), Princess Margaretha met British businessman John Ambler at a dinner party in England. Their engagement was announced in February 1964.

On June 30, 1964, Princess Margaretha and British businessman John Ambler, the son of Captain Charles Ambler and Louise Cullen, were married at the Gärdslösa Church, on the island of Öland in Sweden. Upon marriage, Margaretha lost her royal style and was styled Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler. The couple settled in England, and had three children:

• Sibylla Louise Ambler (born 1965), married  Baron Cornelius von Dincklage, had one daughter and one son, separated
• Charles Edward Ambler (born 1966), married to Helen Jane Ross, had two daughters
• James Patrick Ambler (born 1969), married to Ursula Mary Shipley, had one daughter and one son

Margaretha and her husband separated in 1996 but never divorced. John Ambler suffered from poor health and spent the last ten years of his life in a nursing home in Oxfordshire, England.  He passed away on May 31, 2008.

Princess Margaretha lives near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England. She does not take part in any official functions in Sweden but is typically seen at family events such as the weddings of her brother’s children. She lives a rather quiet life in England, and for many years opened the Swedish Church Christmas Bazaar in London.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Estelle of Sweden, 2023; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland was born on February 23, 2012, at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden. She is the eldest child of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel (born Daniel Westling), and is second in the line of succession to the Swedish throne, after her mother.

Princess Estelle with her mother Crown Princess Victoria and her grandfather King Carl XVI Gustaf; Credit – Photo: Thron Ullberg/The Royal Court of Sweden, 2022

In 1979, the Riksdag, the Swedish legislature, introduced an Act of Succession that changed the succession to absolute primogeniture, meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender, is first in the line of succession. This Act of Succession became law on January 1, 1980, making Sweden the first country to adopt absolute primogeniture. The previous 1810 Act of Succession allowed for only males to inherit the throne. Even after the birth of her brother Prince Oscar, Princess Estelle retains her place in the line of succession as the eldest child of Crown Princess Victoria who is the eldest child and heir of King Carl XVI Gustaf. This means that it is expected that the next two Swedish monarchs will be Victoria followed by her daughter Estelle. Sweden has had only three Queens Regnant: Margaret (1389-1412), Christina (1632-1654), and Ulrika Eleanora (1718-1720)

Princess Estelle is christened as her parents and grandfather look on; Photo: Swedish Royal Court 

Princess Estelle was christened in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm on May 22, 2012. Her godparents were:

• Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, her maternal uncle
• Anna Westling-Söderström, her paternal aunt
• Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, later King Willem-Alexander
• Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, wife of her mother’s second cousin, born Mary Donaldson
• Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, her paternal grandfather’s third cousin

She was given the names Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary.

Estelle: possibly for Countess Estelle Bernadotte (1904–1984), the American wife of Count Folke Bernadotte; when King Carl Gustaf announced his granddaughter’s names, he said that the name Estelle is very close to the heart of her mother and also the family
Silvia: for her maternal grandmother
Ewa: for her paternal grandmother
Mary: for her godmother Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

Princess Estelle’s family, 2022

Estelle has one younger brother:

• Prince Oscar (born 2016)

On August 25, 2014, Princess Estelle started preschool at Äventyret Preschool in Danderyd Municipality, Stockholm. Äventyret Preschool was founded in 1992 and uses the Ur & Skur outdoor teaching methods to teach children about nature and to convey a sense of the natural world. In October 2016, Estelle started to attend Lilla Kvikkjokk, a Montessori school in the Djurgården section of Stockholm. Princess Estelle has been attending Campus Manilla, an independent primary and secondary school, in the Djurgården section in Stockholm since August 2018.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Brigitte Grenfeldt, Swedish Royal Court,

Christopher Paul O’Neill was born on born June 27, 1974, in London, England. He is the only child of Paul O’Neill (1926–2004), an American investment banker who came to London in the 1960s to set up the European head office of Oppenheimer & Co, and his second wife, Eva Maria Walter (born 1940 in Austria). Christopher has dual United States – United Kingdom citizenship. He has five half-sisters: From his mother’s side – Tatjana Schoeller who married John Henry Erland d’Abo and Natascha Loeb (born 1968 in Munich Germany) who married Ernst, Graf (Count) von Abensperg und Traun; From his father’s side – Stefanie, Annalisa, and Karen.

Christopher O’Neill with his parents; Photo: Swedish Royal Court

While growing up in London, Christopher attended Eaton House School and then Westminster Under School. In 1988, he began his studies at the Institut auf dem Rosenberg, an international high school in St. Gallen, Switzerland, graduating in 1992.

In 1992, Christopher began his university studies at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations with a minor in Business in 1996. While he was at Boston University, he worked part-time for various financial firms to develop work experience and to gain a practical understanding of the financial industry. In 1996, Christopher returned to the United Kingdom and worked in the mergers and acquisitions department of NM Rothschild & Sons, before moving to an early-stage venture capital firm, VennWorks LLP. After spending six years working in the United Kingdom, Christopher returned to the United States and attended the two-year, full-time MBA program at Columbia University Business School in New York City. After graduating from Columbia in 2005 with an MBA degree, Christopher worked for Steinberg Asset Management and Noster Capital, where he was a partner and head of research.

Christopher first met Princess Madeleine of Sweden after she had moved to New York City in 2010 following a broken engagement to work for the World Childhood Foundation, a charitable organization founded by her mother, Queen Silvia. The couple was first seen in public in January 2011. Their engagement was announced by the Swedish Royal Court on October 25, 2012.

Engagement Photo; Photo: Swedish Royal Court

Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill were married on June 8, 2013, at the Palace Church at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill

Photo: Zimbio

Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill have two daughters and one son:

• Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland (born 2014 at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, New York)
• Prince Nicolas of Sweden, Duke of Ångermanland (born 2015 at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden)
• Princess Adrienne of Sweden, Duchess of Blekinge (born 2018, at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden)

Unlike his brother-in-law, Prince Daniel, Christopher is untitled and undertakes no royal duties, since members of the Swedish Royal Family must hold Swedish citizenship, which O’Neill has declined. He remains a private US-UK citizen, can continue his career in finance, and the couple continued living in New York. Shortly before his engagement, Christopher quit his job at Noster Capital, but remains a consultant and is involved in other entrepreneurial ventures. In an interview at the time of his engagement, Christopher said, ” To continue my career is really important for me. I chose to not receive a title that would have prevented me from my dream of continuing my work. Of course, I consulted with Madeleine and the King and Queen. It was important for me to have their blessing.”

After their marriage, Madeline and Christopher resided in New York City, and their first child Princess Leonore was born there. In early 2015, the family returned to Sweden. Shortly after the birth of Prince Nicolas, the family moved to London, England. In August 2018, it was announced that Princess Madeleine and her family would be moving to Florida, in the United States. In March 2023, it was announced that the family would move back to Sweden in August 2023. However, it was announced in June 2023 that the family’s move to Sweden was postponed until June 2024.

On October 7, 2019, the Swedish Royal Court announced that King Carl XVI Gustaf had decided to make changes regarding the children of his son Prince Carl Philip and his daughter Princess Madeleine. At birth, the children of Carl Philip and Madeleine were styled as Royal Highness and were members of The Royal House. As of October 7, 2019, their children would no longer be members of The Royal House but would continue to be members of The Royal Family. Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, and Princess Adrienne would no longer enjoy the style of Royal Highness but they would retain their titles of Duke and Duchess previously granted by King Carl XVI Gustaf. They will remain in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. In the future, they will not be expected to perform any royal duties. They will be styled Prince/Princess <Name>, Duke/Duchess of <Geographical Area>.

On the day of the change, in a Facebook post, Princess Madeleine explained the reasoning and said that the change had been planned for a long time.

“Today the Court announced that Leonore, Nicolas and Adrienne should no longer belong to the Royal House, while remaining part of the Royal Family. This change has been planned for a long time. Chris and I think it is appropriate that our children will now have a greater opportunity to shape their own lives as private individuals.

We were honoured when my parents bestowed upon Leonore a royal title when she joined Estelle as the 2nd grandchild of our Swedish Royal Family. We have always believed in giving our children the freedom to choose their future, that’s why we welcome this decision wholeheartedly. I will continue with my royal responsibilities by supporting my parents and my sister.”

Christopher with his family, 2018. photo: Anna-Lena Ahlström, Swedish Royal Court

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer

photo: Erika Gerdemark, Swedish Royal Court

Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland was born on February 20, 2014, at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, New York in the United States. She is the first child of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill. Before her birth, the Swedish Royal Court announced that Princess Madeleine’s children would have the style Royal Highness and the title Prince/Princess and be in the line of succession to the throne. To be eligible to ascend the throne, Princess Madeleine’s children must be brought up in Sweden and be members of the Church of Sweden (Lutheran).  The infant princess was named Leonore Lilian Maria:

• Leonore: a name her parents liked
• Lilian: for Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland who had died in 2013
• Maria: for her paternal grandmother

On October 7, 2019, the Swedish Royal Court announced that King Carl XVI Gustaf had decided to make changes regarding the children of his son Prince Carl Philip and his daughter Princess Madeleine. Their children would no longer be members of The Royal House but would continue to be members of The Royal Family. Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, and Princess Adrienne would no longer enjoy the style of Royal Highness but they would retain their titles of Duke and Duchess previously granted by King Carl XVI Gustaf. They will remain in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. In the future, they will not be expected to perform any royal duties. As a result, Leonore will be styled Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland.

In mid-April 2014, Princess Estelle of Sweden met her new cousin, Princess Leonore, during a trip to the United States with her mother Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

Princess Leonore and Princess Estelle; Photo: Swedish Royal Court, Crown Princess Victoria

Princess Leonore was christened on June 8, 2014, her parent’s first wedding anniversary. The Church of Sweden (Lutheran) christening was held at the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm. Her godparents were:

• Crown Princess Victoria, her maternal aunt
• Tatjana d’Abo, her paternal aunt
• Count Ernst Abensperg und Traun, her paternal uncle by marriage
• Patrick Sommerlath, her maternal first cousin once removed
• Alice Bamford, a friend of her parents
• Louise Gottlieb, a friend of her parents

Photo source: Hello

Princess Leonore with her parents and godparents; Photo: Swedish Royal Court

At her christening, Princess Leonore received the Royal Order of the Seraphim from her grandfather, King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Princess Leonore after her christening wearing the badge and the sash of the Royal Order of the Seraphim; Photo source: svt.se

Leonore became a big sister when her brother Prince Nicolas, Duke of Ångermanland was born on June 15, 2015, and again when her sister Princess Adrienne, Duchess of Blekinge was born on March 9, 2018.

In 2018, Princess Leonore’s family moved to Florida in the United States. Early in 2020, the Swedish Royal Court confirmed, “Princess Madeleine resides in Florida. Right now and for the near future, they will remain in Florida. This means that the children will also attend school in Florida.” It is expected that Leonore will start school in Florida during the fall of 2020.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Photo: Kungl. Hovstaterna / The Royal Court of Sweden

Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland was born on June 10, 1982, at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden. She is the youngest of the three children of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his wife Queen Silvia (née Silvia Sommerlath).

Madeleine has an older sister and an older brother:

• Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland (born 1977), married Daniel Westling, had one daughter and one son
• Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland (born 1979), married Sofia Hellqvist, had two sons

Princess Madeleine was christened at the Palace Church at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on August 31, 1982. She was given the names Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine. Her fourth name, Josephine, is in honor of her ancestor, Josephine of Leuchtenberg, the wife of King Oscar I of Sweden and the granddaughter of Empress Josephine (Napoleon’s first wife) and her first husband Eugène de Beauharnais. Madeleine’s godparents were:

• Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, her father’s first cousin
• Walther L. Sommerlath, her maternal uncle
• Princess Benedikte of Denmark, her father’s first cousin
• Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson, her paternal aunt

Princess Madeleine’s christening; Photo source: http://hd.se

Princess Madeleine attended Västerled Parish Preschool in Stockholm, Sweden from 1985-1989. Beginning in 1989, she attended Smedslättsskolan (link translated from Swedish), a municipal elementary school in the district Smedslätten in Bromma, Stockholm, where he completed his junior level. In 1989 she continued on to the intermediate level at Carlssons School (link translated from Swedish) in Stockholm. In the autumn of 1998, Princess Madeleine began her senior-level studies at Enskilda Gymnasiet, a prestigious independent secondary school in Tegnérlunden, in central Stockholm, and graduated in 2001.

Princess Madeleine lived in London during 2011 where she studied English and returned to Sweden in 2002 to study Swedish law and computer literacy. In 2003, she enrolled at Stockholm University studying art history and ethnology. Madeleine completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in January 2006 and continued her studies with postgraduate courses in organization and leadership (international humanitarian work) and child psychology.

In 2006, Madeleine began a work experience at the headquarters of UNICEF in New York. She focused on children in institutional care, children in areas of conflict and vulnerability, and sexually exploited children. This prepared her for the work she continues to do at the World Childhood Foundation, founded by Madeleine’s mother, Queen Silvia of Sweden, in 1999 to reach and support children at risk around the world.

Princess Madeleine visiting a project, supported by the World Childhood Foundation, to keep teenage mothers in school in Ohio; Photo: Swedish Royal Court

Princess Madeleine is the patron of My Big Day, the Swedish equivalent of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The organization’s goal is to make dreams come true for children in long-term hospital care.

Princess Madeleine attends a music show with Ena, whose dream was to spend a day with Madeleine and be photographed with her; Photo: Swedish Royal Court

On August 11, 2009, Princess Madeleine announced her engagement to lawyer Jonas Bergström, her boyfriend since 2002. After many rumors in the media, it was announced on April 24, 2010, that the engagement had been called off. It was at this time, that Madeleine moved to New York to begin work at the New York office of the World Childhood Foundation. While in New York, Madeleine met Christopher O’Neill, a British-American businessman. The couple was first seen in public in January 2011. Their engagement was announced by the Swedish Royal Court on October 25, 2012.

Engagement Photo; Photo: Ewa-Marie Rundquist, Swedish Royal Court

Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill were married on June 8, 2013, at the Palace Church at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill

Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill have two daughters and one son:

• Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland (born 2014, at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, New York)
• Prince Nicolas of Sweden, Duke of Ångermanland (born 2015, at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden)
• Princess Adrienne of Sweden, Duchess of Blekinge (born 2018, at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden)

After their marriage, Madeline and Christopher lived in New York City, and their first child was born there.  In early 2015, they returned to Sweden. In August 2018, it was announced that Princess Madeleine and her family would be moving to Florida, in the United States, where the Princess will continue her work with the World Childhood Foundation. In March 2023, it was announced that the family would move back to Sweden in August 2023. However, it was announced in June 2023 that the family’s move to Sweden was postponed. Madeleine and her family moved back to Sweden in June 2024.

On October 7, 2019, the Swedish Royal Court announced that King Carl XVI Gustaf had decided to make changes regarding the children of his son Prince Carl Philip and his daughter Princess Madeleine. At birth, the children of Carl Philip and Madeleine were styled as Royal Highness and were members of The Royal House. As of October 7, 2019, their children would no longer be members of The Royal House but would continue to be members of The Royal Family. Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, and Princess Adrienne would no longer enjoy the style of Royal Highness but they would retain their titles of Duke and Duchess previously granted by King Carl XVI Gustaf. They will remain in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. In the future, they will not be expected to perform any royal duties. They will be styled Prince/Princess <Name>, Duke/Duchess of <Geographical Area>.

On the day of the change, in a Facebook post, Princess Madeleine explained the reasoning and said that the change had been planned for a long time.

“Today the Court announced that Leonore, Nicolas and Adrienne should no longer belong to the Royal House, while remaining part of the Royal Family. This change has been planned for a long time. Chris and I think it is appropriate that our children will now have a greater opportunity to shape their own lives as private individuals.

We were honoured when my parents bestowed upon Leonore a royal title when she joined Estelle as the 2nd grandchild of our Swedish Royal Family. We have always believed in giving our children the freedom to choose their future, that’s why we welcome this decision wholeheartedly. I will continue with my royal responsibilities by supporting my parents and my sister.”

Madeleine with her family, 2018. photo: Anna-Lena Ahlström, Swedish Royal Court

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