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.
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 will 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 has been postponed until 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
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