by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

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 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 where she studied 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, which was founded by Madeleine’s mother, Queen Silvia of Sweden, in 1999 in an effort to reach and support children at risk around the world.

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.

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.

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 will 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 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.”

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