Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland

Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine;[1] born 10 June 1982) is the second daughter and youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Upon her birth, she was third in line of succession to the Swedish throne; currently, she is eighth. Princess Madeleine is married to British-American financier Christopher O'Neill. They have three children, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas and Princess Adrienne.

Not to be confused with Magdalena of Sweden.

Princess Madeleine
Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland
Princess Madeleine in 2017
Born (1982-06-10) 10 June 1982
Drottningholm Palace, Drottningholm, Sweden
Spouse
​
(m. 2013)​
Issue
  • Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland
  • Prince Nicolas, Duke of Ångermanland
  • Princess Adrienne, Duchess of Blekinge
Names
Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine
HouseBernadotte
FatherCarl XVI Gustaf
MotherSilvia Sommerlath
ReligionChurch of Sweden

Early life

Madeleine was born on 10 June 1982 at 19:05 CEST[2] at Drottningholm Palace and is a member of the Swedish royal family from the House of Bernadotte. She was christened at The Royal Palace Church on 31 August 1982, her godparents being her father's maternal cousin the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, her maternal uncle Walther L. Sommerlath, her father's paternal cousin Princess Benedikte of Denmark, and her paternal aunt Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson.[1] Madeleine was given the honorary title of Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland. It was the first time since the early 17th century (when such titles were still more than honorary) that a Swedish ducal title included more than one province. Both Hälsingland and Gästrikland are encompassed by Gävleborg County.

Education

From 1985 to 1989, Madeleine began her education at Västerled Parish Pre-School. In the autumn of 1989, she entered Smedslättsskolan in Bromma, attending at the junior level. For the intermediate level, she proceeded to Carlssons School in Stockholm, and then went on to Enskilda Gymnasiet in Stockholm, which she attended at the senior level. She also completed upper secondary school at Enskilda, from which she graduated in 2001.[1] During the autumn of 2001, she lived in London, where she studied English.[1] In the spring of 2002, she took a basic module in Introduction to Swedish Law and studied for the European Computer Driving Licence.[1] In January 2003, she enrolled at the Stockholm University where she began studies in art history. She took 60 Swedish academic units in this subject (two semesters). In the autumn of 2004, she began a course in ethnology at the same university. She speaks English, German and Swedish fluently, and also intermediate-level French.[3] She graduated 23 January 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in art history, ethnology and modern history. During 2007, she studied child psychology at University of Stockholm.

Leisure pursuits

Madeleine is an enthusiastic equestrian. She has owned horses (which were stabled at the Royal Stables) and competed in showjumping under the name "Anna Svensson".[3] She also enjoys skiing, and is interested in theatre, dance and art. In recognition of her age of majority in 2001, a scholarship fund was created in her name by the Gävleborg province, which comprises her duchies of Hälsingland and Gästrikland. It encourages and supports young people involved in horse riding. In 2001, Madeleine first distributed such awards as 'Pony Rider of the Year with trainer in Gävleborg' and 'Gold Rider'.

Activities
Madeleine handing the Göran Gustafsson Prize to Johan Elf in 2010.

Madeleine undertakes various engagements on behalf of her father and the people of Sweden. She participates in the celebrations of Sweden's National Day, the Nobel festivities, dinners and state visits with other members of the royal family.[4] She represented Sweden at the opening of the New Sweden Gallery on 5 June 2011, at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which features an animated map of the New Sweden settlement by Sean Moir.[5]

Patronages and interests

Madeleine is the patron of the organisation Min Stora Dag (the Swedish equivalent of Make-A-Wish Foundation), more commonly known as My Big Day (its translation into English). She is also affiliated with Europa Nostra, Carl Johan-League and the Royal Motorboat Club.[6]

Victims of child exploitation

In 2006, Princess Madeleine interned for UNICEF for six months in New York City and worked for the division of Child Protective Services.[3] In 2012, she co-founded the ThankYou by Childhood campaign which works to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the sexual abuse of children and the work the World Childhood Foundation does to prevent it.[7] Princess Madeleine became involved in the work of the World Childhood Foundation during her studies.[8] She became one of the juries of the Childhood Prize.[8] She serves on the board of Swedish branch and is an honorary member of the board of the American branch of the World Childhood Foundation since 2016.[8][9] She became the vice honorary chair of the World Childhood Foundation in December 2021.[8] Her first visit as a vice honorary chair was in July 2022 when the Princess visited Frankfurt, Germany. There, she visited the German branch of the World Childhood Foundation, construction of Child House and met a former child sexual abuse victim.[10] She also visited Frankfurt University Hospital and toured the hospital's children department to meet with doctors to learn about their work.[10]

In 2015, the Princess initiated the #EyesWideOpen campaign. It aims to increase the awareness about the sexual abuse of children. In conjunction with a high-level meeting in New York in the autumn of 2016, the Princess presented the continuation of the campaign – an app that makes it easier for adults to prevent, recognise and react to sexual abuse and exploitation of children. The app is a collaboration between the World Childhood Foundation, Darkness to Light and Ericsson.[11] In February 2017, the Princess announced she was writing a children's book during a visit to London's Southbank Centre.[12] On 28 January 2019, the Princess shared the book's title and cover via Instagram.[13] She wrote: "I'm very excited to finally share with you a book which will hopefully show children how important it is to stand up for themselves and to tell someone when something doesn't feel right."[14] The book titled Stella och hemligheten (English: Stella and the Secret) was published in support of the World Childhood Foundation[12] and was released on 4 June 2019.[15]

Personal life

First engagement

On 11 August 2009, Madeleine announced her engagement to lawyer Jonas Bergström (b. 1979).[16][17] Madeleine said in her engagement interview that they became engaged in Capri in early June 2009. An engagement dinner took place on the engagement day in Solliden Palace on Öland. The engagement could only take place after Bergström had been awarded the official approval of the Swedish Cabinet Regeringen and that had been communicated to her father, the King.[16]

The wedding was originally due to take place in the second half of 2010 but was postponed due to "many things happening in an intense period of time", mainly her sister Victoria's wedding in June. Queen Silvia denied the rumoured relationship issues.[18] However, media reporting of the relationship issues escalated, and on 24 April 2010 it was announced that the wedding would not go ahead, and the engagement was broken off.[19]

After her relationship with Bergström ended, Madeleine moved to New York City, where she worked for the World Childhood Foundation, the organisation that her mother co-founded.

Marriage and children
Main article: Wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill
Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill following their wedding.

On 25 October 2012, the Swedish Royal Court announced Princess Madeleine's engagement with the British-born American financier Christopher O'Neill.[20] On 23 December 2012, it was announced that the wedding would take place on 8 June 2013, at the Royal Palace chapel in Stockholm.[21] O'Neill chose to remain untitled: a member of the Swedish royal family must hold Swedish citizenship which O'Neill declined.

The couple has three children:

In February 2015, the Swedish Royal Court announced that the family had moved to Stockholm from New York.[27] In May 2015, the Swedish Royal Court announced that O'Neill had moved to London in April. In Autumn 2015, several months after the birth of Prince Nicolas, the entire family moved to London, where O'Neill's business is located.[28] In August 2018, the Swedish Royal Court announced that the princess and her family would move to Florida.[29][30] In March 2023, it was announced that the family would move back to Sweden in August 2023.[31] In June 2023, it was announced that the move has been postponed until 2024.[32]

On 7 October 2019 the king issued a statement rescinding the royal status of her three children in an effort to more strictly associate Swedish royalty to the office of the head of state; they are no longer styled as His/Her Royal Highness (HRH), but their princely titles remain and they are still duchesses and duke of their provinces, remaining in the line of succession to the throne.[33][34][35] Madeleine commented that her children now will have greater possibilities to shape their own lives as private individuals.[36][37]

Title, styles and honours
Coat of arms of Princess Madeleine
ArmigerPrincess Madeleine
Adopted1982

Title

Madeleine is styled as: Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland.

Swedish honours
See also: List of honours of the Swedish royal family by country

Foreign honours

Bibliography

Books
  • Bernadotte, Madeleine; Gustafson-Teixeira, Karini; Oskarsson, Marie (4 June 2019). Stella och hemligheten. Illustrated by Stina Lövkvist. Bonnier Carlsen. ISBN 9789178031726.

References
  1. "H.K.H Prinsessan Madeleine". Kungahuset (in Swedish).
  2. Udo Sponberg udo.sponberg@gp.se. "Och så ska det gå till ... - Sverige - Göteborgs-Posten". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  3. "Princess Madeleine". Hello! online. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  4. "Engagemang - Sveriges Kungahus". Kungahuset.se. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  5. "John Lane's Notes on Music". Weeklypress.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  6. "Beskyddarskap - Sveriges Kungahus". Kungahuset.se. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  7. "ThankYou.org - Our Story". www.thankyou.org. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  8. "HRH Princess Madeleine". Swedish Royal Court. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  9. "Princess Madeleine assumes a new role of the World Childhood Foundation". Swedish Royal Court. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  10. Barger, Brittani (10 July 2022). "Princess Madeleine travels to Germany for World Childhood Foundation". Royal Central. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  11. "#EYESWIDEOPEN". World Childhood Foundation. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  12. "Sweden's Princess Madeleine Published a Children's Book That Teaches Kids to Stand Up for Themselves". Town & Country. 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  13. "Princess Madeleine of Sweden Pens Book to Inspire Children to 'Stand Up for Themselves'". People. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  14. "Princess Madeleine of Sweden has published her own book! All the details". Hello!. 28 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  15. "Prinsessan Madeleine debuterar med barnboken 'Stella och hemligheten'" [Princess Madeleine debuts with the children's book "Stella and the Secret"]. kungahuset.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  16. "Engagement between Princess Madeleine and Mr. Jonas Bergström" (Press release). Royal Court of Sweden. 11 August 2009. Archived from the original on 27 April 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  17. "Sweden's Princess Madeleine gets engaged". Reuters. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  18. Sandberg, Mattias (13 April 2010). "Silvia: Inget bröllop – i år". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  19. "Princess Madeleine breaks up with fiancé". The Local. 24 April 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  20. "Engagement between Princess Madeleine and Mr Christopher O'Neill". Swedish Royal House.
  21. "SWEDISH PRINCESS TO MARRY NEXT JUNE". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  22. "Announcement from the Marshal of the Realm - Sveriges Kungahus". Kungahuset.se. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  23. "Kommuniké från riksmarskalken - Sveriges Kungahus". Kungahuset.se. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  24. "Announcement from HE The Marshal of the Realm - Sveriges Kungahus". kungahuset.se.
  25. "HRH Princess Madeleine and Mr Christopher O'Neill have had a daughter - Sveriges Kungahus". kungahuset.se.
  26. "SWEDEN-ROYALS-CHRISTENING". Getty Images.
  27. "Princess Madeleine registers as a Swedish resident" (Press release). Swedish Royal Court. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  28. "Princess Madeleine of Sweden's London move confirmed". Hello!. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  29. Petit, Stephanie (1 August 2018). "Princess Madeleine of Sweden Is Moving Her Family to the United States!". People. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  30. "Prinsessan Madeleine och herr Christopher O'Neill bosätter sig i USA - Sveriges Kungahus". kungahuset.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  31. Petit, Stephanie (7 March 2023). "Princess Madeleine Is Returning to Sweden with Family After Living in Florida Since 2018". People. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  32. Hatcher, Kirsty (28 June 2023). "Princess Madeleine Delays Move Back to Sweden — Here's Why She's Staying in Florida a Bit Longer". People. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  33. Swedish communiqué Archived 6 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine of king's decree 2019-10-07
  34. English communiqué
  35. "Sweden's king removes five of his grandchildren from royal house". euronews. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  36. Linda Johansson in Expressen 2019-10-08 p. 17
  37. "The King of Sweden Removes Royal Titles from His Five Grandchildren". 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2022. People reported, "While they will remain members of the royal family, they have lost their official HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) titles." This means that the children of Princess Madeleine and her husband, Christopher O'Neill, and the children of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia will no longer be required to perform royal duties, nor will they be referred to as princes or princesses.
  38. (in Portuguese) Insígnias da Ordem de Rio Branco — Archived 22 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Itamaraty.gov.br. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  39. "DOU 06/09/2007 - Pg. 7 - Seção 1 | Diário Oficial da União | Diários JusBrasil". Jusbrasil.com.br. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  40. Gala dinner Archived 30 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine during the state visit of Greek President Karolos Papoulias (21 May 2008)
  41. "Galamiddag på Kungliga slottet - Sveriges Kungahus". Kungahuset.se. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  42. "Visite d´Etat en Suède - Cour Grand-Ducale de Luxembourg - Avril 2008". Monarchie.lu. 15 April 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  43. "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".
  44. "Tildelinger av ordener og medaljer" [Awards of medals and medals]. www.kongehuset.no (in Norwegian). Royal Court of Norway. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  45. "ODM of the Republic of Romania: Order of Faithful Service". Medals.org.uk. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
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