Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, was born Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine on 10 June 1982 at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm.
She is the youngest child and second daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
A member of the House of Bernadotte, she was third in the line of succession at birth and currently ranks ninth.
She was christened on 31 August 1982 in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.
On 8 June 2013 she married British-American financier Christopher O’Neill in the Palace Church at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.
The couple have three children: Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland (born 2014), Prince Nicolas, Duke of Ångermanland (born 2015), and Princess Adrienne, Duchess of Blekinge (born 2018).
Siblings
Princess Madeleine has two older siblings.
Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland, is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne and is married to Prince Daniel.
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland, is the middle child and is married to Princess Sofia.
The three siblings grew up together within the Swedish royal family and have maintained close ties while fulfilling their respective public and private roles.
Also Read: Prince Henrik Siblings: A Closer Look at the Prince Consort’s Family Tree
Career
Princess Madeleine attended preschool in Västerled Parish before continuing her education at Smedslättsskolan in Bromma, Carlssons School in Stockholm, and Enskilda Gymnasiet, from which she graduated in 2001.
She studied English in London and later enrolled at Stockholm University, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history, ethnology, and modern history in January 2006.
She also took courses in Swedish law, organisation and leadership, and child psychology.
In 2006 she undertook an internship at UNICEF headquarters in New York, focusing on children in institutional care, conflict zones, and situations of sexual exploitation.
Since then she has devoted much of her professional energy to the World Childhood Foundation, founded by her mother Queen Silvia.
She serves on the board of Childhood Sweden, is an honorary member of the board of Childhood USA, sits on the Childhood Prize jury, and has been Vice Honorary Chair of the World Childhood Foundation since December 2021.
She is also patron of the My Special Day Foundation (Min Stora Dag), which fulfils wishes for seriously ill children in Sweden.
Accolades
Princess Madeleine is a Member and Commander of the Royal Order of the Seraphim and holds the Royal Family Order of King Carl XVI Gustaf along with various Swedish commemorative medals.
She has received numerous foreign decorations, including the Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco from Brazil, the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour from Greece, and other high orders from countries such as Japan, Norway, and Luxembourg.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
