Princess Desiree, one of the older sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, has died.
The princess was 87 years old and passed away peacefully.
Desiree was one of four older sisters of King Carl Gustaf but, because of the succession laws at the time of her birth, she was never in line to Sweden’s throne.
She was often seen at big family events and also joined Sweden’s royals at ceremonies including the Nobel Prize presentations.
Desiree Elisabeth Sybilla was born on June 2 1938 at the Haga Palace in Sweden, the third daughter of Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and his wife, Sybilla. She married Baron Niclas Silfverschold in 1964, losing her HRH as her husband didn’t hold a royal rank.. They had three children together. Baron Silfverschold died in 2017.
King Carl Gustaf issued a statement following the news of his sister’s death, saying he had heard the news ”with great sadness”.
In a poignant recollection, Sweden’s king said ”there are many warm memories created at the Silfverschold family home in Vastergotland, a place in Sweden that came to mean a lot to my sister.”
Princess Desiree is the second of the ”Haga princesses” to die. She and her three sisters got the nickname from the palace in which they grew up. Another sister, Princess Birgitta, died in December 2024.
Carl Gustaf was the youngest of the five children born to Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Crown Princess Sybilla. He was just nine months old when his father was killed in an air accident and he was the only one of his siblings to ever hold succession rights.
Sweden’s royals have opened a book of condolence for Desiree and details of her funeral will be announced shortly.
