A king, two queens in waiting and a monarch who never was at all take centre stage in a brand new photo released to mark the moment Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden changed his royal family forever. As the Swedish ruler confirmed that five of his seven grandchildren would lose their HRH status and no longer form part of the Royal House, the official website resharpened the royal focus with a photo all about the direct line to the throne.
The image, taken by Sandra Birgersdotter, is called ”Three Generations” and features King Carl XVI Gustaf with the first and second in line to the throne, his eldest child and heir, Crown Princess Victoria, and her firstborn, Princess Estelle. Behind all three is a painting of Carl Gustaf’s father, Gustaf Adolf, who was killed in a plane crash in 1947 before he could ascend the throne. The photo captures the direct line of a dynasty and captures the new face of the Royal House which was announced today.
King Carl XVI Gustaf has removed five of his grandchildren from the Royal House. The two sons of his only son, Prince Carl Philip, and the two daughters and son of his younger child, Princess Madeleine, are affected. From October 7th 2019, Prince Alexander (3) and Prince Gabriel (2), as well as Princess Leonore (5), Prince Nicolas (4) and Princess Adrienne (1) will no longer have the title of HRH, and there is no expectation that they will carry out any royal duties. They remain a part of the Royal Family and retain their places in the line of succession.
However, the new focus of the Swedish royals is clear on their website. Until the announcement was made, the pages on the Royal Family itself were headlined with an image of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia surrounded by their children and grandchildren. Now, the image is this new portrait featuring just the monarch and those expected to rule in the future.
The biographical details of the family have also been altered to reflect the change in the status of Carl Philip and Madeleine’s children. All of them are now listed as prince or princess along with the ducal titles they were given at birth with their HRH designation gone.
There is also a section outlining who is a part of the Royal House and who is part of the Royal Family. The first list contains King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia and Princess Madeleine as well as the monarch’s sister, Princess Birgitta.
The Royal Family is listed as also including Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, Princess Adrienne and the King’s remaining sisters, Princess Margareta, Princess Desiree and Princess Christina. The widow of the King’s uncle, Countess Marianne Bernadotte of Wisborg, is also listed as part of the family.
