Princess Birgitta, older sister of the King of Sweden, has died.
Birgitta, who was 87, died on December 4th 2024 at her home in Mallorca.
She was one of four older sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf.
As her death was announced, the King of Sweden said he was deeply saddened and added ”My sister was a colourful and straightforward person who will be deeply missed by me and my family.”
Birgitta was born in 1937 at the Haga Palace in Stockholm, the second child of Prince Gustaf Adolf and his wife, Sybilla. Like her older sister, Margareta, and her two younger sisters, Desiree and Christina, she had no succession rights as women were barred from inheriting the Swedish throne at the time.
When she was ten, her father was killed in a plane crash and spoke later of never fully overcoming the grief his death brought.
Despite not being eligible to inherit the throne, Birgitta took on a range of official duties when she reached adulthood.
She also trained as a physical education director and worked at Broms School in the late 1950s.
In 1961, she married Prince Johann Georg von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and they had three children. They later separated but never divorced.
Princess Birgitta continued her work supporting younger people throughout her life.
She was also known for her strong personality and idiosyncratic style but remained loyal to her royal house.
Princess Birgitta, January 19th 1937 – December 4th 2024.
