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Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld

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Princess Désirée
Baroness Silfverschiöld
Princess Désirée at her wedding in 1964
BornPrincess Désirée of Sweden
(1938-06-02)2 June 1938
Haga Palace, Solna, Sweden
Died21 January 2026(2026-01-21) (aged 87)
Koberg Castle, Trollhättan, Sweden
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1964; died 2017)​
IssueBaron Carl Silfverschiöld
Baroness Christina-Louise Silfverschiöld
Baroness Hélène Silfverschiöld
Names
Désirée Elisabeth Sibylla Silfverschiöld
HouseBernadotte
FatherPrince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
MotherPrincess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld (Désirée Elisabeth Sibylla; 2 June 1938 – 21 January 2026) was the third child of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla of Sweden, Duke and Duchess of Västerbotten, and an elder sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Early life

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Désirée was born on 2 June 1938 as the third daughter and child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (son of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and his wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught), and his wife, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (daughter of Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his wife, Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein)[1].

She was christened on 30 June at Solna Church in the Solna Municipality of Stockholm, Sweden.[2] She was given the names: Desiree, after her ancestor Queen Desideria; and Sibylla, after her mother, Princess Sibylla.[2] She grew up at the family home, Haga Palace, outside Stockholm, with her three sisters; together they were known as the Haga Princesses.[3]

Princess Désirée (left) with her sister Princess Margaretha in 1959

In November 1960, Désirée accompanied her elder sister Princess Birgitta for a visit to the United States on behalf of their grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf for the 50th anniversary of The American-Scandinavian Foundation.[4][5] In their honour a ball was organised for the two princesses at the Renaissance Blackstone Hotel in Chicago by Mayor Richard Daley.[6]

Désirée, like her sisters, attended the Franska Skolan in Stockholm and later studied French in Switzerland. She completed a textiles degree at Konstfack (University College of Arts, Crafts and Design) and trained as a preschool teacher. She worked for a short period as a preschool teacher on Kungsholmen in Stockholm.[7][8]

She fell in love with Greger Lewenhaupt, elder brother of King Carl XVI Gustaf's friend Carl Adam "Noppe" Lewenhaupt, but before they became engaged, Greger Lewenhaupt died in a skiing accident in 1960.[8]

In 2011, Désirée was 306th in the succession order to the British throne.[9]

Marriage and children

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Silfverschiöld and Princess Désirée on their wedding day, 5 June 1964

Désirée's engagement to Baron Nils-August Otto Carl Niclas Silfverschiöld, (1934–2017) was announced on 18 December 1963, and the couple married on 5 June 1964 in Storkyrkan in Stockholm.[10][11] As a result of her non-royal marriage, she lost her style of Royal Highness and her position as a princess of Sweden,[12] but was given the courtesy Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld by the King.[13] Under the Swedish constitution of that time, she, as a woman, and her descendants were not eligible to inherit the throne, and when this was later changed to absolute primogeniture the right of succession was limited to the descendants of her brother, King Carl XVI Gustaf.[14]

Désirée wore the same ivory satin wedding gown that her older sister, Princess Birgitta, had worn in 1961. The gown, made by the Swedish fashion atelier Marthaskolan, featured a rounded neckline, three-quarter length sleeves, a full skirt, and a long train.[15] She complemented the gown with the Swedish Royal Family's Cameo Tiara, a historic piece that entered the Swedish royal collection via Queen Josephine of Sweden and Norway.[16] Princess Désirée also wore a lace veil that had belonged to her grandmother, Princess Margaret of Connaught.

Désirée and her husband had three children:

  • Baron Carl Otto Edmund Silfverschiöld (born 22 March 1965 in Gothenburg), married Maria Gunilla Fredriksson (born 12 April 1965 in Malmö) in 2005 and has one daughter.
  • Baroness Christina Louise Ewa Madeleine Silfverschiöld (born 29 September 1966 in Gothenburg), married Baron Hans Louis Gerard de Geer af Finspång (born 26 January 1963 in Stockholm) in 1999 and has three children. [11]
  • Baroness Hélène Ingeborg Sibylla Silfverschiöld (born 20 September 1968 in Gothenburg), who served as bridesmaid at the 1976 weddings of her uncle King Carl XVI Gustaf and granduncle Prince Bertil.[17] In a relationship with Fredrik Dieterle, she has one son.[11]

Following her marriage, Désirée lived in the Silfverschiöld family's home at Koberg Castle and at Gåsevadholm Castle in Halland.[18] She was the godmother of her niece, Crown Princess Victoria.[19]

Later life and death

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Désirée and Silfverschiöld at the wedding of her niece, Princess Madeleine, 8 June 2013

Désirée occasionally attended Nobel Prize festivities and public royal events in a semi-official capacity, sometimes wearing tiaras and jewelry belonging to the royal family.[20] She also represented Sweden in first receiving Emperor Akihito of Japan when he arrived for a state visit in 2000.[21] She was widowed in 2017.[22]

In 2023, Désirée was hospitalised at Sahlgrenska University Hospital for several months due to meningitis.[23]

Désirée died at her home in Koberg Castle, Västergötland, Sweden, on 21 January 2026, at the age of 87.[24][25][26] Her funeral will be held on 19 February in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace, followed by burial at Koberg. As Désirée was a member of the Order of the Seraphim, the Seraphim Toll at Riddarholm Church will be rung from 12:00 to 13:00 on the day of her funeral.[27]

Honours

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Ancestry

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Ancestors of Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld[28]
8. Gustaf V of Sweden
4. Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
9. Princess Victoria of Baden
2. Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
10. Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
5. Princess Margaret of Connaught
11. Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia
1. Princess Désirée of Sweden
12. Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
6. Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
13. Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
3. Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
14. Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
7. Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
15. Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg

References

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  1. ^ Mourad, Natalie (28 October 2022). "Kungens okända syster – flyttade till Trollhättan". svenskdam.se. Archived from the original on 11 November 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b Schibsted, Foto: Emma-Sofia Olsson / (21 January 2026). "Prinsessan Désirée är död". Aftonbladet. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Prinsessan Désirée ville inte rida på prinsesstiteln". Sundsvalls Tidning. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  4. ^ Rosvall, Ted. 2021. Bernadotte-ättlingar III. Falköping: Rosvall Royal Books
  5. ^ "Duktiga désirée blev förskollärare och konstnär - 9 Oct 2018 - Kungliga Magasinet - Readly". se.readly.com. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  6. ^ "November 3, 1960 - 2 Princesses Will Visit Chicago". Archives.chicagotribune.com. 3 November 1960. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Princess Désirée". Official website of the Swedish Royal Court. Swedish Royal Court. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  8. ^ a b Ståhl, Karin (21 January 2026). "Prinsessan Désirée, friherrinnan Silfverschiöld, har avlidit". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  9. ^ "Personer som är berättigade till den brittiska tronen". Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  10. ^ Dickson, Eva (red). 1964.
  11. ^ a b c Prinsessornas bröllop. Stockholm: Åhlén & Åkerlunds tryckerier.
  12. ^ Royal Court Archived 14 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine lists those who are HRH as such, also naming them as Swedish royalty in their bio articles there, and does not give such info for other relatives listed.
  13. ^ Rebecka Rosengart (21 January 2026). "Prinsessan Désirée har avlidit". Dagens Nyheter. TT. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Sagan om Sveriges kung". KP Webben. Archived from the original on 13 October 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Princess Désirée weds her baron". Western Daily Press. Bristol, Avon, England. 6 June 1964. p. 2. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  16. ^ "Crowds mob the royal bride-to-be". Liverpool Daily Post. Liverpool, Merseyside, England. 30 June 1964. p. 1. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Finaste gåvan får Carl Philip". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 12 March 2013. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  18. ^ "Gasevadholm". Slottsguiden.info (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  19. ^ "Så gick det för Hagasessorna". Aftonbladet. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  20. ^ Royal Court Archived 22 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine article 8 June 2013
  21. ^ Falkkloo, Bengt (29 May 2000). "Hektisk dag för kejsaren. Kortege genom stan. Räkna med trafikstörningar under statsbesöket". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  22. ^ Falkman, Kaj (24 April 2017). "Minnesord Niclas Silfverschiöld". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Kungens syster Désirées 86-årsdag firades i hemlighet – ville inte visa sig". Svensk Damtidning (in Swedish). 2 June 2024. Archived from the original on 31 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  24. ^ Imperial Material [@implmaterial] (21 January 2026). "Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld has died "peacefully" surrounded by family at her home, Koberg Castle, in Västergötland" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ^ "Princess Désirée has passed away". kungahuset.se. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  26. ^ "Prinsessan Désirée är död". SVT. 21 January 2026.
  27. ^ a b "Prinsessan Désirées begravningsgudstjänst". Kungahuset (in Swedish). Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  28. ^ Eilers, Marlene A. (1998). Queen Victoria's descendants. Falköping: Rosvall Royal Books. pp. 153–154, 157–158, 160–162. ISBN 91-630-5964-9. SELIBR 9102260.
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  • Media related to Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld at Wikimedia Commons
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