Swedish Royal Family.Photo: Jonas Ekströmer, The Royal Court of Sweden
Now that’s a royal family photo!
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden posed with their three children and eight grandchildren (as well as the family’s dogs!), celebrating a long awaited family reunion with a gorgeous new portrait.
“Together on Öland again!” the photo was captioned in Swedish on the royal family’sInstagram page. “A long-awaited return for the crown. The family, which after a long time in different directions, can once again gather on the island of the sun and winds. A continued happy summer is wished to everyone.”
Crown Princess Victoriaand her husband Prince Daniel stand on opposite sides of the monarch, with their 8-year-old daughterPrincess Estelleseated to the left petting their pup Rio and holding a bouquet of flowers. Their sonPrince Oscar, 5, takes a seat atop a wooden carriage next to his cousin, Princess Leonore.
Making the portrait extra special isPrincess Madeleineand her family, who are visiting Sweden for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The familyrelocated to Florida in 2018, where Madeleine and husband Chris O’Neill are raising their three children: Princess Leonore, 7, Prince Nicholas, 6, and Princess Adrienne, 3.
The family recently gathered to celebrate future queenPrincess Victoria’s 44th birthdaywith an outdoor concert.
Princess Victoria, Prince Oscar, Princess Estelle and Prince Daniel.JONAS EKSTROMER/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty
King Carl XVI Gustaf announced in October 2019 that he decided tostrip the HRH titlesfrom children of his son Prince Carl Philip and his daughter Princess Madeleine.
“His Majesty The King has decided on changes to The Royal House. The purpose of these changes is to establish which members of The Royal Family may be expected to perform official duties incumbent on the Head of State or related to the function of the Head of State,” a statement from the palace read. “His Majesty The King has decided that the children of Their Royal Highnesses Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, and the children of Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine and Mr Christopher O’Neill will no longer be members of The Royal House.”
After the announcement, Prince Carl Philip shared on Instagram that he saw the decision as “positive” for his sons.
“Today, the King announced the decision that our children no longer hold the Royal Highness position. We see this as positive as Alexander and Gabriel will have freer choices in life,” he wrote. “They will retain their prince titles and their duchies, Södermanland and Dalarna, which we value and are proud of. Our family has strong connections to both landscapes and we maintain our commitment there.”
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Princess Madeleine said that the decision will give her three children “greater opportunity to shape their own lives as private individuals in the future.”
The decision did not pertain to Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar — the children of Crown Princess Victoria, who is heir to the throne, and her husband Prince Daniel. Unlike their cousins, both Estelle and Oscar will both continue to be part of the royal house.
source: people.com
