Princess Madeleine has opened up about “struggling” in her royal role as she gave a very rare interview.
The Swedish royal, 44, who is married to Chris O’Neill, looked stunning in an array of glamorous new photographs as she appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia on Monday.
In pictures taken in Djurgården, an island in central Stockholm, and in The Royal Stables, Madeleine kept her long blonde locks in flowing waves, wearing a floaty red dress and surrounded by sheep owned by her father, the King.
The daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia also gave an insight into her life growing up in the Swedish royal family, admitting: “I was always kind of struggling with that”.
She added, according to a translation into English: “My siblings were much more accepting of the roles we had.
“I always had a bit of a hard time with that. When we had to interact with media photographers, I was always the one who ran away, and they had to chase me.”
She recalled just wanting “to be able to ride the bus myself, just like all my friends do”. The royal said the one time she could “really be myself” was when showjumping, competing under the fake name Anna Svensson.
Changing times for Princess Madeleine and her family
Princess Madeleine shares children Leonore, Nicolas and Adrienne with her husband, Christopher O’Neill, whom she married in 2013.
In 2019, her father, King Carl Gustaf, decided to “slim down” the Swedish royal family, a method adopted by several European monarchies, to focus on the Crown Prince family led by Crown Princess Victoria.
Madeleine, who is the youngest of the three siblings, previously said this offered her and her brother Prince Carl Philip the “opportunity to do other things”.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: “This change has been planned for a long time. Chris and I think it is good that our children now have a greater opportunity to shape their own lives as individuals in the future.”
She now owns a skincare brand called MinLen in collaboration with Weleda and is the creator and producer of the children’s animated series Hidden Islands on SkyShowtime.
Madeleine does not use her royal title for the brand, instead using the name Madeleine Bernadotte, instead of Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland.
The royal returned to Stockholm with her family around two years ago after spending several years in the United States, staying in Florida and New York.
Princess Madeleine’s role in the slimmed-down Swedish monarchy
On 7 October 2019, a statement released by the Royal Household stated: “The purpose of these changes is to clarify which persons within the Royal Family can be expected to be called upon for such official assignments that are incumbent on the Head of State or are related to the office of Head of State.
“HM The King’s decision means that the children of HRH Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, as well as the children of HRH Princess Madeleine and Mr Christopher O’Neill, will no longer belong to the Royal House.”
© GettyIt means they remain members of the royal family, but their children no longer have the titles of Royal Highnesses and will not be expected to take on royal duties.
The Marshal of the Realm added that their Majesties’ youngest children, Prince Carl Philip and Madeleine, would “carry out official assignments to the extent decided by” the King, and they would “continue to work within the non-profit foundations and activities that they have founded and/or are involved in”.
Madeleine’s husband, Chris O’Neill, chose not to accept a royal title when they married so he could continue his professional career as a financier.
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