Princess Desiree, one of the older sisters of King Carl XVI
Gustaf of Sweden, has died.
The princess was 87 years old and passed away peacefully.
Desiree was one of four older sisters of King Carl Gustaf but,
because of the succession laws at the time of her birth, she was
never in line to Sweden’s throne.
She was often seen at big family events and also joined Sweden’s
royals at ceremonies including the Nobel Prize presentations.
Desiree Elisabeth Sybilla was born on June 2 1938 at the Haga
Palace in Sweden, the third daughter of Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and
his wife, Sybilla. She married Baron Niclas Silfverschold in 1964,
losing her HRH as her husband didn’t hold a royal rank.. They had
three children together. Baron Silfverschold died in 2017.
King Carl Gustaf issued a statement following the news of his
sister’s death, saying he had heard the news ”with great
sadness”.
In a poignant recollection, Sweden’s king said ”there are many
warm memories created at the Silfverschold family home in
Vastergotland, a place in Sweden that came to mean a lot to my
sister.”
Princess Desiree is the second of the ”Haga princesses” to die.
She and her three sisters got the nickname from the palace in which
they grew up. Another sister, Princess Birgitta, died in December
2024.
Carl Gustaf was the youngest of the five children born to Crown
Prince Gustaf Adolf and Crown Princess Sybilla. He was just nine
months old when his father was killed in an air accident and he was
the only one of his siblings to ever hold succession rights.
Sweden’s royals have opened a book of condolence for Desiree and
details of her funeral will be announced shortly.
