Meet the Swedish Royals: A Guide to Sweden's Royal Family Tree

Get to know King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria and more

These days, the Swedish royal family is largely ceremonial.

The country itself is democratically governed by a parliament, and King Carl XVI Gustaf, who celebrated his 50th year on the throne in early 2023, has slowly reduced the role of the royal family in Sweden altogether. For example, in 2019 he stripped most of his grandchildren of their royal titles, leaving only the royal status of Crown Princess Victoria's children intact.

In 1975, the Swedish royal family lost all formal executive powers, but they retained their titles and continued to oversee their patronages and represent Sweden abroad. As of 2023, the official Swedish Royal House includes King Carl, Queen Silvia, their children and two of their grandchildren.

According to the Swedish Royal Court, one of the king's most important duties is promoting Swedish interests in the country and worldwide. The king and queen have made countless visits abroad throughout their reign, and Princess Madeleine and her family even lived in the United States for five years.

Most recently, Carl XVI Gustaf underwent heart surgery in February 2023. The palace announced that he was "doing well" and expected to continue his reign for some time.

Here is everything to know about Sweden's royal family.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, née Sommerlath, met at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Carl became king after the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, in 1973.

The king announced his intention to marry Silvia in 1976, just over two years after ascending the throne. Silvia was the first woman to marry a sitting Swedish monarch in nearly 200 years. The night before the royal wedding, ABBA performed "Dancing Queen" in honor of the future queen.

Carl and Silvia have three children: Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland

Princess Victoria was born on July 14, 1977. Swedish law only allowed male heirs to inherit the throne at the time, but this rule was amended when she was 2 years old, thus making the toddler heir apparent.

She married her husband, Prince Daniel, born Daniel Westling, on June 19, 2010. The two met at the gym in 2001 — he was her personal trainer — and dated for eight years before tying the knot. They have two children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar.

Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary

Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary, born on Feb. 23, 2012, is the oldest child of Victoria and Daniel. Because her mother is heir apparent, Estelle is currently second in the order of succession.

Prince Oscar Carl Olof

Victoria and Daniel welcomed their second child, Prince Oscar Carl Olof, on March 2, 2016. He is presently third in line to the throne — though that position will shift if his older sister Estelle has children of her own.

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia

Prince Carl Philip is the second child of Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia, and he was born on May 13, 1979. He married Princess Sofia, née Sofia Hellqvist, on June 13, 2015, and the pair have three children, sons Alexander, Gabriel and Julian.

In October 2019, King Carl announced that the children of Carl Philip and his sister Princess Madeleine would no longer hold His or Her Royal Highness titles nor be official royal house members. The children would not be expected to perform royal duties for the family, but they would be styled with aristocratic titles and remain in the line of succession.

Prince Alexander Erik Hubertus Bertil

Prince Alexander Erik Hubertus Bertil was born to Carl Philip and Sofia on April 19, 2016. Over 100 guests attended his christening when he was 4 months old, and as he's grown, many have noted his strong resemblance to his mother.

Prince Gabriel Carl Walther

Carl Philip and Sofia's second son, Prince Gabriel Carl Walther, joined the family on Aug. 31, 2017. In 2020, the toddler accompanied his mom and dad at the Saterdalen nature reserve to visit an accessible bench built in his honor.

Prince Julian Herbert Folke

Carl Philip and Sofia's third son, Prince Julian Herbert Folke, was born on March 26, 2021. He was the first baby to be born into the family following Carl XVI Gustaf's decision to trim down the royal house; according to the palace's website, he would retain the title of prince but will not be styled as His Royal Highness.

Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill

Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia welcomed Princess Madeleine on June 10, 1982. Madeleine married British-American banker Christopher O'Neill on June 8, 2013, and the pair have welcomed three children: Leonore, Nicolas and Adrienne.

In order to continue his finance career in the U.K., O'Neill declined to become a working member of the royal family or a citizen of Sweden and as such did not receive a royal title.

Madeleine and O'Neill lived in New York City in the early days of their marriage before moving back to Sweden. They moved to Florida with their children in 2018, though they plan to return to Sweden in 2024.

While the family originally planned to return to Sweden in August 2023, Margareta Thorgren, the Royal Court of Sweden’s information manager, explained the reason for pushing the move. “It is simply that the time for the family, with all that a move entails, has been a little too short,” she said.

Princess Leonore Lilian Maria

Madeleine and O'Neill welcomed their first child, Princess Leonore Lilian Maria, on Feb. 20, 2014, in N.Y.C. At the time of her birth, Leonore was granted a royal title, though she is no longer an official member of the court.

Following the palace's announcement to remove her children's titles, Madeleine responded on Instagram, writing, "This change has been planned for a long time. Chris and I think it's good that our children are now getting a greater opportunity to shape their own lives as private individuals in the future."

Prince Nicolas Paul Gustaf

Prince Nicolas Paul Gustaf was born to Madeleine and O'Neill in Stockholm on June 15, 2015. Along with his immediate family, the young boy has already lived in several cities, states and countries, including N.Y.C., Florida, London and Sweden.

Princess Adrienne Josephine Alice

Princess Adrienne Josephine Alice was born in Stockholm on March 9, 2018. Adrienne was christened on her parents' fifth wedding anniversary, which also happened to be the same day her older sister was christened four years before her.

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