Why 5 Members of the Swedish Royal Family Were Stripped of Their Titles
[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [SOUND] [BLANK_AUDIO]
The Swedish Royal Family going through some major changes — and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have something to do with it. According to People, the children of Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill, as well as the children of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, aren't part of the royal house anymore by royal decree of King Gustaf. While they'll still be part of the royal family, they'll no longer be referred to as His or Her Royal Highness.
"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 palace statement reads. "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."
Torsten Laursen/Getty Images
RELATED: Gwyneth Paltrow Vacationed with a Princess in the Hamptons Like It's No Big Deal
In an Instagram post, Princess Madeleine explained that the change has been in the works 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," she wrote alongside a casual family portrait. People adds that Madeleine's children: Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, and Princess Adrienne, and Carl Philip's two sons, Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel, will retain their titles of prince and princess, though the titles will become personal, not official. They won't be passed down to their future children, either.
A post shared by Princess Madeleine of Sweden (@princess_madeleine_of_sweden) on Oct 7, 2019 at 5:59am PDT
RELATED: Prince Harry Gave A Heartfelt Speech About Archie's Future
King Gustaf's move follows the lead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who decided not to bestow baby Archie with an official royal title. They said that the move would afford their son more privacy. People adds that following tradition, Prince Harry and Meghan were given the Duke and Duchess of Sussex title on their wedding day. That means that Archie could inherit the title in the future, but there's no telling what could happen when the opportunity arises.
