She’s back. Finally! For years, her Swedish compatriots complained about Princess Madeleine’s absence. After six years in Florida, she has now returned home with her family, back to the royal fold. But not everyone trusts that she will meet the court’s expectations.
Is she back on board – or not? When Princess Madeleine, 42, appeared with her husband Chris O’Neill, 50, and their children Princess Leonore, 10, Prince Nicolas, 9, and Princess Adrienne, 6, alongside the royal family in front of Solliden Palace to congratulate Princess Victoria on her 47th birthday on July 14, it seemed like a good omen. The youngest royal has returned to her nest, ready to embrace her destiny and fulfill her duty to the crown. But amid the euphoric expressions of joy, there are also skeptical voices.
Princess Madeleine Enjoyed a Royal Break
Madeleine had kept a low profile for a long time, clearly seeking distance from the royal household. Shortly after her wedding to British-American businessman Chris in June 2013, she moved first to London, then to the USA for six years. The royal daughter largely distanced herself from her royal duties, only engaging with the Swedish church in her adopted homeland and representing the “World Childhood Foundation,” founded by her mother Queen Silvia, 80, in 1999. She is passionate about children’s right to a safe and carefree childhood, and also about giving her own children an upbringing away from the palace.
But now, Madeleine seems ready to embrace her roots. The time for brief visits is over. She wants to be closer to the family, it was heard when her moving plans were made public in early 2023. Then the disappointment: the return had to be postponed by a year. Relocating an entire existence to another continent takes time.
Family or Crown?
And now, finally, they are here, Madeleine and her loved ones. The family has traded their beautiful villa in Miami for a spacious, extensively renovated apartment in the royal stables in Stockholm City. Even the reluctant Chris has adapted to the new life, having founded a new GmbH with his close friends Cedric Notz and Marco Wajselfisz. The children will start school in Stockholm this autumn. Which school is still unknown.
Will the lives of the mini-royals fundamentally change with Mama’s decision? In the USA, Madeleine’s daily life revolved almost entirely around her two daughters and her son. When the princess was interviewed by the magazine “Mama” a few years ago, she talked about how parenting in the USA differs from that in Sweden: “There it is a full-time job to be present at school as a parent! No wonder the term ‘Soccer Mom’ has become so popular,” she said at the time.
Is she ready to bid farewell to the full-time mother role in Sweden and take on more royal duties? Her engagement for the crown would even be compensated. Unlike her siblings, Madeleine has not received an apanage in recent years. She only received an expense allowance when she actually took on appointments for the royal household. But this circumstance could of course change.
Madeleine’s Royal Role Raises Questions
Historian and court expert Herman Lindqvist believes that Madeleine will begin to “represent the royal household in various official contexts” once she has settled in Stockholm after the big move. “She will probably have to create her own role and platform within the royal framework,” he explained to “Svensk Damtidning.” “This could be inaugurations, official ceremonies, and so on. She will surely be seen as often as Princess Sofia is now.”
Journalist Sten Hedman, who has reported on the Swedish royal household and other European royal families for decades, is not so sure. “After all, she no longer receives an apanage in this form, and she believes she wants to lead an unofficial life. So I don’t think she will present herself in the same way. She has made it clear that she doesn’t like public life, and we have to respect that.”
The youngest daughter of the royal couple is currently eighth in line to the throne – after Victoria and her two children, as well as Prince Carl Philip, 45, and his three sons. “For her to become queen, something like the plague epidemic would have to happen. She was able to create her own life, and one can only hope that she is happy with it,” Hedman said. While the anonymity of a life in distant Florida is now over, the journalist does not expect the princess to have a particularly heightened interest in stepping back into the royal spotlight. “I don’t think so. She doesn’t like being in the public eye. She doesn’t like cutting ribbons and opening dog shows, that’s not her thing. She has made that clear.”
And the court has so far sent no signals for a royal comeback of the homecomer. A partially revised text on the royal household’s website in connection with the move still states that the princess’s official program is “limited.”
