Sweden's Princess Birgitta dies aged 87: King Carl XVI Gustaf shares heartbreaking tribute

Princess Birgitta of Sweden has died at the age of 87, the Swedish Royal Court has announced.

Birgitta was the elder sibling of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, who said his sister would be "deeply missed".

Birgitta died at her home in Santa Ponsa, on the island of Majorca in Spain where she had been living since the 1990s.

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In a statement King Carl XVI Gustaf, 78, said: "With great sadness today I received the news that my sister, Princess Birgitta, has passed away.

"My sister was a colourful and forthright person who will be deeply missed by me and my family. Together with my entire family, today I send my condolences to Princess Birgitta's children and grandchildren."

Princess Birgitta is expected to be buried within the royal cemetery at Haga Palace in Stockholm, the current home of Crown Princess Victoria and her family.

Her funeral will be attended by members of Sweden's royal family and flags at Drottningholm Palace and Haga Palace are being flown at half mast today.

Birgitta leaves three children with her late husband, Prince Johann of Germany.

The Princess was born at Haga Palace in 1937 to Sweden's Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla.

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She grew up at Haga Palace with her siblings Princess Margaretha, Princess Désirée, Princess Christina and Prince Carl Gustaf (now King Carl XVI Gustaf).

Tragedy struck the family when Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf died in a plane crash in 1947 in Denmark. Birgitta was just 10 when her father was killed and her younger brother was immediately named Crown Prince, and heir to the throne.

She was initially educated at the Royal Palace privately before attending boarding school in Switzerland from the age of 14.

The Princess soon realised she was a talented at sports, much like her late father, who was a champion in Swedish fencing and in 1936 participated in the equestrian competitions at the Olympics in Berlin.

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Princess Birgitta started playing tennis as a child, followed by fencing and golf and eventually became Swedish champion in team fencing. She represented Sweden at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.

She trained as gymnastics director at the Central Institute of Gymnastics (now the University of Gymnastics and Sports), and worked for a time at Brom's school.

In 1959, Birgitta travelled to Munich to learn German where she met, and fell in love with, German prince and art historian Johann Georg von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, known as "Hansi".

They married in 1961 and the long train that was part of her gown was later worn by Queen Silvia when she married King Carl XVI. She also wore the Cameo tiara, a headpiece worn by all future Queens of Sweden including Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria.

Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann had three chidren: Carl Christian (1962), Désirée (1963) and Hubertus (1966).

Although they separated in 1990, they remained married and he later died in 2016.

During her younger years, Princess Birgitta worked as a model and had her own clothing store in Munich in the 1980s.

She published an exercise book and accompanying record in 1967.

Princess Birgitta wrote a memoir in 1997 titled Min egen väg (My Own Way) and in 2022 appeared in a royal documentary where she spoke about life as a princess.

In 1990, the Princess moved to Majorca in Spain "where she could live close to nature, mountains and light", the Swedish Royal Court said.

She was able to focus on her passion for golf and the move gave her "a healthy and social life", the court said.

"Princess Birgitta described herself as a strong-willed person and she valued commitment and family," a tribute by the palace read.

"The Princess wanted to build bridges between countries, as for example in her participation in the Royal Sweden Hong Kong Society which promoted trade and projects between Sweden and Hong Kong.

"Environmental issues were also something that Princess Birgitta thought were very important to raise."

She was the co-founder of the HELP Foundation, a foundation that helps vulnerable children around the world. Portions of her memoir when to HELP.

The Princess also raised money for children in Africa, building schools and funding transport for school-aged children.

Princess Birgitta was a regular fixture at royal events attended by the King and his family over the years.

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