Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld

Désirée was born on 2 June 1938 as the third daughter and child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (son of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and his wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught), and his wife, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (daughter of Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his wife, Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein)^[1].

She was christened on 30 June at Solna Church in the Solna Municipality of Stockholm, Sweden.^[2] She was given the names: Desiree, after her ancestor Queen Desideria; and Sibylla, after her mother, Princess Sibylla.^[2] She grew up at the family home, Haga Palace, outside Stockholm, with her three sisters; together they were known as the Haga Princesses.^[3]

In November 1960, Désirée accompanied her elder sister Princess Birgitta for a visit to the United States on behalf of their grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf for the 50th anniversary of The American-Scandinavian Foundation.^[4][5] In their honour a ball was organised for the two princesses at the Renaissance Blackstone Hotel in Chicago by Mayor Richard Daley.^[6]

Désirée, like her sisters, attended the Franska Skolan in Stockholm and later studied French in Switzerland. She completed a textiles degree at Konstfack (University College of Arts, Crafts and Design) and trained as a preschool teacher. She worked for a short period as a preschool teacher on Kungsholmen in Stockholm.^[7][8]

She fell in love with Greger Lewenhaupt, elder brother of King Carl XVI Gustaf's friend Carl Adam "Noppe" Lewenhaupt, but before they became engaged, Greger Lewenhaupt died in a skiing accident in 1960.^[8]

In 2011, Désirée was 306th in the succession order to the British throne.^[9]

Désirée's engagement to Baron Nils-August Otto Carl Niclas Silfverschiöld, (1934–2017) was announced on 18 December 1963, and the couple married on 5 June 1964 in Storkyrkan in Stockholm.^[10][11] As a result of her non-royal marriage, she lost her style of Royal Highness and her position as a princess of Sweden,^[12] but was given the courtesy Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld by the King.^[13] Under the Swedish constitution of that time, she, as a woman, and her descendants were not eligible to inherit the throne, and when this was later changed to absolute primogeniture the right of succession was limited to the descendants of her brother, King Carl XVI Gustaf.^[14]

Désirée wore the same ivory satin wedding gown that her older sister, Princess Birgitta, had worn in 1961. The gown, made by the Swedish fashion atelier Marthaskolan, featured a rounded neckline, three-quarter length sleeves, a full skirt, and a long train.^[15] She complemented the gown with the Swedish Royal Family's Cameo Tiara, a historic piece that entered the Swedish royal collection via Queen Josephine of Sweden and Norway.^[16] Princess Désirée also wore a lace veil that had belonged to her grandmother, Princess Margaret of Connaught.

Désirée and her husband had three children:

• Baron Carl Otto Edmund Silfverschiöld (born 22 March 1965 in Gothenburg), married Maria Gunilla Fredriksson (born 12 April 1965 in Malmö) in 2005 and has one daughter.
• Baroness Christina Louise Ewa Madeleine Silfverschiöld (born 29 September 1966 in Gothenburg), married Baron Hans Louis Gerard de Geer af Finspång (born 26 January 1963 in Stockholm) in 1999 and has three children. ^[11]
• Baroness Hélène Ingeborg Sibylla Silfverschiöld (born 20 September 1968 in Gothenburg), who served as bridesmaid at the 1976 weddings of her uncle King Carl XVI Gustaf and granduncle Prince Bertil.^[17] In a relationship with Fredrik Dieterle, she has one son.^[11]

Following her marriage, Désirée lived in the Silfverschiöld family's home at Koberg Castle and at Gåsevadholm Castle in Halland.^[18] She was the godmother of her niece, Crown Princess Victoria.^[19]

Désirée occasionally attended Nobel Prize festivities and public royal events in a semi-official capacity, sometimes wearing tiaras and jewelry belonging to the royal family.^[20] She also represented Sweden in first receiving Emperor Akihito of Japan when he arrived for a state visit in 2000.^[21] She was widowed in 2017.^[22]

In 2023, Désirée was hospitalised at Sahlgrenska University Hospital for several months due to meningitis.^[23]

Désirée died at her home in Koberg Castle, Västergötland, Sweden, on 21 January 2026, at the age of 87.^[24][25][26] Her funeral was held on 19 February in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace, followed by burial at Koberg. As Désirée was a member of the Order of the Seraphim, the Seraphim Toll at Riddarholm Church was rung from 12:00 to 13:00 on the day of her funeral.^[27]