On Tuesday night, the Carlos XI gallery of the Royal Palace of Stockholm, lived an evening like those before: a large deployment of jewelry and pomp in the banquet hall with which the kings of Sweden entertained the Icelandic presidential couple. The big surprise of the night was the return of Princess Magdalena, the little daughter of the kings Carlos Gustavo and Silvia, who had not attending an event of this type since 2019 and did not do so alone, did it with her husband, Christopher O’Neill, who is not covered with titles or functions linked to the monarchy and with which in principle I was going to lead an independent life. With the passing of the days it has been made public that the marriage was also at the private lunch that was held the next day with the foreign president and his wife, although on that occasion they did not posed in the official photo. Taking into account that A state visit in the highest meeting between two countries and that enjoys the maximum institutional relevance, the surprise is evident, The couple is turning their lives and does it under the protection of King Carlos Gustavo, that does not go so much that he opted for a reduced monarchy.
State visits, tiaras and gala dresses on the sidelines, aim to lay the foundations for strengthening personal contacts and increasing political, commercial and cultural exchange between countries, so among the guests are the highest authorities of the country, such as government ministers, business delegations and in recent years it is normal to have a representation of the cultural, artistic or community life of the country. In short, a state visit is not a family issue, as if it can be a real wedding or the birthday of a sovereign. For this The presence of Princess Magdalena de Sweden is especially striking, since from the moment of her wedding she made it clear that she would be part of the family, but not from the institution And, therefore, he did not assume neither the official titles, nor the real treatments, nor the citizens, nor the obligations and privileges. However, what has happened this week in Stockholm is proof that something is changing.
© Clément Morin© Clément MorinA few weeks ago, when Princess Magdalena launched her own cosmetics firm, a business project supported by her husband and, of course, oblivious to the Swedish crown, It seemed that it was she who passed to the private sector and not vice versa. A turn that seemed consistent with all the decisions they had made since they married on June 8, 2013 in the Chapel of the Royal Palace of Stockholm, when Chris O’Neill renounced everything that King Carlos Gustavo offered him to continue his business career, his double citizenship and began a life that led them to live between the United Kingdom and the United States, the basis of the financial investments.
© Getty Images© Minlen“I was not born in a real family. I am Christopher O’Neill, my father was Paul O’Neill. He was a father who had his own identity, worked hard and managed well. I felt that it was important O’Neill, “he said in one of the few interviews he has granted in all these years, he was in 2018 to a male magazine that paradoxically is called King.
-‘I was not born in a real family. I’m Christopher O’Neill ‘
© Getty Images© Getty ImagesWith this background and the appearance of marriage in this context of maximum institutional relevance you can only say one thing: Chris O’Neill is not a prince, but it seems. He did not carry the blue band or the distinction of the order of the Seraphim, but he can have the presence, behavior and influence. Dressed as a frac, like the princes Carlos Felipe and Daniel, made his entrance to the arm of the king’s daughter and then occupied his place in a context that is not so alien to him, son of an American banker and a German socialite, Chris O’Neill studied in the most prestigious boarding schools in the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and studied international relations at the University of Boston and a MBA at the University of Columbia.
© GTRES© Getty Images© GTRESCould this indicate a new strategy of the Royal house of Sweden?
It is early to know if this is the definitive return of Princess Magdalena and the introduction of her husband in the official life she did not want before, but now maybe. At the moment this has been a useful strategy to measure the reaction of public opinion and the national media, without immediately committing a formal role and leaving room for maneuver. In this case, The Swedish royal house could be seeing what fits better without altering the official structure of the monarchy and the reactions have not been badworse, the decision of Princess Magdalena to launch a private business project was fitted. A storm that, on the other hand, is usual, since historically the decisions of the little daughter of the kings of Sweden have always been more questioned than those of their older brothers, the heiress Princess Victoria and the only male son, Prince Carlos Felipe.
© Photo: Linda Broström/Kungl. HovsWe will still have to wait, although it does not seem that much, to see if the Swedish monarchy contemplates a more visible role in the future of Magdalena from Sweden and Chris O’Neill, which were also on April 30 in public celebrations on the occasion of the king’s birthday, an occasion that can be fitted with the excuse of the “family celebration.” What also should be remembered is that These changes of plans occur after King Carlos XVI Gustavo de Sweden in 2019 reduced the core of the monarchyexcluding five of their grandchildren from the work linked to the State Headquarters, which meant that the children of Carlos Felipe and Magdalena are not real highlights nor will they have official duties. Although they did retain their noble titles, this measure was created so that Princess Magdalena and Chris O’Neill could live and raise their children out of Sweden, although in the end they have ended up returning, and also focused the official representation in Princess heiress Victoria and her children, the princes Estelle and Oscar.
