Princess Desiree and her fiance Baron Nicolas Silfverschiold walking in the park of the Koberg Castle, where they lived after their wedding, December 1963
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In her later years, Princess Désirée spoke openly about finding fulfilment in her role as a wife and a mother. ‘I now see myself only as a mother and wife and do not attach much importance to my princessship,’ she recalled in a 2008 interview. ‘In principle, I also think it is wrong to rely on origins and kinship.’ Her husband died in 2017.
Princess Desirée’s eldest sister, Princess Margaretha, 91, lives in a stunning Grade II-listed manor house in Oxfordshire after marrying an English businessman, John Ambler, in 1964. Their second sister, Princess Birgitta, who competed in the Olympics, died in December 2024 aged 87. Their youngest sister, Princess Christina, 82, married business executive Tord Magnuson and remains a public figure in Sweden.
Flags at Drottningholm Palace and Haga Palace will fly at half mast in honour of Princess Desirée. A funeral is expected to be held at a later date.
She is survived by her brother, two sisters, children and their families.