Princess Birgitta of Sweden dies aged 87: King Carl Gustaf pays tribute to his ‘colourful’ sister and says he will ‘miss her deeply’

Princess Birgitta of Sweden has died aged 87, the Swedish Royal Palace revealed.

The royal, who was King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden’s second sister and the widow of Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern, resided in Mallorca. The cause of her death is unknown.

The palace shared the news on Instagram, writing: ‘Princess Birgitta was the widow of Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern (1932–2016) and then lived abroad for a long time. The princess leaves three children with families.

‘On the occasion of the passing of H.K.H. Princess Birgitta, H.M. The King makes the following statement:

‘With great sadness today, I have received the news that my sister, Princess Birgitta, has died. My sister was a colourful and straightforward 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.’

With her art historian husband, Birgitta, who trained in gymnastics at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, went on to have three children, Prince Carl, Princess Desiree and Prince Hubertus.

Unlike her sisters, Birgitta retained her royal title after marriage because she married someone of her status.

Birgitta was born in 1937 at Haga Castle and was the second oldest child of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla.

The royal spent time raising money for charitable pursuits and co-founded the HELP Foundation, which helps vulnerable children around the world. 

She took a keen interest in golf and held her own golf competition at her home course in Spain, called the Princess Birgitta Trophy.

According to Kungahuset, Birgitta said in her Summer Program in P1 2009: ‘As I always say when people ask what I want to do for charity; I then answer that only if it is about children, because the children are our future after all.’

Birgitta separated from her husband in 1990, but the pair remained married. Johann moved to Munich while the royal resided in Spain. Johann died in 2016 in Munich aged 83. 

The news comes after Queen Silvia of Sweden pulled out of her and King Carl XVI Gustaf’s state visit to Singapore due to a ‘severe respiratory infection’, the palace announced in November.

The Swedish royal couple had planned to visit the island country from November 19 to November 21 – but only the reigning monarch was in attendance.

Queen Silvia was ‘looking forward’ to the trip and ‘regrets that she is unable to accompany The King’, the palace’s statement said.

The royal took a keen interest in golf and is photographed at the golf club near her home in Santa Ponsa

It added: ‘Out of consideration for the Singaporean hosts and the rest of the State Visit delegation, The Queen chooses to remain in Sweden, to not risk exposing others to infection.’

Shared on the Royal Household’s website, the full statement read: ‘Due to a severe respiratory infection, HM The Queen has decided not to accompany HM The King on the State Visit to Singapore 19–21 November.

‘The Queen was looking forward to visiting Singapore and regrets that she is unable to accompany The King on the trip. 

‘However, out of consideration for the Singaporean hosts and the rest of the State Visit delegation, The Queen chooses to remain in Sweden, to not risk exposing others to infection.

‘Her Majesty’s planned individual parts of the State Visit programme will be carried out by accompanying state secretary and the First Lady of the Court.’