Princess Madeleine of Sweden married her American-British financier fiancé on 8 June 2013 in front of friends, family and foreign royals. As the couple marks their tenth wedding anniversary, we look back at their special day.
Princess Madeleine’s engagement to Christopher O’Neill was announced on 25 October 2012, and the wedding date was later revealed as 8 June 2013.
The pair wed at the Royal Chapel of Stockholm Palace in a wedding entirely financed by Madeleine’s father, King Carl XVI Gustaf. Chief Court Chaplain Lars-Göran Lönnermark and Vicar of the Royal Court Michael Bjerkhagen conducted the service broadcast by several Swedish channels throughout the day. Ewa-Marie Rundquist was chosen as the photographer.
Madeleine was escorted halfway down the aisle by her father before meeting Chris to walk the rest of the way to the altar. Swedish tradition dictates that the bride and groom enter the church together. Still, Princess Madeleine’s sister, Crown Princess Victoria, broke that tradition at her 2010 wedding when she requested her father escort her down the aisle. A compromise was reached in her request and Swedish tradition by the King walking his daughter halfway down the aisle to her groom. He did the same for Madeleine.
The bridesmaids were Chloé and Anaïs Sommerlath (maternal cousins of the bride), Lillie von Horn, Countess Chiara Abensperg und Traun (groom’s niece), Jasper d’Abo (groom’s nephew) and Count Louis Cajetan Abensperg und Traun (groom’s nephew). Chris’s best man was Cedric Notz.
The ceremony was conducted in English and Swedish, with the Princess reciting her vows in her native Swedish while the groom recited his in his native English. After they were proclaimed husband and wife, “First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” was sung.
The couple appeared before the public outside the church on a stand. Both waved to the crowd and kissed in front of the cheering spectators. They then took a carriage ride through Stockholm before riding a boat to Drottningholm Palace for the private reception.
Madeleine wore a bespoke Valentino gown featuring lace; it was cupped-sleeved with a four-metre train and a five-metre silk organza veil. Her veil was held in place by the Modern Fringe Tiara, which Madeleine personally owns.
Unlike the receptions of her sister, Crown Princess Victoria, and brother, Prince Carl Philip, Madeleine’s wedding reception at Drottningholm Palace was not televised. She later remarked that she wished everyone could have heard the speeches of her family as they were quite touching.
Several foreign royals travelled to Sweden for the nuptials. Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Princess Benedikte, Princess Marie and Prince Joachim of Denmark; Crown Prince Pavlos, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Tatiana, Princess Theodora and Prince Philippos of Greece; the Princess of Monaco; the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (then the Earl and Countess of Wessex); Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Märtha Louise (and then-husband Ari Behn) of Norway; Princess Takamado of Japan, and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg all attended.
The pair had a triangle-shaped cake featuring 700 macaroons, and Princess Madeleine changed into her mother’s strapless Nina Ricci white gown for the party that lasted late into the evening.
Chris chose to remain a private citizen and not become Swedish; as such, he was not granted the title of Prince of Sweden like his brother-in-law, Prince Daniel.
Madeleine and Chris now have three children: Princess Leonore (b. 2014), Prince Nicolas (b. 2015) and Princess Adrienne (b. 2018). They are set to relocate to Sweden from Miami, Florida, this autumn.
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