From the Royal Collection: Crown Princess Margareta photographing with two children: Prince Bertil, two years old, and Princess Ingrid, age four, at Sofiero in the summer of 1914. In the background are one of her garden plans from Sofiero and some letters.
The ray of sunshine at the Royal Palace This autumn, the Royal Palace in Stockholm will open an exhibition about Crown Princess Margareta, the grandmother of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf. Dynamic and engaging, and with a love for life, she was called ‘the ray of sunshine’ by the late Prime Minister Hjalmar Branting. With a fresh outlook, Margareta brought Sweden into the modern age. By Malin Norman | Photos: The Royal Court, Sweden
Crown Princess Margareta, known as Daisy to family and friends, passed away 100 years ago. In October, the Royal Palace opens an exhibition about her life in Sweden. Archive material and unique objects will be displayed in what was once her apartment. “It’s fantastic to be able to do a biographical exhibition about Margareta in her own home, a part not usually open to visitors,” says Bronwyn Griffith, curator at the Royal Palaces. 80 | Issue 134 | March 2020
Growing up in the British Royal Family as the granddaughter of Queen Victoria in the United Kingdom, the English Princess met Sweden’s Prince Gustaf Adolf in Egypt, and less than six months later she was married and living in Sweden. She embraced her new life, and her arrival resulted in the view of royalty changing. “She was here for just 15 years but made a significant mark on the nation,” confirms Griffith. “But today, many peo-
ple don’t know who she was. Margareta is one of the women in history who have been nearly absent from the narrative.”
Creative and artistic force The high-profile couple were the first royals to be open to media about their personal interests. The young pair were often photographed practising hobbies such as art, gardening and sports.
Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (future Gustaf VI Adolf) and Crown Princess Margareta with children, from left: Prince Sigvard, Prince Gustaf Adolf, Prince Bertil and Princess Ingrid, 1914.