Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson


Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson, is a member of the Swedish royal family. She is the fourth child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess [Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha], and the youngest of the four older sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf. She uses the name Christina Magnuson in a professional capacity.

Early life

Christina was born at Haga Palace outside Stockholm as the fourth child and youngest daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. She served as bridesmaid at the 1961 civil wedding of her sister Princess Birgitta to Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern as well as at the 1964 wedding of her cousin Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark to King Constantine II of Greece.
She was educated at Franska Skolan in Stockholm. Subsequently, she underwent studies at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts and as the only one of her siblings, she obtained a university degree in art history from Stockholm University.

Public life

Between her grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf's death in 1973 and her brother's wedding to Silvia Sommerlath in 1976, Christina effectively served as Sweden's first lady. As a result of this, she also maintained a public role within the royal family after her marriage in 1974, unlike her older sisters.
Christina chaired the Swedish Red Cross for nine years between 1993 and 2002. Through her friendship with Kjerstin Dellert, she has been chairman of the Ulriksdal Palace Theatre's Friendship Society for several years.
Christina has co-authored several books – among them biographies about her grandmother, Princess Margaret of Connaught, and ancestress Josephine of Leuchtenberg.
In January 2023, the princess was seen and heard commenting extensively throughout a two-part documentary broadcast by Sweden's national public service Sveriges Television about the last three kings of Sweden: her brother, grandfather and great-grandfather.
The princess has publicly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine calling it unacceptable and accusing Russia of committing war crimes.

Marriage and children

She met her future husband, business executive Tord Magnuson, at a lunch in Stockholm in 1961. Her engagement to Magnuson was announced on 1 February 1974. They were married on 15 June 1974 in the Palace Church of the Royal Palace of Stockholm.
The couple has three sons:
  • Carl Gustaf Victor Magnuson, godfather of Prince Nicolas of Sweden. He married Vicky Elisabeth Andrén in 2013 but were divorced in 2020. They have one daughter:
  • * Désirée Elfrida Christina Magnuson, a goddaughter of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
  • Tord Oscar Fredrik Magnuson, godfather of Prince Oscar of Sweden. He married Emelia "Emma" Charlotta Ledent in 2011. They have two sons:
  • * Carl Albert Maurice Magnuson
  • * Henry Guy Tord Magnuson Victor Edmund Lennart Magnuson, godfather of Prince Alexander of Sweden. He married Frida Louise Bergström in 2017. They have two sons:
  • * Edmund Bengt Lennart Magnuson
  • * Sigvard Hans Gösta Magnuson
Christina is the godmother of her niece, Princess Madeleine, and Prince Joachim of Denmark, son of her first cousin, Queen Margrethe II.

Health

In October 2016, it was announced that Magnuson has been diagnosed with chronic leukemia. It was later made known that she had been cured following stem cell treatment.

Honours

National honours

Foreign honours

Awards