Major moment for the Swedish royal family - but one key couple forced to miss out

The Swedish royal family hosted a very special banquet this week as they marked the first-ever state visit by a President of Singapore to Sweden. 

Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife, Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, were warmly welcomed to Stockholm by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to commemorate six decades of diplomatic relations between the two nations. 

The highlight of the visit was a glittering evening at the royal palace, and the royals took the opportunity to showcase some of their most iconic pieces of jewellery. 

It was the tiaras that took centre stage. Queen Silvia chose one of the most significant items  in her collection: the Braganza Tiara, also known as the Coronation Tiara, our sister publication HOLA! reports.

It holds great historical and sentimental value for the Queen since it is linked to her Brazilian roots; Silvia's mother Alice de Toledo was born in Brazil. 

Silvia wore the tiara for one of her first portraits as queen, and to the wedding of her eldest daughter, Crown Princess Victoria to Daniel Westling, also in attendance. 

Future queen Victoria, meanwhile, opted for one of the most recognisable items in the royal collection: the diamond Laurel Tiara. Its origins date back to the early 20th century, when it was created as a wedding gift for Princess Margaret of Connaught and the then-Prince Gustaf Adolf - the future King of Sweden.

She teamed her historic jewels with an altogether more surprising choice - a gown by H&M. Championing the Swedish clothing company, Victoria looked incredible in the floor-sweeping long-sleeved dress, made in sequinned lace and featuring a fitted silhouette defined by bold shoulder pads. 

Also representing the Swedish royals was Princess Madeleine, accompanied by her husband Christopher O'Neill. But not all members of the family attended the banquet.

Notably absent were Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip.

While the King and Queen, and Princesses Victoria and Madeleine, were welcoming their special guests, the couple were at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, marking the centenary of the Swedish capital’s Rotary Club.

This scheduling conflict meant that Sofia and Carl Philip missed one of the most significant events of the state visit. 

The couple is currently navigating a difficult situation in the digital realm: the foundation they work with - which promotes safer internet use among children and young people - has confirmed that they have been the targets of a cyberattack. 

It's an especially sensitive development for Sofia and Carl Philip - parents to four young children - who have long been dedicated to the protection of minors online.

King Gustaf's decision to strip grandchildren of royal titles

In October 2019, the Swedish palace announced that the children of both Princess Madeleine and her brother Prince Carl Philip would no longer be members of the royal house.

Carl Philip and Madeleine are the younger siblings of Crown Princess Victoria, who shares two children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, with her husband Prince Daniel.

The decision at the time meant that Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, Princess Adrienne, and Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel lost their style of Royal Highness and would no longer be expected to perform duties incumbent on the head of state. 

Carl Philip and Princess Sofia have since welcomed two more children;  son Julian, was born in August 2021, and daughter Ines in February 2025.

An official statement released on behalf of King Carl Gustaf at the time read: "His Majesty The King has decided on changes to The Royal House. The purpose of these changes is to establish which members of The Royal Family may be expected to perform official duties incumbent on the Head of State or related to the function of the Head of State."

It continued: "His Majesty The King has decided that the children of Their Royal Highnesses Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, and the children of Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine and Mr Christopher O'Neill will no longer be members of The Royal House."

Despite losing their style of Royal Highness, the statement noted that the children involved will continue to retain their titles of Duke and Duchess previously granted by their grandfather upon birth.

A short time after the announcement, Madeleine and her older brother Carl Philip broke their silence.

Taking to Instagram, Madeleine shared a snapshot showing her with her three children and wrote: "This change has been planned for a long time. Chris and I think it is good that our children now have a greater opportunity to shape their own lives as individuals in the future."

Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia, then parents of two, released a similar post on their Instagram account, writing: "We see this as a positive as Alexander and Gabriel will have freer choices in life. They will retain their Duke titles and their duchies, Södermanland and Dalarna, which we value and are proud of. Our family has strong connections to both areas and we maintain our commitment there.

"We will continue to focus on issues close to our heart. We will also continue to support the King and the Crown Princess - our future head of state - and participate in the King's activities."