Princess Madeleine Tells Vogue Scandinavia She Was "Always Kind of Struggling" With Royal Life
Princess Madeleine of Sweden has given a rare interview to Vogue Scandinavia, appearing on the magazine's cover and speaking openly about the difficulty she found growing up as a member of the Swedish royal family.
"I was always kind of struggling," the 44-year-old princess said, in comments quoted in English according to a translation. Her siblings, she said, were "much more accepting" of the roles they held within the royal family than she was. Hello!
The interview, published on 25 August 2026, was accompanied by a photoshoot in Djurgården, an island in central Stockholm, and at the Royal Stables, where Madeleine was photographed among sheep owned by her father, King Carl Gustaf. She also graced the cover of the magazine.
Madeleine recalled the everyday constraints of royal life with vivid specificity. When media photographers were present, she said, she was always the one who ran away — and they had to chase her. She remembered wanting to ride the bus like her friends, a small freedom that royal protocol placed out of reach.
The one place she could truly be herself, she said, was showjumping. She competed under the name Anna Svensson, a pseudonym that let her step outside the title and into the sport. "The one time I could really be myself," she told the magazine, was in the ring.
Madeleine shares three children — Leonore, Nicolas and Adrienne — with her husband Christopher O'Neill, whom she married in 2013. The family spent several years living in the United States, in Florida and New York, before returning to Stockholm around two years ago.
In 2019, King Carl Gustaf decided to slim down the Swedish royal family, a step several European monarchies have taken. The change removed royal duties from some of the King's grandchildren. Madeleine has previously said the slim-down gave her and her brother, Prince Carl Philip, the opportunity to pursue other things.
She has done exactly that. Madeleine is the creator and producer of Hidden Islands, a children's animated series streaming on SkyShowtime. She also owns a skincare brand, MinLen, made in collaboration with Weleda. For the brand, she does not use her royal title — she goes by Madeleine Bernadotte. Hello!
MinLen went on sale in early September 2025. Nine.com.au Madeleine has said she founded the line because, as a mother, she struggled to find products that were natural, safe and suited to her children's growing skin. Marie Claire
What makes the Vogue Scandinavia interview striking is how plainly Madeleine frames a life that, from the outside, looks like pure ceremony. The tiara photographs and palace balconies are not what she talks about. She talks about running from cameras, wanting to catch a bus, and inventing a name so she could ride horses in peace. The institution provides the stage. Madeleine's account is about what it cost her to stand on it.
