Princess Birgitta of Sweden's jewellery to go under the hammer at Sotheby's
Jewellery belonging to the late Princess Birgitta of Sweden is to be sold at a Sotheby's auction. Hello Magazine reported the plan on 29 October 2026, and said it has reportedly upset her younger brother, King Carl Gustaf.
Princess Birgitta died in Mallorca on 4 December 2024, at the age of 87. She was the older sister of the King, who is the head of the Swedish royal family. Sotheby's is an international auction house, which sells items to whoever makes the highest bid at a public sale.
The best-known piece is a sapphire and diamond demi-parure. A demi-parure is a matching set of jewellery, usually a necklace and earrings. According to Hello Magazine, it was a wedding gift originally given to her mother, Princess Sibylla. Royal Central reports that the auction catalogue lists a necklace and earrings as having belonged to the princess.
Expressen reported that several rings and bracelets set with emeralds are included, and that jewels from the princess's collection were to be sold for seven million. The Swedish newspaper Hänt reported that some of the pieces are family heirlooms that have been in the family for hundreds of years. Expressen also reported that this is not the first time the princess's jewellery has been auctioned since her death.
The collection passed to her granddaughter, Carolina av Ortenburg, who is 28. Expressen reports that Carolina inherited the large collection after the princess died.
Hello Magazine says the sale reportedly angered him, and that he is thought to have had no advance warning of it. Town & Country describes him as reportedly upset about the auction of his family's heirloom jewellery. Svensk Dam goes further and reports that the decision goes against the King's values.
For anyone new to auctions, the process is simple to follow. Each item, known as a lot, is offered in turn, and bidders compete until one person's offer is the highest. The final price is only known once the bidding closes, so the reported figure of seven million is an estimate of what the jewels could raise, not a result.
