King Carl Gustaf's heartbreak as sister dies aged 87
The Swedish palace announced the death of King Carl XVI Gustaf's sister on Wednesday, as the monarch paid tribute to his "colourful and forthright" sibling.
Princess Birgitta passed away in Mallorca on 4 December, aged 87, leaving behind three children and grandchildren.
She was the widow of Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern, who died in 2016.
The King, 78, said: "With great sadness today I received the news that my sister, Princess Birgitta, has passed away. My sister was a colourful and forthright person who will be deeply missed by me and my family. Together with my entire family, today I send my condolences to Princess Birgitta's children and grandchildren."
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Birgitta was born on 19 January 1937 and was the second child of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla. She grew up at Haga Castle with her three siblings - Princess Margaretha, Princess Désirée, Princess Christina and Prince Carl Gustaf.
Tragedy struck when Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf died in a plane crash in 1947 in Denmark, when Birgitta was just ten years old.
She was educated at the Royal Palace in Stockholm and later at a girls' school in Chateaux d'Oex in Switzerland.
In 1959, she met her future husband, Prince Johann Georg, at a cocktail party in Germany, with their engagement announced a year later.
Birgitta married Prince Johann Georg at the Royal Palace on 30 May 1961, with the bride wearing a long-sleeved ivory silk dress by Märtaskolan, with an A-line silhouette and a four-metre train.
She donned the Cameo Tiara, which has long been worn by Swedish royal brides throughout history.
After their wedding, the couple relocated to Munich, where they had three children, Carl Christian, born in 1962, Désirée in 1963 and Hubertus in 1966.
The pair separated in 1990 but remained married until Prince Johann Georg's death in 2016.
Princess Birgitta spent the latter years of her life living on the island of Mallorca, where she developed a passion for golf and had her own tournament.
