The Swedish and Danish royal Countess Marianne Bernadotte passed away on Friday. She was 100.
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The countess’ daughter, Marie Tchange, confirmed the news in a statement to The Sweden Herald.
“It was calm and peaceful,” the family shared about the royal’s passing. “She was surrounded by her closest relatives and fell asleep at the nursing home on Gärdet in Stockholm. She was over 100 years old, with only two months to her 101st birthday.”
Born on July 15, 1924, in Helsingborg, Sweden, Countess Marianne Bernadotte became an actress in the mid-1940s. She was previously married to Gabriel Tchang before marrying Sigvard Bernadotte, the second son of Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, in 1961.
She and Sigvard were married until he died in 2002.
During her time as a royal, the Countess focused on supporting causes such as physical disabilities and children’s eye care. She was also involved in dyslexia research, as her brother, Rune, had struggled with the condition.
The Countess eventually discovered that several members of the Swedish royal family had dyslexia as well. She founded The Marianne Bernadotte Scholarship Fund for Prominent Dyslexia Research and Education.
In early 2022, the Countess’ sister-in-law, Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland, passed away. Bernadotte became the first official member of the royal family to turn 100 in July 2024.
She is also the last bearer of the personal Princess Bernadotte title.
The Countess is survived by her daughter, Marie, nephew King Carl Gustaf, nieces Queen Margrethe and Greece’s Queen Anne-Marie, several grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband and two sons, Robert and Richard.
Countless Marianne Bernadotte’s Death Occurred Just Months After King Carl Gustaf’s Sister Passed Away
The countess’ death comes just months after King Carl Gustaf’s sister, Princess Birgitta, passed away at the age of 87.
The king released a statement about his sister’s passing. “With great sadness today, I received the news that my sister, Princess Birgitta, passed away,” he shared. “My sister was a colorful and forthright person who will be deeply missed by me and my family.”
He further shared, “Together with my entire family, today I send my condolences to Princess Birgitta’s children and grandchildren.”
Princess Birgitta was the second child of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla. She was just 10 years old when her father died in a plane crash. She married Prince Johann Georg at the Royal Palace in 1961. The couple had three children.
Although the couple separated in 1990, they stayed married until Prince Johann Georg died in 2016.