Crown Slips

They could have been the Crown Prince and Princess of their respected Kingdoms, but due to the changes of the Constitution and the Law of Succession, their destiny followed a different map away from the prestige of the crown.

A.) Prince Carl Philip of Sweden

His Royal Highness, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Varmland

Born on May 13, 1979, His Royal Highness, Prince Carl Philip, the Duke of Varmland, is the only son of the reigning monarch of Sweden, King Carl XVI. He has two sisters, Princess Victoria and Princess Madelaine. For seven months since his birth, he was the crown prince of Sweden and someday would inherit the throne, but this was altered in January 1980 when the Swedish constitution changed from male-preference primogeniture to full cognatic primogeniture, making his older sister, Princess Victoria, the heir-apparent. However, in Great Britain, where his family is listed in the line of succession as direct descendants of Queen Victoria through her granddaughter, Princess Margaret, Carl Philip is placed ahead of his sister.

The Swedish Royal Family. Front row: Queen Silvia, King Carl XVI Gustav and Crown Princess Victoria. Back row: Princess Madelaine and Prince Carl

Prince Carl and his two sisters, Princess Victoria and Princess Madelaine

Prince Carl and his sister Princess Madelaine at the wedding of their sister, Princess Victoria last June 19, 2010

The Prince is a sports enthusiast and has keen interest in football, swimming, skiing and car racing, he often take part in the racing series and skiing competitions in Europe. He studied graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design and has a great passion in drawing and designing. Just like all European male royals, the prince trained in the military service first as a combat boat commander in the Coast Artillery Regiment then at the Swedish Royal Navy where he rose to the rank of a lieutenant. He occasionally takes royal duties on behalf of his father. The Prince is currently single but early this year he created controversies following his affair with glamour model, Sofia Hellqvist. In 2008, Forbes Magazine named him as one of the Hottest Young Royals in the World.

B.) Princess Martha Louise of Norway

Her Highness, Princess Martha Louise of Norway

She is the only daughter of King Harald V of Norway. Born on September 22, 1971, the Princess was not in line of succession to the Norwegian throne until 1990 when the Salic Law was abolished and changed it to full cognatic primogeniture succession which means that an eldest child regardless of gender will be the heir apparent to the throne. Unfortunately, the law will only take its effect to children born from 1990 and onwards making her younger brother, Prince Haakon the heir apparent. Haakon’s eldest child, Princess Ingrid Alexandra will be the one to benefit this change, she is currently ahead of her younger brother, Prince Magnus, in the line of succession. But in Great Britain where the Norwegian royals are listed in the line of succession as direct descendants of King Edward VII, Prince Magnus is ahead of his sister as the United Kingdom maintained their law of succession to male-preference primogeniture.

The Norwegian Royal Family. Back row: Crown Princess Mette-Merit, wife of Prince Haakon, Princess Martha Louise and King Harald V. Seated from left Prince Haakon and Queen Sonja

Princess Martha Louise and her husband, Ari Behn at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden last June 19, 2010

Princess Martha Louise married Ari Behn, a Norwegian writer, on May 24, 2002. The couple has three daughters. After the marriage, his father removed the “royal” in her status addressing her only as Her Highness, this means that the Princess, though retained her place in the line of succession, would no longer participated in any activities concerning the royal family. She studied physiotherapy and owned an alternative medical school, she is also a writer and had published many books. She and her husband with their children currently lived in New York City.