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Princess Madeleine

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Madeleine Thérèse Ameline Josephine, Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Halsingland and Gastrikland, came into the world on June 10, 1982, at Drottningholm Palace. The youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, she rounded out a happy threesome of siblings, including elder sister Crown Princess Victoria, five years her senior, and Prince Carl Philip, who was born in 1979.

She began her schooling at the Vasterled parish pre-school aged three, continuing her education at Smedslattsskolan in nearby Bromma four years later. The keen equestrian and gymnast went on to attend Carlssons Skola in Stockholm, finishing her senior level studies at the city's Enskilda Gymnasiet in 2001.

Always a popular figure with photographers, she was thrust into the spotlight on her own when, in October 2001, she moved to the UK, saying she wanted to improve her English and "live like a normal girl". "I've always wanted to go abroad, to get to know other cultures and try new things," she said at the time.

Her ability to blend into the bustling life of Chelsea, where she shared a home with a family friend, was short-lived, however, and Madeleine seemed to be unable to escape the Swedish media. "I had really hoped for a private life in London," she said after calling a press conference so she could "have peace and quiet” once and for all. "I've felt chased," she said. "It's no fun to have people lying in wait for you at the door of your house."

Along with the press, reports of the princess' taste for nightlife followed her to the UK. "My friends call sometimes from home and say things like, 'They're saying over here that you were at a club until five in the morning, is that true?’," she says. "And it's not true most of the time." Stories on possible beaus also abounded, with the princess linked to Pierre Ludlow, the son of a Swedish industrialist, as well as an unnamed London-based suitor and PR consultant Matias Trotzig.

Within months Madeleine had decided to pack up her things and return home, with a spokesperson describing her UK stay as "extremely tough".

In 2002, she focused on her studies, attending a law course in Stockholm and classes in modern architecture, design, art and advertising. Meanwhile her romantic life continued to make headlines, as news emerged of a new boyfriend, Erik Granath.

When he was pictured strolling on the French Riviera with Madeleine and her parents, the palace issued a statement saying that the young man, who had once been on the wrong side of the law, had been going through "a difficult period" at the time and was "deeply sorry". The relationship ended after a year and a half, however, and in 2003 the striking young princess, who had moved into her own flat in Stockholm and embarked upon a history of art course, was soon linked to law student Jonas Bergstrom.

"What young person doesn't want independence?" the princess said as she set out on her own path outside of the protection of the palace. "Even though my parents don't think it's a good idea."

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