The King of Sweden has paid tribute to his older sister, Princess Birgitta, whose death has been announced.

Birgitta, who was 87, died in Mallorca where she had lived for many years.

King Carl XVI Gustaf led tributes to the princess, saying ”today, with great sadness, I have learned that my sister, Princess Birgitta, has died. My sister was a colourful and straightforward person who will be deeply missed by me and my family.”

The king continued ”together with my entire family, I send my condolences to Princess Birgitta’s children and grandchildren.”

He also announced that flags will fly at half mast at the Drottningholm Palace and the Haga Palace in Stockholm on December 5th 2024.

Princess Birgitta will be buried in Sweden, at the royal cemetery in Haga Park.

Princess Birgitta was known for her flamboyant style and support for sport. She was particularly passionate about golf and had a competition named in her honour.

Birgitta Ingeborg Alice was born on January 19th 1937 at the Haga Palace, the second of four daughters of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sybilla of Sweden. None of the girls had succession rights as women were barred from the throne until 1980.

The four princesses were joined by a baby brother, Carl Gustaf, in 1946 but the following year, their father was killed in a plane crash. Birgitta spoke of never getting over the loss of her father at the age of ten.

The princess was the only one of the four sisters to marry royalty and so the only one to keep her style of HRH. In 1961 she married Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern and they had three children together. They separated but never divorced and the prince died in 2016.

She died on December 4th 2024.