Princess Margaret

A dedicated mother and avid gardener who transformed Swedish summers at Sofiero, bringing English elegance to the court until her tragic death from complications following a miscarriage.

Princess Margaret of Connaught (15 January 1882 – 24 March 1920), known as "Daisy" to her family and "Margareta" in Sweden, served as Crown Princess of Sweden. The elder daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, she was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Her life bridged the British and Swedish courts, marked by a love match with the future King Gustaf VI Adolf. She became renowned for bringing English customs to Stockholm, championing sports like bandy and skiing, and developing the gardens at Sofiero Palace before her sudden death at age 38.

Quick Facts

Spouse

Gustaf Adolf
Crown Prince of Sweden (later Gustaf VI Adolf)
15 June 1905

Full name

Margaret Victoria Charlotte Augusta Norah

Father

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn

Mother

Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia

Born

15 January 1882

Birthplace

Bagshot Park, Surrey, England

Died

1 May 1920

Place of death

The Royal Palace, Stockholm, Sweden

Lore & Background

In January 1905, Margaret and her sister Patricia visited Egypt, where they met Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. Although Patricia was initially considered the match, Gustaf Adolf and Margaret fell in love at first sight. He proposed during a dinner hosted by Lord Cromer at the British Consulate in Cairo. The couple married on 15 June 1905 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, with bridesmaids including her sister Patricia and cousins Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, and Princess Mary of Wales.

After a honeymoon at Adare Manor in Ireland, they arrived in Sweden on 8 July 1905. Margaret received the Connaught tiara and a £25,000 marriage settlement. When Gustaf Adolf's father ascended as King Gustaf V in 1907, she became Crown Princess. Initially viewed as stiff due to her seriousness, she won over the public through her enthusiasm for sports like skiing, ice skating, bandy, tennis, and golf.

Reader's Guide

Margaret's life was defined by her role as a devoted mother who resisted the era's convention of raising children solely with nursery staff. Her five children were Prince Gustaf Adolf (Duke of Västerbotten), Sigvard Bernadotte, Ingrid (later Queen of Denmark), Prince Bertil (Duke of Halland), and Carl Johan Bernadotte. On 1 May 1920, at 2:00 am on her father's 70th birthday, she died suddenly in Stockholm from sepsis following surgery for an ear infection aggravated by measles; she was eight months pregnant with her sixth child.

Rumors of suicide circulated in Britain due to claims of unhappiness, but these were unfounded. She had written detailed burial wishes in 1914: a simple English oak coffin covered in British and Swedish flags, no lying-in-state, dressed in her wedding dress and veil with a crucifix in her hands. In 2021, an exhibition titled "Daisy. Crown Princess Margareta, 1882–1920" opened at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

Did You Know?

Margaret was known as "Daisy" within her family, a nickname later passed down to her granddaughter Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler.
During World War I, she organized a candle collection after paraffin supplies ran low and trained girls to work on the land in November 1917.
She was pregnant with her sixth child when she died at age 38 from complications of a miscarriage (erysipelas and septicemia).
Her book "Från blomstergården" (1917) featured illustrations drawn and photographed by herself to benefit household schools.

Early Life and Royal Lineage

Margaret was born on 15 January 1882 at Bagshot Park and baptised in the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle on 11 March. Her godparents included Queen Victoria; the German Emperor (represented by Count Münster); the German Crown Princess (represented by Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein); Prince and Princess Friedrich Karl of Prussia (for whom the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice stood proxy); the Duchess of Cambridge (represented by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll); the Prince of Wales; and Prince Charles of Prussia (represented by Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany). She was a bridesmaid at her cousins' wedding on 6 July 1893 and confirmed in March 1898.

A Love Match and Royal Union

In January 1905, Margaret met Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden in Cairo while visiting Egypt with her sister Patricia. They fell in love at first sight, and he proposed at a dinner by Lord Cromer. They married on 15 June 1905 in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Her bridesmaids were Princess Patricia of Connaught, Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, and Princess Mary of Wales. After a honeymoon at Adare Manor, Ireland, they arrived in Sweden on 8 July 1905.

Crown Princess of Sweden

The couple became Crown Prince and Princess in 1907 when Gustaf Adolf's father became King Gustaf V. Margaret learned Swedish quickly, engaging incognito trips and sports like skiing, bandy, tennis, and golf. She published "Vår trädgård på Sofiero" in 1915 and "Från blomstergården" in 1917. During WWI, she supported the Red Cross, organized aid for prisoners of war, and promoted reforms that helped preserve the Swedish monarchy.

Motherhood and Family Legacy

Margaret had five children: Prince Gustaf Adolf, Sigvard Bernadotte, Ingrid, Prince Bertil, and Carl Johan Bernadotte. She was a hands-on mother who rejected exclusive nursery care. She died on 1 May 1920 from sepsis while eight months pregnant with her sixth child.