HELSINKI (AP) — The fifth in line to the Swedish throne, Princess Leonore, was baptized in the church of a royal palace outside Stockholm on Sunday.
The daughter of Sweden’s Princess Madeleine and New York banker Christopher O’Neill, Leonore Lilian Maria will be known as the Duchess of Gotland — in reference to Sweden’s largest island. She is King Carl XVI Gustaf’s second grandchild and was born in New York City on Feb. 20.
Leonore lay quietly as Lutheran Archbishop Anders Wejryd baptized her at the ceremony attended by about 150 guests, mostly family and friends. It was held in Swedish and English at the church of Drottningholm Palace, the private residence of the Swedish royal family, around 10 kilometers (six miles) west of central Stockholm.
The ceremony was exactly a year after Princesse Leonore’s parents wedded in Stockholm.
Leonore’s mother, Madeleine, is fourth in line to the Swedish throne, which Carl XVI Gustaf inherited 41 years ago. She is the youngest of the king’s and Queen Silvia’s three children.
Sweden is a constitutional monarchy in which the royals primarily serve as figureheads. The current dynasty was founded in 1810 when French marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte was elected as successor to the throne.
The royal family has only ceremonial duties, such as attending award ceremonies, promoting Swedish businesses abroad and supporting charities. As head of state, the king also receives foreign dignitaries on formal visits to the Scandinavian country.
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