Princess Margaretha celebrates her 90th birthday

 

HRH Princess Margaretha Désirée Victoria of Sweden was born on October 31, 1934, the first of five children of  HRH Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and HH Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Margaretha's parents were great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria.  She was born in the Haga Palace in Haga Park in Stockholm.

Margaretha and her three younger sisters, Princesses Birgitta (1937), Princess Désirée (1938), and Princess Christina (1943) do not have succession rights to the Swedish throne.  They were born when the succession was limited to males.  This is called Salic law.

In 1980, Parliament promulgated a new succession law based on absolute primogeniture.  This means the succession of the eldest child, not the eldest son.  The new law applied to King Carl XVI Gustaf and his descendants.  The law was not retroactive.  The King's four older sisters and their descendants are not in line to the Swedish throne.

The Princess had a relationship with Robin Douglas-Home (1932-1968), a jazz pianist, and a member of the British aristocracy.  He was the son of the Hon. Henry Douglas-Home, younger son of Charles Douglas-Home 13th Earl of Home, and Lady Margaret Spencer.  Robin's uncle, Alec Douglas Home, became Britain's Prime Minister in 1963.   He was a first cousin of John, 8th Earl of Spencer, father of the present Earl

Their relationship and possible marriage were front-page news in Sweden and in England.  According to Margaretha's nanny,  Ingrid Björnberg's memoirs, the princess was reluctant to pursue a relationship that could lead to marriage.

Margaretha with her parents, Sibylla and Gustaf Adolf

Margaretha and Birgitta

Margaretha, Birgitta and Desiree

Princess Margaretha with her grandmother, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

the Hereditary Princess with Princess Margaretha and Princess Birgitta

Sibylla with her four daughters: Margaretha, Birgitta, Desiree and Christina

Margaretha and Cark Gustav in 1946

Four sisters

Margaretha and John Amber's engagement photo

The couple met at a dinner in London in 1963.  Amber was a businessman. He was the managing director of Atlas Air Express.

The couple were married on June 3, 1964, at the Gärdslösa Church on Öland, near the Royal Family's summer home, Solliden.  She eschewed family tiaras in favor of the church's bridal crown.   As she married a commoner,  Margaretha lost her HRH and was styled as Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler.  

Of the four sisters, only Princess Birgitta retained her HRH as she married HSH Prince Johan Georg of Hohenzollern.

new parents:  Margaretha and John Ambler with their daughter, Sybilla and Princess Desiree, and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld with their son, Carl.  1965  Swedish Information Service

January 1972:  Margaretha with her two older children, Sibylla and Edward Ambler with her grandfather, King Gustav VI Adolf (Photo given to me by the Swedish Information Service)

@Desmond O'Neill.   Photo given to me by John Ambler

Princess Margaretha and John Ambler arriving for King Gustav VI Adolf's 90th birthday celebration at the Opera House in Stockholm (11-11-1972  Photo given to me by the Swedish Information Service

June 1976: Margaretha attends the Special Gala performance for King Carl XVI Gustaf and his fiancee Silvia Sommerlath.  Photo given to me by the Swedish Information Service

Princess Margaretha and John Ambler with their three children, Sibylla (1965),  Edward (1966), and James (1969) lived in Chippinghurst Manor in Oxfordshire for many years, until financial issues forced then to move into a small home.  The couple separated in 1994 but never divorced.  John Ambler died in 2008.

She has six grandchildren, Baroness Madeleine von Dincklage Baron Sebastian von Dincklage (from Sibylla's marriage to Baron Cornelius von Dincklage,  Sienna and India Ambler (Edward and Helen) and Lily and Oscar Ambler (James and Ursula.)

The Princess has lived in Chipping Norton for more than 30 years.  She often visits Sweden and remains close to her younger brother. 

Edward Ambler is a landscape designer and owns Ed Ambler Gardens.  https://edamblergardens.com/

James and his wife, Ursula co-founded Moor Consulting, based in Cornwall. 

 https://moorconsulting.com/