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MADELEINE

Royal husband tells of ‘breadwinner’ role

Princess Madeleine's husband Chris O'Neill has given a rare media interview, telling Sweden's Expressen tabloid that the couple are moving to London in the autumn so he can focus on his career.

Royal husband tells of 'breadwinner' role
Princess Madeleine and husband Chris O'Neil celebrating Crown Princess Victoria's birthday last week. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

The British-born financier has been working in the UK capital since the spring after returning to Europe following a spell in the US, where he met the Swedish royal. Princess Madeleine has spent most of her time in Sweden since the couple relocated.

But Chris O’Neill told Expressen that he and his wife would be moving into a new family home in London soon, along with their two children, Princess Leonore and Prince Nicolas, who was born last month.

“I've already moved. I moved in April and the rest of the family will come later,” he said.

“It will not be in a few weeks, but not longer than a few months. It will be in early autumn,” he said.

Chris O’Neill said that the couple had already found somewhere to live, although he gave few details about the property. He told the newspaper that the move to the UK was mostly influenced by his role as the family breadwinner.

“Madeleine and I have now taken the decision that we are going to stay in London in order for me to do my job,” he told the newspaper.

He added that he had become tired of commuting, having spent much of this year travelling between New York, London and Stockholm.

“I do not want to come home to a hotel room by myself in the evening. I want to come home to my family and eat dinner together.”

He continued: “It is me who puts food on the table. I must first and foremost think of our little family.”

READ ALSO: Princess Madeleine has baby boy

Princess Madeleine has been living in a Stockholm apartment owned by the royal family since her return from New York.

Unlike her brother Prince Carl Philip, who works as a designer, she has not pursued her own career in Sweden, although she previously worked for the World Childhood Foundation in New York and regularly represents the royal family at formal events.

But as a Swedish royal she is unlikely to be short of food or tables. There are ten royal palaces in Sweden and King Carl XVI Gustaf also privately owns Solliden palace on the island of Öland, where Princess Madeleine has spent much of the summer.

Chris O’Neill also used his interview with Expressen to explain his absence at a number of royal events in recent years, saying that he was working hard to build his investment company, Wilton Payments Limited.

“It could be that I have a major customer who wants a a specific date that may collide with a royal official occasion. What should I do?” he said.

The businessman said that he was aware that he had a poor reputation in Sweden, telling the newspaper that the Swedish public “have no idea who I am” but adding that he regretted “being so private from the beginning”.

He also confirmed that Prince Nicolas’ christening was set to take place in Stockholm in the autumn, as speculated in the Swedish media earlier this month, but said that the couple had not yet made a definite decision on the date or venue.

Chris O'Neill's comments in Expressen were translated from Swedish into English by The Local and may therefore not reflect the exact words he used in his original interview, which we understand he did in English.