On Wednesday, April 27, 2022, the Danish royal court confirmed to the magazine, Billed Bladet, that His Serene Highness Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg will finally marry his longtime love, Miss Carina Lynn Axelsson! YAY!!

Prince Gustav and Miss Axelsson met at a dinner party in Paris in late 2003. In an interview with Billed Bladet, ten years ago, the prince — who is the only son of Her Royal Highness Princess Benedikte of Denmark and the late His Serene Highness Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg — recalled how he met Miss Axelsson:

“I had accepted an invitation to dinner by some friends in Paris. A couple of friends, one knew Carina and one knew me. It was a set-up. I had come to meet Carina and that second her mobile phone rang. All the mobile phones kept ringing throughout the dinner. After the dinner finished, Carina had turned on her phone again. I took her number and called her up from another part of the room and love began.”

Months later, Miss Axelsson moved into the stunning Schloss Berleburg in Bad Berleburg, Germany. Since then, Miss Axelsson has been warmly welcomed into the royal fold by the entire Danish royal family along with other reigning and non-reigning houses throughout Europe including the Swedish royal family and the Grand Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha. In fact, Miss Axelsson is godmother to His Highness Prince Philipp Hubertus Andreas Christian of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha, son of another American princess, Her Highness Princess Kelly of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha.

For years, royal watchers were wondering why Prince Gustav and Miss Axelsson haven’t married. Unfortunately, there was a clause in his late grandfather’s, Prince Gustav Albrecht, Will that stated that his heir, which he deliberately passed to Prince Gustav not Prince Richard, had to marry an Aryan woman of noble descent.

Nonetheless, Prince Gustav and Miss Axelsson continued to attend all the glittering royal events throughout Europe including the wedding of Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Mr. Daniel Westling in 2010 and the royal wedding between His Royal Highness Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Miss Tatiana Blatnik in 2010. The couple also attended baptisms, Danish royal family gatherings, birthday parties and much more.

On March 13, 2017, His Serene Highness Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg passed away at the age of 82. Everyone in the family were devasted by the loss of their beloved prince. Thereafter, Prince Gustav and Miss Axelsson were rarely seen in public together. As time went on, Miss Axelsson eventually moved to Dorset, England while Prince Gustav stayed at Schloss Berleburg in Germany to take care of the land and the house he inherited.

After the death of his father, Prince Gustav battled with his great-uncle, Prince Ludwig Ferdinand, in a German court regarding as to whom is the rightful heir to the estate of Schloss Berleburg and the private fortune worth 500 Million Euros ($527,795,000.00). On July 30, 2020, the German Higher Regional Court sided with Prince Gustav. Via a press release from the Higher Regional Court (translated):

“The inheritance dispute over the assets in the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg house has been decided: the Higher Regional Court (OLG) Hamm confirms the decision of the Bad Berleburg Agricultural Court from the first instance, so that Gustav Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg is the legal heir. The 10th Civil Senate – Senate for Agricultural Matters – of the Hamm Higher Regional Court rejected the appeal against the decision of the Bad Berleburg Agricultural Court of April 18, 2019. With its decision of July 23, the Senate confirmed the decision of the Bad Berleburg Agricultural Court, which was largely correct in terms of its reasoning, after a – by law – non-public hearing of the persons involved in the process on July 14, 2020.”

As a result of the ruling, the prince was officially recognized as the heir to the estate and its vast lands throughout Germany. Moreover, the ruling also paved the way for Prince Gustav to marry his love, Carina.

Meanwhile, in Dorset, England, Miss Axelsson continued to publish her popular Young Adult book series, Model Undercover and Royal Rebel. She also is a keen gardener, has several cute dogs, and has an absolutely amazing cottage in Dorset.

Earlier this month, Prince Gustav and Miss Axelsson were photographed alongside Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark as they walked to the 50th birthday party for Mrs. Birgitte Handwerk. Royal watchers were thrilled to see Prince Gustav and Miss Axelsson together again in public. Many were wondering if they were a couple again or simply friends.

So, after 19 years the circle is complete. The prince finally gets his princess. And, finally, after 19 years Miss Axelsson will officially become Her Serene Highness Princess Carina of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg! Congrats!

Now, the question is: When is the wedding? Where will it take place? More importantly, will Miss Axelsson receive a fabulous new tiara? Stay tuned for updates!

**UPDATE: The couple will marry on June 4, 2022.

***CORRECTION: The couple met at a dinner party in Paris in late 2003.

On a side note: On Friday, I’m going to upload a video biography of the couple on my YouTube channel since there’s so much more to their love story that I haven’t covered on my blog. So, stay tuned.