Sweden's Princess Madeleine might be known for her royal duties and head-turning style, but it's her passion for protecting children that aligns her with other prominent royal advocates, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. With World Children's Day being celebrated on Nov. 20, it's fitting that the princess visited a Swedish children's hospital—and last week, she used her platform to amplify the issue of violence against kids.
The Swedish princess recently moved back home after living in Florida since 2018 with husband Christopher O'Neill and their three children, Princess Leonore, 10, Prince Nicolas, 8, and Princess Adrienne, 6. But on Nov. 14, she returned to the United States to highlight a cause close to her heart.
Like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—who recently delivered a powerful message at the Global Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children—Princess Madeleine has been an outspoken advocate for protecting young people. During her trip to NYC, she attended both a United Nations meeting and a charity gala in support of vulnerable children.
Dressed in a sparkling green Self-Portrait midi with long sleeves, the princess attended the World Childhood Foundation's 25th anniversary gala, celebrating a charity that her mother, Queen Silvia, founded in 1999. On Nov. 19, the royal shared some exciting news on Instagram related to the event.
"I’m so thrilled to announce that World Childhood Foundation USA has raised a record-breaking $1.5 million at the 25th Anniversary Gala in NYC last week!" she captioned her post, which included three photos of herself at the fundraiser. "Thanks to the incredible generosity of our sponsors, donors and supporters at our gala Childhood can invest in even more innovative solutions and programs to protect children from being sexually abused and exploited," the royal continued.
According to the charity, "all proceeds from the gala go towards the Childhood mission to inspire, promote, and develop solutions to end sexual abuse, exploitation, and violence against children."
Last week, the royal, who serves as Deputy Honorary Chair of Childhood for the United Nations, also co-hosted a UN meeting titled "From Commitment to Action: Ensuring Sustainable Action to End Violence Against Children."
“In this fast-moving digital age, risks to children evolve rapidly,” the princess told the United Nations. “Without listening to and learning from children’s experiences and their strategies, we cannot close the gaps that leave them exposed to harm."
The royal continued that "children must be active co-creators of the solutions, and we must stand with them—because we are all in this together.”
Her sentiments echo some of Prince Harry's thoughts during UN Climate Week in September, when he spoke to the Clinton Global Initiative about the harmful effects of social media on children. "These platforms are designed to create addiction," the prince told the crowd, adding that today's children are “force fed content that no child should be exposed to.”
As for Princess Madeleine, she supported Childhood USA's work in the online space at the gala, with the charity honoring the Ericsson corporation for its commitment to online safety for children. Retired Homeland Security agent Jim Cole was also presented with an award for his digital forensics and AI expertise while protecting children.
Perhaps the Swedes and the Brits can team up in their continued fight to protect today's kids.
