Princess Josefina, Duchess of Östergötland

## Princess Josefina

Josefina in 2019

**Josefina** (Josefina Katrin Emelina Iris; born 28 September 1992) is a princess of Sweden, the Duchess of Östergötland, and a member of the Swedish royal family. At present, she is second in the line of succession to the Swedish throne, following her nephew Frederik, Crown Prince of Sweden.

Josefina was born in Solna, Sweden, as the first child of the Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden (later King Frederik IV and Queen Emelina. She was heir presumptive to the Swedish throne for over four years, from the time of her brother King Theodor's coronation in 2018 to the time of her nephew Frederik's birth in 2022.

Josefina served in the Swedish army as an infantry medic from 2014 to 2017, during which time she completed a medical degree remotely through Karolinska University in Solna, Sweden. In 2018 she began work with the Red Cross, during which she was stationed in Palestine. After two years abroad with the Red Cross, Josefina returned to her native Sweden, where she began a residency at Karolinska University Hospital as a trauma surgeon.

In 2019, Josefina was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for "outstanding work as a battlefield medic and advocate for peace in Palestine."

## Early life

Josefina was born at 10:56 CET on 28 September 1992 at the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Stockholm County, Sweden, during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King Alexander. Her father, Prince Frederik (later Frederik IV), was heir apparent to the throne of Sweden at the time of her birth. Her mother, Lady Emelina Stolberg (later Queen Emelina, was the second daughter of the German aristocrat Ronald, Count of Stolberg.

Josefina was baptized by the Archbishop of Uppsala at the Royal Palace Church on 25 October 1992. Her parents stated that aside from her third name, Emelina (chosen in her mother's honor), her names were not chosen for any relatives, a decision which went against tradition and drew some critique from more orthodox Swedish citizens. Her godparent were Prince Elliot, Duke of Skåne, her paternal uncle; Patrik, King of Denmark, a close family friend; Princess Linnea, Duchess of Gotland, her maternal aunt; and Princess Asta, Duchess of Blekinge, her paternal grandaunt. Notably, two of her godparents (Elliot and Linnea, her maternal aunt and uncle) are shared with her brother, King Theodor.

Josefina's early education was completed privately at home alongside her brother Theodor and overseen by their parents and various tutors. Many figured in Josefina's life have emphasized unique compassion and intelligence at a young age. Her first governess, Joanna Dahlberg, published a book of memoirs shortly before her death; in it, she stated that Josefina was "a singularly eloquent child with wisdom beyond her years."

Josefina's father died of cancer in 2001. At the age of nine, Josefina was reportedly at his bedside at the time of his passing, alongside her mother, brother, and Frederik's siblings. At her father's funeral, Josefina accompanied her mother, brother, paternal aunt and uncle, and paternal cousins in walking behind the funeral cortége from the Royal Palace to the Royal Cemetery. Josefina has expressed that this was one of the things which caused her to become interested in pursuing medicine as a career.