The daughter of the Swedish king is being compared to Meghan Markle as she launches her own brand. Princess Madeleine, the youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, announced her natural skincare line last month.
The brand MinLen was created in collaboration with Weleda. She said it was a “private initiative” and that she would not use her royal title for the company. It has been likened to As Ever, the recently launched lifestyle brand from Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
In an interview with RTL News, Madeleine addressed the criticism people have made about her creating a brand after the presenter said that “some people say ‘that doesn’t fit’”.
She said: “I can understand their concerns and the critics that they have. But a couple of years ago there was a big decision, that they’re slimming down and focusing more on my sister, the Crown Princess [Victoria].
“And I think many monarchies in Europe are doing that, and with that they slimmed it down and said ‘okay, we’re focusing more on the Crown Princess’s family’.
“So me and my brother [Carl Philip], it kind of gave us the opportunity to do other things. Nowadays, I don’t have many official duties anymore, or I should not do that many. So then I said ‘Ok, I’ll do it!’”
Princess Madeleine said the brand was inspired by her desire to be a “mindful mum” and only give her children products she could trust. She also spoke about the dangers of children being influenced to use products they’ve seen on social media.
The princess and her husband started MinLen two years ago and shortly after they returned to Sweden after having lived in America for 15 years.
She added that the company, which she called “the first natural, responsible, multi-generational skincare brand in Europe”, was developing the new line with “both young and growing families in mind”, with it set to hit the shops in the summer.
