Sweden: Queen Silvia’s Brother, Walther Sommerlath, has died

30 Oct, 2020 by Helena-Reet Ennet

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NordenBladet – Queen Silvia of Sweden has announced that her brother, Walther Sommerlath, has passed away. He was 86 years old and died on October 23rd 2020 at Karolinska Hospital in Huddinge after a period of illness. He was born Walther Ludwig Sommerlath in 1934 in Brazil.

The following statement was published by Her Majesty the Queen on October 29th 2020: “I and my family feel great sorrow and loss for my brother Walther”. Furthermore, the royal court emphasizes that with regard to Walther Sommerlath’s family, the Royal family ask the media to respect, and understand, that this is a private family matter.

Towards the end of his life, Walter and his wife moved to Sweden to be close to Queen Silvia and the rest of the royal family. Queen Silvia and her brother Walther had close contact throughout their lives and were very good friends. Walter and his wife otherwise lived in Italy, but earlier this year they moved into Drotningholm Castle, where the King and Queen of Sweden live permanently. Walter and his wife lived in a separate house attached to the castle. This was the same house where Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel lived when they were newlyweds.

The Swedish royal court is reluctant to provide any further information as they describe this as a private matter within the family. The Royal Court nevertheless states that the Queen’s brother had been ill for a long time before he died.

The Queen’s brother was always present during major family events in the Swedish royal family. He also had a good relationship with the Swedish king, his brother-in-law and the rest of the royal family. He was a well-liked person. Walter’s son, Patrick Sommerlath, the Queen’s nephew, also lives permanently in Sweden and is a close friend of the royals. Walther Sommerlath also has a daughter, Sophie, who lives in California.

Queen Silvia was the youngest of the family’s siblings, and the only girl. Her other brothers are Ralph de Toledo Sommerlath and Jörg, who died of cancer in February 2006 after a long illness. He was 64 years old.

Featured image: Queen Silvia of Sweden  (Frankie Fouganthin – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wiki Commons)