Five members of the Swedish royal family have been stripped of their titles

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The British royal family have to be the most talked about people in the world, and from the royal tours (The Cambridge visit to Pakistan isn't too far away) to the ongoing royal baby arrivals, the Mountbatten-Windsors never fail to make viral news.

This week however it wasn't the British royal family but the Swedish royal family that got everyone talking, as it was announced that the King of Sweden had stripped five of his family members of their royal titles.

The decision made by King Carl XVI Gustaf removes five of his grandchildren from the royal house, taking away their titles of royal highness and removing the obligation to perform official duties.

They will still however remain as members of the royal family and keep their titles as Duchesses and Dukes.

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The grandchildren affected are the three children of Princess Madeleine and the two sons of Prince Carl Philip, with King Carl's two grandchildren that are in direct line to the throne keeping their 'royal highness' titles.

The children - all under five - will now be able to pursue their own careers and live a more normal life, but the decision it seems was all down to the taxpayer's money.

'We have a large royal family. When you include the next generation, there are nearly ten people in line to the throne,' Fredrik Wersäll, Marshal of the Realm, announced, via The Telegraph. 'They cannot be expected to have their living costs covered to any extent by the grant to Royal Court.'

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.