Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, the husband of the queen’s sister Princess Benedikte, died suddenly at his home at Berleburg Castle in central Germany yesterday evening.
He was 82 years old.
“It is with great sadness that I, on behalf of her royal highness Princess Benedikte, must announce that his highness Prince Richard has died,” stated Tommy Paulsen, the private secretary of Princess Benedikte.
Princess Benedikte was not home as she had been visiting Denmark for a few days. She returned to their home residence in Germany this morning.
Prince Richard was previously treated for prostate and skin cancer, but the exact cause of his death was not announced.
He was the eldest son of Swedish Princess Margareta and German Prince Gustav Albrecht, who served as an army officer during World War II and died on the Eastern Front.
Benedikte and Richard got married in 1968 and had three children together: Prince Gustav, Princess Alexandra and Princess Nathalie.
Next year, the couple would have celebrated their 50th anniversary.
