STOCKHOLM, April 24, 2010 (AFP) - Sweden's Princess Madeleine, the youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and her long-time boyfriend have broken off their engagement, the royal palace said Saturday.
"Princess Madeleine and Jonas Bergstroem have taken the decision to go their separate ways," the Swedish palace said in a short statement.
It had announced the engagement of Madeleine, 27, to the now 31-year-old lawyer on August 11, 2009.
"They have determined that the best thing is to continue in different directions," Saturday's statement said.
It added the Princess Madeleine and Bergstroem appealed to the media to show respect and consideration, saying the former couple needed "calm and peace in this difficult situation."
Swedish tabloids have reported for a number of weeks that the relationship was going through a rough spell.
Earlier this week a 21-year-old Norwegian woman told a Norwegian glossy magazine she had had an affair with Bergstroem last April.
The revelations prompted unprecedented media coverage in Sweden and renewed speculation around the future of Madeleine's relationship with Bergstroem.
The Swedish royal family has also been in the spotlight after the royal court revealed details of the upcoming wedding of Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria, Madeleine's older sister.
The heir to the Swedish throne, 32, is set to marry Daniel Westling, a 36-year-old fitness club owner, at Stockholm's Cathedral on June 19.
