Swedish royals: Five of King's grandchildren no longer official members

The children will keep their titles of prince/princess and duke/duchess, but won't be expected to perform royal duties, Fredrik Wersäll, marshal of the realm, said in a statement on the Swedish Royal Court's website Monday.

The only two grandchildren of King Carl Gustaf who were excluded from the move are the children of Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria -- Princess Estelle and her younger brother, Prince Oscar.

The parents of the five, Prince Carl Philip and his wife, Princess Sofia -- father and mother to Leonore, Nicolas and Adrienne -- and Princess Madeleine and her husband, Christopher O'Neill, who are the parents of Alexander and Gabriel, welcomed the change on social media.

In an Instagram post on Monday, Princess Madeleine -- the youngest of King Gustaf's three children -- said the change had been "planned for a long time," adding that it gives their children a "greater opportunity to shape their own lives as private individuals."

Her brother, Prince Carl Philip, also welcomed the news on Instagram, saying it would give his sons, Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel, "freer choices in life."

King Carl Gustaf and his wife, Queen Silvia, have three children -- Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, and Princess Madeleine.

In 1980, the Swedish monarchy became the first to change its rules of succession so that the first-born child of the monarch is heir to the throne, regardless of gender.

CNN's Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.

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