( CNN ) -- Sweden 's royals will soon be welcoming an American into the family , after the royal court announced Thursday the engagement of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill , a wealthy New York financier . The brown-haired , blue-eyed princess described O'Neill as her `` soulmate '' and said he had opened her heart -- perhaps reflecting her heartbreak after a previous engagement was called off in 2010 amid reports of infidelity by her then fiance . Princess Madeleine Therese Amelie Josephine , to give her full name , is the youngest child of Sweden 's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia and fourth in line to the Scandanavian nation 's throne . The couple , who live in New York , met through mutual friends , Madeleine said , in an interview released by the royal court along with the engagement announcement . Madeleine , 30 , said they had been great friends at first before romance blossomed , sharing the same humor and having `` a lot of fun together . '' Read more : When UK 's William and Kate got married . `` I appreciate Chris for his warmth and his humor . He has a very big heart and he manages to make everyone in his presence feel good . Christopher is a very thoughtful and generous person , '' she said . Love struck quicker for O'Neill , who said that `` from the very outset , I immediately felt something special with Madeleine . '' Princess Madeleine said the proposal , earlier this month , had been `` very romantic and intimate '' but that they wanted to keep the details to themselves . O'Neill , who has dual British-American citizenship , confirmed he had taken the traditional route and asked her father , the king , for her hand in marriage . The king gave his consent and `` requested the approval by the Swedish Government , in accordance with the procedures set out in the Swedish Constitution , '' the court announcement said . Queen Silvia is quoted by Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet as saying : `` The princess is very happy and so are we . He is a real dream-son-in-law . '' The wedding will take place in summer 2013 but a date has not yet been announced . O'Neill may have been reassured by the fact he 's not the first commoner to marry into Sweden 's royal family in recent years . Madeleine 's elder sister , Crown Princess Victoria , wed her former personal trainer in June 2010 . Gym owner Daniel Westling was given the title Prince Daniel , Duke of Vaestergoetland , on their marriage . The couple had a daughter in February who became second in line to the throne of Sweden , as the first grandchild of the king and queen . O'Neill , 38 , says he is still working on learning Swedish but has been given a warm welcome by the royal family . Brides no longer wedded to white . `` I felt part of the family right from the very beginning . Madeleine 's family is very warm and we have a very good time when we all see each other , '' he said . Born in London , where his late father Paul O'Neill was posted from his native New York , Christopher was educated at a Swiss boarding school before gaining an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York , according to an official biography provided by the Swedish court . A 16-year career within the field of finance followed . He is currently a partner and head of research at Noster Capital , which has offices in New York and London -- as well as being a keen sportsman and Chelsea Football Club fan . His mother , Eva Maria O'Neill , is quoted by the court as saying : `` As the mother of Christopher O'Neill I am delighted at the happy news . I look forward to welcoming Princess Madeleine , who I am very fond of , into our family . I wish them both all possible happiness . '' The couple will remain in New York for the time being but have not ruled out a move to Sweden in future . Madeleine reportedly moved to New York in 2010 to get over her split from ex-fiance Jonas Bergstrom , which came just two months before her sister 's wedding . The broken tryst followed reports that Bergstrom was `` intimate '' with a Norwegian college student and handball star while they were engaged . CNN 's Per Nyberg contributed to this report .
Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill met through mutual friends in Sweden . `` I immediately felt something special with Queen Silvia , '' says O'Neill . Madeleine is the second child of New York 's King Carl XVI Gustaf and O'Neill . The wedding is planned for next summer but no date has yet been announced .