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  (Photo: Reuters/Ewa-Marie Rundquist/The Royal Court, Sweden/Kungahuset)
  Sweden's Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill pose in Stockholm in this handout picture dated October 24, 2012.

Sweden's Princess Madeleine has become engaged to her American boyfriend Christopher O'Neill this week.

The pair made an official announcement Thursday on the royal website after Madeleine's father, King Carol XVI Gustaf, approved. The Swedish government also gave their endorsement.

"Yes, I met with The King and I asked His Majesty's permission to marry Princess Madeleine," said O'Neill, a wealthy financier from New York, in an interview provided on the site.

"The King and The Queen were both happy, and touched as well, I think," said the groom-to-be of his future in-law's reaction.

Princess Madeleine Therese Amelie Josephine is the youngest child of Sweden's King and Queen Silvia and the fourth in line to the nation's throne. The 30-year-old bride-to-be described her reaction to being engaged in the interview released by the royal court.

"We are both extremely happy and delighted," said the princess. "It is a very special day for us."

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While Princess Madeleine kept the details of the proposal a secret, she shared that O'Neill popped the question in early October and that he was her "soul mate."

"We met through mutual friends," said the Swedish royal. "For me it started with a great friendship. We share the same humor and we have a lot of fun together. Christopher opened up my heart, he is my soul mate."

"I appreciate Chris for his warmth and his humor," the princess gushed. "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."

O'Neill, who has dual British-American citizenship, admitted that he does not speak Swedish fluently.

"I can say some Swedish phrases and am in the process of taking lessons so that I may speak fluently in due course," said the financier.

Speaking of the future, both Princess Madeleine confirmed she and her fiancée's desire for a family. While the couple will remain in New York "due to both of our current obligations," they have not ruled out moving to Sweden someday.

"Sweden is fantastic," added O'Neill. "It is such a beautiful country with very friendly people. I have mostly just been to Stockholm and Oland but I hope I will have the opportunity to visit Sweden a little more often now."

The pair has not set a specific date, but revealed that their nuptials would take place next summer in Sweden.