Royal Profile: Carina Axelsson

Carina Axelsson  was born 5 August 1968 and is the long time partner of Gustav, Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

She grew up in the United States, mostly in California with her parents and two siblings{Source}. Upon graduating high school, she moved to New York City to work as a fashion model, full-time{Source}. Then she decided to move to Paris to continue modeling{Source}. During her time as a Paris resident, she traveled non-stop, doing photoshoots for magazines like Vouge  and Elle{Source}. After a couple of years of non-stop travel, she decided to retire her suitcase, and take an art course in Paris{Source}. After her art course, she wrote and illustrated her first book,  Nigel of Hyde Park{Source}. She continued to work within the fashion world, including a stint as a PA to British fashion designer John Galliano (who was then running Christian Dior and is currently running  Maison Margiela){Source}. It was during this time she would pen the first notes about a girl detective who solves fashion crimes{Source}. These notes would later become A Crime of Fashion{Source}.

Her current life is in Germany, with her boyfriend and four dogs. She writes full-time{Source}. She also has many hobbies, including reading, walking her dogs, raising money for her local library, drawing and baking{Source}. She also travels pretty regularally on "reserach trips" for Model Under Cover

She is active on social media. Follow her on facebook, twitter, pintrest, youtube and instagram. You can also contact her through her website.

She is one of the godparents of Princess Athena of Denmark, her boyfriend's cousin's child.