by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Bertil of Sweden was born on February 28, 1912, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. His full name was Bertil Gustaf Oskar Carl Eugén. Except for his first name, which was a new name for the Swedish royals, he was named after the four sons of King Oscar II of Sweden in order of their birth. At the time of his birth his parents, the future King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught, were the Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden. Bertil’s mother was the daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and therefore a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Bertil was the fourth of her parents’ five children. He had three brothers and one sister:

• Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (1906 – 1947), married Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; had issue including King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
• Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland (1907 – 2002) later Count Sigvard Bernadotte af Wisborg, married three times, had one son
• Princess Ingrid (1910 –  2000) married King Frederick IX of Denmark, had issue including Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
• Prince Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna (1916 – 2012) later Count Carl Johan, Bernadotte af Wisborg, married two times, no issue, was the last surviving great-grandchild of Queen Victoria

The infant Bertil with his older siblings and parents; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1920, when Bertil’s mother was eight months pregnant with her sixth child, she underwent mastoid surgery. An infection developed which killed Crown Princess Margaret, at the age of 38, and her unborn child on May 1, 1920. Eight-year-old Bertil and four siblings ranging in age from three to fourteen years old were left motherless. In 1923, Bertil’s father married Lady Louise Mountbatten, daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg (1917 Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven) and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The couple remained childless and became King and Queen of Sweden in 1950.

Bertil served as an active naval officer. He had trained aboard the torpedo cruiser Eagle in 1928 and the destroyer Nordenskjold in 1929 and then enrolled at the Royal Naval College in 1931. Bertil trained as an officer aboard several ships and was commissioned as an officer in 1934. From 1935-1937, Bertil was an assistant naval attaché in Paris. During World War II, Bertil served as a torpedo officer aboard several ships. From 1942 to 1945, he served as an assistant naval attaché in London.

In 1943, when Bertil worked as a naval attaché in London, he met Welsh-born Lilian Craig (born May Lillian Davies) who was married to Scottish actor Ivan Craig. Bertil and Lilian soon became a couple, but their relationship remained a secret to the public for a long time. Craig was serving in World War II and when he returned home in 1945, the couple had an amicable divorce. In 1947, Bertil’s elder brother Prince Gustaf Adolf, who was second in the line of succession, died in a plane crash. Prince Gustaf Adolf’s son Carl Gustaf was less than a year old and now was number two in the line of succession. It seemed likely that Bertil might need to serve as Regent as all the other princes had given up their place in the succession because of unacceptable marriages. For this reason, Bertil decided not to marry Lilian. Instead, they discreetly lived together for more than 30 years. Bertil never did become Regent and his nephew Carl Gustaf succeeded his 90-year-old grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf in 1973. King Carl XVI Gustaf, who had married a commoner himself, approved the marriage of Bertil and Lilian. The couple married on December 7, 1976, at the Drottningholm Palace Chapel in the presence of the king and the queen. Bertil and Lilian had no children.

The 1980 Act of Succession stated that only the descendants of King Carl XVI Gustaf may inherit the throne. However, a special case was made for Bertil and he became third (and, after the birth of Princess Madeleine in 1982, fourth) in line to the throne.

Prince Bertil, aged 84, died on January 5, 1997, at his home, Villa Solbacken in Djurgården, Sweden, after several years of declining health. He was buried at the Royal Cemetery at Haga Park in Solna, Sweden. Princess Lilian survived her husband for sixteen years, dying on May 10, 2013, at the age of 97.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Photo Credit – Wikipedia, Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANEFO),

King Gustaf VI Adolf (Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf) was born at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden on November 11, 1882. He was the eldest of the three children of King Gustaf V of Sweden and his wife Victoria of Baden. Gustaf Adolf had two younger brothers:

• Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland (1884 – 1965), married Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, had one son, divorced
• Prince Erik of Sweden, Duke of Västmanland (1889 – 1918), unmarried, died during the Spanish Flu Epidemic

Gustaf Adolf with his brother Wilhelm; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Gustaf Adolf and his brothers were educated by their governess Ida Borin and then starting in 1890, by their tutor Dr. Carl Svedelius. The three brothers enjoyed spending their summers at Tullgarn Palace or at Mainau, an island in Lake Constance near Konstanz, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, owned by the Baden Grand Ducal Family of their mother. Frequently, their grandmother, Queen Sofia (born Princess Sofia of Nassau) would request the company of her grandsons at Ulriksdal Palace, her favorite residence.

In 1901, Gustaf Adolf began studies in history, economics, political science, and archaeology at Uppsala University, the oldest university in Sweden. It was here that Gustaf Adolf expanded on his love for archaeology. The famous Bronze Age discoveries he found in the excavation of the Håga Mound while a student at Uppsala University, are now at the Swedish History Museum.  Gustaf Adolf was fluent in Swedish, English, French, and German. He also read Italian and understood Latin.

Throughout his life, Gustaf Adolf was a devoted archaeologist and participated in archaeological expeditions in China, Greece, Korea, and Italy. In 1925 he founded the Swedish Institute in Rome, a research institution that serves as the base for archaeological excavations and other scientific research in Italy. His other great area of interest was botany, concentrating on flowers and gardening. He was considered an expert on the rhododendron and he created one of the very finest rhododendron collections at Sofiero Castle, his summer residence. In 1958, Gustaf Adolf was admitted to the British Academy for his work in botany.

Gustaf Adolf also received military training at Military Academy Karlberg and became a Captain in the Swedish Army in 1909 upon completing his training. Subsequently, he became a major (1913), lieutenant colonel (1916), colonel (1918), major-general (1923), and lieutenant general (1928).

On January 26, 1905, Gustaf Adolf was in Cairo, Egypt for a birthday banquet for Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha of Egypt where he met Princess Margaret of Connaught, the elder daughter of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. Margaret’s younger sister Patricia, who was rumored to be Gustaf Adolf’s future wife, was supposed to sit at his table, but instead, he took Margaret as his dinner partner. The couple were engaged on February 26, 1905, in Cairo and were married on June 15, 1905, in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. In 1907, when his father became king, Gustaf Adolf became the Crown Prince of Sweden.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Gustaf Adolf and Margaret had five children:

• Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (1906 – 1947), married Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; had five children including King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
• Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland (1907 – 2002) later Count Sigvard Bernadotte af Wisborg, married (1) Erica Patzek, no children, divorced (2) Sonja Robbert, had one son, divorced  (3) married Marianne Lindberg, no children
• Princess Ingrid (1910 – 2000), married King Frederik IX of Denmark, had three daughters including Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
• Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland (1912 – 1997), married Lillian Davies, no children
• Prince Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna (1916 – 2012) later Count Carl Johan, Bernadotte af Wisborg, (1) Kerstin Wijkmark, two adopted children; (2) Countess Gunilla Wachtmeister af Johannishus, no issue; was the last surviving great-grandchild of Queen Victoria

Then Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf with his first wife Crown Princess Margaret and four older children in 1912; Photo Credit – Wikipedia, United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs Division

Margaret was eight months pregnant with her sixth child in 1920 when she underwent mastoid surgery. An infection set in, killing Margaret, aged 38, and her unborn child on May 1, 1920. Her family along with the Swedish and British public mourned her death greatly. Margaret was buried at the Royal Burial Grounds in Haga in Solna, Sweden.

After Margaret’s death, Gustaf Adolf traveled extensively, including to England in 1923 where his friends introduced him to his second wife, Lady Louise Mountbatten (born Princess Louise of Battenberg), at a dinner party. Lady Louise was the daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg (Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven after 1917) and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. Princess Victoria was the daughter of Princess Alice, a daughter of Queen Victoria and she was also an elder sister of the late Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia.

The couple’s engagement was announced on July 1, 1923, and they were married on November 3, 1923, in the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in London, England by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Gustaf Adolf and Louise had a stillborn daughter in 1925, and after that, they had no more children.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Lady Louise Mountbatten

Gustaf Adolf and Louise on their wedding day; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

On October 29, 1950, Gustaf Adolf became king at age 67 upon the death of his father, King Gustaf V. Gustaf Adolf’s personality, his informal and modest nature, and his expertise and interest in a wide range of areas made him popular with the Swedish people. It was said that he wrote 7,000 signatures per year and hosted 3,000 guests per year. He was the patron of about 200 scientific, sporting, and art organizations. Queen Louise died on March 7, 1965, at St. Göran Hospital in Stockholm following emergency surgery after a period of severe illness.

On August 18, 1973, Gustaf Adolf fell ill from bleeding ulcers at his summer Sofiero Castle and had surgery on August 21. After the surgery, he developed pneumonia, cardiac issues, and kidney failure. King Gustaf VI Adolf died on September 15, 1973, just short of his 91st birthday, at Helsingborg Hospital in Helsingborg, Sweden. He was buried alongside his two wives at the Royal Burial Grounds in Haga in Solna, Sweden. It was the first time since 1689 that a Swedish monarch was not buried in Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm.

King Gustaf VI Adolf was succeeded by his 27-year-old grandson King Carl XVI Gustaf. The new king was the son of King Gustaf VI’s eldest son Prince Gustaf Adolf who had died in a plane crash when Carl Gustaf was not even a year old. King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden is also the grandfather of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Grave of King Gustaf VI Adolf and his two wives; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of Sweden Index
• Swedish Orders and Honours
• Swedish Royal Dates
• Swedish Royal Burial Sites
• Swedish Royal Christenings
• Swedish Royal FAQs
• Swedish Royal Residences
• Swedish Royal Weddings
• Line of Succession to the Throne of Sweden
• Profiles of the Swedish Royal Family

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

photo: Mattias Edwall, Swedish Royal Court

Sofia Kristina Hellqvist is the wife of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, the second child and the only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. She was born on December 6, 1984, in Täby, Sweden, and is the second of the three daughters of Eric and Marie Hellqvist. Sofia has an older sister Lina and a younger sister Sarah. She grew up in Älvdalen, Dalarna, Sweden. Sofia attended high school in nearby Vansbro and was involved in dance, theater, and music.

When she was 18, Sofia moved to Stockholm where she worked as a waitress and a glamour model.  Two years later, she did a risqué photoshoot for the men’s magazine Slitz and was later voted Miss Slitz 2004 by the readers. In 2005, Sofia appeared on the Swedish reality show Paradise Hotel. Sofia’s modeling and her appearance on Paradise Hotel were controversial after she became associated with Prince Carl Philip. She addressed this in the documentary The Year with the Royal Family: “Much has been written [about it] over the years, not only following our engagement. For me it’s pretty boring, it happened ten years ago and I moved on with my life. But no regrets. All experiences build a person, although I wouldn’t do it now if you asked me.”

After appearing in Paradise Hotel, Sofia moved to New York where she trained to become a certified yoga teacher at Yoga To The People and then started a yoga center. She also studied at the New York Institute of English and Business, where she trained in accounting with a focus on business development. Sofia has also studied global ethics and child and youth studies at Stockholm University.

In September and October of 2009, Sofia did volunteer work in Ghana where she visited orphanages and helped build a women’s center. In 2010, Sofia and Frida Vesterberg founded Project Playground, an organization that helps disadvantaged children and adolescents in South Africa. The organization does much good work and Sofia’s sister Lina Hellqvist is the organization’s project coordinator.

Sofia Hellqvist on the right with Frida Vesterberg and children from Project Playground; Photo Credit – http://image.gala.de

In August 2010, the Swedish Royal Court released a statement confirming that Sofia and Prince Carl Philip had a relationship. In the documentary The Year with the Royal Family, Prince Carl Philip explains how the couple met: “I was eating with friends in Baastad. Sofia was there with a friend and our friends knew each other. We started with a shy greeting and everything followed.”

In April 2011, the couple moved in together at a private estate in Djurgården, Sweden and the Swedish Royal Court confirmed this two months later. Sofia and Prince Carl Philip became engaged on June 27, 2014, and were married on June 13, 2015, at the Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist

On October 15, 2015, the Swedish Royal Court announced that Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia were expecting their first child.  In early April 2016, Carl Philip and Sofia moved from their apartment in Djurgården to Sjoflygeln (Lake Wing) on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace.

Carl Philip and Sofia with their first son Alexander – source: Swedish Royal Court

Sofia and Carl Philip have three sons:

• Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland (born 2016)
• Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna (born 2017)
• Prince Julian, Duke of Halland (born 2021)

On October 7, 2019, the Swedish Royal Court announced that King Carl XVI Gustaf had decided to make changes regarding the children of his son Prince Carl Philip and his daughter Princess Madeleine. At birth, the children of Carl Philip and Madeleine were styled as Royal Highness and were members of The Royal House. As of October 7, 2019, their children would no longer be members of The Royal House but would continue to be members of The Royal Family. Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, and Princess Adrienne would no longer enjoy the style of Royal Highness but they would retain their titles of Duke and Duchess previously granted by King Carl XVI Gustaf. They will remain in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. In the future, they will not be expected to perform any royal duties. They will be styled Prince/Princess <Name>, Duke/Duchess of <Geographical Area>.

Prince Alexander, Princess Sofia, Prince Julian, Prince Carl Philip and Prince Gabriel on the occasion of Prince Julian’s christening; Credit – Photo: Elisabeth Toll, Kungl. Hovstaterna / The Royal Court of Sweden

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.