Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
| Prince Carl | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke of Västergötland | |||||
_1929.jpg) | |||||
| Born | 27 February 1861 Palace of the Hereditary Prince, Stockholm, Sweden | ||||
| Died | 24 October 1951 (aged 90) Hovslagaregatan, Stockholm, Sweden | ||||
| Spouse | Princess Ingeborg of Denmark | ||||
| Issue | Margaretha, Princess Axel of Denmark Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway Astrid, Queen of the Belgians Prince Carl Bernadotte | ||||
| |||||
| House | Bernadotte | ||||
| Father | Oscar II of Sweden | ||||
| Mother | Sophia of Nassau | ||||
Prince Carl of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Västergötland (27 February 1861 – 24 October 1951) was a Swedish prince. Through his daughters, for whom he arranged excellent dynastic marriages, he is an ancestor of several members of European royal houses today, including the monarchs of Norway and Belgium.
Early life
Carl was the third son of King Oscar II of Sweden-Norway by his wife, Sophia of Nassau. He was known as "the Blue Prince" (Blå Prinsen) because he often wore the blue-coloured uniform of the Life Regiment, to which he belonged in a ceremonial manner.[1]
Marriage and children
In May 1897, Prince Carl was engaged to Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, the second daughter of King Frederick VIII of Denmark. Ingeborg's mother, Louise of Sweden, was a first cousin of Prince Carl. Nevertheless, in 1947, on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary, Carl admitted that their marriage had been completely arranged by their respective fathers, and Ingeborg herself added : "I married a complete stranger!".
The couple were married on 27 August 1897 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen and spent their wedding trip (honeymoon) in Germany. The marriage, arranged by their fathers and completely conventional in every way, was entirely harmonious. The couple had four children:
- Margaretha (1899–1977), who married Prince Axel of Denmark
- Martha (1901–1954), wife of Crown Prince Olav of Norway and mother of Harald V of Norway
- Astrid (1905–1935), wife of Leopold III of Belgium and mother of kings Baudouin and Albert II of Belgium, as also of Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte of Luxembourg.
- Prince Carl Bernadotte, known as Carl Jr., later Prince Bernadotte, a Belgian title (1911–2003).
Growing up in a conventional and harmonious family, and inculcated with traditional family values in their childhood, all of Carl's children grew up to be happy and constructive adults, healthy in mind and body. While all three daughters made dynastic marriages that were encouraged by their parents, and became the matriarchs of their own successful families, the couple's only son gave up his (highly improbable) chance of succeeding to the throne to marry a noblewoman, with whom he did have a successful marriage.
Candidate to the Norwegian throne
In 1905, during the political struggle in which Norway obtained its independence from Sweden, Prince Carl was seriously considered as a candidate for the Norwegian crown. It was thought that electing a Swedish prince as king was a less radical way for Norway to secede from the union, and hence a more peaceful approach. Carl was chosen because his eldest brother would inherit the Swedish throne, and his second brother had renounced his royal status to make an unsuitable marriage. However, Carl's father King Oscar II of Sweden did not approve of the proposal, as he saw the whole "riot" which precipitated the Norwegian crisis as a conspiracy and a betrayal against his rights as King of Norway, and he did not want any of his sons to be involved with people who he considered his enemies. Therefore, Prince Carl never became King of Norway. Instead, a Danish prince, Haakon VII, was elected after some diplomatic turbulence. As history turned out however, Prince Carl's daughter, Princess Märtha, married Haakon VII's son, the later King Olav V. The present King Harald V of Norway is hence a grandchild of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland.
In 1904, Prince Carl was appointed a Knight of the Norwegian Lion by Oscar II.
Legacy
Prince Carl has the distinction of being the grandfather of three reigning European monarchs: King Harald V of Norway (son of his daughter, Princess Märtha), the late King Baudouin of the Belgians and his brother, King Albert II of the Belgians (sons of his daughter, Princess Astrid of Sweden). He is also the great-grandfather of King Philippe of the Belgians and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.
Titles, styles and arms
- 1861-1905: HRH Prince Carl, The Duke of Västergötland, Prince of Sweden and Norway
- 1905-1951: HRH Prince Carl, The Duke of Västergötland, Prince of Sweden
-
Arms as Prince of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Västergötland 1861 to 1905 -
Arms as Prince of Sweden and Duke of Västergötland after 1907
.svg)
Ancestry
 |
References
- Bomann-Larsen, Tor: Folket - Haakon & Maud II (2004; in Norwegian)
| Styles of Prince Carl of Sweden | |
|---|---|
| Reference style | His Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
- Swedish princes
- Swedish people of French descent
- Norwegian princes
- House of Bernadotte
- Recipients of the Order of the Black Eagle
- 1861 births
- 1951 deaths
- Knights of the Order of the Norwegian Lion
- Burials at Kungliga begravningsplatsen
- Recipients of the King Haakon VII Freedom Cross
- People from Stockholm
- Swedish Lutherans
- Dukes of Västergötland