Carl of Sweden

Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, 1898 by Anders Zorn

Oscar Carl Wilhelm, Prince of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland (born February 27, 1861 in Stockholm , † October 24, 1951 ibid) was a member of the House of Bernadotte . He became known as the " Blue Prince " because of the uniform of his regiment.

By marrying his children, he is related to some European ruling houses. Prince Carl is the grandfather of the two Belgian kings Baudouin and Albert , Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxemberg and King Harald V of Norway . Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and King Philippe of Belgium are his great-grandchildren.

Life

childhood

Prince Oscar Carl Wilhelm, whose nickname was Carl, was born on February 27, 1861 in the Arvfurstens palats in Stockholm. He was the third of four sons of King Oskar II of Sweden and his wife, Sophia of Nassau . His eldest brother was King Gustav V of Sweden .

Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, around 1929

As was customary at the time, the prince was raised by tutors and governesses . He received lessons in several languages as well as math and science. Carl showed an ability for diplomacy early on and would later contribute to advocating for the release of political prisoners as chairman of the Swedish Red Cross (1906–1945) and head of the organization's humanitarian efforts.

Starting a family

On August 27, 1897, Prince Carl married Princess Ingeborg of Denmark (1878-1958), daughter of King Frederick VIII of Denmark and Queen Louise, in the Christiansborg Palace Church in Copenhagen . They spent their honeymoon in Germany.

Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, around 1926

Four children emerged from the connection:

Margaretha (1899–1977) ⚭ 1919 Prince Axel of Denmark (1888–1964)

Märtha (1901–1954) ⚭ 1929 Crown Prince Olav, who later became King Olav V.

Astrid (1905–1935) ⚭ 1926 Crown Prince Leopold, later King Leopold III of Belgium .

Carl (1911–2003), since July 6, 1937 Prince Bernadotte

The Prince Carls family was quite popular in Sweden. The couple led a more middle-class lifestyle and brought up their three daughters and the son himself. Family life was very harmonious, and people often went out together.

Possible candidate for the Norwegian throne

In 1905 Norway was given independence. Prince Carl, who had always fought for independence, was now considered a potential candidate for the throne. But his father, King Oskar II, thought it betrayed his rights as a monarch that his son could become King of Norway.

Amid great turmoil, the Norwegians elected the young Prince Carl of Denmark (1872–1957), an older brother of his wife, as king. He ascended the Norwegian throne as Haakon VII .

In 1929 Carl's second daughter, Princess Märtha, married King Haakon's son Olav, who became king in 1957.

Awards

On August 31, 1883, Prince Carl became a Knight of the Elephant Order .
On January 21, 1904, he was awarded the Order of the Norwegian Lion .

ancestors

Charles XIV. John King of Sweden (1763–1844)

Oskar I, King of Sweden (1799-1859)

Désirée Clary (1777-1860)

Oskar II, King of Sweden (1829–1907)

Eugène de Beauharnais (1781-1824)

Josephine von Leuchtenberg (1807–1876)

Auguste of Bavaria (1788-1851)

Carl of Sweden

Friedrich Wilhelm von Nassau-Weilburg , (1768–1816)

Wilhelm I of Nassau (1792–1839)

Luise von Sayn-Hachenburg (1772–1827)

Sophia of Nassau (1836-1913)

Paul of Württemberg (1785-1852)

Pauline of Württemberg (1810-1856)

Charlotte of Saxony-Hildburghausen (1787–1847)

Web links

Individual evidence

personal data
SURNAME	Carl of Sweden
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Oscar Carl Vilhelm of Sweden
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Swedish nobleman, Prince of Sweden
DATE OF BIRTH	February 27, 1861
PLACE OF BIRTH	Stockholm
DATE OF DEATH	October 24, 1951
Place of death	Stockholm

[1] Blå prinsen

[2] Unofficial Royalty

[3] Munzinger : Prince Karl of Sweden Swedish nobleman; fr. Chairman of the Red Cross

[4] Bernadotte family tree