Erik Gustaf of Sweden
Erik Gustaf Ludvig Albert Bernadotte (born April 20, 1889 in Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm ; † September 20, 1918 ibid), Prince of Sweden and Norway , Duke of Västmanland , was the third and youngest son of King Gustav V of Sweden and his Wife Viktoria von Baden .
Life course
Erik suffered from epilepsy and developmental disorders allegedly caused by his mother. Crown Princess Viktoria is said to have taken medication during pregnancy. He also suffered from severe anxiety.
Due to his mental and physical condition, he was rarely seen in public. In addition, he did not take on any representative tasks. Even so, public photos were taken of him. He led a secluded life from his family similar to that of Prince John Charles Francis of Great Britain and Ireland , the youngest son of King George V , and devoted himself to music and geography. He also dealt with travel stories and genealogy . He was described as a kind and handsome young man who showed a keen interest in sports. He had a particularly close relationship with Princess Therese von Sachsen-Altenburg .
Between 1907 and 1909 a residence was built for the prince in Djursholm , where he lived away from the public. The governess Louise Rinman took care of Erik , who was already responsible for raising the prince as a child. He remained in her care until his death. He was allowed to drive to the capital every three weeks and sometimes visited the opera in this context. These were some of the few times the prince was seen in public. From 1914 he lived in Villa Balingsholm in Huddinge .
death
In 1917 he complained about his isolated life. For this reason it was decided that Erik should get a new residence in Haga Castle near Stockholm. Even before the renovation work in Haga Castle, he died the following year at the age of 29 of the Spanish flu , from which around 38,000 Swedes died between 1918 and 1920. At the time of his death, his parents were absent, which, according to official memoirs, caused his father great concern in later years. His mother, who was in poor health herself and spent most of the year outside Sweden, was abroad at the time. His older brothers Gustav Adolf and Wilhelm showed dismay when he died. He was unmarried and had no offspring. His grave is in the Riddarholmskyrkan in Stockholm. Prince Erik's previous residence in Djursholm was initially privately owned in the 1960s. Since 2011 it has been the private residence of the South African ambassador to Sweden.
Awards
In 1904, Prince Erik was made Knight of the Norwegian Lion by King Oskar II .
ancestors
| Pedigree of Erik Gustav of Sweden | ||||||||
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| Great-great-grandparents |
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Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg |
Prince |
Duke |
Grand Duke |
King |
King Friedrich Wilhelm III. of Prussia |
Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach |
| Great grandparents |
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Duke |
Grand Duke |
Kaiser |
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| Grandparents |
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Grand Duke |
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| parents |
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Erik Gustav of Sweden |
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Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Alexanderpalace.org (English)
- ↑ a b c d Gustaf Ludvig Albert Erik Gustaf Ludvig Albert - Svenskt Biografiskt Lexicon. Accessed December 30, 2018 .
- ^ Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland. ( Memento from October 22, 2014 in the web archive archive.today )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Erik Gustaf of Sweden |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bernadotte, Erik Gustaf Ludvig Albert (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swedish Prince, Duke of Västmanland |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 20, 1889 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Drottningholm Palace |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 20, 1918 |
| Place of death | Drottningholm Palace |