Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland

Swedish prince (1884–1965)

Prince Wilhelm

Duke of Södermanland

The Duke of Södermanland (1911)

Born| (1884-06-17)17 June 1884
Tullgarn Palace, Trosa, Sweden
Died| 5 June 1965(1965-06-05) (aged 80)
Stenhammar Palace, Sweden
Spouse|

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia

(m. 1908; div. 1914)​

Issue| Lennart Bernadotte
| Names

Carl Wilhelm Ludvig
House| Bernadotte
Father| Gustaf V of Sweden
Mother| Victoria of Baden

Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland (Carl Wilhelm Ludvig; 17 June 1884 - 5 June 1965) was a Swedish and Norwegian prince. He authored many books (primarily in Swedish) as Prins Wilhelm.

## Personal life

[edit]

Prince Wilhelm with his elder brother and father King Gustaf V at the 1912 Summer Olympics

Wilhelm was born at Tullgarn Palace, the second son of King Gustaf V of Sweden and his wife Victoria of Baden. [1]

### Marriage and divorce

[edit]

On 3 May 1908, in Tsarskoye Selo, Wilhelm married his third cousin Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, a daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia by his first wife Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark. The bride was a cousin of the reigning Russian tsar, Nicholas II. The couple had one son: Lennart (1909–2004).

The marriage was unhappy. Their son, Lennart, later wrote an autobiography in which he revealed several details of the Swedish royal family. The autobiography tells of how Maria, like her aunt and namesake Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, felt that she had married beneath herself in marrying a younger son of the King of Sweden, and this caused problems of ego between the couple. Maria insisted that the servants address her by her correct style Your Imperial and Royal Highness, to the chagrin of her husband, who was merely a Royal Highness. When apprised of the matter, Wilhelm's father King Gustav V had no choice but to acquiesce with his daughter-in-law's wish, which was perfectly valid in law, and ordered that the imperial style be used invariably for Maria.

Maria sought a divorce because of what she described as the horror she then felt toward the Swedish royal family, due to their unlimited support of their official physician, Axel Munthe, who had accosted her sexually.[2] The divorce was granted in 1914, and Maria returned to Russia.

### Later life

[edit]

Wilhelm had a relationship, which was not publicly known, with Jeanne de Tramcourt which lasted from around 1914 (starting date unknown) until Jeanne's death in 1952. They lived together for more than 30 years on the estate Stenhammar near Flen. This was at a time when cohabitation was very unusual and not officially allowed to occur among royalty. Jeanne de Tramcourt was therefore called his "hostess" at Stenhammar. On 2 January 1952 she died in a car accident in a snowstorm near Stjärnhov in Södermanland, when they were on their way to Stenhammar after visiting Wilhelm's son Lennart. Wilhelm was driving when the accident took place. After this tragedy, he is said never to have recovered.

### Career and interests

[edit]

Wilhelm was a noted photographer and the author of several books written in Swedish under the pen name Prins Wilhelm.[3][4]

In keeping with protocol demanded of royalty in modern democracies, Wilhelm kept studiously away from politics. One of his rare forays into the political sphere happened during the Second World War, following the murder of the Danish playwright and Lutheran pastor Kaj Munk on 4 January 1944. It was alleged, perhaps correctly, that the occupying German forces (specifically the Gestapo) were behind the murder, and the Danish resistance newspaper De frie Danske carried condemnatory reactions from numerous influential Scandinavians. Wilhelm was one of those who condemned the murder.[5]

### Death

[edit]

The simple grave of Prince Wilhelm and his first daughter-in-law Karin (Nissvandt) Bernadotte in Flen

Wilhelm suffered from emphysema caused by several years of chain smoking and died in his sleep, from a heart attack, in Flen, just 12 days before his 81st birthday.

## Honours and awards

[edit]

He received the following orders and decorations:[6]

### National honours

[edit]

* Knight and Commander of the Seraphim, 17 June 1884
* Knight of the Order of Charles XIII, 17 June 1884
* Commander Grand Cross of the Sword, 17 June 1884
* Commander Grand Cross of the Polar Star, 17 June 1884
* Commander Grand Cross of the Order of Vasa, 16 June 1948[7]
* King Oscar II and Queen Sofia's Golden Wedding Medal
* King Oscar II's Jubilee Commemorative Medal
* Crown Prince Gustaf V and Crown Princess Silver Wedding Medal
* King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (1928)
* King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (1948)

### Foreign honours

[edit]

* Norway:
* Grand Cross of St. Olav, with Collar, 17 June 1884
* Knight of the Norwegian Lion, 21 January 1904[8]
* King Haakon VII Freedom Cross
* Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
* Denmark:[9]
* Knight of the Elephant, 18 December 1907
* King Christian X's Liberty Medal
* Egyptian Royal Family: Collar of the Order of Muhammad Ali
* Ethiopian Imperial Family: Collar of the Order of Solomon
* Finland: Grand Cross of the White Rose
* French Third Republic: Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
* Italian Royal Family: Knight of the Annunciation, 5 July 1913[10]
* Monaco: Grand Cross of St. Charles, 14 April 1927[11]
* Netherlands: Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion, 6 July 1901[12]
* Romanian Royal Family: Grand Cross of the Order of Carol I
* Thailand: Knight of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri
* Turkish Imperial Family:
* Order of Osmanieh, 1st Class
* Gold Imtiyaz Medal
* Tunisian Royal Family: Order of the Fundamental Pact
* United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland:
* Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 15 June 1905[13]
* King George V Coronation Medal
* German Imperial and Royal Family:
* Knight of the Black Eagle
* Grand Cross of the Red Eagle
* Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Medal
* Baden Grand Ducal Family:
* Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1902[14]
* Jubilee Medal for 1902
* Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Grand Duke Friedrich I and Grand Duchess Luise
* Russian Imperial Family:
* Knight of St. Andrew
* Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky
* Knight of the White Eagle
* Knight of St. Anna, 1st Class
* Knight of St. Stanislaus, 1st Class

## Arms

[edit]

* Wilhelm's coat of arms as prince of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Södermanland 1884 to 1905

* Wilhelm's coat of arms as prince of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland after 1907

## Ancestors

[edit]

Ancestors of Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8\. Oscar I of Sweden

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| 4\. Oscar II of Sweden|

|  |  |
| 9\. Princess Josephine of Leuchtenberg

| 2\. Gustaf V of Sweden|

|  |  |  |  |
| 10\. William, Duke of Nassau

| 5\. Princess Sophia of Nassau|

|  |  |
| 11\. Princess Pauline of Württemberg

| 1\. Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 12\. Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden

| 6\. Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden|

|  |  |
| 13\. Princess Sophie of Sweden

| 3\. Princess Victoria of Baden|

|  |  |  |  |
| 14\. William I, German Emperor

| 7\. Princess Louise of Prussia|

|  |  |
| 15\. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Prince Wilhelm - Sveriges Kungahus". www.kungahuset.se. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
2. ^ Lennart Bernadotte in Käre prins, godnatt! ISBN 91-0-041935-4 pp. 155-158
3. ^ Amerika från estraden 1928
4. ^ Känner du landet 1950
5. ^ "KAJ MUNK IN MEMORIAM". De frie Danske (in Danish). January 1944. p. 6. Retrieved 18 November 2014. "Nu er han borte. Myrdet af fire gangstere, en Forbrydelse uden lige. Hvor meningsløst: Ordet dør ikke, fordi man dræber Ordets Forkynder, Aanden knuses ikke af en Revolverkugle. Terror kan aldrig udslette Digterværk, saalidt som den formaar at undertrykke Ideer. Tankens Frihed overvinder selv den væreste Forbrydelse. Kaj Munk blev en Martyr for sit Frihedskrav, men hans skabende Kulturindsats skal leve med stigende Intensitet efter dette. Nordisk Litteratur har Landesorg"
6. ^ Sveriges statskalender (in Swedish), 1955, p. 6, retrieved 6 January 2018 - via runeberg.org
7. ^ Sveriges statskalender (in Swedish), 1955, p. 127, retrieved 6 January 2018 - via runeberg.org
8. ^ "The Order of the Norwegian Lion", The Royal House of Norway. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
9. ^ Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1963) [1st pub.:1801]. Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1963 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1963] (PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. p. 18. Retrieved 1 May 2020 - via da:DIS Danmark.
10. ^ Italy. Ministero dell'interno (1920). Calendario generale del regno d'Italia. p. 58.
11. ^ Journal de Monaco
12. ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36500\. London. 6 July 1901. p. 12.
13. ^ "No. 27807". The London Gazette. 16 June 1905. p. 4251.
14. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1910), "Großherzogliche Orden" p. 41

## External links

[edit]

Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland

House of Bernadotte

Born: 17 June 1884 Died: 5 June 1965

Swedish royalty
Preceded by

Prince Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland

|  Duke of Södermanland | Succeeded by

Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland

* v
* t
* e

House of Bernadotte

Charles XIV John of Sweden / Charles III John of Norway

| Spouses|

* Queen Désirée

|

Children|

* King Oscar I**

Children's spouses|

* Queen Josephine***

Oscar I of Sweden and Norway

| Children|

* King Charles XV & IV**
* Prince Gustaf**
* King Oscar II**
* Princess Eugenie**
* Prince August**

|

Children's spouses|

* Queen Louise***
* Queen Sophia***
* Princess Therese***

Charles XV of Sweden / Charles IV of Norway

| Children|

* Princess Louise**
* Prince Carl Oscar**

|

Oscar II of Sweden and Norway

| Children|

* King Gustaf V**
* Prince Oscar** ^
* Prince Carl**
* Prince Eugen**

|

Children's spouses|

* Queen Victoria***
* Princess Ingeborg***

Grandchildren|

* Princess Margaretha**
* Princess Märtha**
* Princess Astrid
* Prince Carl^

Gustaf V of Sweden

| Children|

* King Gustaf VI Adolf**
* Prince Wilhelm**
* Prince Erik**

|

Children's spouses|

* Crown Princess Margaret***
* Queen Louise***
* Princess Maria Pavlovna***

Grandchildren|

* Prince Lennart^

Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden

| Children|

* Prince Gustaf Adolf
* Prince Sigvard^
* Princess Ingrid
* Prince Bertil
* Prince Carl Johan^

|

Children's spouses|

* Princess Sibylla***
* Princess Lilian***

Grandchildren|

* Princess Margaretha
* Princess Birgitta
* Princess Désirée
* Princess Christina
* King Carl XVI Gustaf

Grandchildren's spouses|

* Queen Silvia

Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

| Children|

* Crown Princess Victoria
* Prince Carl Philip
* Princess Madeleine

|

Children's spouses|

* Prince Daniel***
* Princess Sofia***

Grandchildren|

* Princess Estelle
* Prince Oscar

**also prince/princess of Norway
^lost his title due to an unequal marriage
***Prince/Princess of Sweden by marriage only

* v
* t
* e

Swedish princes

The generations indicate descent from Gustav I, of the House of Vasa, and continues through the Houses of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, Holstein-Gottorp; and the Bernadotte.

1st generation|

* King Eric XIV
* King John III
* Prince Magnus, Duke of Östergötland
* King Charles IX

2nd generation|

* King Sigismund I
* Gustav, Prince of Uglich
* Prince John, Duke of Östergötland
* King Gustav II Adolf
* Prince Charles Philip, Duke of Södermanland

3rd generation|

* King Władysław IV of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania[2]
* King John II Casimir of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania[2]
* Prince Alexander Charles[2]
* John Albert, Prince-Bishop of Warmia and Kraków[2]
* Prince Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Opole[2]

4th generation|

* King Charles XI

5th generation|

* King Charles XII
* King Frederick I[4]

6th generation|

* King Adolf Frederick[4]

7th generation|

* King Gustav III
* King Charles XIII
* Prince Frederick Adolf, Duke of Östergötland

8th generation|

* King Gustav IV Adolf
* Prince Carl Gustav, Duke of Småland
* Crown Prince Charles August[4]
* King Charles XIV John[1][4]

9th generation|

* Crown Prince Gustav, Prince of Vasa
* King Oscar I[1][4]

10th generation|

* King Charles XV[1]
* Prince Gustaf, Duke of Uppland[1]
* King Oscar II[1]
* Prince August, Duke of Dalarna[1]

11th generation|

* Prince Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland[1]
* King Gustaf V[1]
* Prince Oscar, Duke of Gotland[1][3]
* Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland[1]
* Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke[1]

12th generation|

* King Gustaf VI Adolf[1]
* Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland[1]
* Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland[1]
* Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland[3]

13th generation|

* Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
* Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland[3]
* Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland
* Prince Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna[3]
* Prince Lennart, Duke of Småland[3]

14th generation|

* King Carl XVI Gustaf

15th generation|

* Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
* Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland[4]

16th generation|

* Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne
* Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland
* Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna
* Prince Julian, Duke of Halland
* Prince Nicolas, Duke of Ångermanland

1 Also prince of Norway
2 Also prince of Poland and Lithuania
3 Lost his title due to an unequal marriage
4 Not Swedish prince by birth, but created prince of Sweden

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Italy
* Netherlands
* Sweden
* Poland
* Israel
* Finland
* Belgium

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* KulturNav
* 2
* Photographers' Identities
* Discography of American Historical Recordings

People|

* Deutsche Biographie
* DDB

Other|

* IdRef
* Yale LUX

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template