Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

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Princess Sibylla
Duchess of Västerbotten
Princess Sibylla in the 1930s
Princess Sibylla in the 1930s
Spouse Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
Issue
Princess Margaretha
Princess Birgitta of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld
Princess Christina
Carl XVI Gustaf
Full name
Sibyl
German: Sibylla
Titles
HRH Princess Sibyl of Sweden, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Saxony, Duchess of Västerbotten
HH Princess Sibyl of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Royal house House of Bernadotte
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Father Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Mother Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein
Born 18 January 1908
Died 28 November 1972

Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony (later Duchess of Västerbotten ; 18 January 190828 November 1972) was the mother of Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Princess Sibylla Calma Maria Alice Bathildis Feodora was the daughter of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein, a daughter of Princess Caroline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Augustenburg and Duke Frederick Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Glücksburg, and from an ancient Scandinavian princely house. Through her father she is a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Her grandfather was Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, the 4th son of Queen Victoria.

[edit] Marriage

In 1932, Sibylla married her second-cousin Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten. Gustaf Adolf was the eldest son of Crown Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden (later Gustav VI Adolf) and Princess Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Both Sibylla and Gustaf Adolf were great grandchildren of Queen Victoria. Sibylla never became crown princess herself since her husband died before his grandfather (King Gustav V).

[edit] Later life

Sibylla was widowed, when, in 1947, Gustaf Adolf died in an aeroplane accident at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark. Their son, Carl Gustaf, became second-in-line to the throne at the age of one year, and later Crown Prince at the age of four. Sibylla died of cancer before her son ascended the throne.

After her late husband's stepmother, Queen Louise of Sweden, died in 1965, Sibylla became the senior royal Princess of Sweden, acting in a supporting role for her father-in-law, King Gustav VI Adolf.

[edit] Titles, styles, honours and arms

[edit] Titles

  • 1908-1932: Her Highness Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony
  • 1932-1972: Her Royal Highness Princess Sibylla of Sweden, Duchess of Västerbotten, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony

[edit] Issue

Sibylla and Gustaf Adolf had five children:

Name Birth Death Notes
Princess Margaretha 1934 married, 1964, John Kenneth Ambler; had issue
Princess Birgitta of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen 1937 married, 1961, Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen; had issue
Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld 1938 married, 1964, Baron Nils-August Otto Carl Niclas Silfverschiöld; had issue
Princess Christina 1943 married, 1974, Tord Gösta Magnuson; had issue
Carl XVI Gustaf 1946 married, 1976, Silvia Sommerlath; had issue

[edit] Ancestry in Sweden

Styles of
Princess Sibyl of Sweden
Image:Sweden greater arms.png
Reference style Her Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Royal Highness
Alternative style Ma'am

Through Sibylla, her son, Carl XVI Gustaf, is a direct descendant of medieval Swedish high nobility lords of Oxenstierna, av Agnetorp, Boberg, Sparre av Salsta, Tillbakaseende Ulv, Lejonbalk, av Frössvik, av Benhamra, av Aspenäs, av Viby, av Ymseborg, Vingad Pil, av Rickeby, Scherembeke på Öland, Likvidssönerna, Puke, Bielke, Gren, av Skylvalla, Trolle, Lejonansikte av Njudung, Bonde-Puke, Hama, Sandbro, Snakenborg, "Lejon" av Loholm (Ulvåsa), "Lejon" av Boberg, av Jorchastad, Finsta, Gädda, Hammersta, Barun, Balk av Strand, Örnfot, av Ervalla, "Lejon" Aranäs, Griphuvud, Gyllenstierna, Natt och Dag, Sture, royal Bonde, Sparre av Aspnäs, Lejonbjälke, Sparre of Tofta, Tre Klöverblad av Tofta, Tyrhoved (Tjurhuvud), Liljebalk, av Vinstorp, Grip av Vinäs, Stjärna, Litle-Galen, Sparre of Ellinge, Thott, Baner, av Årby, av Länna, av Aboö, Kasi, Röd, Ekeblad of Hedaker, av Forstena, Öra and Leijonhufvud as well as first counts of Count Sture, Tre Rosor Count of Bogesund and Enköping; and Oxenstierna Counts of Korsholma and Vaasa. Also from the sister of Saint Bridget of Sweden, whose name was given to Sibylla's second daughter, Princess Birgitta of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Sibylla was descended from Countess Frederica of Dohna-Schlobitten, great-great-granddaughter of Count Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna (1586-1656), kinsman of Queen Christina I of Sweden.

Being on the other hand also a direct descendant of Countess Louise Sofie Danneskiold-Samsoe (1796-1867), Duchess Consort of Slesvig-Holstein, means that Sibylla and Carl Gustaf descend from Louise Sofie's forefathers, particularly all sorts of medieval Scanian nobility; Families such as Bragde, Lange, Friis, Krag, Hoeg Banner, Billde, Podebusk, Sehested, Reedtz, Lunge, Basse, Krabbe, Kaas, Norby, Juel, Grubbe, Rud, Bjelke, Ulfeldt, Huitfeldt, Trolle af Lilloe, Thott af Härlöv, Ulfstand, Urup av Ugerup and Skovgaard are numbered among her Scandinavian ancestors.