Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
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Prince Carl of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Västergötland (27 February 1861 in Stockholm – 24 October 1951 in Stockholm), was the third son of King Oscar II of Sweden-Norway and Sophia of Nassau. He was known as "the Blue Prince" (Blå Prinsen) because of the colour of the uniform of the Life Regiment.[1]
Life
Marriage
In May 1897, Prince Carl was engaged to Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. They married on 27 August 1897 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen and spent their wedding trip in Germany. Princess Ingeborg was the second daughter of King Frederick VIII of Denmark and Louise of Sweden.
They had four children:
- Princess Margaretha of Sweden (1899–1977).
- Princess Märtha of Sweden, later Crown Princess of Norway (1901–1954).
- Princess Astrid of Sweden, later Queen of the Belgians (1905–1935).
- Prince Carl Bernadotte, known as Carl Jr., later Prince Bernadotte, a Belgian title (1911–2003).
In 1947, on the occasion of their wedding anniversary, Carl admitted that their marriage had been completely arranged by their respective fathers, and Ingeborg herself added : "I married a complete stranger!".
Candidate to the Norwegian throne
Prince Carl was once considered a candidate to the Norwegian crown during Norway's fight for independence from Sweden in 1905. To elect a prince from Sweden was considered to be a less radical way out of the union, and hence a more peaceful approach. However, King Oscar II of Sweden never approved on this, as he saw the whole "riot" as a betrayal against his rights as King of Norway. Hence, Prince Carl never became King of Norway in 1905. 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
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Ancestry
References
- Bomann-Larsen, Tor: Folket - Haakon & Maud II (2004; in Norwegian)
| Styles of Prince Carl of Sweden | |
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| Reference style | His Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
| Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland Born: 27 February 1861 Died: 24 October 1951 | ||
| Swedish royalty | ||
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| New title | Duke of Västergötland 1861 - 1951 |
Vacant Title next held by Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden |
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