Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
Encyclopedia
Prince Gustaf Adolf Oscar Fredrik Arthur Edmund, Duke of Västerbotten (Stockholm
, 22 April 1906 – Kastrup Airfield
, Copenhagen
, 26 January 1947) was Duke of West Bothnia and the eldest son of Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught
. His mother was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria
since she was the daughter of HRH Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and his wife, Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia
.
Gustaf Adolf was the father of the current king, Carl XVI Gustaf
.
Some recent journalists and historians portray Gustaf Adolf as sympathetic towards the Nazi movement in Germany
in the 1930s, an opinion which has been highly debated and criticized. As an official representative of Sweden, Gustaf Adolf met with many Nazi leaders, including Adolf Hitler
and Hermann Göring
(the latter had lived in Sweden and had many friends among the Swedish upper class). As the prince very rarely spoke of political matters and left no written evidence of any political sympathies of any kind, the subject is very much a matter of speculation.
These rumours however made him unpopular among many Swedes during his lifetime. The public called him tyskprinsen (the German prince). However, according to journalist and author Staffan Skott in his book Alla dessa Bernadottar (All these Bernadottes), these rumors are disproved by letters and diary entries by influential Swedes of decidedly anti-Nazi persuasion, including the diplomat Sven Grafström and the wife of a government minister Gustav Möller
, as well as the stepson of Hermann Göring who said that a visit by the prince to Göring's home was a complete failure and that Göring and Gustaf Adolf did not get along well. Also, the anti-Nazi newspaper Expressen said that the rumors had been denied by "plausible witnesses who were also strongly pro-democracy". The Swedish Royal Court also has made a statement denying any knowledge of Nazi sympathies.
and as an adult became a Scoutmaster. He earned his Wood Badge
beads at Gilwell Park
in England. When the Svenska Scoutrådet
was formed he served as its first president or Chief Scout. He was leader of the Swedish contingent at the 5th World Scout Jamboree
in 1937 and to the World Scout Moot
in 1939. He served on the World Scout Committee from May 1937 until his death.
during the 1940s.
On October 19/October 20, 1932, he married in Coburg his second cousin, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, daughter of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Princess Sibylla was a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, a granddaughter of HRH Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. They had five children:>
Name |Death Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler
31 October 1934 (age 77)
married John Kenneth Ambler, had issue.
HRH Princess Birgitta of Sweden
31 January 1937 (age 75)
married Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern
, had issue.
Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld
2 June 1938 (age 73)
married Baron Nils-August Otto Carl Niclas Silfverschiöld, had issue.
Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson
3 August 1943 (age 68)
married Tord Gösta Magnuson, had issue.
HM King Carl XVI Gustaf
30 April 1946 (age 65)
married Silvia Sommerlath
, had issue.
Prince Gustaf Adolf was killed in an airplane crash on the afternoon of 26 January 1947, at the Kastrup Airport, Kastrup
, Denmark
. The prince, along with two companions, was returning to Stockholm from a hunting trip and visit to Princess Juliana
and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
. The delayed KLM flight from Amsterdam
had landed at Copenhagen
for a routine stop before continuing to Stockholm
. Soon after the Douglas DC-3
aircraft took off, it climbed to an altitude of about 50 meters (150 ft), stalled, and plummeted nose-first to the ground, where it exploded on impact. All 22 people aboard the plane (16 passengers and six crew members) were killed. Also aboard the ill-fated flight was American singer and actress Grace Moore
. The investigation showed that the crash had been caused by a forgotten gust lock
to the elevator. Short of time, the captain had failed to perform the checklist properly and took off not realizing the lock was still in place.
At the time of his death, Prince Gustaf Adolf had been second in line (Hereditary Prince) to the Swedish throne behind his father, who in 1950 became King Gustaf VI Adolf. The younger Gustaf Adolf was succeeded as second in line by his only son, Carl Gustaf
, who would later succeed his grandfather as King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, 22 April 1906 – Kastrup Airfield
Kastrup
Kastrup is a suburb of Copenhagen, on the east coast of Amager in the Tårnby Municipality.Kastrup is best known as the site of Copenhagen Airport. In Danish, the airport is often called Kastrup Lufthavn or Københavns Lufthavn, Kastrup .Scandinavian Airlines System has its Denmark offices in Kastrup...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, 26 January 1947) was Duke of West Bothnia and the eldest son of Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
Gustaf VI Adolf - Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf - was King of Sweden from October 29, 1950 until his death. His official title was King of Sweden, of the Goths and of the Wends. He was the eldest son of King Gustaf V and his wife Victoria of Baden...
and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught
Princess Margaret of Connaught
Princess Margaret of Connaught was the daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria, and his wife, Princess Luise Margarete of Prussia...
. His mother was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
since she was the daughter of HRH Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and his wife, Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia
Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught
Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia was a German princess, and later a member of the British Royal Family, the wife of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn...
.
Gustaf Adolf was the father of the current king, Carl XVI Gustaf
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
.
Politics and World War II
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in the 1930s, an opinion which has been highly debated and criticized. As an official representative of Sweden, Gustaf Adolf met with many Nazi leaders, including Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
(the latter had lived in Sweden and had many friends among the Swedish upper class). As the prince very rarely spoke of political matters and left no written evidence of any political sympathies of any kind, the subject is very much a matter of speculation.
These rumours however made him unpopular among many Swedes during his lifetime. The public called him tyskprinsen (the German prince). However, according to journalist and author Staffan Skott in his book Alla dessa Bernadottar (All these Bernadottes), these rumors are disproved by letters and diary entries by influential Swedes of decidedly anti-Nazi persuasion, including the diplomat Sven Grafström and the wife of a government minister Gustav Möller
Gustav Möller
Gustav Möller was a prominent Swedish Social democratic politician, credited as the father of the social security system and the Welfare state, called Folkhemmet...
, as well as the stepson of Hermann Göring who said that a visit by the prince to Göring's home was a complete failure and that Göring and Gustaf Adolf did not get along well. Also, the anti-Nazi newspaper Expressen said that the rumors had been denied by "plausible witnesses who were also strongly pro-democracy". The Swedish Royal Court also has made a statement denying any knowledge of Nazi sympathies.
Scouting
Gustaf Adolf was a Boy ScoutBoy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
and as an adult became a Scoutmaster. He earned his Wood Badge
Wood Badge
Wood Badge is a Scouting leadership program and the related award for adult leaders in the programs of Scout associations throughout the world. Wood Badge courses aim to make Scouters better leaders by teaching advanced leadership skills, and by creating a bond and commitment to the Scout movement...
beads at Gilwell Park
Gilwell Park
Gilwell Park is a camp site and activity centre for Scouting groups, as well as a training and conference centre for Scout Leaders. The 44 hectare site is in Sewardstonebury, Epping Forest, close to Chingford, London....
in England. When the Svenska Scoutrådet
Svenska Scoutrådet
Svenska Scoutrådet is the national Scouting and Guiding federation of Sweden.Scouting in Sweden was founded in 1908, Guiding followed in 1910...
was formed he served as its first president or Chief Scout. He was leader of the Swedish contingent at the 5th World Scout Jamboree
5th World Scout Jamboree
The 5th World Scout Jamboree was the World Scout Jamboree where 81-year old Baden-Powell gave his farewell.- Organizational details :The Jamboree in Vogelenzang, Bloemendaal in the Netherlands was opened on 1937-07-31 by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, with 28,750 Scouts from 54 countries...
in 1937 and to the World Scout Moot
World Scout Moot
The World Scout Moot is a gathering of older Scouts, mainly Rover Scouts, ages 18–26 from all over the world...
in 1939. He served on the World Scout Committee from May 1937 until his death.
Military career
Gustaf Adolf reached the substantive rank of Lieutenant ColonelÖverstelöjtnant
Finnish Defence Forces rank of Everstiluutnantti is comparable to Ranks of NATO armies officers as OF-4- 1600 - 1700 :The holder of the rank was typically the deputy head of a regiment of 1200 troops as well as the commander of a battalion during battle....
during the 1940s.
Marriage and family
Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler
Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler , was born at Haga Palace outside Stockholm. She is the first child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and granddaughter of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught .-Life and...
Princess Birgitta of Sweden
Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Hohenzollern is a sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf. She was born at Haga Palace in Stockholm County.-Family:...
Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern
Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern is the sixth child of Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern and his wife Princess Margarete Karola of Saxony Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern (Johann Georg Carl Leopold Eitel-Friedrich Meinrad Maria Hubertus Michael; born 31 July 1932 in Schloss Sigmaringen,...
, had issue.
Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld
Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld , was born at Haga Palace outside Stockholm. She is the third child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and granddaughter of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden...
Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson
Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson, is the sister of Carl XVI Gustaf, the current King of Sweden. She was born at Haga Palace outside Stockholm. She is the fourth child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and granddaughter of King Gustaf VI...
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
Queen Silvia of Sweden
|align=right|Queen Silvia of Sweden is the Queen consort of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Styled Her Majesty The Queen, Silvia is the mother of the heir apparent to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria.-Childhood:Queen Silvia was born in Heidelberg, Germany, on 23 December 1943...
, had issue.
Death
- See also Copenhagen Airport—Incidents and accidents.
Kastrup
Kastrup is a suburb of Copenhagen, on the east coast of Amager in the Tårnby Municipality.Kastrup is best known as the site of Copenhagen Airport. In Danish, the airport is often called Kastrup Lufthavn or Københavns Lufthavn, Kastrup .Scandinavian Airlines System has its Denmark offices in Kastrup...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The prince, along with two companions, was returning to Stockholm from a hunting trip and visit to Princess Juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The delayed KLM flight from Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
had landed at Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
for a routine stop before continuing to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Soon after the Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
aircraft took off, it climbed to an altitude of about 50 meters (150 ft), stalled, and plummeted nose-first to the ground, where it exploded on impact. All 22 people aboard the plane (16 passengers and six crew members) were killed. Also aboard the ill-fated flight was American singer and actress Grace Moore
Grace Moore
Grace Moore was an American operatic soprano and actress in musical theatre and film. She was nicknamed the "Tennessee Nightingale." Her films helped to popularize opera by bringing it to a larger audience.-Early life:...
. The investigation showed that the crash had been caused by a forgotten gust lock
Gust lock
A gust lock on an aircraft is a mechanism that locks control surfaces in place preventing random movement and possible damage of the surface from wind while parked...
to the elevator. Short of time, the captain had failed to perform the checklist properly and took off not realizing the lock was still in place.
At the time of his death, Prince Gustaf Adolf had been second in line (Hereditary Prince) to the Swedish throne behind his father, who in 1950 became King Gustaf VI Adolf. The younger Gustaf Adolf was succeeded as second in line by his only son, Carl Gustaf
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
, who would later succeed his grandfather as King Carl XVI Gustaf.