Prince Lennart, Duke of Småland
Encyclopedia
Lennart Bernadotte Count of Wisborg, né Prince Gustaf Lennart Nicolaus Paul of Sweden (8 May 1909 – 21 December 2004), a grandson of King Gustaf V of Sweden
, was until 1932 a Prince
of Sweden
and the Duke of Småland.
He was born at the Royal Palace
in Stockholm
, to Prince Wilhelm
of Sweden (Gustaf V's second son) and Wilhelms's wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
of Russia. His father's first cousin was Count Folke Bernadotte
and his own first cousin was the father of King Carl XVI Gustaf.
, a prince or princess marrying without the consent of the Sovereign and government forfeits the right of succession for themselves and their descendants. They give up their titles and assume the family name of Bernadotte
. By his marriage on 11 March 1932 he was subsequently stripped of his title, renounced his rights and became Mr. Lennart Bernadotte.
Since 1868, Swedish princes who have lost their succession rights have received noble titles conferred by other reigning monarchs. The Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
has conferred the title of Count of Wisborg
, and in one case, the King of Belgium
has conferred the title Prince Bernadotte. Thus, on ennoblement by the Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, on 2 July 1951 he became Lennart Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg
.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
, who lost the right to confer noble titles in the new constitution
of 1974, still retains the prerogative to restore royal titles, but has chosen not to do so.
in Lake Constance
, Germany
, where he died, and on his charitable fund, the Lennart Bernadotte Stiftung. He was considered a major gardening and landscaping talent and expert and turned his island into a popular tourist attraction.
He received the Eduard Rhein Ring of Honor from the German Eduard Rhein Foundation in 1996.
Gustaf V of Sweden
Gustaf V was King of Sweden from 1907. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
, was until 1932 a Prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and the Duke of Småland.
He was born at the Royal Palace
Stockholm Palace
The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. . Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen , in Gamla Stan in the capital, Stockholm...
in 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...
, to Prince Wilhelm
Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland
Prince Wilhelm of Sweden and Norway, Carl Wilhelm Ludvig , Duke of Södermanland, was the second son of King Gustav V of Sweden and his Queen consort Victoria of Baden.-Biography:...
of Sweden (Gustaf V's second son) and Wilhelms's wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1890-1958)
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, known as "Maria Pavlovna the Younger" was the daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich and Alexandra Georgievna of Greece by marriage Princess of Sweden...
of Russia. His father's first cousin was Count Folke Bernadotte
Folke Bernadotte
Folke Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg was a Swedish diplomat and nobleman noted for his negotiation of the release of about 31,000 prisoners from German concentration camps during World War II, including 450 Danish Jews from Theresienstadt released on 14 April 1945...
and his own first cousin was the father of King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Title
Under the Swedish Act of SuccessionSwedish Act of Succession
The Act of Succession is a part of the Swedish Constitution. It was adopted by the Riksdag of the Estates on September 26, 1810, and it regulates the right of members of the House of Bernadotte to accede to the Swedish throne...
, a prince or princess marrying without the consent of the Sovereign and government forfeits the right of succession for themselves and their descendants. They give up their titles and assume the family name of Bernadotte
Bernadotte
The House of Bernadotte, the current royal house of Sweden, has reigned since 1818. Between 1818 and 1905, it was also the royal house of the Norway...
. By his marriage on 11 March 1932 he was subsequently stripped of his title, renounced his rights and became Mr. Lennart Bernadotte.
Since 1868, Swedish princes who have lost their succession rights have received noble titles conferred by other reigning monarchs. The Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
has conferred the title of Count of Wisborg
Bernadotte af Wisborg
The title Count of Wisborg is, since 1892, borne by the male-line descendants of four princes of Sweden who married morganatically without the consent of the King of Sweden and thereby lost the right of succession to the throne of Sweden for themselves, their children and their descendants...
, and in one case, the King of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
has conferred the title Prince Bernadotte. Thus, on ennoblement by the Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, on 2 July 1951 he became Lennart Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg
Bernadotte af Wisborg
The title Count of Wisborg is, since 1892, borne by the male-line descendants of four princes of Sweden who married morganatically without the consent of the King of Sweden and thereby lost the right of succession to the throne of Sweden for themselves, their children and their descendants...
.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
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 lost the right to confer noble titles in the new constitution
Constitution of Sweden
The Swedish Constitution consists of four fundamental laws :* The 1810 Act of Succession * The 1949 Freedom of the Press Act * The 1974 Instrument of Government * The 1991 Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression...
of 1974, still retains the prerogative to restore royal titles, but has chosen not to do so.
Career
Lennart Bernadotte concentrated his energy on his estate on the island of MainauMainau
Mainau is an island in Lake Constance . It is maintained as a garden island and a model of excellent environmental practices...
in Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where he died, and on his charitable fund, the Lennart Bernadotte Stiftung. He was considered a major gardening and landscaping talent and expert and turned his island into a popular tourist attraction.
He received the Eduard Rhein Ring of Honor from the German Eduard Rhein Foundation in 1996.
Ancestors, wives and children
| Wife | Born | Died | Marriage and Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karin Nissvandt | 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... or Nora, Sweden Nora, Sweden Nora is a locality and the seat of Nora Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 6,496 inhabitants in 2005.Despite its small population, Nora is referred to as a "city" for historical reasons. Statistics Sweden, however, only counts localities with more than 10,000 inhabitants as... , 7 July 1911 |
Constance, Switzerland Konstanz Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:... , 9 September 1991 |
Civil marriage at the Prince's Row Register Office, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , on 20 February 1932; religious wedding in London on 11 March 1932; divorced in 1972 after having four children (1 son and 3 daughters):
|
| Sonja Anita Maria Haunz Sonja Bernadotte Sonja Anita Maria Countess Bernadotte af Wisborg was the widow of Count Lennart Bernadotte, grandson of Sweden's King Gustaf V through his father, Prince Wilhelm, the king's second son, married in Mainau on 29 April 1971.She managed the Mainau estate on Lake Constance in southern Germany which... |
7 May 1944 | 21 October 2008 | Married on the island of Mainau Mainau Mainau is an island in Lake Constance . It is maintained as a garden island and a model of excellent environmental practices... , Switzerland, on 29 April 1972; five children (2 sons, 3 daughters): |