Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland (Erik Gustav Ludvig Albert; 20 April 1889 – 20 September 1918) was a Swedish and Norwegian prince. He was the third and youngest son of King
Gustav V of Sweden
Gustaf V (Oscar Gustaf Adolf; 16 June 1858 – 29 October 1950) was King of Sweden from 8 December 1907 until his death in 1950. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxem ...
and
Victoria of Baden
Sophie Marie Victoria of Baden (german: Sophie Marie Viktoria; 7 August 1862 – 4 April 1930) was Queen of Sweden from 8 December 1907 until her death in 1930 as the wife of King Gustaf V. She was politically active in a conservative fashion dur ...
. In 1904, Prince Erik was appointed a
Knight of the Norwegian Lion by his paternal grandfather, King
Oscar II
Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907 and King of Norway from 1872 to 1905.
Oscar was the son of King Oscar I and Queen Josephine. He inherited the Swedish and Norweg ...
.
Life
Prince Erik had
epilepsy
Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...
and mild
intellectual disability
Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation,Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signifi ...
. His exact condition has not been published, but he may have had an injury at birth or been affected by his mother's strong pre-natal medication for pneumonia. He had pangs of severe anxiety, and Victoria called him "my much loved child of grief". He was described as handsome and physically healthy. His mental disability was not noticeable in brief conversation, but would become apparent if he was engaged at length.
[
Because of his condition, he was seldom seen in public and led a quiet life away from the public eye, similar to the life of ]Prince John of the United Kingdom
Prince John (John Charles Francis; 12 July 1905 – 18 January 1919) was the fifth son and youngest of the six children of King George V and Queen Mary. At the time of his birth, his father was heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the Uni ...
. Because he was a member of the royal family, he was present in official royal photographs, but he had no official tasks. During 1907 to 1909, a residence was built for him away from the public eye in Djursholm
Djursholm () is one of four suburban districts in, and the seat of Danderyd Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. Djursholm is included in the multi-municipal Stockholm urban area. Djursholm is divided into a number of different areas: Djursh ...
, a relatively new garden community north of Stockholm.
Erik was cared for by many members of the same staff who were responsible for him and his brothers when they were children: the governess Louise Rinman, referred to by the siblings as Vass, was responsible for the upbringing of him and his siblings when they were little, and in the case of Erik, she continued to be so until his death. Every two weeks he was allowed a trip to the capital, during which he sometimes could be seen visiting the opera; these were the only times he was seen in public except for official photographs.
Death
In 1917, he complained about having to live in such isolation,[ and it was decided that he should have a new residence closer to Stockholm. However, he died the next year of the ]Spanish flu
The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...
at Drottningholm Palace. His parents were not present when he died which, according to official memoirs, caused his father great sorrow in later years. His mother, who herself had poor health and spent parts of the year in Italy, was abroad at the time. Reportedly his brothers felt sorry for him.[
His former residence on Germaniavägen in Djursholm has been in private ownership since the 1960s and today (2011) is the private residence of South Africa's ambassador to Sweden.
]
Honours and arms
Honours
* Sweden-Norway
Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway ( sv, Svensk-norska unionen; no, Den svensk-norske union(en)), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and known as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Sweden ...
:
** Knight and Commander of the Seraphim, ''20 April 1889''
** Knight of the Order of Charles XIII
The Royal Order of Charles XIII ( sv, Kungliga Carl XIII:s orden) is a Swedish order of merit, founded by King Charles XIII in 1811.
Membership
The Lord and Master of the Order is the King of Sweden, currently King Carl XVI Gustaf. Membership of ...
, ''20 April 1889''
** Commander Grand Cross of the Sword, ''20 April 1889''
** Commander Grand Cross of the Polar Star, ''20 April 1889''
** Grand Cross of St. Olav, with Collar, ''20 April 1889''
** Knight of the Norwegian Lion, ''21 January 1904''
* : Knight of the Elephant
The Order of the Elephant ( da, Elefantordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional ...
, ''20 November 1912''
* : Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
* :
** Knight of the Black Eagle
** Grand Cross of the Red Eagle
** : Knight of the House Order of Fidelity
The House Order of Fidelity (german: Hausorden der Treue) is a dynastic order of the Margraviate of Baden. It was established by Charles III William, Margrave of Baden-Durlach as a reward for merit and to mark the laying of the foundation ston ...
Arms
File:Armoiries du Prince Erik de Suède.svg, Prince Erik's Coat of Arms
File:Royal Monogram of Prince Erik of Sweden.svg, Prince Erik's Monogram
Ancestors
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erik, Duke of Vastmanland, Prince
1889 births
1918 deaths
Royalty and nobility with disabilities
Eric 1889
Norwegian princes
House of Bernadotte
Dukes of provinces of Sweden
People with epilepsy
Deaths from Spanish flu
Infectious disease deaths in Sweden
Burials at Riddarholmen Church
Swedish people with disabilities
Swedish people of French descent
Swedish Lutherans
People from Stockholm
Knights of the Order of Charles XIII
Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword
Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star
Knights of the Order of the Norwegian Lion
Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur
Sons of kings