Count of Wisborg (french: Comte de Wisborg; ; german: Graf von Wisborg) is a title granted by the monarchs of
Luxembourg to some men formerly titled as princes of Sweden and their descendants.
Since 1892, the title has been borne by the male-line descendants of four princes of
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
who married without the consent of the
King of Sweden and thereby lost their right of succession to the throne of Sweden for themselves and their descendants, and had their Swedish royal titles prohibited.
The four former princes of Sweden, after use of their Swedish titles no longer was allowed, assumed the surname of
Bernadotte. In each case they were given the title of nobility ''
Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg'' by the reigning
Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
The latter title (count or countess) was shared with the children of each prince, since subsequent generations in the male line were authorized to bear only the title "Count of Wisborg", Bernadotte being recognized as their surname by birth.
In some cases, this titulature has not been adhered to, usage of the style ''Count
irstnameBernadotte af Wisborg'' having been adopted by some of the descendants.
In Sweden, a few of these people from the House of Bernadotte have been considered members of the
unintroduced nobility
The Swedish nobility ( sv, Adeln eller Ridderskapet och Adeln) has historically been a legally and/or socially privileged class in Sweden, and part of the so-called ''frälse'' (a derivation from Old Swedish meaning ''free neck''). The archaic term ...
, and have thus been members of a private club called
Ointroducerad Adels Förening. Their legitimate titles of nobility, however, have not been Swedish but Luxembourgish.
The original four Counts of Wisborg
Four original princes of Sweden where admitted in the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and given the title ''Count of Wisborg'':
First creation, 1892–present
*
Prince Oscar, Duke of Gotland
Prince Oscar Carl August Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (15 November 1859 – 4 October 1953) was a Swedish religious activist, the second son of King Oscar II of Sweden and his consort, Sofia of Nassau. Born as a Prince of Sweden and Norway, he ...
(1859–1953), second son of King
Oscar II of Sweden. He married morganatically and gave up his Swedish titles on March 15, 1888. He and his wife were invested with the new titles of Prince and Princess Bernadotte on their wedding day. It has never been determined if this was a Swedish title of nobility or another form of unofficial courtesy title (such as some later dynasty members have been given by Swedish kings). On 2 April 1892, named as ''Oscar Prince Bernadotte'', he was also given a hereditary title as Count of Wisborg by his uncle
Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, previously Duke of Nassau. Oscar's mother,
Queen Sofia of Sweden, was a half-sister of Grand Duke Adolphe. The choice of the ''Wisborg'' title was because Oscar was formerly Duke of
Gotland
Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...
and the castle of
Visborg
Visborg (Wisborg) refers to a fortress in the town of Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland. Successive fortresses were built in Visby (''borg'' means fortress or castle), though Visborg is usually in reference to the castle built here by King ...
(then spelled ''Wisborg'') is in Gotland.
Extended creation, 1951–present
*
Prince Lennart, Duke of Småland (1909–2004), only son of
Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland and a grandson of King
Gustaf V of Sweden. He married morganatically and had his Swedish titles prohibited on March 11, 1932. He was given the same titles as his granduncle Oscar by Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg on July 2, 1951. Lennart styled himself in no other language than German, and then as ''Prof. Dr. h.c. mult. Lennart Graf Bernadotte af Wisborg (Professor and multiple honorary doctor Lennart Count Bernadotte of Wisborg)''.
*
Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland
Sigvard Oscar Fredrik, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (7 June 1907 – 4 February 2002) born as, and until 1934 known as, Prince Sigvard of Sweden, Duke of Uppland, was a member of the Swedish Royal Family and a successful industrial de ...
(1907–2002), second son of King
Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to:
* Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film
* ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hungarian series of animated short car ...
. He married morganatically and had his Swedish titles prohibited on March 8, 1934. He was given the same titles as his cousin Lennart simultaneously by
Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg on July 2, 1951. On May 28, 1983 Sigvard in Sweden formally announced his title as ''Prince Sigvard Bernadotte''. His nephew King
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has consistently declined to respond and his court has refused to use that title for his uncle.
*
Prince Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna (1916–2012), fourth son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden. He married morganatically and relinquished his Swedish titles on February 19, 1946. He was ennobled just as his brother Sigvard by Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg on July 2, 1951. He was the last surviving great-grandchild of
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Carl Johan for many years was chairman of
Ointroducerad Adels Förening.
A fifth prince of Sweden,
Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland (1911–2003), only son of
Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland and grandson of King Oscar II, married morganatically and relinquished his Swedish titles in 1937. He was given the title ''Prince Bernadotte'' by his brother-in-law King
Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasi ...
. His male-line descendants would have borne the title ''Count Bernadotte'', but in fact his only child is a daughter (Mrs. Madeleine Kogevinas, Countess Madeleine Bernadotte).
Later title-holders
The
agnatic
Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...
(male-line) descendants of each of these four former princes of Sweden, after the first generation of children, are entitled to the title ''Count of Wisborg'', but in practice, their surname is often included in the title, ''Count Bernadotte af Wisborg''.
The most well-known is
Folke Bernadotte, a son of Oscar Bernadotte, the first Count of Wisborg. He was the
United Nations Security Council mediator in the
Arab–Israeli conflict of 1947–1948, assassinated in 1948 by
Zionist militants.
A number of members of these families were guests at the 2010
.
Stockholm News
* Marianne Bernadotte
Gullan Marianne, Princess Bernadotte, Countess of Wisborg (née Lindberg, later Tchang; born 15 July 1924), also known as Princess Marianne Bernadotte, is a Swedish actress, fashion icon and philanthropist who in 1961 married Sigvard Bernadot ...
, widow of Sigvard.
* Count Michael Bernadotte af Wisborg (son of Sigvard), his wife Countess Christine Bernadotte af Wisborg and their daughter Countess Kajsa Bernadotte af Wisborg.
* Carl Johan Bernadotte
Carl Johan Arthur, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, (31 October 1916 – 5 May 2012) was the fourth son and fifth and youngest child of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught.
He was born a Prince ...
(above, son of King Gustaf VI Adolf) and his wife Gunnila Bernadotte
Gunnila Märta Louise Bernadotte, Countess of Wisborg (née Countess Wachtmeister af Johannishus; 12 May 1923 – 12 September 2016) was a Swedish and Luxembourgish noblewoman.
Early life
The daughter of Count Nils Claes Ludvig Wachtmeister ...
.
* Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg (daughter of Lennart) and her husband Philipp Haug.
* Count Björn Bernadotte af Wisborg (son of Lennart) and his wife Countess Sandra Bernadotte af Wisborg.
* Count Bertil Bernadotte af Wisborg (son of Folke) and Countess Jill Bernadotte af Wisborg.
See also
*Visborg
Visborg (Wisborg) refers to a fortress in the town of Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland. Successive fortresses were built in Visby (''borg'' means fortress or castle), though Visborg is usually in reference to the castle built here by King ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wisborg, Count of
Counts of Luxembourg
Noble titles created in 1892
Noble titles created in 1951