| Lennart Bernadotte | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Bernadotte prev.Duke of Småland | |||||
 Lennart Bernadotte in 1939 | |||||
| Born | (1909-05-08)8 May 1909 Stockholm Palace,Stockholm, Sweden | ||||
| Died | 21 December 2004(2004-12-21) (aged 95) Schloss Mainau,Mainau,Lake Constance, Germany | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Countess Birgitta Countess Marie-Louise Count Jan Countess Cecilia Countess Bettina Count Björn Countess Catharina Count Christian Countess Diana | ||||
| |||||
| House | Bernadotte | ||||
| Father | Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland | ||||
| Mother | Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Prince Lennart Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (bornPrince Lennart of Sweden, Duke of Småland; 8 May 1909 – 21 December 2004) was a Swedish-German landscaper, filmmaker, photographer and was a grandson of KingGustaf V of Sweden. He was also the eldest great-grandchild of KingGeorge I of Greece.
He was born at theRoyal Palace inStockholm, toPrince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland, andGrand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. At birth Bernadotte was a Swedish prince and was titledDuke of Småland. In 1932, he married Karin Nissvandt,an unequal marriage, and thereafter ceased to be a Swedish dynast. Thus, he was calledMr. Bernadotte as a result. Nineteen years after he lost his Swedish royal titles, he was given titles of nobility inLuxembourg.
He published two memoirs:Käre prins, godnatt (1977) andMainau min medelpunkt (1995).
Under theSwedish Act of Succession, a prince or princess marrying without the consent of the monarch and government forfeits the right of succession for themselves and their descendants. In a new policy adopted in the case of Lennart Bernadotte, they were also forbidden to use their titles[1] and told to use thesurname ofBernadotte. By his marriage on 11 March 1932 Prince Lennart consequently, as far as Swedish records were concerned, was to be calledMr. Lennart Bernadotte.
He considered himself for several decades subjected to very cruel treatment from theRoyal Court of Sweden due to his first marriage, and his wife developed a worsening psychosis from it which eventually led to their divorce in 1971.[2]
Beginning in 1892, Swedish princes who lost their succession rights received noble titles conferred by other reigning monarchs. On 2 July 1951, for himself, his wife and his marital descendants, Bernadotte was admitted byGrand Duchess Charlotte (head of state at the time) into the nobility of Luxembourg asCount of Wisborg[3] and in that conferral was also calledGustaf Lennart Nicolas PaulPrince Bernadotte.[4]Counts of Wisborg are considered to be part of theSwedish unintroduced nobility.[3]
It has been reported (without accuracy) that Lennart and his cousinSigvard Bernadotte wanted KingCarl XVI Gustaf of Sweden to restore their royal titles, which he could have done, but that he chose not to do so; no such request was actually ever made however.
In 1944 Bernadotte portrayed the youngCrown Prince Carl of Sweden and Norway in the historical filmPrince Gustaf, Bernadotte's only screen acting role. He served as head of theSveriges Scoutförbund (Scouting Association of Sweden) from 1948 to 1951[5][6][7]
Lennart Bernadotte concentrated his energy on his estate on the island ofMainau inLake Constance,Germany, where he died, and on his charitable fund, theLennart Bernadotte Stiftung. He was considered a major gardening and landscaping talent and expert and turned his island into a popular tourist attraction.
He inspired theGreen Charter of Mainau, which then became the template for theInternational Ski Federation's Mainau Forums and Mainau Manifesto's and the sports commitment to the environment and climate change.[8]
He received theEduard Rhein Ring of Honor from the GermanEduard Rhein Foundation in 1996.[9][10]
In London on 11 March 1932, Bernadotte married firstly Karin Emma Louise Nissvandt (7 July 1911 – 9 September 1991). They had four children before divorcing in December 1971: Birgitta (1933), Marie-Louise (1935-1988), Jan (1941-2021),[11] and Cecilia (1944-2024).
In Mainau on 29 April 1972, Bernadotte marriedSonja Anita Maria Haunz (7 May 1944 – 21 October 2008). They had five children: Bettina (1974), Björn (1975), Catherine (1977), Christian (1979), and Diana (1982).
Bernadotte died on 21 December 2004. His remains, and four years later those of his second wife, were interred in a crypt under the palace chapel on Mainau. His first wife's remains were buried in his father's grave inFlen.
Knight of theOrder of Charles XIII (8 May 1909)[12]
Commander Grand Cross of theOrder of the Polar Star (10 April 1952)[13]
King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (1928)[13]King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal II (1948)[13]
Knight of theOrder of Vasa[13]
![Arms of the Counts of Wisborg[3]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aArmoiries_de_Lennart_Bernadotte_comte_de_Wisborg.svg)
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