Swedish Royalty: Princess Sibylla (1908-72)


Figure 1.-- The photo of Princess Sibylla here was taken during World War II. It rather looks like a nursing uniform, but we are not sure. We would greatly appreciate any information that HBC readers can offer on the Princess.

Princess Sibylla (Sibylla Calma Marie Alice Wettin) of Saxe-Coburg Gotha was born in 1908. Her parents were Prince Leopold (Leopold Charles Edward Wettin), Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1884- ). The Prince was a grandson of Queen Victoria. His father was Prince Leopold. Her father did not fare well in World War I. He abdicated as Duke of Saxe-Coburg at the end of te War in 1918. His British titles (Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow were removed in 1919. Princess Sibylla's mother was Princess Schleswig-Holste Victoria Adelheid (1885- ). Princess Sibylla married Swedish Crown Prince Gustav Adolf (1906-47), the eldest son of future King Gustav VI and Princess Margaret Victoria Wettin (1882-1920). They were married in Coburg in 1932. The Crown Princess is seen here in a World War II era uniform (figure 1). They had five children: Margaretha Dérirée (1934- ), Birgitta Ingeborg (1937- ), Désirée Elizabeth (1938- ), Christina Louise Helen (1943- ), and Carl Gustav (1946- ). Gustav Adolf died in 1947 in a tragic airplane crash at the Copenhagen airport before his father assumed the throne. His son Carl Gustaf became Crown Prince when his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf, acceded to the throne in 1950. Heinherited the throne when his grandfather died in 1973. The Riksdag in 1965 raised to 25 the age at which a king could begin his rule, and in 1971 it enacted legislation, effective at Gustav's death in 1973, stripping the monarchy of its most important political functions. The crown prince acceded to the largely ceremonial throne as Carl XVI Gustaf. He chose as his motto, "For Sweden in keeping with the times". The new king chose this motto to stress his desire to meet with the demands on a modern monarch.

Parents

Her father was Prince Charles Edward (Leopold Charles Edward Wettin), Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1884- ). The Prince was a grandson of Queen Victoria. His father was Prince Leopold. Queen Victoria managed to convince Kaisser Wilhelm to accept his as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gothsa. Her father did not fare well in World War I. He abdicated as Duke of Saxe-Coburg at the end of the War in 1918. His British titles (Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow were removed in 1919. After the War he turned to right-wing politics and eventually joined the NAZI Party. Hitler appointed him president of the German Red Cross. Princess Sibylla's mother was Princess Schleswig-Holste Victoria Adelheid (1885- ).

Childhood

Princess Sibylla (Sibylla Calma Marie Alice Wettin) of Saxe-Coburg Gotha was born in 1908.

Marriage

Princess Sibylla married Swedish Crown Prince Gustav Adolf (1906-47), the eldest son of future King Gustav VI and Princess Margaret Victoria Wettin (1882-1920). They were married in Coburg in 1932. Duke Carl Eduard tuned his daughter's wedding into a NAZI event. King Gustavus V was reportedly outraged. He refused to attend the wedding and would not even allow his son the Crown Prince to attend the wedding.

World War II

The Crown Princess is seen here in a World War II era uniform (figure 1).

Children

They had five children: Margaretha Dérirée (1934- ), Birgitta Ingeborg (1937- ), Désirée Elizabeth (1938- ), Christina Louise Helen (1943- ), and Carl Gustav (1946- ). Gustav Adolf died in 1947 in a tragic airplane crash at the Copenhagen airport before his father assumed the throne. His son Carl Gustaf became Crown Prince when his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf, acceded to the throne in 1950. He inherited the throne when his grandfather died in 1973. The Riksdag in 1965 raised to 25 the age at which a king could begin his rule, and in 1971 it enacted legislation, effective at Gustav's death in 1973, stripping the monarchy of its most important political functions. The crown prince acceded to the largely ceremonial throne as Carl XVI Gustaf. He chose as his motto, "For Sweden in keeping with the times". The new king chose this motto to stress his desire to meet with the demands on a modern monarch.

Image

Michael Zwerdling, RN, of the Zwerdling Nursing Archives is attempting to determine if Princess Sibylla was involved with nursing, either as a nurse, a noted patron of hospitals or nurse organizations, etc. The photo here was taken during World War II (figure 1). It rather looks like a nursing uniform, but we are nor sure. We would greatly appreciate any information that HBC readers can offer on the Princess. Hopefully our Swedish readers can provide some information on the Princess.







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Created: August 2, 2002
Last updated: 4:41 AM 7/29/2008