Count of Wisborg - The Original Four Counts of Wisborg

The Original Four Counts of Wisborg

The four former princes of Sweden given the title Count of Wisborg are:

• Oscar Bernadotte (1859–1953), second son of King Oscar II of Sweden. He married morganatically and lost 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 title of nobility or another form of unofficial courtesy title (such as some later dynasty members have been given). On 2 April 1892, 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 the half-sister of Grand Duke Adolphe. A possible explanation for the choice of the Wisborg title is that Oscar was formerly Duke of Gotland and the fortification Visborg (then spelled Wisborg) lies within Gotland.

• Lennart Bernadotte (1909–2004), only son of Prince Vilhelm, Duke of Södermanland. He married morganatically and lost his Swedish titles on March 11, 1932. He was created Count of Wisborg by Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg on July 2, 1951. Lennart styled himself Prince Lennart Bernadotte, but this usage was never recognised by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

• Sigvard Bernadotte (1907–2002), second son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden. He married morganatically and lost his Swedish titles on March 8, 1934. He was created Count of Wisborg by Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg on July 2, 1951. Sigvard unilaterally reclaimed the title of Prince of Sweden on May 28, 1983, but this usage was never recognised by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

• Carl Johan Bernadotte (1916–2012), fourth son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden. He married morganatically and lost his Swedish titles on February 19, 1946. He was created Count of Wisborg by Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg on July 2, 1951. He was the last surviving great-grandchild of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Count Carl Johan was for many years chairman of Ointroducerad Adels Förening.

A fifth prince of Sweden, Carl (1911–2003), married morganatically and lost his Swedish titles in 1937. He was given the title Prince Bernadotte by his brother-in-law King Leopold III of Belgium. 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).