Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland

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Prince Wilhelm and his wife grand duchess Maria Pavlovna at the time of their marriage in 1908.

Swedish Royalty
House of Bernadotte

Charles XIV John Children    Oscar I Oscar I Children    Charles XV    Gustaf, Duke of Upland    Oscar II    Princess Eugenie    August, Duke of Dalarna Charles XV Children    Lovisa, Queen of Denmark    Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland Oscar II Children    Gustaf V    Oscar, Duke of Gotland    Eugén, Duke of Närke    Carl, Duke of Västergötland Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway    Astrid, Queen of Belgium    Carl, Duke of Östergötland Gustaf V Children    Gustaf VI Adolf    Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland    Erik, Duke of Västmanland Gustaf VI Adolf Children    Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten    Sigvard, Duke of Uppland    Ingrid, Queen of Denmark    Bertil, Duke of Halland    Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Princess Birgitta    Princess Désirée    Princess Christina    Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf Children    Crown Princess Victoria    Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland    Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland

Prince Vilhelm of Sweden and Norway, (Carl Vilhelm Ludvig) (June 17, 1884 - June 5, 1965), Duke of Södermanland, was the second son of King Gustav V of Sweden and his Queen consort Victoria of Baden.

On May 3, 1908, Wilhelm married Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. She was a daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia and Princess Alexandra of Greece. Her paternal grandparents were Emperor Alexander II of Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. Her maternal grandparents were King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia.

Wilhelm and Maria had only one son: Prince Lennart, Duke of Småland and later Count Bernadotte af Wisborg (1909-2004). In his autobiography, Lennart tells of how his grandfather, the King, insisted that the servants call Maria by her correct style Your Imperial Highness, to some dismay of her husband, who was of course "only" a Royal Highness. The marriage was unhappy. Maria later told people that her husband was a homosexual, though there is no other historical evidence for Wilhelm's homosexuality. On the contrary, Wilhelm was known to have mistresses even up to old age.

In 1904 Prince Wilhelm was appointed a Knight of the Norwegian lion by King Oscar II.

[edit] Ancestry