King Oscar II (1829-1907) and Sofia of Nassau (1836-1913)


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Royal Family China

Hello - I'm looking for some information if anyone is knowledable on the subject of royal china I would love to hear back from you.
I have a teacup that has no markings of a maker on it. I've been told throughout my life that it came from Sweden with an ancestor of mine who was a maid to the royal family. The picture on the teacup is that of Oscar II. The time frame matches up to when my ancestor would have travelled to the United States (either with the royal family or after her service to them- I don't know). I was wondering if anyone could tell me if it is indeed possible that I have a piece of the china from the Royal Family during Oscar II's reign. Is this what it would have looked like? Did the king have his image on the china?
There is a link below to the picture of the teacup.
 

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That sure is Oscar II on the cup. But that's also as much as I can help you.
 
It's a very interesting tea cup. I don't think the the royal family would use such china themselves. It's probably something that was produced as gifts or even an early form of merchandizing.
 
It's a very interesting tea cup. I don't think the the royal family would use such china themselves. It's probably something that was produced as gifts or even an early form of merchandizing.
I guess you're right, but surely it's not impossible that a maid got such a gift, when she quit her job for the royal family? I don't know...
 
I guess you're right, but surely it's not impossible that a maid got such a gift, when she quit her job for the royal family? I don't know...
Oh yes, it is possible that the maid received it as a gift from their imployers. I just wanted to say that this kind of china wasn't something the royals used themselves. Much rather they had this kind of souvenir specially made, so that they had some giveaways :flowers:.

The royal china was certainly the best of it's kind, very delicate, gold rimmed, with markings from the very best manufacturers, etc.

This teacup and saucer have no markings, as Royalmaid said. So I'd say that it was not first class china but something more economical. Still, afeik at the time even simple china was something of a treasure for normal people.

Maybe it was also possible to purchase these things, but I'm just speculating. Is there something like an antique china forum out there on the net? That might be a way to learn more :flowers:.
 
Thank you.

Thanks to all for your interest. I just discovered that I also have Queen Sofia's teacup as well. This one is marked but very lightly. Best I can make out it say 'Johan Ekolsen Estate' with a simple flower design in middle.
Does this add any more information that someone might know something more about?
 

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My guess is that the cups are commemorative objects made to the silver jubilee of king Oscar II in 1897.
 
This information and all of these pictures are great! Do you happen to know who Queen Sofia's (1836-1913) ladies-in-waiting were? If so, could you list their names? Thanks much!
 
King Oscar II's signature from 1901
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMsvPwDE2zk

King Oscar II commissioned a new opera house to be built by Axel Anderberg for the Royal Swedish Opera which was inaugurated on September 19, 1898.

King Oscar II was an ardent pedestrian and thought of nothing of going for a twenty-five mile walk between breakfast and late dinner. He could rarely be persuaded to carry an umbrella.
 
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Queen Sofia, by Hugo Salmson in 1888.
https://d2mpxrrcad19ou.cloudfront.net/item_images/1063066/11188389_fullsize.jpg

Portraits of king Oscar II and queen Sofia, taken around 1900.
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A miniature portrait of queen Sofia owned by the late count Oscar "Oscis" Bernadotte (1921‑2018) was auctioned at Uppsala Auktionkammare's auction 11-14 June at the price of SEK 16 000.
Rudolf Jernström (1874-1953). Miniature portrait depicting Queen Sofia (1863-1913). Signed and dated R. Jernström 1911. Frame in gold, 18K, enamel decor 1865 1915 Aug 1. CG Hallberg, Stockholm 1915. Gouache, Ø 7.8 cm (including frame).
https://live.uppsalaauktion.se/view/large/2131578.jpg?1558360290
1297. Rudolf Jernström - Internationell kvalitetsauktion 11 - 14 juni 2019
 
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Oscar II's marriage

This is a segment of the Swedish Royal Family tree, as of 1857:
  • Oscar I, Duke of Södermanland (1799-1859)
    • Carl XV, Duke of Skåne (1826-1872, m.1850 to Louise of the Netherlands)
      • Louise (1851-1926, m.1869 to Frederick VIII)
      • Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland (1852-1854)
    • Gustaf, Duke of Uppland (1827-1852)
    • Oscar II, Duke of Östergötland (1829-1907, m.1857 to Sophia of Nassau)
    • Eugenie (1830-1889)
    • August, Duke of Dalarna (1831-1873, m.1864)

Carl Oscar, the only son of the Duke of Skåne, died in his infancy in 1854. It is written on the 1959 book Drottning Sophia that the Duchess of Skåne could not have more children after some time in the mid-1850s due to an injury. The Duke of Uppland was already dead by 1852.

Since it is rare for spares to have a proper marriage (one that would not lead to a loss of title) between 1810 and 1973 (There were only two spares after him to have a proper marriage, Carl (Duke of Västergötland), who sired 4 children, and Wilhelm, who sired Lennart), I have wondered if these unfortunate circumstances have pressured Oscar to marry as soon as possible, or if it was likely that Oscar would still have married and have had his own children, even if his nephew did not die young and had his own heirs.

From what I know, Oscar's marriage was not arranged as he went around Europe in the mid-1850s to find his partner and eventually found Sophia. As for Carl, his marriage was arranged by his father, yet it was a successful one. Wilhelm's marriage was arranged by Maria Pavlovna's aunt, but that marriage wasn't happy and they divorced eventually.
 
Could King Oscar I have had the succession changed so that his granddaughter Princess Louise could eventually become Queen Regnant of Sweden?
 
Could King Oscar I have had the succession changed so that his granddaughter Princess Louise could eventually become Queen Regnant of Sweden?

Carl XV advocated for it many times, but the Riksdag won't allow it because the Riksdag members were still so conservative back then in the 1850s, and as Oscar and August are already over 20, there would not be very much to justify putting Louise in front of her two uncles just for the sake of continuing Carl XV's bloodlines, instead of just continuing Oscar I's. It is ultimately decided that Louise shall marry into another Kingdom and be a Queen consort. Subsequently, the first-borns have always been sons except for the Duke of Västerbotten who sired four daughters in 1934, 1937, 1938, 1943 and then a son in 1946. Agnatic succession has been so written into law that Margaretha herself doesn't want to inherit the throne. The Riksdag, however, finally initiated the amendment in the 1970s as Bertil is expected to be childless anyway and being displaced won't mean anything to him.

This is somewhat like Japan nowadays - We have Naruhito (Carl XV), Aiko (Louise), Fumihito (Oscar II) and Hisahito (Gustaf V).
 
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Could King Oscar I have had the succession changed so that his granddaughter Princess Louise could eventually become Queen Regnant of Sweden?
King Oscar was by the time of Prince Carl Oscar's death already in very bad health and his son the future Carl XV was regent from 1857 to 1859. Carl XV did try to have the Order of succession changed in favour of his daughter but it was felt unnecessary since his brother Prince Oscar already had so many sons.
 
At the Instagram of the Royal Palaces

King Oskar II by Anders Zorn
On Tuesdays, the Royal Palace's museum teachers takes over the Instagram account and presents their favorite objects from the #royalcollections. Today, museum teacher Per Sjödahl tells the story of the creation of a painting:
"Well, now you'll paint the old man".This is how artist Anders Zorn is greeted by King Oskar II when he comes to the Royal Palace one winter day in 1898 to paint the king's portrait. Oskar II wants to be painted in the Life Guards' light blue uniform, but Anders Zorn is of a different opinion and replies that the portrait "should be painted but not by me". The king gets furious. Anders Zorn explains that if he now has a "chance" to paint his king, he intends to paint him as he knows him and he knows him "not as a soldier but as the patron and practitioner of the arts and sciences". Oskar II softens and the portrait is painted, with the king sitting in his audience room in a costume with the seraphim band over his chest.
The portrait can be seen in the Bernadotte Gallery at the Royal Palace.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJYLkv9JZHQ/
 
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