Prince Lennart Bernadotte (1909-2004) and Wives

[Marengo]

Prince Gustaf Lennart Nicolaus Paul of Sweden, renounced his rights to the Swedish throne and was created Count of Wisborg on 2 July 1951 (Stockholm, 8 May 1909 - Castle Mainau, 21 December 2004); married 1stly in London on 11 March 1932 (divorced in 1972) Karin Nissvandt (Stockholm, 7 July 1911 - Konstanz, 9 September 1991); married 2ndly in Mainau on 29 April 1972 Sonja Haunz (7 May 1944)

Children Lennart & Karin: Countess Birgitta Bernadotte af Wisborg, Mrs Straehl; Countess Maria Lovisa Bernadotte af Wisborg, Mrs. Kautz; Count Carl Johan (Jan) Gustaf Vilhelm Bernadotte af Wisborg andCountess Karin Cecilie Bernadotte af WisborgMrs Baenkler

Children Lennart & Sonja: Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, Mrs Haug; Count Bjorn Wilhelm Bernadotte af Wisborg; Countess Catherine Bernadotte af Wisborg, Mrs Ruffing; Count Christian Wolfgang Bernadotte af Wisborg; and Countess Diana Bernadotte af Wisborg, Mrs Grawe

Parents Lennart: Prince Vilhelm of Sweden and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia

Parents Karin:

Parents Sonja:

[Marengo]

Gustaf Lennart Nicolaus Paul Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (8 May 1909 – 21 December 2004), was Prince of Sweden and Duke of Småland from 1909 to 1932. He was born at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, as the son of Prince Wilhelm of Sweden and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia.
Under the Swedish Act of Succession, a prince or princess marrying without the consent of the Sovereign forfeits the right of succession for themselves, their children and their descendants. They give up their titles and assume the family name of Bernadotte. By his marriage on March 11, 1932 he was subsequentially stripped of his title and became Mr. Lennart Bernadotte.

Since 1868, Swedish princes who have lost their succession rights have received noble titles conferred by other reigning monarchs. The Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Luxembourg has conferred the title of Count of Wisborg, and in one case the King of Belgium has conferred the title Prince Bernadotte. Thus on ennoblement by the Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, on July 2, 1951 he became Lennart Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who lost the right to confer noble titles in the new constitution of 1974, does still retain the prerogative to restore royal titles, but has chosen not to do so.
Lennart Bernadotte concentrated his energy on his estate, the island of Mainau in Lake Constance, Germany, where he died, and on his charitable fund, the Lennart Bernadotte Stiftung.

Read the entire wikipedia article here.

[Marengo]

Karin Emma Louise Nissvandt (7 July 1911 in Nora, Sweden - 9 September 1991 in Eskilstuna, Sweden) was the daughter of a Manufacturer from Stockholm.
On 20 February 1932 she married in London Prince Lennart Bernadotte. Due to this married Prince Lennart forfeited his rights to the throne of Sweden. They lived with their family on the Isle of Mainau in the Bodensee (Germany). The couple divorced in 1972. The divorce got a lot of press attention and the press said that Lennart left his wife for a younger woman. The Count denied this and said that he would never remarry, but two years later he did to a woman 28 years younger than himself.

After Karin died she was burried in the familygrave of her ex- father-in-law, Prince Vilhelm of Sweden on the graveyard of Flen.

[Marengo]

Sonja Bernadotte, Countess Bernadotte af Wisborg (7 May 1944 -) was born as Sonja Haunz in Litzelstetten near Konstanz. She married in 1972 Count Lennart Bernadotte af Wisborg and was from 1981 to 2004 chef of Mainau GmbH.

Picture of Sonja Bernadotte

Picture of Sonja and Lennart

Picture of Sonja and Lennart with the King and Queen of Sweden

Picture of Lennart, Sonja and their 5 children

Picture of Lennart & Sonja I

Picture of Lennart & Sonja II

[Marengo]

A picture of Prince Lennart as a boy:




Prince Lennart with his father Prince Vilhelm:

[Marengo]

The Count lived on the beautiful isle of Mainau near Konstanz in the Bodensee (also known as the flower isle)

The website here: Insel Mainau

Picture of the castle

[Katrianna]

Thanks Marengo for your work. Very interesting.

[Jason R Maier esq]

very interesting how he did charity work :)

[Jo of Palatine]

Count lennart bernadotte wrote an autobiography about his youth in Sweden, his decision to marry a commoner, his inheriatnce the Mainau and how he created the flower paradise on this island. It's well worth reading, though I don't know if it was translated in other languages as German. The title is "Gute Nacht, kleiner Prinz".

[NotAPretender]

Marengo - thanks for bumping this thread back up.

Lennart's story is one that I find personally fascinating. His relationship with his mother, who divorced his father when he was a child, is fraught with many years of separation and testy reunions. His link to the Russian Royal family through her, of course, is one of endless interest.

The things he saw in his life!

[Josefine]

what is the history on Castle Mainau
how long has the family owned it

[maria-olivia]

I should like to know more about Prince Lennart's childhood. His mother was an Grand Duchess of Russia?
How many times did he marry ?
Was Sonja his secretary ? They were so happy with their many children.

[Avicenna]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

I should like to know more about Prince Lennart's childhood. His mother was an Grand Duchess of Russia?
How many times did he marry ?
Was Sonja his secretary ? They were so happy with their many children.

Do you speak German? If so, you will find plenty of information on the Südkurier-Website, please see the other Bernadotte thread for the link.

Also there are some books available on the Mainau website: Insel Mainau - Druckschriften
They also have an english Guide (just bought one this sunday for a friend) It includes also old family pictures. Not sure though if I am allowed to scan them and publish them here. Sorry.

The following information is out of the booklet:

Prince Wilhelm of Sweden and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlova married in 1908, his son Lennart was born on May 8, 1909 in Stockholm as Prince Gustav Lennart Nicolas Paul, Crown Prince of Sweden, Duke of Smarland. Yes, his mother was a Romanov, cousin to Nicolas II - the last tsar. Lennart's father was the second son of King Gustav V of Sweden, descending directly of Jean Baptist Bernadotte, King of Sweden and Norway.

Lennart studied agriculture and forestry - it was clear that he would take over the island Mainau for a long time.

In 1932 he married Karin Nissvandt, a commoner. Without approval of the royal family he lost everything, title, a possible succession to the throne. But he continued his other plans.

In 1939 Lennart returned to Sweden due to the political situation in Germany, but returned immediatly after the war to restore the island. The guide has plenty of information of the following years, if you are interested in this.

In 1951 Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg awarded him the title "Graf of Wisborg".

-----------

His second wife Sonja: marriage 1972

Little by little Count Lennart transfered tasks to his wife to cover his withdrawal of day-to-day-business.

Her CV can be found on the www.skol.de website. Please let me know, if you do not speak German. I will then give you a brief summary.

[maria-olivia]

Thanks a lot Avicenna,
I understand German.
Now I remember, I read an article about Count's Lennart mother . I think his childhood was unhappy because he was so lonely, but his late years with his second wife and all his children were happy ?

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

Thanks a lot Avicenna,
I understand German.
Now I remember, I read an article about Count's Lennart mother . I think his childhood was unhappy because he was so lonely, but his late years with his second wife and all his children were happy ?

His parents marriage was arranged and not vey happy. They where divorced in 1914 when Lennart was only 5. He was then educated by his grandmother Queen Victoria who was very conservativ and his education was a result of this.

[Marengo]

The posts concerning the death, memorial service and funeral of countess Sonja Bernadotte has been moved to a seperate thread, which you can find here.