Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland

Prince Bertil of Sweden (Bertil Gustaf Oskar Carl Eugén, 28 February 1912 – 5 January 1997), Duke of Halland, was the third son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught. He was a paternal uncle of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and a maternal uncle of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.

Bertil was born at Stockholm. He was granted a very old dukedom, one that was bestowed in the Middle Ages on various Danish and Swedish royal relatives, such as Benedict, Duke of Halland. After his eldest brother Prince Gustaf Adolf died in 1947, leaving an infant son Carl Gustaf in the line of succession, and because his elder brother Sigvard had already given up his place in the succession (owing to a constitutionally unacceptable marriage), it seemed likely that Bertil could one day become regent.

For this reason, Bertil chose not to marry Welsh commoner Lilian Craig, as that would have deprived him of his place in the succession, so the couple simply lived together discreetly. Their common base was a home in Sainte-Maxime, in the south of France. The arrangement was well known by all and intended to keep the lineage until the heir-apparent to the throne (Carl XVI Gustaf) was old enough. The then Mrs Davies was a known part of the Royal Family from their private perspective but not officially. However, his father lived long enough for Carl Gustaf to come of age.

After the death of King Gustaf VI Adolf in 1973, and after the new King was married, he approved the marriage of Bertil and Lilian, which took place in Drottningholm on 7 December 1976. Still the only person in line to the throne (until the birth of Crown Prince Carl Philip in 1979), Bertil continued to act as the King's deputy. His wife was known as HRH Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland. The prince was a brother of the late Queen Ingrid of Denmark (née Princess Ingrid of Sweden), mother of the current Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

When the Act of Succession was changed in 1980, rights to the throne was restricted to Carl XVI Gustaf and his descendants; however, a special addendum was made for Bertil's case, so that he became third (and, after the birth of Princess Madeleine in 1982, fourth) in line to the throne.

Bertil was a very popular person domestically. He was fond of cars and Volvo asked him to open the Volvo Halifax Assembly plant in 1963 in Nova Scotia, Canada. He was a keen supporter and practitioner of various sports, notably tennis and boules, and was also a member of the fine-dining society, La Chaine des Rotisseurs. He died in Stockholm.

Arms


On his creation as Duke of Halland, Prince Bertil was granted use of a coat of arms based on the Arms of Dominion of Sweden, with the arms of Halland in the third quarter.