Prince Lennart Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (born Prince Lennart of Sweden, Duke of Småland; 8 May 1909 – 21 December 2004) was a Swedish-German landscaper, filmmaker, photographer and was a grandson of King
Gustaf V of Sweden
Gustaf V (Oscar Gustaf Adolf; 16 June 1858 – 29 October 1950) was King of Sweden from 8 December 1907 until his death in 1950. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxem ...
. He was also the eldest great-grandchild of King
George I of Greece
George I ( Greek: Γεώργιος Α΄, romanized: ''Geórgios I''; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 30 March 1863 until his assassination on 18 March 1913.
Originally a Danish prince, George was born in Copenhage ...
.
He was born at the
Royal Palace
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{, class="wikitable" width="95%"
, - bgcolor="white"
!align=center, Residence
!align=center, Photo
!align=center, City
!align=cen ...
in
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, to
Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland
Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland (Carl Wilhelm Ludvig; 17 June 1884 – 5 June 1965) was a Swedish and Norwegian prince. He authored many books (primarily in Swedish) as ''Prins Wilhelm''.
Personal life
Wilhelm was born at ...
, and
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. At birth Bernadotte was a Swedish prince and was titled
Duke of Småland. In 1932, he married Karin Nissvandt,
an unequal marriage, and thereafter ceased to be a Swedish dynast. Thus, he was called ''Mr.'' Bernadotte as a result. Nineteen years after he lost his Swedish royal titles, he was given titles of nobility in
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
.
He published two memoirs: ''Käre prins, godnatt'' (1977) and ''Mainau min medelpunkt'' (1995).
Title
Under the
Swedish Act of Succession
The 1810 Act of Succession () is one of four ''Fundamental Laws of the Realm'' () and thus forms part of the Swedish Constitution. The Act regulates the line of succession to the Swedish throne and the conditions which eligible members of the ...
, a prince or princess marrying without the consent of the monarch and government forfeits the right of succession for themselves and their descendants. In a new policy adopted in the case of Lennart Bernadotte, they were also forbidden to use their titles and told to use the
surname
In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...
of
Bernadotte. By his marriage on 11 March 1932 Prince Lennart consequently, as far as Swedish records were concerned, was to be called ''Mr. Lennart Bernadotte''.
He considered himself for several decades subjected to very cruel treatment from the
Royal Court of Sweden
The Royal Court () is the official name for the organisation ( royal households) that supports the monarch and the royal house. The incumbent monarch, King Carl XVI Gustaf, is head of the Royal Court.
Organizational structure
The Royal Court is d ...
due to his first marriage, and his wife developed a worsening psychosis from it which eventually led to their divorce in 1971.
Beginning in 1892, Swedish princes who lost their succession rights received noble titles conferred by other reigning monarchs. On 2 July 1951, for himself, his wife and his marital descendants, Bernadotte was admitted by
Grand Duchess Charlotte
Charlotte (''Charlotte Adelgonde Elisabeth Marie Wilhelmine''; 23 January 1896 – 9 July 1985) was List of monarchs of Luxembourg, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from 14 January 1919 until her abdication on 12 November 1964. Her reign is the long ...
(
head of state
A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "he head of state
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads
* He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English
* He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana)
* Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...
at the time) into the nobility of Luxembourg as
Count of Wisborg
The Count of Wisborg (, , ) is a title of nobility granted by the list of monarchs of Luxembourg, Monarch of Luxembourg to some male-members of the Swedish royal family, including their spouses and descendants. Since 1892, the title has been born ...
and in that conferral was also called ''Gustaf Lennart Nicolas Paul
Prince Bernadotte Prince Bernadotte is a title that has been used by several members of the House of Bernadotte. It is most commonly known as a title granted to men who were formerly titled as princes of Sweden before losing their royal titles when they married unequ ...
''.
Counts of Wisborg are considered to be part of the
Swedish unintroduced nobility
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
.
It has been reported (without accuracy) that Lennart and his cousin
Sigvard Bernadotte
Sigvard Oscar Fredrik, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (7 June 1907 – 4 February 2002) born as, and until 1934 known as, Prince Sigvard of Sweden, Duke of Uppland, was a member of the Swedish Royal Family and a successful industrial des ...
wanted King
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. Having reigned since 1973, he is the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history.
Carl Gustaf was born during the reign of his paternal great-grandfather, K ...
to restore their royal titles, which he could have done, but that he chose not to do so; no such request was actually ever made however.
Career
In 1944 Bernadotte portrayed the young
Crown Prince Carl of Sweden and Norway in the historical film ''
Prince Gustaf'', Bernadotte's only screen acting role. He served as head of the
Sveriges Scoutförbund (Scouting Association of Sweden) from 1948 to 1951
Lennart Bernadotte concentrated his energy on his estate on the island of
Mainau
Mainau also referred to as Mav(e)no(w), Maienowe (in 1242), Maienow (in 1357), Maienau, Mainowe (in 1394) and Mainaw (in 1580) is an island in Lake Constance (on the Southern shore of the Überlinger See near the city of Konstanz, Baden-Würt ...
in
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, where he died, and on his charitable fund, the ''
Lennart Bernadotte Stiftung''. He was considered a major gardening and landscaping talent and expert and turned his island into a popular tourist attraction.
He inspired the
Green Charter of Mainau, which then became the template for the
International Ski Federation
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation, also known as FIS (), is the highest international governing body for skiing and snowboarding. It was previously known as the International Ski Federation () until 26 May 2022 when the name was cha ...
's Mainau Forums and Mainau Manifesto's and the sports commitment to the environment and climate change.
He received the
Eduard Rhein Ring of Honor The Eduard Rhein Foundation was founded in 1976 in Hamburg (Germany) by Eduard Rhein. The goal of the foundation is to promote scientific research, learning, arts, and culture. This is done in particular by granting awards for outstanding achieveme ...
from the German
Eduard Rhein Foundation The Eduard Rhein Foundation was founded in 1976 in Hamburg (Germany) by Eduard Rhein. The goal of the foundation is to promote scientific research, learning, arts, and culture. This is done in particular by granting awards for outstanding achieveme ...
in 1996.
Family
In London on 11 March 1932 Bernadotte married firstly Karin Emma Louise Nissvandt (7 July 1911 – 9 September 1991). They had four children before divorcing in December 1971: Birgitta (1933), Marie-Louise (1935-1988), Jan (1941-2021), and Cecilia (1944-2024).
In Mainau on 29 April 1972 Bernadotte married
Sonja Anita Maria Haunz (7 May 1944 – 21 October 2008). They had five children: Bettina (1974), Björn (1975), Catherine (1977), Christian (1979), and Diana (1982).
Bernadotte died in 2004. His remains, and four years later those of his second wife, were interred in a crypt under the palace chapel on Mainau. His first wife's remains were buried in his father's grave in
Flen
Flen () is a locality and the seat of Flen Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 6,229 inhabitants in 2010.
Flen evolved as a railway junction and got the title of a city in 1949. Since 1971 it is the seat of the much larger Flen Munici ...
.
Honours and arms
Orders and decorations
*

Knight of the
Order of Charles XIII
The Royal Order of Charles XIII () is a Swedish order (honour), order of merit, founded by King Charles XIII of Sweden, Charles XIII in 1811.
Membership
The Lord and Master of the Order is the Monarch, King of Sweden, currently King Carl XVI Gust ...
(8 May 1909)
* Commander Grand Cross of the
Order of the Polar Star
The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...
(10 April 1952)
*
King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (1928)
*
King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal II (1948)
*

Knight of the
Order of Vasa
The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry founded on 29 May 1772 by Gustav III, King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce.
His ...
Arms
Blason du Prince Lennart duc de Smaland.svg, Lennart's coat of arms as prince of Sweden
Armoiries de Lennart Bernadotte comte de Wisborg.svg, Arms of the Counts of Wisborg
Arms of Prince Bernadotte 1951 Luxembourg.jpg, Arms as described by the Government of Luxembourg for Princes and Princesses Bernadotte in 1951
Ancestry
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernadotte, Lennart
1909 births
2004 deaths
Lennart 1909
Smaland
Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg
Disinherited European royalty
Lennart
Lennart or Lennarth is a Germanic variant of the name Leonard, most common in Scandinavia and German-speaking countries as a surname or masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* Camilla Lennarth (born 1988), Swedish g ...
Artists from Stockholm
Lennart
Lennart or Lennarth is a Germanic variant of the name Leonard, most common in Scandinavia and German-speaking countries as a surname or masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* Camilla Lennarth (born 1988), Swedish g ...
Knights of the Order of Charles XIII
Knights of the Order of Vasa
Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star