Bernadotte af Wisborg - Definition and Overview

Four persons have been created Count Bernadotte af Wisborg in the Luxembourg nobility, all of whom were members of the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, to which the Grand Duke of Luxembourg is closely related. The princes in question had all lost their royal titles due to marriages not tolerated by the Swedish King.

The first such person was Prince Oscar Bernadotte (1859-1953), formerly Duke of Gotlandia. He was created Count Bernadotte af Wisborg by Grand Duke Adolf on February 2, 1892. A possible explanation for the suffix name is that the fortification Visborg (then spelled Wisborg) lies within his former dukedom.

During the 20th century, marriages of this kind were more frequent. On July 2, 1951, no less than three deposed princes were created Count Bernadotte af Wisborg:

• Sigvard Bernadotte (1907-2002), formerly Duke of Uplandia. Sigvard reclaimed his royal title on May 28, 1983, but it was never accepted by King Carl XVI Gustaf.
• Carl Johan Bernadotte (1916-2003), formerly Duke of Dalecarlia.
• Lennart Bernadotte (1909-2004), formerly Duke of Smalandia. Lennart styled himself Prince Lennart Bernadotte, but as in Sigvard's case, this use was not accepted by the King.

The agnatic descendants of these four persons are entitled to the title Count Bernadotte af Wisborg. The most well-known of them is Count Folke Bernadotte af Wisborg, a son of Oscar Bernadotte af Wisborg.