20 Facts About Sigvard Bernadotte

Sigvard Oscar Fredrik, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg 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 designer.

Sigvard Bernadotte was the second son of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught, eldest daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and granddaughter of Britain's Queen Victoria.

Sigvard Bernadotte was a Prince of Sweden from birth, but was excluded from the line of succession in 1934 when he married a woman of unequal rank, a violation of provisions prohibiting marriages between a Prince and a "private man's daughter", in force at the time, contained in both the 1809 Instrument of Government and the 1810 Act of Succession, and, in addition, he lost his princely and ducal titles as decided by the King in Council.

Sigvard Bernadotte was born at 7 June 1907 on Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm as the second child of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught.

Sigvard Bernadotte graduated from Lundsbergs School in 1926 and went on to study political science and art history at Uppsala University.

Sigvard Bernadotte continued his collaboration with Georg Jensen until 1980.

In 1964, Sigvard Bernadotte opened his own studio Sigvard Bernadotte Design AB in Stockholm.

Sigvard Bernadotte worked as an assistant director at MGM in Culver City, California and served as a technical advisor on the 1937 film The Prisoner of Zenda.

Sigvard Bernadotte appeared briefly in the 1968 Italian mondo film Sweden: Heaven and Hell.

Sigvard Bernadotte was born Prince of Sweden and Duke of Uppland, but having made an unequal match was disqualified from the line of succession.

Sigvard Bernadotte was forbidden to use his birth titles and left to be called Mr Bernadotte.

Sigvard Bernadotte went to the European Court of Human Rights in an effort to have the Government of Sweden acknowledge his princely title there, but in 2004, after his death, the ECHR declared the application inadmissible.

Sigvard Bernadotte married Erica Maria Regina Rosalie Patzek on 8 March 1934.

Sigvard Bernadotte was the daughter of German businessman Anton Patzek and his wife Maria Anna Lala.

Sigvard Bernadotte lost all royal privileges following the wedding and started his silver design business.

Sigvard Bernadotte remarried a Danish woman, Sonja Helene Robbert, on 26 October 1943 and they were divorced on 6 June 1961.

Lastly, Sigvard Bernadotte married Swedish actress Marianne Lindberg Tchang on 30 July 1961.

Sigvard Bernadotte died on 4 February 2002 at the nursing home Borgarhemmet in Stockholm.

Sigvard Bernadotte's funeral took place on 15 February 2002 in Engelbrekt Church and was attended by members of both the Swedish and the Danish royal families.

Sigvard Bernadotte is buried at Royal Cemetery in Hagaparken and the wording on his gravestone, does make it clear that he was "born Prince of Sweden".