Prince and sportsman. He was born at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, of the Bernadotte Dynasty, and was then created Duke of Hallandia (Halland). As the son of King Gustaf VI Adolf and his first wife, British Princess Margareta, he was an uncle of the present king (2006). For his great interest in sports, the Swedes nicknamed him a "Sports Prince" and "Motor Prince". Using the alias "Monsieur Adrian", without his royal father knowing, he indeed competed in over a dozen car races around Europe, having begun his automotive future very early with a ticket for underage driving. He also often played golf and bowling, was a good skater and athlete and was instrumental in popularizing French boule. He was a member of such organizations as the Swedish Olympic Committee and the Royal Automobile Club. A number of sporting awards and trophies also bear his name. After a military education he had devoted himself to a naval career, manned a gunboat in World War 2 and was Deputy Naval Attaché in London, England. Prince Bertil also lived a life to match any of the great heroic love stories of all time, marrying Welch Lilian Davies Craig after having her as his life partner, unbeknownst to the public, for over 30 years. Since one of his brothers was killed in a plane crash in 1947 and the other two already had lost their royal status through prohibitive marriages to commoners, the couple decided to sacrifice public happiness and their chances of parenthood to protect the Swedish monarchy from possible extinction. When his nephew had grown up and, as King, in 1976 married a Miss Sommerlath from Germany making her his Queen, the rules of royal wedlock changed drastically, enabling Bertil to marry his wartime sweetheart and finally make her his Princess and Duchess. They had lived much of their life together, for all those years, out of the public eye in the south of France.
Prince and sportsman. He was born at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, of the Bernadotte Dynasty, and was then created Duke of Hallandia (Halland). As the son of King Gustaf VI Adolf and his first wife, British Princess Margareta, he was an uncle of the present king (2006). For his great interest in sports, the Swedes nicknamed him a "Sports Prince" and "Motor Prince". Using the alias "Monsieur Adrian", without his royal father knowing, he indeed competed in over a dozen car races around Europe, having begun his automotive future very early with a ticket for underage driving. He also often played golf and bowling, was a good skater and athlete and was instrumental in popularizing French boule. He was a member of such organizations as the Swedish Olympic Committee and the Royal Automobile Club. A number of sporting awards and trophies also bear his name. After a military education he had devoted himself to a naval career, manned a gunboat in World War 2 and was Deputy Naval Attaché in London, England. Prince Bertil also lived a life to match any of the great heroic love stories of all time, marrying Welch Lilian Davies Craig after having her as his life partner, unbeknownst to the public, for over 30 years. Since one of his brothers was killed in a plane crash in 1947 and the other two already had lost their royal status through prohibitive marriages to commoners, the couple decided to sacrifice public happiness and their chances of parenthood to protect the Swedish monarchy from possible extinction. When his nephew had grown up and, as King, in 1976 married a Miss Sommerlath from Germany making her his Queen, the rules of royal wedlock changed drastically, enabling Bertil to marry his wartime sweetheart and finally make her his Princess and Duchess. They had lived much of their life together, for all those years, out of the public eye in the south of France.
Bio by: Find a Grave
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