Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland

Lilian
Duchess of Halland
Lilian in the 1940s
Born Lillian May Davies
(1915-08-30)30 August 1915
Swansea, Wales
Died 10 March 2013(2013-03-10) (aged 97)
Stockholm, Sweden
Burial 16 March 2013
Royal Cemetery, Solna
Spouse
Walter Ivan Craig
(m. 1940; div. 1945)

Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland
(m. 1976; d. 1997)
Father William John Davies
Mother Gladys Mary Curran
Coat of arms of Princess Lilian.

Princess Lilian of Sweden, Duchess of Halland (born Lillian May Davies, later Craig; 30 August 1915 – 10 March 2013), was a British fashion model who became a member of the Swedish royal family through her 1976 marriage to Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland (1912–1997). As such, she was a paternal aunt of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and a maternal aunt of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.

Biography

Early life in Britain

Lillian May Davies was born on 30 August 1915, in Swansea, South Wales, the daughter of William John Davies and his wife Gladys Mary (née Curran). She dropped one 'l' from her first name when she became a fashion model. She was photographed for fashion magazines such as Vogue. Her parents separated in the 1920s, but they were not divorced until 1939.

In 1940 Lilian married the Scottish actor Ivan Craig (1912–1995) in Horsham, West Sussex.[1] Shortly after their wedding, Craig joined the British Army and left for Africa, where he saw active service during the Second World War.[1] In his absence, Lilian worked in a factory that made radios for the Royal Navy and at a hospital for wounded soldiers.

Marriage to Prince Bertil of Sweden

In 1943, she met the Swedish Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland, in London, reportedly at a cocktail party for her 28th birthday. Soon after their meeting, they became lovers although she was still married to Craig.[1] When she and her husband were reunited after the war, Craig expressed his wish to marry another woman, and an amicable divorce followed.[2]

Bertil's older brother, Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, was second-in-line to the Swedish throne; but he died in 1947. As Gustaf Adolf's son, Carl Gustaf, was less than one year old, it seemed likely that, when the king died, Bertil would have to serve as Regent (other heirs having given up their places in the line of succession because of marriages not acceptable to the king). For this reason, Bertil chose not to marry Lilian, so the couple simply lived together discreetly for more than thirty years. In 1946, Prince Bertil acquired a house in Sainte-Maxime, France, that became their private retreat.

Bertil never had to become regent, since his father, the king (who ascended the throne in 1950), lived long enough to see his grandson, Carl Gustaf, come of age. Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden ascended the throne in 1973, and, having married a commoner himself, he approved Bertil's and Lilian's marriage. They were married on 7 December 1976 at the church of Drottningholm Palace in the presence of the king and the queen.

Widowhood

Hearse with Lilian's coffin leaves Stockholm Palace for the Royal Cemetery on 16 March 2013.
Lilian's and Bertil's grave in Solna

Prince Bertil died on 5 January 1997 in their home. From 1997 until 2010 Lilian continued to represent the royal family at various engagements and other occasions. She was the patron of many organizations. In 2000, Lilian released a biography of her life with Bertil.

In August 2008, Lilian fell and broke her femur in her apartment;[3] and, in February 2009, she again suffered a fall in her home. It was announced on 3 June 2010, that Lilian was afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and was no longer able to appear in public.[4] She lived out her final years at Villa Solbacken, her longtime home in the Djurgården area of Stockholm, attended by three nurses.[1]

Lilian died in Stockholm on 10 March 2013 at age 97, sixteen years after her husband. The Royal Palace did not give a cause of death, but Lilian had been in poor health for several years.[1][5][6] Her death came as the royal family was preparing for Princess Madeleine's wedding, and the family interrupted what they were doing to spend her last moments with her.[7]

Her 16 March funeral was broadcast live on SVT. It was attended by her nephew and her niece-in-law: the King and the Queen of Sweden; her nieces the Queen of Denmark, Princess Margaretha, Princess Birgitta, Princess Désirée, and Princess Christina; her grandnieces Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine; and her grandnephew and grandnephew-in-law Prince Carl Philip and Prince Daniel.[8] Princess Astrid of Norway was also in attendance, as were her friends Roger Moore and his Swedish wife Kiki Tholstrup.[9]

Honours

Styles of
Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland
Reference style Her Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Royal Highness
Alternative style Ma'am

National honours

Foreign honours

Award

Patronage

Bibliography

  • Princess Lilian; Magnergård, Omar; Tarras-Wahlberg, Elisabeth (2000). Mitt liv med prins Bertil [My life with Prince Bertil] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Ekerlid. ISBN 91-88595-77-3. LIBRIS 7773482.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Obituary:Princess Lilian". Daily Telegraph. 10 March 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  2. ↑ "Princess Lilian dead at 97". www.guardianlv.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-13.
  3. ↑ "Princess Lilian breaks hip in fall". The Local. 13 August 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "Hovmarskalk: Lilian har alzheimer". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). TT. 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  5. ↑ "H.R.H. Princess Lilian has passed away". Royal Court of Sweden. 10 March 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  6. ↑ "Sweden Princess Lilian dies aged 97". BBC News. 10 March 2013. Archived from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "Madeleine of Sweden cut short hen party to be with late Princess Lilian". Hellomagazine.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "Princessan Lilians begravning inledd". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 2013-03-16. Archived from the original on 2013-04-18.
  9. ↑ "BEGRAVNINGSGUDSTJÄNST FÖR H.K.H. HERTIGINNAN AV HALLAND I SLOTTSKYRKAN LÖRDAGEN DEN 16 MARS 2013 KL. 13.00" (PDF) (in Swedish). Royal Court of Sweden. 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  11. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  12. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  13. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  14. ↑ https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/04/19/8f/04198f1cc5274f9e5adbaa71a45d55bf.jpg
  15. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  16. ↑ https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/71/f2/c9/71f2c98e5153ba2f96737a4b992b5a3b.jpg
  17. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-11-22. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  18. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-11-22. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  19. ↑ ".Royalty of Sweden". Pinterest. Archived from the original on 2015-11-22.
  20. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  21. ↑ http://static.star-mag.top/pimg/1/11/70/41/@/1074184--lilian-de-suede-le-roi-carl-gustav-810x620-1.jpg
  22. ↑ State visit of the President of Argentina to Sweden Archived 2016-11-17 at the Wayback Machine., photo during the gala dinner (May 26, 1998). Ph: Erhan Güner/SCANPIX SWEDEN (ID:sdlsp09883f).
  23. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  24. ↑ Official website of the President of Estonia (Estonian), Estonian State Decorations - Printsess Lilian Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine.
  25. ↑ "Pinterest". Pinterest. Archived from the original on 2015-11-22.
  26. ↑ "State Visit from Germany to Sweden: May 20-22, 2003 - The Royal Forums". www.theroyalforums.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-07.
  27. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-12-10. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  28. ↑ Icelandese Presidency Website Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine., Lilian ; hertogafrú af Hallandi ; Svíþjóð ; 1981-10-26 ; Stórkross (= Lilian, Duchesse de Halland, Sweden, 26 October 1981, Grand Cross).
  29. ↑ "family: Scandinavian and Greek royal families". Pinterest.
  30. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  31. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-09-19. Retrieved 2017-10-04.
  32. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-02-24. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  33. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-02-24. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  34. ↑ "wearing tiaras in color". Pinterest. Archived from the original on 2015-11-22.
  35. ↑ State visit of Jordan in Sweden (2003), Photo Archived 2013-06-16 at the Wayback Machine. of Princess Liliane with Carl Philip, Madeleine & Victoria.
  36. ↑ "Royals". Pinterest. Archived from the original on 2015-11-22.
  37. ↑ "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-10-03.
  38. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-01-12. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  39. ↑ Palovaara, Jonas Stålhandske. "Om Orden - Innocenceorden". www.innocenceorden.se. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.

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