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Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland

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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 an aunt of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Lilian
Duchess of Halland
Lilian in the 1940s
BornLillian May Davies
(1915-08-30)30 August 1915
Swansea, United Kingdom
Died10 March 2013(2013-03-10) (aged 97)
Stockholm, Sweden
Burial16 March 2013
Royal Cemetery, Solna, Sweden
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1940; div. 1945)​
​
​
(m. 1976; died 1997)​
FatherWilliam John Davies
MotherGladys Mary Curran

Biography

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Early life

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Lillian May Davies was born on 30 August 1915, in Swansea, Wales, the daughter of William John Davies, who had a market stall after working in a coal mine, and his wife Gladys Mary (née Curran), a shop assistant. The site of the terraced house where they lived is now beneath the Quadrant Shopping Centre. Her parents separated in the 1920s, but they were not divorced until 1939. She moved to London when she was 16. [1] She dropped one 'l' from her first name when she became a fashion model. She was photographed for magazines such as Vogue.

In 1940 Lilian married the Scottish actor Ivan Craig (1912–1995) in Horsham, West Sussex.[2] Shortly after their wedding, Craig joined the British Army and left for Africa, where he saw active service during the Second World War.[2] 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

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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.[2] When she and her husband were reunited after the war, Craig expressed his wish to marry another woman, and they were amicably divorced on 7 November 1947.[3]

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 Bertil's grandfather, King Gustaf V, and father (Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf, the future King Gustaf VI Adolf) died, he 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.[citation needed]

Bertil never had to become regent, since his father, 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, meaning that Bertil would be able to keep his titles and place in the line of succession, and that Lillian would become a princess. They were married on 7 December 1976 at the church of Drottningholm Palace in the presence of the king and the queen.[citation needed]

Widowhood

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Hearse with Lilian's coffin leaves Stockholm Palace for the Royal Cemetery on 16 March 2013.

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.[4]

In August 2008, Lilian fell and broke her femur in her apartment;[5] 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.[6] She lived her final years at Villa Solbacken, her longtime home in the Djurgården area of Stockholm, attended by three nurses.[2]

 
Lilian's and Bertil's grave in Solna

Lilian died in Stockholm on 10 March 2013, aged 97, sixteen years after her husband. The Royal Palace did not give a cause of death, but she had been in poor health for several years.[2][7][8] 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 together with her.[9]

Her 16 March funeral was broadcast live on SVT. It was attended by her nephew and 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.[10] Princess Astrid of Norway was also in attendance, as were her friends Roger Moore and his Swedish wife Kiki Tholstrup.[11]

Honours and arms

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National honours

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Coat of arms of Princess Lilian.
 
Royal Monogram of Princess Lilian of Sweden.

Foreign honours

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Award

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Patronage

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Bibliography

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  • 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. SELIBR 7773482.

References

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  1. ^ "Site of Princess Lilian's childhood home, Swansea". HistoryPoints. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Obituary:Princess Lilian". Daily Telegraph. 10 March 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Princess Lilian dead at 97". www.guardianlv.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-13.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "Princess Lilian breaks hip in fall". The Local. 13 August 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Hovmarskalk: Lilian har alzheimer". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). TT. 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "Sweden Princess Lilian dies aged 97". BBC News. 10 March 2013. Archived from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ "Princessan Lilians begravning inledd". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 2013-03-16. Archived from the original on 2013-04-18.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "Image: Princess Lilian, Queen Silvia and Zulema Menem at the state banquet hosted in honour of President Carlos Menem". Imago-images.com. 26 May 1998.
  13. ^ "Anfragebeantwortung" [Response to inquiries] (PDF) (in German). Austrian Parliament. 23 April 2012. p. 1131. 10542/AB XXIV. GP. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  14. ^ Official website of the President of Estonia (Estonian), Estonian State Decorations - Printsess Lilian Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Photograph of Princess Lilian at state banquet in honour of French President". Getty Images. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  16. ^ "Princess Lilian and Speaker Ingemund Bengtsson at the Finnish state banquet". Imago-images.com. 12 April 1982.
  17. ^ "Photograph of Princess Lilian at state banquet in honour of German President in May 2003". Alamy. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  18. ^ 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).
  19. ^ "Photograph of Princess Lilian (center) at the state banquet in honour of the Japanese imperial couple in 2000". Getty Images. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  20. ^ "Princess Lilian at the Jordanian state banquet". Imago-images.com. 7 October 2003.
  21. ^ "Photograph of Princess Lilian (right) at the banquet in honour of the President of Portugal". Alamy. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  22. ^ "Princess Lilian and Prince Carl Philip at the Norwegian state banquet". Imago-images.com. 1 September 2005.
  23. ^ "III. Otras disposiciones" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). 9 November 1979. p. 26058. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  24. ^ Palovaara, Jonas Stålhandske. "Om Orden - Innocenceorden". www.innocenceorden.se. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
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