Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland
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Lilian | |
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Duchess of Halland | |
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Born | Lillian May Davies 30 August 1915 Swansea, United Kingdom |
Died | 10 March 2013 Stockholm, Sweden | (aged 97)
Burial | 16 March 2013 Royal Cemetery, Solna, Sweden |
Spouse | |
Father | William John Davies |
Mother | Gladys Mary Curran |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Princesse_Lilian_de_Su%C3%A8de.svg/220px-Princesse_Lilian_de_Su%C3%A8de.svg.png)
Princess Lilian of Sweden, Duchess of Halland (born Lillian May Davies, later Craig; 30 August 1915 – 10 March 2013), was a Welsh 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, 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[]
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 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.[citation needed]
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, 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[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Lilian_of_Sweden_hearse_leaves_Stockholm_Palace_2013.jpg/220px-Lilian_of_Sweden_hearse_leaves_Stockholm_Palace_2013.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Bertil_%26_Lilian_of_Sweden_grave_2017_%281%29.jpg/220px-Bertil_%26_Lilian_of_Sweden_grave_2017_%281%29.jpg)
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.[citation needed]
In August 2008, Lilian fell and broke her femur in her apartment;[4] 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.[5] She lived her final years at Villa Solbacken, her longtime home in the Djurgården area of Stockholm, attended by three nurses.[2]
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][6][7] 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.[8]
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.[9] Princess Astrid of Norway was also in attendance, as were her friends Roger Moore and his Swedish wife Kiki Tholstrup.[10]
Honours[]
National honours[]
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Sweden: Member and Commander of the Orders of His Majesty the King (Royal Order of the Seraphim)
Sweden: Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star
Sweden: Member of the Royal Family Decoration of King Carl XVI Gustaf, 2nd Class
Sweden: Recipient of the 50th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf
Foreign honours[]
Argentina: Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín
Austria: Grand Cross of the Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria[11]
Denmark: Grand Cross with Diamonds of the Order of the Dannebrog
Estonia: Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana First Class[12]
France: Grand Cross of the Order of National Merit[citation needed]
Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany[citation needed]
Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon[13]
Italy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[citation needed]
Japan: Paulownia Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown[citation needed]
Jordan: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan[citation needed]
Latvia: Grand Officer of the Order of the Three Stars[citation needed]
Lithuania: Grand Cross of the Order of Grand Duke Gediminas[citation needed]
Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Christ[citation needed]
Spain: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic[14]
Award[]
Sweden: Honorary Grand Cross of the Social Order of Innocence[15]
Patronage[]
Sweden: Patron of the Social Order of Innocence
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. SELIBR 7773482.
References[]
- ^ "Site of Princess Lilian's childhood home, Swansea". HistoryPoints. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Princess Lilian dead at 97". www.guardianlv.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-13.
- ^ "Princess Lilian breaks hip in fall". The Local. 13 August 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ "Hovmarskalk: Lilian har alzheimer". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). TT. 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Sweden Princess Lilian dies aged 97". BBC News. 10 March 2013. Archived from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Princessan Lilians begravning inledd". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 2013-03-16. Archived from the original on 2013-04-18.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2017-11-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Official website of the President of Estonia (Estonian), Estonian State Decorations - Printsess Lilian Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 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).
- ^ "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-10-03.
- ^ Palovaara, Jonas Stålhandske. "Om Orden - Innocenceorden". www.innocenceorden.se. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
External links[]
Media related to Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland at Wikimedia Commons
- 1915 births
- 2013 deaths
- People from Swansea
- Swedish princesses
- Welsh emigrants to Sweden
- Welsh expatriates in Sweden
- Welsh female models
- Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star
- Recipients of the Grand Decoration with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin
- Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (France)
- Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class
- Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
- Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
- Swedish duchesses
- Burials at Kungliga begravningsplatsen