Gustaf V of Sweden

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Gustav V
King of Sweden
Reign	8 December 1907 - 29 October 1950
Predecessor	Oscar II
Successor	Gustav VI Adolf
Spouse	Victoria of Baden
Issue
Gustav VI Adolf Prince Vilhelm, Duke of Södermanland Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland
Full name
Oscar Gustav Adolf
Father	Oscar II
Mother	Sofia of Nassau
Born	16 June 1858(1858-06-16) Drottningholm Palace
Died	29 October 1950 (aged 92) Drottningholm Palace
Burial	Riddarholmen Church

Gustav V (Oscar Gustav Adolf) (16 June 1858 – 29 October 1950) was King of Sweden from 1907 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe I, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Public life 3 Personal life 4 Issue 5 Ancestors 6 Notes 7 External links

[edit] Early life

Gustav V was born in Drottningholm Palace and at birth was created Duke of Värmland. On 8 December 1907 he succeeded his father on the Swedish throne, which had been separated from the Norwegian throne two years earlier.

He married in Karlsruhe Princess Victoria of Baden on 20 September 1881. She was the granddaughter of Sofia of Sweden, and her marriage to Gustav V united by a real blood link (and not only so-called adoption) the reigning Bernadotte dynasty with the former royal house of Holstein-Gottorp.

[edit] Public life

Gustav V was the last Swedish king to intervene directly in the politics of the country, in 1914 on the disputes over defence budgets. He was a conservative man, who did not approve of the democratic movement and the demands for workers' rights. Gustav V was also the last Swedish king to be Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces (between 1907 and 1939).

Gustav V was considered to have German sympathies during World War I. His political stance during the war was highly influenced by his domineering wife, who felt a strong connection to her German homeland. On 18 December 1914 he sponsored a meeting with the other two kings of Scandinavia to demonstrate unity within and between the Scandinavian countries. Another of Gustav V's objectives with this three-king conference was to dispel suspicions that he wanted to bring Sweden into the war on Germany's side.

Both the king and his grandson Prince Gustav Adolf, socialized with certain Nazi leaders before World War II, though arguably for diplomatic purposes. Gustav V attempted to convince Hitler during a visit to Berlin to soften his persecution of the Jews, according to historian Jörgen Weibull. (Weibull, Bernadottes on Sweden's Throne) [1]. He was also noted for appealing to the leader of Hungary to save its Jews "in the name of humanity." [2] At the behest of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gustav V appealed to Hitler for peace negotiations in 1938, "in the interest of peace". [3]

When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in October 1941, Gustav V tried to write a private letter to Hitler thanking him for taking care of the "Bolshevik pest" and congratulating him on his "already achieved victories".(Dagens Nyheter 070729)[4]. He was stopped from doing so by the prime minister Hansson. Nevertheless the king sent the message to Hitler (through a telegram by the German embassy in Stockholm) behind the back of the government.

According to Prime Minister Hansson the king had, during a private conversation, threatened to abdicate if the government did not approve of the German request for permission to transfer one armed division (Engelbrecht mountain ranger division) through Swedish territory from northern Norway to northern Finland in June 1941. The accuracy of this claim is debated, and the king's stated intention (if he did in fact make this threat) was to avoid conflict with Germany, according to Hansson (Wahlbäck, Regeringen och kriget. Ur statsrådens dagböcker 1939-41). [5] However, confirmation of the king's action is contained in German Foreign Policy documents captured at the end of the war. On 25 June 1941 the German Minister in Stockholm sent a "Most Urgent- Top Secret" message to Berlin in which he stated that the king had just informed him that the transit of german troops would be allowed. He added "The King's words conveyed the joyful emotion he felt. He had lived through anxious days and had gone far in giving his personal support to the matter. He added confidentially that he had found it necessary to go so far as to mention his abdication." (Documents of German Foreign Policy 1918-1945 Series D Volume XIII The War Years June 23, 1941 - December 1, 1 1941, Published in UK by HMSO and in US By Government Printing Office.) According to Ernst Wigforss, both Gustav V and Prince Gustav Adolf attempted to persuade the Swedish government to allow the Allies to transport troops through Sweden, though this was rejected by the government because it was felt it would cause retributions from Germany. [6]

[edit] Personal life

Swedish Royalty
House of Bernadotte

Charles XIV John Children    Oscar I Oscar I Children    Charles XV    Gustaf, Duke of Upland    Oscar II    Princess Eugenie    August, Duke of Dalarna Charles XV Children    Lovisa, Queen of Denmark    Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland Oscar II Children    Gustaf V    Oscar, Duke of Gotland    Eugén, Duke of Närke    Carl, Duke of Västergötland Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway    Astrid, Queen of Belgium    Carl, Duke of Östergötland Gustaf V Children    Gustaf VI Adolf    Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland    Erik, Duke of Västmanland Gustaf VI Adolf Children    Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten    Sigvard, Duke of Uppland    Ingrid, Queen of Denmark    Bertil, Duke of Halland    Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Princess Birgitta    Princess Désirée    Princess Christina    Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf Children    Crown Princess Victoria    Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland    Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland

Gustav V was tall and thin. He wore pince-nez eyeglasses and sported a pointed mustache for most of his teen years. Allegations of a homosexual affair made the court pay a black mailer large sums of money. This later led to the Haijby affair which first came to public notice through the investigative journalism of Wilhelm Moberg and of Herbert Tingsten, editor-in-chief at Dagens Nyheter.

Gustav V was a devoted tennis player, appearing under the pseudonym Mr G. As a player and promoter of the sport, he was elected in to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1980. The king learned the sport during a visit in Britain in 1876 and founded Sweden's first tennis club on his return home. In 1936 he founded the King's Club. During his reign, Gustav was often seen playing on the Riviera. On a visit to Berlin, Gustav went straight from a meeting with Hitler to a tennis match with the Jewish player Daniel Prenn. [7] During World War II, he interceded to obtain better treatment for Davis Cup stars Jean Borotra of France and Gottfried von Cramm of Germany, who had been imprisoned by the German government.

Gustav V was the 1,062nd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Spain, the 828th Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1905 and the 216th Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword.

King Gustav V died in Stockholm in 1950.

Portrait Crown Prince Gustav and Crown Princess Victoria in the early 1880s

Portrait Crown Prince Gustav in his 20s

Gustav V making his famous Courtyard Speech at Stockholm Palace in 1914

Speaking with Hjalmar Branting around 1920

Prince Gustav Adolf, Göring and Gustav V in Berlin 1939.

Gustav V, Crown Prince Gustav Adolf and Prince Bertil published in 1943

Gustav V accepting flowers

[edit] Issue

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden	11 November 1882	15 September 1973	married 1) Princess Margaret of Connaught (1882-1920), had issue (four sons, one daughter) , married 2) Lady Louise Mountbatten (1889-1965), had issue (a stillborn daughter)
Prince Vilhelm of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland	17 June 1884	5 June 1965	married Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1890-1958), had issue
Prince Erik of Sweden, Duke of Västmanland	20 April 1889	20 September 1918	died unmarried of the Spanish Flu, no issue

[edit] Ancestors

16. Jean Henri Bernadotte

8. Charles XIV John of Sweden

17. Jeanne de Saint Vincent

4. Oscar I of Sweden

18. François Clary

9. Désirée Clary

19. Françoise Rose Somis

2. Oscar II of Sweden

20. Alexandre, vicomte de Beauharnais

10. Eugène de Beauharnais

21. Joséphine Tascher de la Pagerie

5. Josephine of Leuchtenberg

22. Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria

11. Princess Augusta of Bavaria

23. Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt

1. Gustav V of Sweden

24. Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg

12. Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg

25. Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau

6. William, Duke of Nassau

26. Wilhelm Georg, Burgrave of Kirchberg

13. Burgravine Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg

27. Princess Isabella Auguste of Reuss

3. Sofia of Nassau

28. Frederick I of Württemberg

14. Prince Paul of Württemberg

29. Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

7. Princess Pauline of Württemberg

30. Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

15. Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen

31. Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

[edit] Notes

1. Opener of the 1912 Summer Olympics

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gustav V of Sweden

• Royal House of Sweden and Royal House of Norway
• Grand-Ducal House of Baden
• Gustav V profile at the International Tennis Hall of Fame website

Gustav V House of Bernadotte Born: 16 June 1858 Died: 29 October 1950
Regnal titles
Preceded by Oscar II	King of Sweden 1907-1950	Succeeded by Gustav VI Adolf
Preceded by Carl Adolf	Duke of Värmland 1858-1907	Vacant Title next held by Carl Philip of Sweden

v • d • e Monarchs of Sweden by house Munsö c.970–c.1060 Eric the Victorious / Olof Björnsson · Olof Skötkonung · Anund Jacob · Emund the Old Stenkil c.1060–c.1130 1160–1161 Stenkil (Stænkil) · Eric Stenkilsson / Eric the Pagan · Halsten · Anund Gårdske · Håkan the Red · Halsten / Inge the Elder · Blot-Sweyn · Eric of Good Harvests · Inge the Elder · Philip Halstensson / Inge the Younger · Ragnvald Knaphövde · Magnus the Strong · Houses of Sverker and Eric · Magnus Henriksen Sverker · Eric c.1130–1250 Sverker the Elder · Eric the Saint · Magnus Henriksen · Charles Sverkersson · Kol / Boleslas · Canute I · Sverker the Younger · Eric Canutesson · John Sverkersson · Eric Ericsson · Canute II 1 · Eric Ericsson Bjelbo 1250–1364 Valdemar Birgersson · Magnus Ladulås · Birger Magnusson · Mats Kettilmundsson 2 · Magnus Ericsson3 · Eric Magnusson · Magnus Ericsson / Haakon Magnusson3 Mecklenburg 1364–1389 Albrekt (Albert) Kalmar Union Italics indicate regents 1389–1523 Margaret I of Denmark4 / Eric of Pomerania4 · Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson · Eric of Pomerania4 · Charles Canutesson · Eric of Pomerania4 · Charles Canutesson · Christopher of Bavaria4 · Bengt Jönsson (Oxenstierna) / Nils Jönsson (Oxenstierna) · Charles Canutesson3 · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna / Erik Axelsson Tott · Christian I4 · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) · Charles Canutesson · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna · Erik Axelsson Tott · Charles Canutesson · Sten Sture the Elder · John II4 · Sten Sture the Elder · Svante Nilsson · Eric Trolle · Sten Sture the Younger · Christian II4 · Gustaf Eriksson (Vasa) Vasa 1523–1654 Gustaf I · Eric XIV · John III · Sigismund5 · Charles IX · Gustaf II Adolf · Christina Palatinate- Zweibrücken Hesse-Kassel 1654–1751 Charles X Gustav · Charles XI · Charles XII · Ulrika Eleonora · Frederick I Holstein-Gottorp 1751–1818 Adolf Frederick · Gustaf III · Gustaf IV Adolf · Charles XIII3 Bernadotte since 1818 Charles XIV John3 · Oscar I3 · Charles XV3 · Oscar II3 · Gustaf V · Gustaf VI Adolf · Carl XVI Gustaf 1 Lineage uncertain.  2 Regent.  3 Also Norwegian monarch.  4 Also Norwegian and Danish monarch.  5 Also king of Poland.