Princess Sybilla

[grandduchessella]

It is true that some of her family were Nazis, for example her father, duke Karl Eduard (Charles Edward) of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Probably her brother Hubertus was one as well. He was killed in action on the east front in 1943.

Whether Sibylla herself sympathized with the Nazis or not is a matter of debate. She did attend charity meetings and - parties with the unhidden purpose to collect money to be sent to Germany arranged by either the German embassy, other Germans living in Sweden or Swedish people with strong Nazi sympaties (I read this somewhere a long time ago, but stupidly enough I have forgotten where, otherwise I would have given a source for this).

Her husband, prince Gustaf Adolf, is sometimes said to have had Nazi sympaties as well, but this is a very hush-hush subject in Sweden and very little is known for sure. There are photos of him with Göring and I have seen at least one with him shaking hands with Hitler (not that this is any real proof of Nazi sympaties, but still it is embarrassing, of course).

The Duke of Coburg was a devout Nazi and George V refused to allow the POW to attend Sybilla's wedding in Coburg. On the evening of the wedding, 4000 Nazis marched in a torchlight procession through the town. The actual wedding route was lined by saluting Brownshirts, and a message from Hitler was read out at the reception. Gustav V had wanted to attend the wedding but was convinced not to on the grounds that the ceremony would be used to stage pro-Nazi demonstrations.

Edmund did not share the popularity of his other relatives due to his rather introverted and irascible nature and this probably carried over to his wife as well. His political views caused distrust as well as he was regarded as very right-wing. The Nazi connection bothered people too and civic dignitaries refused to participate in the wedding festivities held Stockholm when the newlyweds returned. They were disturbed by the fact that Edmund had recently been present at a Stahlhelm meeting. As Gustav V was fond of Sybilla the government worried that she could influence him in pro-German and pro-Nazi sympthies and could be jeopardizing the monarchy.

[Rebecca]

By the way the name is Sibylla (or Sibyl) in English as well as in Swedish - I had to look it up though, as it was driving me crazy reading the alternating spellings on this thread!

I also think that she was somewhat embittered already before she came to Sweden. I don't know all that many details on her family, but it has always struck me to seem to be a rather bitter family, at least after WWI. Sibylla´s sister, Calma, complained in an interview made in the 1960's about her family in general and Sibylla in particular not wanting anything to do with her after her second, unequal marriage.

Yes, her name in Swedish is Sibylla. When she married Gustaf Adolf her name was introduced in the Swedish calendar, on 20th October (as a nameday; back then there was one name on each day; now there are generally two names on each day), but it never came popular. On the other hand, a fast-food-chain, serving mainly hot dogs and nowadays also hamburgers, is named after her, Sibylla.

[Rebecca]

The Duke of Coburg was a devout Nazi and George V refused to allow the POW to attend Sybilla's wedding in Coburg. On the evening of the wedding, 4000 Nazis marched in a torchlight procession through the town. The actual wedding route was lined by saluting Brownshirts, and a message from Hitler was read out at the reception. Gustav V had wanted to attend the wedding but was convinced not to on the grounds that the ceremony would be used to stage pro-Nazi demonstrations.
 
Edmund did not share the popularity of his other relatives due to his rather introverted and irascible nature and this probably carried over to his wife as well. His political views caused distrust as well as he was regarded as very right-wing. The Nazi connection bothered people too and civic dignitaries refused to participate in the wedding festivities held Stockholm when the newlyweds returned. They were disturbed by the fact that Edmund had recently been present at a Stahlhelm meeting. As Gustav V was fond of Sybilla the government worried that she could influence him in pro-German and pro-Nazi sympthies and could be jeopardizing the monarchy.

Thank you very much for the information, Granduchessella.  I didn't know about the torchligth procession. It gives me an even more negative picture of the wedding and Sibylla's family.  

Edmund, as Gustaf Adolf was called within the family, was later been described by his cousin Lennart as something of a bully. He was dyslectic (something of a trade in the Bernadotte family) and obviously had an urge to be the leader and the best, despite the fact that he may not have had the needed abilities for that.

[bell_the_cat]

Yes, her name in Swedish is Sibylla. When she married Gustaf Adolf her name was introduced in the Swedish calendar, on 20th October (as a nameday; back then there was one name on each day; now there are generally two names on each day), but it never came popular. On the other hand, a fast-food-chain, serving mainly hot dogs and nowadays also hamburgers, is named after her, Sibylla.

Served with a smile no doubt!

[Wettin]

I remember princess Sibylla as a shy person who blossomed in small companies. Then she would get lively, gesturing and joking. She was good at interior decoration and succeded in making her private rooms very cosy within a royal frame. She needed a lot of privacy. We never talked about the 1930´s in Germany because we all knew how tumultous they were and how difficult it sometimes was to have a historically seen correct picture and opinion. In the late 1960´s it became popular in Sweden to hunt her down. Her two youngest children tried to talk to the press but not to much avail. A now famous Swedish painter even exhibited a sexually infamous painting of her. This hurt many of us.

[bell_the_cat]

Thanks Wettin, for redressing the balance on Princess Sibylla.

[Rebecca]

Barbro Alving, a well reputed Swedish journalist and writer (her signature was Bang), was a friend of princess Sibylla, and she also said some time that Sibylla had a rather unusual sense of humour. However, I don't think it was ever popular to "hunt her down", and quite certainly, princess Sibylla was impopular long before the 60's. Who was the now famous Swedish artist? I'd like to know, as I've never heard of that story.

[stepan]

The artist is Peter Dahl and the painting from 1970 is called "Lberalismens genombrott i societeten".(The break-through of Liberalism in the upper class).  It caused a big scandal at the time. The painting was confiscated by the police and the artist was accused of lese-majesty but  the charge was eventually rejected. The painting showed an obscenity with an onlooking horrified Sibylla among other people. I don´t know where the painting is now, but probably in a museum.It made the artist famous in Sweden no doubt.

[Rebecca]

The artist is Peter Dahl and the painting from 1970 is called "Lberalismens genombrott i societeten".(The break-through of Liberalism in the upper class).  It caused a big scandal at the time. The painting was confiscated by the police and the artist was accused of lese-majesty but  the charge was eventually rejected. The painting showed an obscenity with an onlooking horrified Sibylla among other people. I don´t know where the painting is now, but probably in a museum.It made the artist famous in Sweden no doubt.

Thank you very much for the information. I had never heard of this story (it's rather strange that I have not heard of it, but it happened several years before I was born, which perhaps explains it), but somehow it doesn't surprise me that the artist is Peter Dahl, who has built his fame largely on being provocative. I made a quick search to find out more about the painting, and a lot came up. The descriptions of the painting in question makes me glad that I have never seen it. Absolutely obscene and disgraceful!  

This is one of the reasons why I like this forum - the chance to learn. So, again, thank you for the info.

[frederika]

i have been trying to find this picture but have had no luck what so ever has it been band ?

[bell_the_cat]

i have been trying to find this picture but have had no luck what so ever has it been band ?

Frederika !!!  

(I couldn't find it either)

[frederika]

I found the picture of her its much more explicit than i thought it would be http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/raos/libralismens_genombrott_i_s1.jpg

[Marc]

[Marc]

Sybilla's wedding photo....

[Leuchtenberg]

Does anyone know how well she got along with her (step)mother-in-law Louise Mountbatten?

I have always wondered of the relationship between Sybilla and Queen Ingrid.  I have only ever read one reference about it stating that Queen Ingrid was "fond of her sister-in-law".