The Swedish title of hertig (from the German word Herzog, meaning duke) came into use during the 13th Century with Birger Jarl, who played a pivotal role in the formation of the country of Sweden, and his son Prince Magnus. Birger Jarl is also traditionally attributed with founding the Swedish capital, Stockholm in around 1250. Birger used the Latin title of Dux Sweorum which means Duke of Sweden. The design of his Coronet combined features used by continental European and English dukes.
The title replaced the traditional Nordic Jarl, which could loosely be translated as prince, although the word is etymologically close to the English word earl.
For many years now, Royal Dukedoms, based on the historic provinces, have been granted to each Prince (and now equally Princess) in Sweden much as they have in the United Kingdom. The only difference is that they are granted at birth, as opposed to reaching majority or marrying, and therefore mean an almost immediate confirmation of Coat of Arms as the historic province's Arms form a part of the Quaterings and therefore differencing within the Family. As we will see, these Quarterings have been treated differently over the centuries and have settled down to a more satisfactory and logical format. There are also a number of provinces which have not seen themselves represented with a Royal Dukedom and there is a unique Grant within the current family which we will see as well. In the olden days, Dukes really did look over their provinces as they provided an income whether the prince ascended the Throne or not. Princesses were expected to marry. Nowadays, the titles are purely ceremonial and personal; they are not inherited. |
In this first installment, we will look at the present Royal Family.
Jämtland (HM King Carl XVI Gustaf)
Having said that, Jämtland has been fought over by Norway and Sweden. During the period of unrest in Jämtland's history (1563–1677) it shifted alignment between the two states no fewer than 13 times. This in itself is symbolized by the province's coat of arms where Jämtland, represented by a silver Elk, is threatened from the east (an Eagle) and from the west (a Dog/Wolf). (Although not officially stipulated in the Blazon (or description) the Elk's Antlers are usually shown as red.)
Prince Carl Gustaf was granted the title of the Duke of Jämtland at his christening. His father, Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten was killed in an plane crash on 26th January 1947, at Copenhagen Airport. His father's death left the nine-month-old prince second in line for the throne, behind his grandfather, the then Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf. When his great-grandfather Gustaf V died in 1950, the four-year-old prince became the Heir Apparent to the Swedish Throne.
As has been mentioned, a Swedish Royal Duke or Duchess, even the Crown Prince or, as we shall see, the Crown Princess, quarters the Arms of their Dukedom with the Royal Arms. When Carl Gustaf was a child, the Arms of Sweden and Folkung were split into two not four and the Ducal Arms appeared in a third portion at the bottom. All was still divided by the yellow cross, which, legend has it, 12th-century King Eric IX saw in the sky as he landed in Finland during the First Swedish Crusade in 1157 and which is also the basis of the Swedish flag.
This version looks most awkward to me and the present system, as we will see, looks better.
Carl Gustaf ceased to use these arms in 1973 when he came to the Throne. He also ceased to use the Ducal title, as is customarily the case, although it is contested that he was called King of Sweden and Duke of Jämtland at the time of his accession. Queen Silvia, who married Carl Gustaf in 1976 after he had become King, was therefore never Duchess of Jämtland and no queen consort carries on the Ducal title either.
Västergötland (Crown Princess Victoria)
Västergötland was granted its arms at the time of the funeral of King Gustaf Vasa in 1560.
Per bend sinister Sable and Or, a Lion rampant counterchanged langued and armed Gules between two Mullets Argent in the Sable field.
Crown Princess Victoria was not without her controversy when she was a child. Although she was The King and Queen's first child, born on 14th July 1977, she was not automatically Crown Princess as daughters were still excluded from the Throne. Her brother, Carl Philip, was born two years later and from his birth on 13th May 1979 to 31st December 1979 he was Crown Prince. However, the Government made an amendment to the Act of Succession of 1810 that year which meant that the throne would be inherited by the monarch's eldest child regardless of gender, but also made it retroactive. Carl Philip was therefore stripped of the title of Crown Prince to the King's great annoyance and Victoria became Crown Princess on 1st January 1980.
She therefore also needed a Ducal title as she would need a Coat of Arms of her own. Princesses had until then simply used the Swedish Coat of Arms on an oval Shield and every princess' Arms were therefore the same. Victoria was granted Västergötland. As Duchies were granted at or shortly after the christening, the question is whether Carl Philip would have been granted Västergötland instead as the change to the law was presumably being discussed around about the time of his Christening in the August.
Victoria, as the first Royal Duchess in her own right in the modern age, therefore also became Duchess of Västergötland as well as Crown Princess on 1st January 1980 at the age of three-and-a-half.
On 19th June 2010 Crown Princess Victoria married commoner Daniel Westling. As the first female Heir Apparent there was the great question as to what her husband would be known as. There had been three queens regnant in Sweden's history, but none of them gave any clear precedent as none of the husband's had been commoners. The Swedish Royal Court announced that Westling would become "Prince Daniel" and "Duke of Västergötland". He would not be Duke in his own right but simply take on the title of his wife. As was further announced the month before the wedding, Westling was made a prince of Sweden and was granted the style Royal Highness on his wedding day, making him an official member of the Swedish Royal Family. He also emerged from Stockholm Cathedral after the wedding ceremony wearing the Ribbon and Star of the Order of the Seraphim. He will remain a prince when his wife ascends the Throne, just like Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. They are currently generally known as the Crown Princess Couple. |
The Coat of Arms and his Monogram were unveiled by the Swedish Royal Court on 15th June 2010:
The National Archives were commissioned by the Royal Court in autumn 2009 with producing proposals for a coat of arms and a monogram. H.M. The King has now confirmed the future Duke's coat of arms and monogram, which were drawn by the National Archives' heraldic artist Vladimir A Sagerlund and designed by State Herald Henrik Klackenberg, working closely with Mr Daniel Westling.
The coat of arms has four fields with an inescutcheon, and is crowned with a prince's crown. The four fields depict the lesser national coat of arms (fields 1 and 4), the coat of arms of the House of Folkung (field 2) and the coat of arms of Västergötland (field 3). The inescutcheon shows Mr Daniel Westling's personal coat of arms, which is derived from the coat of arms of Ockelbo Municipality. The fir twig line, which divides up the shield, and the hammer are found in the municipal coat of arms, but in a different position and in different colours.
Two questions remain: Whether Prince Daniel will retain his Ducal title when his Wife becomes Queen and whether he will retain the Ducal Quarter, or not, as a consequence. As is usual in these situations, the questions will probably only be answered if and as the matters arise.
Östergötland (Princess Estelle)
From 1560, Östergötland was represented with two separate Coats of Arms until 1884 when the current one was granted. The blazon reads as follows:
Gules a Griffin with Dragon Wings, Tail and Tongue rampant Or armed, beaked, langued and membered Azure between four Roses Argent.
It is believed that Estelle was named after American-born Estelle Bernadotte who married Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish member of a United Nations mediating team and who was assassinated in Israel. At the time of the announcement, King Carl XVI Gustaf said that, "...the name is very close to the heart of her mother and the family." Folke was the son of Prince Oscar Bernadotte who was, in turn, the son of King Oscar II. Oscar Bernadotte had contracted a marriage with Swedish noblewoman Ebba Munck af Fulkila, who wasn't of royal birth, and therefore had to give up his Swedish princely title and his Dukedom of Gotland.
Estelle is the first first-born Princess with the right to inherit the Crown of Sweden which cannot be superseded by a later brother. She remains second in line to the Throne, though, after her Mother. It is believed that she will carry on the Dynasty of Bernadotte, even though members of the Swedish Royal Family have a traditional exemption from the law which requires all Swedes to have a surname. Her Father, Prince Daniel, officially and legally adopted his wife's surname of Bernadotte after marrying her.
The Duchy, as we will see in a later Blog on the subject, has been granted before. One holder of the title was HM King Oscar II, Oscar Bernadotte's Father, before he became King.
Skåne (Prince Oscar)
The official Blazon of Skåne's quite striking Coat of Arms is as follows:
Or, a Griffin's Head erased Gules, crowned, armed and langued Azure.
Skåne is also distinctive heraldically as it has its own Nordic or Scandinavian Cross flag, with the vertical arm of the Cross displaced towards the flagpole rather than being in the centre of the Flag. It is not just a Banner of the Arms and is itself official as it is flown by the Council. Not only does it combine the main Colours of the Coat of Arms - red and yellow - it combines the red Field of the Danish Flag and the yellow Cross of the Swedish Flag to reflect the disputes over the region over the years. There is a dispute as to when it was created, but it is safe to say that it emerged towards the end of the 19th Century and became established around 1902. |
His names and title were announced in Council the day after his birth by his grandfather, the King. There have been two previous Dukes of Scania in the House of Bernadotte: Charles XV and Gustaf VI Adolf (Prince Oscar's great-great-grandfather and the King's own Grandfather and direct predecessor). Whilst Oscar's elder Sister's Dukedom reflects their Mother's, it might be thought that the King had reserved this seemingly important Dukedom for his eldest Grandson who, had things been different, might have become king. (Don't forget that all Swedish princes (and only princes), as well as receiving the Order of the Seraphim at birth, also receive the Order of Charles XIII. However, they cannot wear the Order's insignia unless they are Freemasons.)
As can be seen above, Skåne's Coat of Arms is shown in the third Quarter of Prince Oscar's Shield.
Värmland (Prince Carl Philip)
It's capital and largest city is, ironically considering the Prince who carries the Province's Dukedom, Karlstad. The agreement to dissolve the union between Norway and Sweden was negotiated and signed there in 1905.
The Blason for the Province's Coat of Arms is below. However, background information seems to be scarce, if not non-existant!
Argent, an Eagle displayed Azure beaked, langued and membered Gules.
However, the succession laws were changed by the Swedish Government, coming into effect on 1st January 1980. These were, surprisingly, made retroactive with the result that Carl Philip not only lost his title of Crown Prince which he had held for 7 months, but also lost his position in the Line of Succession to his elder sister who will become Sweden's next monarch.
His Dukedom remained the same and the Värmland Eagle features in the third Quarter of Carl Philip's Coat of Arms.
On 13th June 2015 Carl Philip married the former model and reality television contestant Sofia Hellqvist. The previous month the Royal Court had announced that she would receive the title of Princess of Sweden in her own right, although, as the spouse of a Prince, she ranks below her royal-born sisters-in-law. Her Coat of Arms is shown here and follows the usual pattern of, firstly, being shown on an oval Shield. The main Arms are those of her husband as she also takes on his ducal title. Her personal Coat of Arms is shown on an oval Inescutcheon in the middle. As pointed out in a previous Blog, Sofia was not armigerous and the Grant for her personal Coat of Arms took a long while coming. It was only made public 2 years after the wedding! The Arms are based on those of her homeland, Älvdalen and are the simplified background to the locality's Coat of Arms which amounts to a Silver Field, a Red (Gules) triple-topped mountain and a Chief Wavy Azure (Blue) which would appear to represent a blue sky. The sythe and crossbow from Älvdalen's version have been removed for the Princess. |
Södermanland (Prince Alexander)
The terrain is flat and largely consists of water filled hollows and covered with woods on the heights.
The nation's capital, Stockholm, is shared between Södermanland and Uppland.
Or, a Griffin rampant Sable beaked, langued, membered and armed Gules.
As shown above, Alexander's Coat of Arms follows the usual pattern and the black Södermanland Griffin appears in the third Quarter of his Shield.
Dalarna (Prince Gabriel)
The word "Dalarna" means "the dales" or "valleys". The area is a popular holiday destination with good fishing lakes, beautiful camping grounds and deep forests. Many Swedes own or rent a second residence in Dalarna with vegetable gardens and apple trees. Summer festivals and dances are held in mid-June. Dalarna is a region full of historical associations, possessing strong local characteristics, especially its people, and enjoys a rich and unique folk culture.
The high level of calcium in the soil favours horse breeding - the Dala Horse is a traditional carved, painted wooden statue or toy - and the Stora Kopparberg ("Great Copper Mountain") in Falun has been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Province's Coat of Arms, which appeared as early as 1525, is as follows:
Azure, two Dalecarlian Arrows Or in saltire point upwards pointed Argent and in chief a Crown of the second.
Hälsingland and Gästrikland (Princess Madeleine)
Hälsingland is mostly mountainous and rocky, sloping down towards the coast, and largely covered in forest. The fact that large areas consist of rocks and bogs and are unsuitable for agriculture doesn't exactly make it sound a delightful place to be duchess of! However, part of the coastline on the Gulf of Bothnia, called "High Coast", has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hälsingland has an unofficial flag which was designed and adopted in 1992. Surprisingly, though, it is more reminiscent of the colours of Gästrikland's Coat of Arms! The Blason for Hälsingland's Coat of Arms is as follows: |
Sable, a Goat rampant Or attired and hoofed Gules.
Neighbouring Gästrikland, a small Procince south of Hälsingland, is often called the Gateway to Norrland. The South and East are largely agricultural and the North and West are largely hilly. The north-western corner is the home to Gästrikland's highest mountain, the Lustigknopp (literally "Funny-hood"). One tenth of the Province's area is home to small lakes.
Gästrikland's Arms are blasonned as follows:
Argent Hurty an Elk statant Gules attired and hoofed Or.
There is one other innovation with Princess Madeleine. Up until her birth on 10th June 1982, the ducal title was not announced until the time of the baby's christening or shortly after. Madeleine's full name and ducal title were announced in Council by her Father, The King, shortly after her birth. This has become the pattern for announcements ever since.
Gotland (Princess Leonore)
Maybe because of its strategic position, the island shows that it has been occupied since prehistory with evidence of 5,000-year-old skeletal remains from Middle Neolithic times. It is also the home of many Viking finds, including the world's largest Viking silver treasure found in 1999.
Early in the Middle Ages, Gotland became a commercial centre, with the town of Visby the most important Hanseatic city in the Baltic Sea.
The Arms have been known from the 13th century in the shape of the seal of the Gutnish Republic with the proud ram and are blasonned as follows:
Azure a ram statant Argent armed Or holding on a cross-staff of the same a banner Gules bordered and with five tails of the third.
The Flags of the World website has this to say about the Arms (www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/se_gotla.html)
At the time, Gotland was occupied by the Danish, a fact the Swedes had a hard time accepting. Thus arms were created for the island, signalling Sweden's claim to it. These arms were on red, a silver ram carrying a blue and yellow cross flag - the flag of Sweden. In 1570 Sweden ceded the island to Denmark, and the arms were no longer used. However, Sweden regained the island in 1658. At this time the island's arms were on blue an Agnus Dei carrying a silver banner with a red cross. It is possible that the old seal of Gotland (with the ram) was mixed up with the seal of the city of Visby. Visby's seal originally had an Agnus Dei combined with a tree of lilies (known from the 1340s). As a Hanse city, Visby had a German and also a Gotlandic population. In the 1340s the two communities were united. This was reflected in the seal: The lamb represented the Gotlanders, while the tree of lilies represented the Germans. Later, the tree of lilies disappeared, leaving only the lamb and banner. In 1945, Visby officially got arms with an Agnus Dei in red.
Gotland has an official flag, which is simply a square banner of the Province's/County's Coat of Arms. Whilst that is striking enough, there is an unofficial Nordic Cross flag, which is shown here, of a green Nordic Cross on yellow. This design was suggested in 1991 but the local government has not taken steps to adopt it. The design of the flag is similar to the flag of neighbouring island Öland, but the colors are reversed. It is said that the flag's yellow represents Gotland's beach areas and the green stands for the greenery on the island. |
Ångermanland (Prince Nicolas)
The landscape is varied, with valleys, rocks, and bogs and there is arable farming in the areas adjoining the rivers – the Ångerman River in particular. The coast line, called the Höga Kusten, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The land still rises at the rate of about one centimetre per year, as an effect of the last ice age that ended in the 7th millennium BC.
The Coat of Arms represents the rivers being spawning grounds for salmon, i.e. two fish to the sea for each one up the river. There are many similar designs which represent salmon fishing and processing. The blason is as follows:
Azure three Salmons naiant Argent finned Gules, the middle one counternaiant.
Prince Nicolas was born on 15th June 2015 and his names - Nicolas Paul Gustaf - and title were announced at a State Council by his grandfather, The King, two days later. This is the first time that Ångermanland has been used a Duchy.
Blekinge (Princess Adrienne)
The Province is particularly noted for its oak forests, hence the principle element of its Arms - an oak tree. The three Crowns around the trunk symbolize the change in status of the former Danish province, now belonging to Sweden, following many disputes and wars. The blason is as follows:
Azure, an Oak Tree eradicated Or ensigned with three Crowns palewise of the same.
Princess Adrienne was born on 9th March 2018. Her full names - Adrienne Josephine Alice - and title were announced at a State Council by her grandfather, The King, three days later. As with her brother Nicolas, this is the first time that the Province of Blekinge has been used for a ducal title.
David has photographed examples of heraldry extensively, especially in the UK, in the Riddarholm Church, Stockholm and in the Orders Chapel in Fredriksborg Castle, Denmark. Examples of his patient work can be viewed at www.flickr.com/photos/thecrimsoncomet/albums/72157621553716769.
I must admit that, if I were confronted with so many Stall Plates, I would have a field-day photographing everything. If not a year!