Carl Bildt

Baron Carl Nils Daniel Bildt (15 March 1850 – 26 January 1931) was a Swedish diplomat and historian. He was Swedish envoy to the United Kingdom 1902–1905, but spent most of his Foreign Office career as Swedish envoy in Rome and published extensively on Swedish historical topics relating to Rome and Italy.

Early life A son of Gillis Bildt, he inherited the baronial title on his father's death in 1894.

Career After a law degree from Uppsala and holding various lower-ranking diplomatic posts in London, Paris, Washington D.C., Berlin and Vienna, and as state secretary for foreign affairs, he was appointed Swedish envoy to Rome in 1889. He remained there until late 1902 when he was transferred to the same position in London, and was received by King Edward VII to present his letter of credence at Buckingham Palace on 13 February 1903. During his time in London the Swedish heir Prince Gustaf Adolf married the British King′s niece Princess Margaret of Connaught in June 1905.

Bildt returned as envoy to Rome in late 1905 and remained there as envoy until his retirement in 1920.

Throughout his years in Italy, Bildt published a number of works on Italian or Italo-Swedish topics, starting with his Anteckningar från Italien av en svensk diplomat ("Notes from Italy by a Swedish diplomat"), with historical descriptions of a number of Italian towns. He wrote essays on earlier Swedish visits to Italy, such as the one by King Gustav III in 1783, but his main focus was on Saint Bridget of Sweden who spent her last years in Rome and Queen Christina, who settled there after abdicating from the Swedish throne (1654) and converting to Roman Catholicism (1655). With his excellent connections in Rome, Bildt was able to access until-then unused sources in Roman public and private archives and published articles on many previously unknown episodes in and aspects of Christina's later life.

Honours Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities (1900) Member of the Royal Society for Publication of Manuscripts on Scandinavian History (1898) Honorary doctor of philosophy at Uppsala University (31 May 1900)