Princess Ingeborg of Denmark

Princess Ingeborg of Denmark (Ingeborg Charlotte Caroline Frederikke Louise; 2 August 1878 – 12 March 1958) was a Princess of Sweden by marriage to Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland.

Princess Ingeborg was a daughter of Frederick VIII of Denmark and Louise of Sweden, she grew up in Copenhagen as a Danish princess. In 1897, she was married to her mother's first cousin Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, and spent the rest of her of life in Sweden as a member of the Swedish royal family.

Her marriage produced four children, among whom were Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway and Astrid, Queen of the Belgians.

Early life Princess Ingeborg's birthplace, Charlottenlund PalacePrincess Ingeborg was born on 2 August 1878 at her parents' country residence, the Charlottenlund Palace north of Copenhagen, during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King Christian IX. She was the second daughter and fifth child of Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark, and his wife Princess Louise of Sweden. Her father was the eldest son of King Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel, and her mother was the only daughter of King Charles XV of Sweden and Louise of the Netherlands. She was baptised with the names Ingeborg Charlotte Caroline Frederikke Louise, and was known as Princess Ingeborg.

As a granddaughter of Christian IX, referred to by the sobriquet the "father-in-law of Europe", Princess Ingeborg was related to several European monarchs and rulers. She was thus a first cousin of the future King George V of the United Kingdom, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, King Constantine I of Greece and Duke Ernest Augustus of Brunswick.

Princess Ingeborg (far left) with her parents and eldest siblings in 1885. Princess Ingeborg had seven siblings, the two eldest of whom were Prince Christian (the future King Christian X of Denmark) and Prince Carl (the future King Haakon VII of Norway). Although their marriage was arranged, the outcome was very much in accordance with the personal aspiration of the princess who after the wedding said: "I have prayed to God for a whole year to have Carl."

The wedding was celebrated on 27 August 1897 in the chapel of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. The wedding guests included members of the Danish and Swedish royal families, as well as the bride's paternal aunts, the Dowager Empress of Russia and the Princess of Wales. After the wedding reception, the newly married couple left the palace for the pier, where they embarked the Danish royal yacht, the paddle steamer Dannebrog, which early next morning sailed for Lübeck. They spent their honeymoon in Germany.

Public role

Upon her arrival in Sweden, she was an immediate success. The marriage was seen positively by the public because Ingeborg was the granddaughter of the popular King Charles XV of Sweden and Norway. She also became well-liked by both her family and the Swedish public for her cheerful, humorous, and informal manner. Her father-in-law, King Oscar II called her the family's "little ray of sunshine." It was said of her, that of all foreign princesses married into the Swedish royal house, she was perhaps the one best suited to be Queen consort of Sweden, and for the first ten years in Sweden, she almost was: from 1897 until 1907, Queen Sophia seldom attended public events and Crown Princess Victoria spent most of her time abroad for health reasons, Princess Ingeborg was thereby given more public duties, unofficially performing much of the role associated with the queen consort at the Swedish court. She is perceived as having performed her representational duties with a combination of dignity and easygoing friendliness, and as attracting a social circle with her wit.

Ingeborg was interested in sports, especially ice skating, and at the automobile exhibition of Stockholm in 1903, she and Crown Prince Gustav, made a spontaneous demonstration trip in a car from Scania. In 1908, she accompanied her husband's nephew Prince Wilhelm to his wedding with her paternal first cousin once removed Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna in Russia.

Family life

Although the parties had not had much influence on its conclusion, the marriage between Ingeborg and Carl ended up being successful, and the couple's relationship was described as harmonious. They had four children: Princess Margaretha of Sweden, later Princess Axel of Denmark (25 June 1899 – 4 January 1977). Princess Märtha of Sweden, later Crown Princess of Norway (28 March 1901 – 5 April 1954). Princess Astrid of Sweden, later Queen of the Belgians (17 November 1905 – 29 August 1935). Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland, known as Carl Jr., later Prince Bernadotte, a Belgian title (10 January 1911 – 27 June 2003).

The family lived a harmonious life, and was known as "The happy family".

Princess Ingeborg died in her sleep on 12 March 1958 at her home, aged 79, having outlived two of her three daughters, Astrid and Märtha.

Her funeral took place on 19 March 1958 at the Stockholm Cathedral, and was attended by several European monarchs, including King Olav V of Norway, King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, King Frederick IX of Denmark and King Baudouin of Belgium. Queen Louise of Sweden and Queen Ingrid of Denmark were also present.