# Swedish Nobility? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567 "2002-12-13T18:45:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/1 "2002-12-13T18:45:50Z")
If [Princess Madeleine](http://www.princess-madeleine.com/family.html) accepts my proposal of marriage, do I get some kind of title? _Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl, Earl, Earl…_ ---
**Author:** ![CaptEgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@CaptEgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptEgo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/2 "2002-12-13T19:00:35Z")
Generally speaking the spouse of Children of royalty simply become the ‘equivalent’ title. Thus the husband of a princess would/should become a ‘Prince’. No doubt there are a wide varety of variations in this game but then you’d be better off asking the Swedish Royal family about that. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/3 "2002-12-13T20:01:31Z")
The Swedish Royal family has not yet been made aware of my most honourable intentions. I don’t think I would become a Prince of Sweden since I am not presently a Prince, or presently in possession of a title of nobility. (\*Frequently in the history, foreign noblemen have been made Swedish by the king through a process called naturalization. \* from: [this page](http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/adel.html)) I just don’t want to have some kind of dorky title like Princess’ Consort, that would royally suck. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/4 "2002-12-13T20:35:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CaptEgo \* > \*\*Generally speaking the spouse of Children of royalty simply become the ‘equivalent’ title. Thus the husband of a princess would/should become a ‘Prince’. \*\* Doesn’t work that way over here. Maybe Sweden’s different, but you’d just be plain ol’ Mr **eunoia** , if they follow the UK convention. I notice there’s a “contact” link on the site you showed us, so maybe they’d tell you straight. Are you too shy to ask? Oh, and a word to the wise; if they send you a questionnaire and there’s a question like “How did you first become aware of Princess Madeleine?” don’t answer “Saw her picture on the internet”. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/5 "2002-12-13T22:07:04Z")
You have to fight me first, to get to her 😃 She’s a total babe, although gossip over here claim that she’s about as smart as a letter box. Where the mailman hasn’t delivered. Ever. To your question. You’d be a prince. The King’s Uncle, **Prince Bertil** , married a divorced English commoner, **Mrs. Lillian Craig** , who got the title Princess when marrying the prince. Madeleine has been switching boyfriends, and partying, like crazy for a couple of years now, and the Royal Court, according to the gossip sheets, is none to happy about it. BTW, to find her, go to Stockholm and visit the bar LeRoy, which is where she mostly hangs out. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/6 "2002-12-13T22:11:01Z")
Sorry, forgot. [Here](http://www.royalcourt.se/net/Royal+Court) is the official web site for the Swedish Royal court. ---
**Author:** ![XPav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/b77776/32.png) [@XPav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XPav)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/7 "2002-12-13T22:25:23Z")
> [@](#): > > the Royal Court, according to the gossip sheets, is none to happy about it. You mean to say… they are not amused? Here’s a challenge – are there any “princesses” that have actually done something with their life other than be a socialite? I know that many princes have, usually because it was the familial obligation to join the Navy or somesmuch, but I’m curious as to the effect of women’s lib on conservative royal courts. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/8 "2002-12-13T22:49:57Z")
Her big sister, Princess Victoria, is a good example of the opposite of “party princess”. This is partially due to her being the Crown Princess. The Knig\* changed the swedish constitution iirc when his first born was a daughter to make the order of ascention to the throne follow “firstborn” rather than “firstborn son”, kinda cool. Victoria is 25ish, has studied political science etc at Yale for two years and worked as a trainee at the UN and the Swedish Embassy in the USA. This year she has been working with the Swedish International Development Agency (help for “underdeveloped countries”). She also has her own “fund” for helping with leisure activities for handicapped kids. Vicky is a cutie too 😉 Actually the whole family is really good looking. The prince is a fine figure of a young man, and him and mom and pop were out wandering on my little island today since the lad graduated 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/9 "2002-12-13T22:59:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Gaspode \* > \*\*To your question. You’d be a prince. The King’s Uncle, **Prince Bertil** , married a divorced English commoner, **Mrs. Lillian Craig** , who got the title Princess when marrying the prince. > \*\* I hate to sound sexist, but, seems to me when a King marries and his wife becomes Queen. When Elizabeth II married Philip he became Concubine Regent-In-Residence or some such. It doesn’t necessarily go both ways. (I’ll fight any man alive for Princess Madeleine’s honour, Sancho, fetch me Mambrino’s Helmet! :D) ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/10 "2002-12-13T23:06:33Z")
Conversely, if my title is going to be a euphemism for “the guy who’s doing the Princess” I’ll drop my arms and propose to one of the [Hilton sisters](http://www.postershop.com/Hilton-Nicky-And-Paris/Hilton-Nicky-And-Paris-Photo-Nicky-and-Paris-Hilton-6203370.html) instead. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/11 "2002-12-13T23:14:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Iteki \* > \*_The Knig_ changed the swedish constitution iirc when his first born was a daughter to make the order of ascention to the throne follow “firstborn” rather than “firstborn son”, kinda cool. > \*\* Nope. The King can’t change the constitution. He’s viryually powerless in politics. The parliament changed it, against the will of the court. **eunoia** , if you were to marry her, which means you’re accepted into the family, you’d the the title prince. Not too shabby, I think. However, if both big sister and brother should die, and Maddy becomes Queen, you’d still be prince. No King title in store, in case you’re planning something to elevate yourself. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/12 "2002-12-13T23:14:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eunoia \* > \*\*I hate to sound sexist, but, seems to me when a King marries and his wife becomes Queen. When Elizabeth II married Philip he became Concubine Regent-In-Residence or some such. It doesn’t necessarily go both ways. \*\* It’s not you being sexist, it’s them (the royals). The reason for my earlier comment was to cover the case you’ve mentioned and that of Princess Anne, whose current husband is just plain Mr. Laurence. That may not be the case in Sweden, however. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/13 "2002-12-13T23:17:05Z")
Hey, **everton** , we’re not such snobs as you Brits. So we made a fine Englishwoman a princess, even though she’s of common stock and a divorcee. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/14 "2002-12-13T23:22:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Gaspode \* > \*\ ***eunoia** , if you were to marry her, which means you’re accepted into the family, you’d the the title prince. Not too shabby, I think. However, if both big sister and brother should die, and Maddy becomes Queen, you’d still be prince. No King title in store, in case you’re planning something to elevate yourself. \*\* Thanks, this is what I was looking for. I’ll see to it that you’re made Commander of the Order of the Polar Star for this. (Please disregard all statements made about the Hilton sisters.) ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/15 "2002-12-14T00:07:49Z")
Thanks Gaspode, mrsIteki is being beaten for the incorrect info as we speak 🙂 Btw, I put in an \* and forgot to footnote it so… [sub]\*for the swedes reading[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/16 "2002-12-14T00:38:45Z")
In all European nobility/royalty, a female commoner marrying upward gets to assume the equivalent female title and style of the husband’s rank. At the same time they might not always be accepted by the husband’s social circle. But male commoners marrying up don’t get diddly. However, I think when one of the British princesses married a commoner, about 30 years ago, they did offer him a title, which was declined. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swedish-nobility/142567/17 "2002-12-14T10:41:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by javaman \* > \*\*In all European nobility/royalty, a female commoner marrying upward gets to assume the equivalent female title and style of the husband’s rank. At the same time they might not always be accepted by the husband’s social circle. > > But male commoners marrying up don’t get diddly. However, I think when one of the British princesses married a commoner, about 30 years ago, they did offer him a title, which was declined. \*\* Cite?