[Here is a behind-the-scenes look at the royal family of Sweden in 1899, originally published in The Ludgate Magazine (1899). All Scandinavian collectors will be familiar with King Oscar portrait on the stamp of Sweden and this article should be especial interest.]

King Oscar II of Sweden

Of the various families for whom Napoleon the Great found thrones none is any longer in possession of a crown, except that of a Marshal Bernadotte, of which Oscar II., King of Sweden and Norway, is the present head. He is now nearly seventy of age, though he looks much younger, and has wielded the sceptre since 1872. He is six feet high, and is an extremely handsome man ; is very reserved, and not very popular with his subjects.” He is a scientist of eminence, and a short time ago was made honorary member of the Imperial Society of Naturalists of Moscow. He had conferred upon him the degree of D.C.L. by diploma of Oxford University, on the completion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his accession to the throne, and he is a member or correspondent of most scientific societies of the world. King Oscar of Sweden was selected, some three years ago, as the arbitrator in our Venezuelan frontier dispute, as he is renowned for his extreme impartiality. A typical example of this was shown in his treatment of the Norwegian playwright, Bjornsen. The King, as is well known, possesses considerable ability as poet and author. Bjornsen somehow believed that the King had mercilessly criticised one of his plays, and, regarding this more in the light of a piece of jealous spite on the part of a rival than as a criticism, he boldly challenged King Oscar to fight a duel. Democratic and simple as is the King of Norway, this step of Bjornsen was regarded as beyond the bounds of loyalty, and the playwright was forced to flee his native country, on a charge of lése-majesté. This was as far back as 1879. Thirteen years later the King conferred upon Bjornsen – whose rabid Republicanism has never been concealed – the Grand Cordon and Star of the Order of St. Olaf, in token of his services to Scandinavian letters.

The Royal Palace

Oscar II is a hardy and muscular monarch, and very fond of hunting. His favourite sport is stalking the chamois. He is also an ardent pedestrian, and thinks nothing of going for a twenty-five mile walk between breakfast and late dinner. On some of these expeditions he will quite outstrip all his attendants, and arrive back at the palace alone, and sometimes drenched through to the skin, for he can rarely be persuaded to carry an umbrella. He is a tender and devoted husband, and very much attached to his home and family. When he was staying in Paris a little while ago, the papers noticed that he wore the ribbon of the Lotion of Honour, and another, which was declared to belong to some Swedish decoration. As a matter of fact, this latter token of distinction was attached to the medal of the French Humane Society, and was earned by His Majesty thirty-three years ago, when he only enjoyed the title of Crown Prince. He happened to be walking on the Carnice Road just as a runaway carriage and pair dashed towards him, when, with great presence of mind, the young Prince ran at once to the horses’ heads, and succeeded in stopping them before any serious consequences ensued. Oscar resembles, in one respect at least, our late Grand Old Man, being an expert at felling trees, and enjoying the exercise very much; and it is said no man can beat him at it. Another peculiarity of the King is that he prefers a pipe to the best Havana which may he had. He is said also to be a financial genius, and has made enormous sums of money by the rebuilding of Stockholm. He has at different times privately bought up out-of-the-way slums in that city, which have afterwards been redeemed by the Council, or Crown, for the purpose of creating new squares, parks, and streets.

Though a simple and unaffected monarch, King Oscar of Sweden is a Sovereign who makes use of his crown most frequently. Of the two united kingdoms over which be rules, Sweden is the richest and most important one, containing the large, fine capital, Stockholm. His position as King is by no means a bed of roses, and the agitation about Home Rule, though a long and fierce one, is still far from a settlement, as we heard not long ago from Christiania, the capital of Norway, that a measure had been passed in Parliament to introduce a purely Norwegian flag, without the emblem of union with Sweden. For many years Norway and Sweden have possessed separate ensigns, both for the Navy and for the Mercantile Marine; but hitherto they differed only in respect to colour, being identical in pattern. The Norwegian flag has a blue cross on a red ground, and that of Sweden a yellow cross on blue ground, each ensign bearing in its upper left-hand corner a small red, blue and yellow design, somewhat resembling the little flag in the corresponding part of the British ensign, and symbolical of the union of the two countries. It is the omission of this sign that will constitute the new departure. It is difficult to foresee the ultimate issue, as Home Rule has not proved a success in any country so far.

The Crown Princess of Sweden

One of the most remarkable characteristics for a man of King Oscar’s nature is the great interest he takes in children and their education. He frequently pays visits, to the, schools. Quite recently he was inspecting a class of young girls, who were, naturally, much overcome by a visit the King. “Can you tell me,” His Majesty of the pupils, “the names of the great kings of Sweden?” “Gustavus Adolphus,” cried one. “Charles XII.” said another. “Oscar II.”, stammered one of the smallest, who was a little courtier in her way. Surprised, the King went up to her, and asked her to tell him one of the great events of his reign. The child hesitated, then blushed, and finally, in tears, murmured, “I don’t know any.” The King kindly stroked the little one’s hair, and said, “Don’t cry, my dear child; I don’t know any myself.”

The Queen has created lately quite a sensation at Stockholm on account of her devotion to the Salvation Army. Her fascination for this sensational work of the soldiers of “General” Booth has been more and more manifest of recent years, and now Her Majesty gives the greater part of her time and mind to fostering the already very comfortable “homes” throughout Sweden and Norway, in which work she is assisted by her second son Oscar, who is a naval officer and street preacher at the same time. He is well known in England on account of his morganatic marriage with a young maid-of-honour at Bournemouth some years ago. The Queen neglects to a great extent her duties towards her husband, and sincere sympathy is felt for the King in his loneliness; and his most intimate friends express their feelings plainly as to the rare attendance of Her Majesty at Court functions, The many really deserving poor of Stockholm also complain that they receive little assistance unless they join the “Army.” The good which it is intended to do by establishing the “homes” is in no way unmitigated, as their comforts are inducements to able bodied and healthy men and women to escape work; and recently the head contractor for the cleansing of the capital lodged a complaint with the authorities that he could not proceed with the work owing to the scarcity of labour. When he applied to the Salvation Army Home, and offered good pay, the inmates refused to come out. “They were so comfortable, thanks to Her Majesty,” they said.

The new departure in the Queen’s life is by no means popular, and many call her “a Salvation lass” ; however, the whole Royal Family, with the exception of the King, is renowned for its great piety, almost bordering on fanaticism. The Crown Prince himself is ready to go down the slums at the head of a band, and preach the Gospel, following in this his younger brother whom we mentioned before.

The Crown Prince of Sweden

The youngest of the Royal Prince Eugene, whose name was mentioned some time ago as an as aspirant for the hand of the young Queen of Holland, has very democratic tendencies. He loves to wander over the hills in Norway, with only one or two companions. He sits down at a small table in the country inns in the eveing to his simple meal of tea and fish or, perhaps, to a glass of beer, and goes about without either looking or receiving any more attention than anybody else.

When he finds himself outside his father’s territory. he is even more unrestrained. He spent three years in the Latin Quarter of Paris, studying sculpture; and not long ago he was an art student in Florence, living among students, and refusing all intercourse with Royalties.

Like the old King, all the members of the Royal Family possess good looks, and the Crown Prince and Princess are an extremely prepossessing couple. The Prince is a martyr to toothache, as he has every one of his teeth barred, that is to say, a bar ot bone runs through the roots of every tooth, and this has to be crushed before a single one can be removed.

Royal Villa near Christiania

We do not intend in our present paper to do more than give character sketches of the King of Sweden and Norway, and some members of his family, but for those who always take interest in the financial position of crowned heads we will mention that the Royal family have a civil list of about £78,000 from Sweden and £25,000 from Norway.

Stockholm is so well known, and the royal palaces in Sweden have so often been brought before the public, that we reproduce here two of the royal residences in Norway, with which our readers are less well acquainted, namely the royal palace at Christiania, and the charmine royal villa in its neighbourhood, “Oskarshal.” We also reproduce the most recent photographs of the King, the Crown Prince, and Crown Princess.