Friday, February 24, 2012

The new Swedish princess is called

HRH Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary, Duchess of Östergötland.

The name is not unknown in the Swedish Royal Family.  Count Folke Bernadotte's wife was Estelle Manville, a very wealthy American.

Every royal name started out as a non-royal name.  It was not until a little princess was given the name Alexandrina Victoria (for her mother, Victoire) that the name Victoria entered the royal baby name book.  The Prince Regent gave her the names Alexandrina (for her godfather Alexander II) and and Victoria because he did not want her to be called Elizabeth or Charlotte. The Prince Regent did not think the Kent princess would be a queen.


http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2008/12/estelle-manville-marries-folke.html

5 comments:

The Source said...

What is your take on the names? Personally I am not a fan of Estelle. I dont think its fitting for a princess, let alone a queen. On the other hand I think its cute that she is given both her grandmothers names. The fourth name Mary could be an indicator that Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will be chosen as a godmother for the coming queen. What do you think?

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

Victoria was not originally a royal name. What is a royal name? There are no laws about what a royal child should be named. I would not have been my choice, but her parents like it, and the king approved. I suspect Crown Princess Mary will be a godmother. Victoria has four godparents, King Harald, Queen Beatrix, Princess Desiree and Ralf Sommerlath. My guess for godparents will be the Prince of Orange, Daniel's sister, Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Haakon.

Dennis said...

Just to expand on "wealthy": her grandfather, Charles Brayton Manville (1834-1927), founded one of the companies that later became part of Johns-Manville Corporation. At the time of his death the company was worth $32,000,000. His son Thomas, (Estelle's uncle) who predeceased his father, left a personal fortune of $23,000,000.

$32,000,000 in 1927 would give a contemporary standard of living in 2012 equivalent to a wealth of $786,000,000.

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

I wonder how much of the Manville wealth trickled down to Estelle's descendants.

Dennis said...

That's a great question. I looked briefly, but no answer. Oddly for a man of great wealth, Charles Brayton Manville died without a will. There were four children to split it between, so perhaps about $8,000,000 apiece.