Ebba Bernadotte

Who was Ebba Bernadotte?

Princess Ebba Bernadotte, née Ebba Henrietta Munck af Fulkila, was a Swedish noble, lady in waiting and a titular princess, the spouse of Prince Oscar Bernadotte.

She was born to the noble colonel Carl Jacob Munck af Fulkila and baroness Henrica Cederström. She was a lady-in-waiting of the Crown Princess, Victoria of Baden, who in 1885 visited her brother-in-law in Amsterdam, where he was to undergo a medical examination for a heart difficulty. Ebba and Oscar visited the Norwegian sailor church during their stay in Amsterdam and fell in love: Ebba was religious and influenced Oscar in this regard. When Oscar told his family that he wished to marry Ebba, they were scandalized and he was forced to take a two-year consideration period, and Ebba was dismissed as a lady-in-waiting. In 1887, Oscar told his family that he had not changed his mind, and the Royal House gave its consent to the marriage on condition that Oscar's brothers signed a document promising that they should never enter a similar marriage, which they did.

On January 21, 1888, a ball was arranged on the Royal Palace of Stockholm were Ebba and Oscar were allowed to dance with each other, and on 29 January, 1888, the engagement was formally announced. The match was regarded as a great sorrow within the royal house, but it received a lot of sympathy from the public. It was said that a bridge had been placed between the people and the Royal House: "The Munck bridge", and the fact that Oscar had to give up his royal title made people say that the King no longer had four sons but only three, as one of them "married and had to quit". When the couple left Stockholm, a large crowd had gathered on the train station to see them off and show their support.