Royal Elegance: Prince Wilhelm & Princess Louise, 1910s

This photograph captures Prince Wilhelm of Sweden alongside his wife, Princess Louise, during the early 1910s, a period marked by significant social and political changes in Europe. Prince Wilhelm, born in 1884, was the son of King Oscar II of Sweden and a member of the Swedish royal family. His marriage to Princess Louise, a British noblewoman and daughter of the Duke of Argyll, reflects the interconnected nature of European aristocracy at the time. Marriages like theirs were often strategic, strengthening alliances between countries and royal families.

The image is presented as a glass negative, a format widely used in photography before the advent of modern film. Produced by the Bain News Service, a prominent early 20th-century news organization, this photograph not only documents a personal moment between royals but also serves as an artifact of its era. The years around 1910 to 1915 were a time when royal families were grappling with their identities in a rapidly changing political landscape, leading up to World War I. Understanding these figures in the framework of their time helps us appreciate the dynamics of monarchy and diplomacy in a world on the brink of upheaval.