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Count Vilhelm Archibald Douglas (19 July 1883 – 5 July 1960), was a
Swedish nobleman and Inspector and Supreme Commander of the Swedish Army
from 1944 to 1948. Born in Stjärnorp Castle, Sweden, he was the second
son of Count Ludvig Douglas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, and
Countess Anna Ehrensvärd.
Archibald's elder brother Robert, a nobleman in Germany, married dowager
Queen Augusta Victoria of Portugal, widow of King Manoel II.
Following his family's traditions, he was educated in the military and
he took part also voluntarily in many intriguing developments. Sweden
did not wage any wars during his lifetime, so an actual combat and war
situation had to be experienced elsewhere. As a relatively young man,
Archibald Douglas participated as a volunteer in the Civil War of 1918
in Finland, and received in that country the rank of Lieutenant-General.
After the Finnish adventure, he continued a steady career in Swedish
land forces, despite Sweden being neutral all his career. His tasks were
more like guard duties and maintaining defence capabilities.
In 1930s and 1940s, Archibald held commands over large military
districts, and ultimately over all Swedish land forces (1944-48).
Beside his military career, Douglas was a member of the Stockholm City
Council from 1921 to 1923 and served as aide-de-camp to King Gustaf V
from 1920 to 1930 and as chief aide-de-camp (överadjutant) to King
Gustaf V from 1931 to 1950.
Douglas wrote biographical literature and biographies of Marshal of
Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (his Finnish contemporary), and
Swedish Field Marshal Robert Douglas, Count of Skenninge, his ancestor.
In 1907 he married Astri Henschen (1883–1976) in Ronneby. She was the
daughter of Professor Salomon Eberhard Henschen and Gerda (née Sandell).Douglas
lived in Villa Parkudden in Djurgården, and also owned Stjärnorp Castle
in Östergötland County from 1947.
His eldest of four sons, Count Carl Ludvig Douglas (1908–1961), was a diplomat and Royal Swedish Ambassador.
Another was
company executive Gösta Archibald Douglas (1910–1992) .
Through his eldest son, Carl Ludvig, he is the grandfather of Princess
Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria, wife of Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria. He
is also the grandfather of Rosita Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of
Marlborough, the third wife of John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of
Marlborough, they divorced in 2008, and also and grandfather of
financier Gustaf Douglas.
The ancestral Stjärnorp Castle, which his father had purchased back to
the family some years before Archibald's birth, was designated as
Archibald's family seat.
Vilhelm Archibald Douglas died as a result of a car accident near
Linköping.
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