Bertil became a naval officer; and, during the
Second World War, he served as Swedish naval attaché at the
embassy in London. In 1943, Bertil met his long-term partner,
Welsh commoner Lilian Craig. However, in order to preserve his place in the royal succession, Bertil and Lilian did not marry for decades. They lived together discreetly, as a fully private arrangement, from the 1940s until their marriage was announced and took place in 1976. Their common base was a home in
Sainte-Maxime, in the
south of France. Since his life with Craig was not official, Prince Bertil's single status meant he was suggested as a match for, among others,
Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom. After the death of Gustaf VI Adolf in 1973, the new king, Carl XVI Gustaf, married a non-royal woman and approved the marriage of Bertil and Lilian, which took place at
Drottningholm Palace on 7 December 1976. Bertil was fond of cars, owning a rare
Aston Martin DB2 and a
Chevrolet Corvette.
Volvo asked him to open the
Volvo Halifax Assembly plant in 1963 in
Nova Scotia, Canada. A parking garage in Sainte-Maxime is named after him. The ex-HRH Prince Bertil of Sweden also owned a 1926
Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix A copy of its original Swedish registration document starting in the name of HRH Prince Bertil in 1939. Prince Bertil was a keen supporter and practitioner of various sports, notably
tennis and
boules. In 1947, he was elected Chairman of both the
Swedish Sports Confederation and Sweden's Olympic Committee. He was also a member of the fine-dining society
La Chaine des Rotisseurs. He died at his home the Villa Solbacken in Stockholm in 1997, with Princess Lilian at his side. Their grave is at the
Royal Cemetery in
Haga Park. ==Military ranks==