10 Most Famous Swedish Kings


 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crafoord_Prize_D81_9141_(42282165922)_(cropped).jpg

10 Most Famous Swedish Kings

Sweden is known to have one of the oldest surviving monarchies in Europe, along with Britain, Denmark and the Papacy. The oldest verifiable Swedish king reigned at some point during the last half of the 10th century. It should be noted that the numbering of Swedish kings is not necessarily in the order of their rule. The king is recorded as Charles XVI, for instance, but there are only nine Charleses before him. These traditional numbers were made up in the 16th century, and, as was the custom at the time, tracing the Swedish royalty back to Noah. The Kings’ names were usually significant in some way although technically they were often bestowed by their enemies or at least successors; hence names like “Ragnvald Littlehead” and “Eric the Lisp and Lame”. Let’s take a look at the 10 most famous Swedish Kings.

1. Magnus Eriksson

Reigned: 1319 – 1364

Magnus Eriksson became king at a very young age, king of both Sweden and Norway. He also ended up buying Scania from the German prince who had received it as payment for the debts of the Danish crown. A very fortunate king, he ended up not only reigning during The Black Death but also had to face significant internal opposition, amongst other things by St. Birgitta. At his death he was broke, most of his realm was in revolt and depopulated by the plague. His dynastic shenanigans would have important consequences, however.

2. Carl XVI Gustaf

Reigned: 1973 – present

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crafoord_Prize_D81_9141_(42282165922)_(cropped).jpg

Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus of the Royal House of Bernadotte or Carl XVI Gustaf is the current King of Sweden. He is the son of Prince Gustaf Adolf and grandson of King Gustaf VI Adolf. After losing his father in a plane crash when he was only nine months old, he was named as the second in line, after his grandfather, to his great-grandfather’s throne. In 1950, his grandfather became the king and he was named as the heir to the throne. He served in all three branches of the Swedish military, rising to the rank of captain in the army and air force and lieutenant in the navy. At the age of 27, he ascended to the throne following the death of his grandfather. The new 1974 Instrument of Government was implemented a year later, formally reducing most of his legislative and military power and rendering the king to be the ceremonial head of the state. He has a keen interest in the environment, technology, agriculture, and trade.

3. Gustaf VI Adolf

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gustaf_VI_Adolf_of_Sweden_1962.jpg

Reigned: 1950 – 1973

Gustaf VI Adolf ruled for nearly 23 years, from age 67 when he has crowned the king. He was the oldest monarch to be crowned at that time. Before he became the king he was the crown prince for nearly 43 years. During his reign, he was instrumental in approving the constitutional changes that went on to remove even the last traces of political power in the monarch. He was also an amateur archaeologist who was particularly interested in ancient Italian cultures. He had excavated and written multiple papers on ancient Swedish monuments. He was also considered to be an authority on Chinese ceramics. Gustaf was fluent in multiple languages, such as Swedish, English, French, and German. He could also read Italian and Latin. Apart from being an archaeologist, he was also an ardent sports enthusiast and a botanist.

4. Charles XI

Reigned: 1660 – 1697

Charles XI, also known as Carl or Karl XI, was a King of Sweden. He succeeded Charles X Gustav and was the only heir to the throne. He ascended to the throne when he was just four but didn’t rule until he was twenty. His father had appointed his mother as the regent who would govern on behalf of him till he reached maturity. Sweden saw the most extended period of peace under his monarchy. He strived to maintain peace in the nation after the brutal Scanian War by forming allies with nearby countries. He brought about important changes in the Swedish economy that helped the nation achieve financial independence. He was a king of the masses and had widespread support and made reforms in the government structure and the military that brought equality among the people.

5. Olof Skötkonung

Reigned: 995 –1022

Olof Skötkonung was King of Sweden, son of Eric the Victorious and, according to Icelandic sources, Sigrid the Haughty. He succeeded his father in c. 995. He stands at the threshold of recorded history since he is the first Swedish ruler about whom there is substantial knowledge. He is regarded as the first king known to have ruled both the Swedes and the Geats. In Sweden, the reign of King Olov Skötkonung is considered to be the transition from the Viking Age to the Middle Ages, because he was the first Christian king of the Swedes. They were the last to adopt Christianity in Scandinavia. He is associated with a growing influence of the church in what is today southwestern and central Sweden. Olof was victorious alongside Sweyn Forkbeard when the kings created an alliance to defeat the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason in the Battle of Svolder. After the Battle of Svolder, the victorious leaders split Norway into areas of control.

6. Charles XIV John

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carl_XIV_John_of_Sweden_%26_Norway_c_1840.jpg

Reigned: 1818 – 8 March 1844

Charles XIV John or Carl was King of Sweden and King of Norway. He was born in Pau in southern France and joined the French Royal Army in 1780. Following the outbreak of the French Revolution, he exhibited great military talent, rapidly rising through the ranks and was made a brigadier general by 1794. He served with distinction in Italy and Germany and was briefly Minister of War. His relationship with Napoleon was turbulent; nevertheless, Napoleon named him a Marshal of the Empire on the proclamation of the French Empire. Charles XIV played a significant role in the French victory at Austerlitz and was made Prince of Pontecorvo as a reward. Upon the death of Charles XIII in 1818, Charles John ascended to the throne as the first monarch from the House of Bernadotte. He presided over a period of peace and prosperity and reigned until he died in 1844.

7. Gustav III

Reigned: 1771 – 1792

Gustav III was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden and Queen Louise Ulrika. He was married to Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach. In 1777, Gustav III was the first formally neutral head of state in the world to recognize the United States during its war for independence from Great Britain. Swedish military forces were engaged by the thousands on the side of the colonists, largely through the French expedition force. Through the acquisition of Saint Barthélemy in 1784, Gustav enabled the restoration of Swedish overseas colonies in America, as well as great personal profits from the transatlantic slave trade.

8. Adolf Frederick

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gustaf_Lundberg_-_Portrait_of_Adolf_Frederick,_King_of_Sweden_-_WGA13779.jpg

Reigned: 1751 – 1771

Adolf Frederick or Adolph Frederick was the son of Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin, and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach. His reign saw an extended period of internal peace, although state finances stagnated following failed mercantilist doctrines pursued by the Hat administration. The Cap opposition later took over the government and enacted reforms towards greater economic liberalism as well as a Freedom of Press Act almost unique at the time for its curtailing of all censorship. It retained punitive measures only for libelling the monarch or the Church of Sweden.

9. Gustav IV Adolf

Reigned: 1792 – 1809

Gustav IV Adolf or Gustav IV Adolph was also the last Swedish ruler of Finland. The occupation of Finland in 1808-09 by Russian forces was the instantaneous cause of Gustav’s violent overthrow by officers of his army. Following his abdication, on 29 March 1809, an Instrument of Government was hastily written, which severely circumscribed the powers of the monarchy. It remained in force until replaced in 1974. The crown, now with strictly limited powers, passed to Gustav’s uncle, Charles XIII. However, his lack of children led to the quest for a successor, who was found the following year in the person of Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, the first monarch of the present royal family.

10. Oscar II

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oscar_II_of_Sweden.jpg

Reigned: 1872 – 1907

Oscar II was not only a King of Sweden but also the final King of Norway from the House of Bernadotte until being deposed in 1905. He was King during a time when both Sweden and Norway were undergoing a period of industrialization and rapid technological progress. His reign also saw the gradual decline of the Union of Sweden and Norway, which culminated in its dissolution in 1905. He was subsequently succeeded as King of Norway by his grandnephew Prince Carl of Denmark under the name Haakon VII, and as King of Sweden by his eldest son, Gustaf V.

Now you know 10 most famous Swedish Kings. I hope you enjoyed reading this article.

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !


These are Amazon’s best-selling travel products that you may need for coming to Paris.

Bookstore

  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023 – Learn more here
  2. Fodor’s Paris 2024 – Learn more here

Travel Gear

  1. Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack – Learn more here
  2. Samsonite Winfield 2 28″ Luggage – Learn more here
  3. Swig Savvy’s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle – Learn more here

Check Amazon’s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.