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93-642: The intent of the central defense idea was that the King , the Council , the Riksdag and central command functions would, in the event of an attack against the kingdom, pull back and ensconce themselves in this fortress in the middle of the country. Even the gold reserves of the central bank of Sweden were to be safeguarded in the fortress in times of trouble. The fortress is one of northern Europe's largest buildings and consists primarily of limestone from Omberg . Construction

186-531: A legislature (such as a parliament or congress), which may be composed of a single chamber (unicameral), two chambers (bicameral), or more than two chambers (multicameral). Where two or more chambers exist, their members are often elected in different ways . The power of representatives is usually curtailed by a constitution (as in a constitutional democracy or a constitutional monarchy ) or other measures to balance representative power: Some political theorists, such as Edmund Burke , believe that part of

279-696: A "fictitious nature" and therefore "highly unsatisfactory". Thus, the monarch lost all formal executive powers, becoming a ceremonial and representative figurehead . The monarch, while explicitly referred to as the "Head of State" ( Statschefen ) in the 1974 Instrument of Government, is not even the nominal chief executive. The Instrument of Government of 1974 does grant the person serving as king or queen regnant absolute immunity from criminal (but not civil) charges for as long as he or she remains in office. The monarch therefore cannot be prosecuted or otherwise held to account for his or her actions, both official and private, in judicial proceedings. None of

372-661: A bridgehead in 1628 . Brandenburg was torn apart by a quarrel between the Protestants and the Catholics. When Gustavus Adolphus began his push into northern Germany in June–July 1630, he had just 4,000 soldiers. But he was soon able to consolidate the Protestant position in the north, using reinforcements from Sweden and money supplied by France at the Treaty of Bärwalde . Gustavus Adolphus

465-486: A caretaker government, supported by the conservatives, led by legal scholar Hjalmar Hammarskjöld , which remained in power longer than expected due to the outbreak of World War I (in which Sweden remained neutral ) and increased defence spending was no longer a controversial issue. Nevertheless, in the year of the outbreak of the Russian Revolution , social tensions continued to rise; the general election in 1917 gave

558-479: A cousin of Charles Frederick, of the same house of Holstein-Gottrop, and a descendant of a sister of Charles X Gustav of Sweden was elected heir to the throne of Sweden by the Hat faction (Swedish: Hattarna ). The Hat faction wanted to obtain better conditions at the Treaty of Åbo from Empress Elizabeth of Russia , who had adopted his nephew as her heir . His mother, Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach (1682–1755),

651-478: A crown prince previously elected in January 1810, Charles August , suddenly had died of a stroke during a military exercise. Although the 19th century Bernadotte monarchs that would follow Charles XIV John 's reign tried to defend the power and privileges they still had, the tide incrementally turned against "personal regal rule" ( Swedish : personlig kungamakt ) with the growth of the liberals, social democrats, and

744-618: A judge and a priest at the Temple at Uppsala (see Germanic king ). However, there are thousands of runestones commemorating commoners, but no known chronicle about the Swedish kings prior to the 14th century (though a list of kings was added in the Västgöta Law ), and there is a relatively small number of runestones that are thought to mention kings: Gs 11 ( Emund the Old – reigned 1050–1060), U 11 ( Håkan

837-486: A majority consensus in Swedish political discourse on the role of the monarchy within the constitutional framework. The official motive for the radical changes which came to pass in 1975 was for it to be as descriptive as possible of the workings of the state and clear on how decisions actually are made. Minister of Justice Lennart Geijer further remarked on the 1973 government bill that any continued pretensions of royal involvement in government decision making would be of

930-745: A political compromise reached at the summer resort of Torekov in 1971 (hence known as the Torekov compromise , Swedish : Torekovskompromissen ) by representatives of four of the parties in the Riksdag (the Social Democrats , the Centre Party , the Liberal People's Party , and the Moderate Party , that is all the parties except the Communists ). It mandated that the monarchy would remain largely as it

1023-423: A war with Denmark ( Kalmar War ) in the last year of his reign. Gustavus Adolphus inherited three wars from his father when he ascended to the throne. From 1612, when Count Axel Oxenstierna was appointed Lord High Chancellor , which he remained until Gustavus Adolphus's death, the two men struck a long and successful partnership and complemented each other well: In Oxenstierna's own words, his "cool" balanced

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1116-426: Is Stockholm Palace , while Drottningholm Palace serves as the monarchy's private residence. Other notable residences include Gripsholm Castle and Ulriksdal Palace , as well as others throughout Sweden. Several large palaces and a considerable section of the Swedish capital of Stockholm have been at the disposal of the monarch since 1809. Scandinavian peoples have had kings since prehistoric times. As early as

1209-542: Is a type of democracy where representatives are elected by the public. Nearly all modern Western-style democracies function as some type of representative democracy: for example, the United Kingdom (a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy ), Germany (a federal parliamentary republic ), France (a unitary semi-presidential republic ), and the United States (a federal presidential republic). This

1302-613: Is best characterized by foreign wars : first a lengthy campaign within Poland and then with Denmark. In the latter case, the risky 1658 March across the Belts which resulted in the Treaty of Roskilde , would prove to be the largest permanent territorial gain Sweden ever had: Skåne , Blekinge and Bohuslän now became Swedish provinces and have remained so ever since. Charles X Gustav was not satisfied, as he wanted to crush Denmark once and for all, but

1395-706: Is different from direct democracy , where the public votes directly on laws or policies, rather than representatives. Political parties often become prominent in representative democracy if electoral systems require or encourage voters to vote for political parties or for candidates associated with political parties (as opposed to voting for individual representatives). Some political theorists (including Robert Dahl , Gregory Houston, and Ian Liebenberg) have described representative democracy as polyarchy . Representative democracy can be organized in different ways including both parliamentary and presidential systems of government . Elected representatives typically form

1488-447: Is generally regarded as a constitutional monarch who stayed out of politics and controversy. In 1954, a royal commission began work on whether Sweden should undergo constitutional reform to adapt the 1809 Instrument of Government to current political realities, or whether a new one should be written; ultimately the latter idea was chosen. The future role of the monarchy was settled in a manner well known within Swedish political discourse:

1581-407: Is known as the iron law of oligarchy . Representative democracies which are stable have been analysed by Adolf Gasser and compared to the unstable representative democracies in his book Gemeindefreiheit als Rettung Europas which was published in 1943 and a second edition in 1947. Adolf Gasser stated the following requirements for a representative democracy in order to remain stable, unaffected by

1674-680: The 1659 Assault on Copenhagen did not prove successful for the Swedes, largely due to the Dutch naval intervention to the aid of the Danes. Charles X Gustav died in Gothenburg in 1660 and as the Crown passed to his five-year-old son Charles XI , a new regency government would assume the responsibilities of the state. The regency government, composed of aristocrats and led by Chancellor Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie ,

1767-610: The Black Death , the union weakened, and Scania was captured by Denmark. In 1397, after the Black Death and domestic power struggles, Queen Margaret I of Denmark united Sweden (then including Finland ), Denmark and Norway (then including Iceland ) in the Union of Kalmar with the approval of the Swedish nobility . Continual tension within each country and the union led to open conflict between

1860-485: The Cabinet Council ( skifteskonselj ) in a session that establishes the new government following a general election or major cabinet reshuffle and also chairs information councils ( informationskonselj ) approximately four times a year to get information from the assembled Government, apart from that given by ministers in individual audiences or through other means. Formally, it is the explicit responsibility of

1953-618: The Estates in 1599. In 1604, the Estates finally recognized the regent and de facto ruler as King Charles IX. His short reign was one of uninterrupted warfare. The hostility of Poland and the breakup of Russia involved him in overseas contests for the possession of Livonia and Ingria , the Polish–Swedish War (1600–1611) and the Ingrian War , while his pretensions to claim Lapland brought on

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2046-564: The Reform Act 1832 with launching modern representative democracy in the United Kingdom. Globally, a majority of governments in the world are representative democracies, including constitutional monarchies and republics with strong representative branches. Separate but related, and very large, bodies of research in political philosophy and social science investigate how and how well elected representatives, such as legislators, represent

2139-452: The Riksdag of the Estates , through Västerås arvförening , designated the sons of King Gustav I as the heirs to the Throne. Tax reforms took place in 1538 and 1558, whereby multiple complex taxes on independent farmers were simplified and standardised throughout the district and tax assessments per farm were adjusted to reflect ability to pay. Crown tax revenues increased, but more importantly

2232-562: The Royal Family undertake a variety of official, unofficial and other representative duties within Sweden and abroad. The monarch and his or her family play a central role in state visits to Sweden and conduct state visits to other nations on behalf of Sweden. Other members of the Royal Family may also represent the country abroad at lesser functions. Many of the Swedish general flag flying days have direct royal connections; among them are

2325-428: The absolute monarchy in Sweden, which his grandfather King Charles XI had created, made that marriage clause irrelevant. When Charles Frederick was confronted with Ulrika Eleonora, he was forced by Arvid Horn to greet her as queen. He asked to be granted the title Royal Highness and to be recognised as her heir, but when her husband, Frederick of Hesse , instead was given the title, he left Sweden in 1719. In 1723, he

2418-513: The economic sciences . Eriksgata was the name of the traditional journey of newly elected medieval Swedish kings through important provinces to have their election confirmed by local Things . The actual election took place at the Stone of Mora in Uppland and participation was originally restricted to the people of that area; hence, the need of having the election confirmed by the other parts of

2511-694: The heir apparent is crown prince ( kronprins ) or crown princess ( kronprinsessa ). The wife of a crown prince would also receive a corresponding title, but not the husband of a crown princess. The traditional official title used until 1980 for other dynastic male heirs was hereditary prince ( arvfurste ), although the word prince ( prins ) was used in constitutional legal texts such as the Act of Succession and also colloquially and informally. Female dynasts are titled princess ( prinsessa ). Representative democracy List of forms of government Representative democracy , electoral democracy or indirect democracy

2604-477: The marginalized . Proponents of direct democracy criticize representative democracy due to its inherent structure. As the fundamental basis of representative democracy is non inclusive system, in which representatives turn into an elite class that works behind closed doors, as well as the criticizing the elector system as being driven by a capitalistic and authoritarian system. The system of stochocracy has been proposed as an improved system compared to

2697-662: The name days of the King (28 January), the Queen (8 August), and the Crown Princess (12 March); the birthdays of the King (30 April), the Queen (23 December), and the Crown Princess (14 July); and Gustavus Adolphus Day ( Swedish : Gustav Adolfsdagen ), on 6 November, in memory of King Gustavus Adolphus , who was killed on that date ( old style ) in 1632 in the Battle of Lützen . None of these flag days are public holidays , however. Perhaps

2790-570: The prime minister (who, since 1975, is elected by the Riksdag ) was transferred to the Speaker of the Riksdag ; the prime minister appoints and dismisses the other ministers at his or her discretion. Furthermore, bills passed by the Riksdag become law without royal assent : the prime minister or any other cabinet minister signs them "On Behalf of the Government" ( På regeringens vägnar ). Although

2883-570: The 12th century, the consolidation of Sweden was still affected by dynastic struggles between the Erik and Sverker clans, which ended when a third clan married into the Erik clan and the House of Bjälbo was established on the throne. That dynasty formed pre- Kalmar Union Sweden into a strong state, and finally King Magnus Eriksson (reigned 1319–1364) even ruled Norway (1319–1343) and Scania (1332–1360). Following

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2976-417: The 1720 Instrument in Government was later replaced by the 1772 Instrument of Government in a self-coup orchestrated by the King. On 17 September 1809 in the Treaty of Fredrikshamn , as a result of the poorly managed Finnish War , Sweden had to surrender Finland to Russia. King Gustav IV Adolf and his descendants were deposed in a coup d'état led by dissatisfied army officers. The childless uncle of

3069-502: The 1st century CE, Tacitus wrote that the Suiones had a king, but the order of Swedish regnal succession up until King Eric the Victorious (died 995), is known almost exclusively through accounts in historically controversial Norse sagas (see Mythical kings of Sweden and Semi-legendary kings of Sweden ). Originally, the Swedish king had combined powers limited to that of a war chief,

3162-495: The Estates to sign the 1719 Instrument of Government , which ended the absolute monarchy and made the Riksdag of the Estates the highest organ of the state and reduced the role of monarch to a figurehead . The Age of Liberty ( Swedish : frihetstiden ) with its parliamentary rule, dominated by two parties – the Caps and the Hats – had begun. Ulrika Eleonora had had enough after a year on

3255-651: The King's "heat". The war against Russia (the Ingrian War ) ended in 1617 with the Treaty of Stolbovo , which excluded Russia from the Baltic Sea. The final inherited war, the war against Poland , ended in 1629 with the Truce of Altmark , which transferred the large province of Livonia to Sweden and freed the Swedish forces for subsequent intervention in the Thirty Years' War in Germany, where Swedish forces had already established

3348-480: The Red – late 11th century) and U 861 ( Blot-Sweyn – reigned c. 1080). About 1000 A.D., the first king known to rule both Svealand and Götaland was Olof Skötkonung , but further history for the next two centuries is obscure, with many kings whose tenures and actual influence/power remains unclear. The Royal Court of Sweden, however, does count Olof's father, Eric the Victorious, as Sweden's first king. The power of

3441-783: The Rights of Man and of the Citizen and, although short-lived, the National Convention was elected by all males in 1792. Universal male suffrage was re-established in France in the wake of the French Revolution of 1848 . Representative democracy came into general favour particularly in post- industrial revolution nation states where large numbers of citizens evinced interest in politics , but where technology and population figures remained unsuited to direct democracy. Many historians credit

3534-578: The Roman than the Greek model, because it was a state in which supreme power was held by the people and their elected representatives, and which had an elected or nominated leader. Representative democracy is a form of democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives; as opposed to direct democracy, a form of democracy in which people vote on policy initiatives directly. A European medieval tradition of selecting representatives from

3627-505: The Swedes and the Danes in the 15th century. The union's final disintegration in the early 16th century led to prolonged rivalry between Denmark-Norway and Sweden (with Finland) for centuries to come. Catholic bishops had supported the King of Denmark , Christian II , but he was overthrown in a rebellion led by nobleman Gustav Vasa , whose father had been executed at the Stockholm bloodbath . Gustav Vasa (hereinafter referred to as Gustav I)

3720-568: The Swedish provinces and called them an Eriksgata , while those visits bear little resemblance to the medieval tradition. The full title of the Swedish monarch from 1523 to 1973 was: Translated as " By the Grace of God , King of the Swedes, the Goths , and the Wends " or "By the Grace of God, King of Sweden, of the Goths and Vandals ". During the reign of the House of Holstein-Gottorp from 1751 to 1818,

3813-553: The United States in 1787, with a national legislature based partly on direct elections of representatives every two years, and thus responsible to the electorate for continuance in office. Senators were not directly elected by the people until the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913. Women, men who owned no property, and Black people, and others not originally given voting rights, in most states eventually gained

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3906-453: The ceiling. Monarchy of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden , by law a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system . There have been kings in what now is the Kingdom of Sweden for more than a millennium. Originally an elective monarchy , it became a hereditary monarchy in the 16th century during

3999-524: The constituents do not fully agree with the decision, then the representative acts as a trustee. The Roman Republic was the first known state in the Western world to have a representative government, despite taking the form of a direct government in the Roman assemblies . The Roman model of governance would inspire many political thinkers over the centuries, and today's modern representative democracies imitate more

4092-408: The country's otherwise liberal leanings, has resulted in the Swedish monarchy being popular. In recent years, however, some of the most serious criticism ever published has taken place about the way his monarchy has developed under the current king's fifty-year reign. Sweden in the present day is a representative democracy in a parliamentary system based on popular sovereignty , as defined in

4185-556: The current Instrument of Government (one of the four Basic Laws of the Realm which makes up the written constitution ). The monarch and the members of the royal family undertake a variety of official, unofficial and other representational duties within Sweden and abroad. The current king of Sweden is Carl XVI Gustaf , while his heir is Crown Princess Victoria . The Swedish monarch has numerous residences, primarily state-owned but some privately owned; their official residence and workplace

4278-522: The day to inform not only the head of state, but also the speaker and representatives of the opposition parties in the Riksdag, on foreign affairs issues in a confidential manner. While the monarch is no longer the commander-in-chief ( högste befälhavare ) of the Swedish Armed Forces , as he once was under the 1809 Instrument of Government, he is the foremost representative of the Swedish defence establishment and holds supreme rank in each of

4371-631: The death of King Gustav I in 1560, he was succeeded by his oldest son Eric XIV . His reign was marked by Sweden's entrance into the Livonian War and the Northern Seven Years' War . The combination of Eric's developing mental disorder and his opposition to the aristocracy led to the Sture Murders in 1567 and the imprisonment of his brother John (III) , who was married to Catherine Jagiellon , sister of King Sigismund II of Poland . In 1568 Eric

4464-407: The death of his father, Sigismund tried to rule Sweden from Poland , leaving Sweden under the control of a regent – his paternal uncle (Gustav I's youngest son) Charles (IX) – but was unable to defend his Swedish throne against the ambitions of his uncle. In 1598 Sigismund and his Swedish-Polish army were defeated at the Battle of Stångebro by the forces of Charles, and he was declared deposed by

4557-637: The defence budget cuts made by Prime Minister Karl Staaff and the cabinet just before the First World War in event known as the Courtyard Crisis accompanied by the Peasant armament support march ( Swedish : bondetåget ), it was seen as a deliberate provocation by conservatives and reactionaries against the uncodified norm of a parliamentary system supported by the liberals and the social democrats, leading to Staaff's resignation. Gustaf V then appointed

4650-418: The duty of a representative is not simply to follow the wishes of the electorate but also to use their own judgment in the exercise of their powers, even if their views are not reflective of those of a majority of voters. A representative who chooses to execute the wishes of their constituents acts as a delegate. If the representative chooses to use their best judgment and knowledge in making decisions, even when

4743-464: The expansion of the franchise. The daughter of Gustav IV Adolph , Princess Sofia Wilhelmina (21 May 1801 – 1865) married Grand Duke Leopold of Baden , and their granddaughter Victoria of Baden married the Bernadotte king Gustaf V of Sweden . The present King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is thus Gustav IV's heir through his grandfather, Gustav VI Adolf . When King Gustav V publicly objected to

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4836-643: The former king was almost immediately elected as King Charles XIII . The Instrument of Government of 1809 put an end to royal absolutism by dividing the legislative power between the Riksdag (primary) and the king (secondary), and vested executive power in the king when acting through the Council of State . The present Bernadotte dynasty was established in September 1810 when the Riksdag, convened in Örebro , elected French Marshal and Prince of Pontecorvo Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte as crown prince. This took place because Charles XIII had no legitimate heir, and

4929-432: The fortress wasn't in operation until 1870, and wasn't fully completed until 1909. To compensate for the rapidly evolving technology of artillery during this time, Vaberget Fortress was built in the early 1900s five kilometers west of Karlsborg to provide additional protection to the main fortress. The town of Karlsborg has sprung up next to the fortress. It was initially mostly living quarters for personnel employed at

5022-470: The fortress, but grew to a sizable community, in part due to Göta Canal which passes through the town. Ever since the fortress lost its intended central defensive role in 1918 it has been used as a garrison for Göta Signal Regiment (S 2), and since 1984 Life Regiment Hussars (K 3) are also based there. The Swedish Parachute Ranger School and the Swedish Operations Group are also housed in

5115-551: The fortress. Next to the fortress is a munitions factory. Karlsborg has been a Swedish listed building in Sweden ( byggnadsminne ) since 1935. The garrison church is especially worth visiting. The church is housed in the central building of the fortress, "the last stand", on the second floor above the Fortress Museum. The church was once intended as an assembly hall for the Riksdag in times of troubles. A chandelier composed of 276 bayonets instead of crystal prisms hangs from

5208-456: The governance of the realm are vested in him. Carl XVI Gustaf became king on 15 September 1973 on the death of his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf and because of his father's early death has become the longest reigning monarch in Swedish history. His King's Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 2023. Leading up to that year and including it, beginning already in 2018, some of the most serious criticism ever published took place about Carl Gustaf and

5301-551: The influence of the aristocracy by nationalizing estates and properties which had been handed out to them by his predecessors, introducing the Allotment system ( Swedish : indelningsverket ) which would form the basis of the armed forces until the 20th century, and with the support of the Estates he was declared in 1680 an absolute monarch . Charles XI was succeeded by his son, Charles XII , who would prove to be an extremely able military commander, defeating far larger enemies with

5394-410: The interests or preferences of one or another constituency. The empirical research shows that representative systems tend to be biased towards the representation of more affluent classes to the detriment of the population at large. In his book Political Parties , written in 1911, Robert Michels argues that most representative systems deteriorate towards an oligarchy or particracy . This

5487-418: The iron law of oligarchy: A drawback to this type of government is that elected officials are not required to fulfill promises made before their election and are able to promote their own self-interests once elected, providing an incohesive system of governance. Legislators are also under scrutiny as the system of majority-won legislators voting for issues for the large group of people fosters inequality among

5580-456: The king was greatly strengthened by the introduction of Christianity during the 11th century, and the following centuries saw a process of consolidation of power into the hands of the king. The Swedes traditionally elected a king from a favored dynasty at the Stones of Mora , and the people had the right to elect the king as well as to depose him. The ceremonial stones were destroyed around 1515. In

5673-441: The liberals and social democrats greatly strengthened representation in both Riksdag chambers and a conservative government was no longer a defensible option. Following the definite breakthrough of parliamentarism in 1917, with the appointment of the coalition government of liberals and social democrats led by professor Nils Edén , the political influence of the King was considerably reduced and an unwritten constitutional precedent

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5766-696: The most globally known ceremony in which the Royal Family annually participate is the Nobel Prize award ceremony held at the Stockholm Concert Hall (and the subsequent banquet in the Stockholm City Hall ), where the monarch hands out the Nobel Prizes on behalf of the Nobel Foundation for outstanding contributions to mankind in physics , chemistry , literature , physiology or medicine , and

5859-442: The new system was perceived as fairer. A war with Lübeck in 1535 resulted in the expulsion of the Hanseatic traders , who previously had had a monopoly on foreign trade. With its own burghers in charge, Sweden's economic strength grew rapidly, and by 1544 Gustav controlled 60% of the farmlands in all of Sweden. Sweden now built the first modern army in Europe, supported by a sophisticated tax system and an efficient bureaucracy. At

5952-451: The other members of the royal family or the employees the Royal Court enjoy similar immunity. At the request of the Speaker of the Riksdag, the monarch opens the annual session of the Riksdag ( Riksmötets öppnande ) in the chamber of the Riksdag building . The king or queen regnant also receives Letters of Credence of foreign ambassadors sent to Sweden and signs those of Swedish ambassadors sent abroad. The monarch also chairs

6045-407: The prime minister to keep the monarch informed on the affairs of the realm; the failure to do so following the 2004 tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean (in which many Swedes perished) gave rise to wide criticism of Prime Minister Göran Persson for his handling of the matter. The monarch also chairs the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs ( Utrikesnämnden ), a body that enables the government of

6138-457: The realm. The Eriksgata gradually lost its importance when, as of the 14th century, representatives of other parts of Sweden began to participate in the election. After 1544, when hereditary monarchy was instituted, that meant that the Eriksgata had little practical importance. The last king to travel the Eriksgata according to the old tradition was Charles IX , whose reign began in 1604. Later, kings, up until present times, have made visits to all

6231-423: The regency, Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna wrote the 1634 Instrument of Government , which although never approved by any monarch, continued to have an important normative role in the state administration. Christina early on showed an interest in literature and the sciences and famously brought René Descartes to Sweden. Sweden continued to be involved in the Thirty Years' War during reign of Christina and that conflict

6324-401: The reign of Gustav Vasa , though virtually all monarchs before that belonged to a limited and small number of political families which are considered to be the royal dynasties of Sweden. The official continuous count usually begins with the kings who ruled both Svealand and Götaland as one kingdom. Sweden's monarchy is amongst the oldest in the world, with a regnal list stretching back to

6417-453: The rule of the Riksdag of the Estates and reinstate absolute monarchy in Sweden. He nearly lost his throne in consequence. On the second occasion during the December Crisis of 1768 , under the guidance of his eldest son, Gustav , he succeeded in overthrowing the "Cap" (Swedish: Mössorna ) senate, but was unable to make any use of his victory. Adolf Frederick's son, King Gustav III , was more successful in restoring royal authority. In 1772,

6510-406: The same time, he broke with the papacy and established a reformed state church : the Church of Sweden . Throughout his reign, Gustav I suppressed both aristocratic and peasant opposition to his ecclesiastical policies and efforts at centralisation, which to some extent laid the foundation for the modern Swedish unitary state . Legally Sweden has only been a hereditary monarchy since 1544 when

6603-417: The service arms. He ranks as a four star admiral in the Swedish Navy and general in the Swedish Army and Air Force . As part of his court, the monarch has a military staff , which is headed by a senior officer (usually a general or admiral, retired from active service) and includes active duty military officers serving as aides-de-camp to the monarch and his or her family. The monarch and members of

6696-785: The small but highly professional Swedish army. His defeat of the Russians at Narva when just 18 years old was to be his greatest victory. However his campaigning at the head of his army during the Great Northern War would ultimately lead to catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Poltava after which he spent several years in Turkey (now Moldova) . Some years later he was killed at the Siege of Fredriksten during an attempt to invade Norway. The Swedish Age of Greatness ( Swedish : stormaktstiden ) had ended. Charles XII's sister, Ulrika Eleonora , now claimed

6789-497: The system of representative democracy, where representatives are elected. Stochocracy aims to at least reduce this degradation by having all representatives appointed by lottery instead of by voting. Therefore, this system is also called lottocracy. The system was proposed by the writer Roger de Sizif in 1998 in his book La Stochocratie . Choosing officeholders by lot was also the standard practice in ancient Athenian democracy and in ancient India . The rationale behind this practice

6882-541: The tenth century, starting with Eric the Victorious ; the Swedish monarchy has, for the past thousand years, undergone cycles of decline and strengthening, culminating in the modern constitutional monarchy. The Swedish monarchy has been one of the key features in the development of Swedish culture, having for centuries patronized the arts and sciences. Several of Sweden's most prestigious academies and cultural institutions are under Swedish royal protection. This historical role politically, militarily and culturally, in spite of

6975-685: The throne and abdicated in favor of her husband, Frederick , who had little interest in the affairs of state and was elected King by the Estates as King Frederick I, resulting in the 1720 Instrument of Government : content-wise almost identical to the one from 1719. Despite having many extra-marital affairs, Frederick I never sired a legitimate heir to the throne. After the death/impending death of King Frederick without heirs, Charles Frederick's heir, Charles Peter Ulrich, had become untenable in Sweden, as he had been taken to Russia by his aunt Elizabeth I of Russia , nominated as heir/Grand Duke, and became Emperor Peter III of Russia . In 1743, Adolf Frederick,

7068-558: The throne over her nephew and son of her elder sister, Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (see genealogy chart above). Charles Frederick had the claim of seniority within the family, but Ulrica Eleonora claimed that her elder sister had not "acquired the consent of the Parliamentary Estates " for her marriage to his father, according to laws of succession laid down in Norrköpings arvförening . The duke's party asserted that

7161-569: The title Heir to Norway ( Arvinge till Norge ) was also used, as well as other titles connected to the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp . When, after the Napoleonic Wars , Norway was in personal union with Sweden, the title included King of Norway , in older Swedish spellings: Sweriges, Norriges, Göthes och Wendes Konung . Upon his accession, Carl XVI Gustaf chose for his title simply Sveriges Konung (King of Sweden). The customary title of

7254-563: The towns . Later, in the 17th century, the Parliament of England implemented some of the ideas and systems of liberal democracy , culminating in the Glorious Revolution and passage of the Bill of Rights 1689 . Widening of the voting franchise took place through a series of Reform Acts in the 19th and 20th centuries. The American Revolution led to the creation of a new Constitution of

7347-464: The unwritten precedent was set in 1917, when Gustaf V had little choice but to support the idea of a parliamentary system and promised Prime Minister Nils Edén to stop seeking advice from secret advisors other than the duly appointed cabinet ministers and not to interfere in politics again; the Torekov compromise, struck in 1971 by the four major parties at the time, provided, and continues to provide,

7440-443: The various estates ( classes , but not as we know them today) to advise/control monarchs led to relatively wide familiarity with representative systems inspired by Roman systems. In Britain, Simon de Montfort is remembered as one of the fathers of representative government for holding two famous parliaments. The first , in 1258, stripped the king of unlimited authority and the second, in 1265, included ordinary citizens from

7533-630: The vote through changes in state and federal law in the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. Until it was repealed by the Fourteenth Amendment following the Civil War , the Three-Fifths Compromise gave a disproportionate representation of slave states in the House of Representatives relative to the voters in free states. In 1789, Revolutionary France adopted the Declaration of

7626-565: The way the monarchy has developed during his reign. When, on 1 January 1975, it replaced the Instrument of Government of 1809 as part of the Constitution of Sweden , the Instrument of Government of 1974 ( Swedish : 1974 års regeringsform ) transformed the advisory Council of State ( Statsrådet ) into the collegial Government ( Regeringen ), to which all executive power was transferred. Responsibility for nominating and dismissing

7719-402: Was a descendant of earlier royal dynasties of Sweden, great-granddaughter of Princess Catherine of Sweden , mother of King Charles X of Sweden . On his mother's side, Adolf Frederick was descended from King Gustav Vasa and Christina Magdalena , a sister of Charles X of Sweden . He succeeded as King Adolf Frederick 8 years later on 25 March 1751. During his 20-year reign, Adolf Frederick

7812-516: Was begun in 1819 on 100 hectares (250 acres) of land. The fortress was to house a garrison of 6,000 enlisted men and an additional 8,000-10,000 people. The walls were mostly complete in 1830. After comprehensive visits to other fortresses in Europe, fortress architect Johan av Klen presented plans similar in style to Fort Winiary in Posen (present-day Poznań ). Due to its great expense and reduced funding,

7905-430: Was but would become entirely ceremonial, without any residual political powers left. Following the required double Riksdag votes that took place in 1973 and 1974, a new Instrument of Government was brought into effect. The monarch's functions and duties, as defined in the 1974 Constitution Act, include heading the special cabinet council held when there is a change of government, but no executive powers with respect to

7998-501: Was dethroned and succeeded by John III. In domestic politics John III showed clear Catholic sympathies, inspired by his queen, creating friction with the Swedish clergy and nobility. He reintroduced several Catholic traditions previously abolished, and his foreign policy was affected by his family connection to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , where his eldest son had been made King Sigismund III in 1587. Following

8091-632: Was elected King of Sweden by the estates of the realm , assembled in Strängnäs on 6 June 1523. Inspired by the teachings of Martin Luther , Gustav I used the Protestant Reformation to curb the power of the Roman Catholic Church . In 1527 he persuaded the estates of the realm , assembled in the city of Västerås , to confiscate church lands, which comprised 21% of the country's farmland. At

8184-404: Was granted the title Royal Highness in his absence, but his pro-Russian policy at that time made him impossible as heir to the Swedish throne. His marriage in 1725 to Anna , the daughter of Peter of Great, did not help his case. His mother, and later Hedwig Eleonora, both supported and worked for his right to be considered heir of Sweden after his childless uncle. Ulrika Eleonora was forced by

8277-516: Was killed at the 1632 Battle of Lützen . Queen Maria Eleonora and the king's ministers took over the government of the Realm on behalf of Gustavus Adolphus' underage daughter Christina , until she reached the age of majority . Gustavus Adolphus is often regarded by military historians as one of the greatest military commanders of all time, with innovative use of combined arms . Christina succeeded her father aged six. A regency government ruled in her name until she turned 18 years of age. During

8370-507: Was little more than a figurehead , the real power being with the Riksdag of the Estates , often distracted by party strife. Twice he endeavored to free himself from the tutelage of the estates. The first occasion was in 1756. Stimulated by his consort Louisa Ulrika of Prussia (sister of Frederick the Great ), he tried to regain a portion of the attenuated prerogative through the Coup of 1756 to abolish

8463-490: Was more interested in feathering their own nests rather than working in the interest of the country at large. When Charles XI came of age in 1672, the effectiveness of the armed forces had seriously deteriorated and the country was ill-prepared as the King of Denmark, Christian V , invaded to settle old scores . The Danes were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempts, and Charles XI undertook several measures to prevent what had just almost happened from occurring again: reducing

8556-423: Was set that would remain in effect until 1975. Only during World War II , in the so-called Midsummer crisis (regarding the issue whether neutral Sweden should permit rail transport of German troops from Norway passing through to Finland ), did Gustaf V allegedly try to intervene in the political process by threatening to abdicate . King Gustaf VI Adolf succeeded his elderly father who died in 1950, and he

8649-606: Was settled at the 1648 Peace of Westphalia , and the Swedish monarch received representation at the Imperial Diet due to the German conquests ( Bremen-Verden and Swedish Pomerania ) that were made. Having decided not to marry, Christina abdicated the throne on 5 June 1654 in favor of her cousin Charles X Gustav , went abroad, and converted to Roman Catholicism . The Estates elected Charles X Gustav as their new King, and his short reign

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