01
Gustav Vasa
Royal House: Vasa
Royal Motto: “All power is of God”
Born on May 12, 1496 as Gustav Eriksson, Gustav I (later known as Gustav Vasa) was king of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560. When Gustav Vasa came to power, it was over a divided Sweden without a central government, and he was a rather unknown person. Gustav Vasa was elected regent after leading a rebellion against Christian II of Denmark. Called both a liberator and a tyrant, Gustav Vasa was the first autocratic native Swedish regent, and a good propagandist. He centralized the government and introduced Protestantism to Sweden. It has been said he liked to compare himself to Moses, in that he felt that he liberated his people and established a state. But Gustav Vasa also encountered resistance from several areas of Sweden - like Dalarna, where people considered him too harsh on everyone he perceived as a supporter of the Danes, and Småland, where the leader of the rebels, Nils Dacke, fought him. The memory of Gustav Vasa is alive and well today. There’s Vasaloppet (the largest ski event in the world), the city of Vaasa in Finland, and the Vasa Ship. Whatever one might think of him, Gustav Vasa’s legacy is that he united Sweden and laid the foundation for Sweden’s professional army that was to turn Sweden into a regional superpower in the 17th century.

02
Erik XIV
Royal House: Vasa
Royal Motto: “God gives to whom He wishes”
Born on December 13, 1533 as the son of Gustav I (Gustav Vasa) of Sweden and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg, Erik XIV was King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1568. He was also ruler of Estonia. As Gustav Vasa’s oldest son, Erik XIV had been called “chosen king” and received the title of “inheritance king” in 1560. He was politically ambitious, intelligent, and quite artistic. Unfortunately, he showed early signs of mental instability and eventually went insane. Unlike his father, an independent Sweden wasn’t enough and he tried to expand his influence in the Baltic and Estonia. His insanity worsened during the Scandinavian Seven Years’ War against Denmark, during which he successfully repelled Danish attempts of conquest, but was unable to keep the conquests. Erik XIV became somewhat imperious, killing several members of the Sture family (an influential family). His brother Johan III finally deposed and imprisoned him in 1568. Erik XIV died in prison in Örbyhus Castle in 1577 - according to stories, his final meal was a bowl of poisoned pea soup. Johan III had signed an authorization to poison him should anyone try to release him. Later on, Erik XIV’s body was exhumed and a forensic analysis revealed evidence of arsenic poisoning.
August Strindberg wrote about Erik in his play “Erik XIV” 1899.

03
Johan III
Royal House: Vasa
Royal Motto: “God our protector”
The second son of Gustav Vasa (Johan III’s mother was Margareta Leijonhufvud) was born on December 20, 1537 and was King of Sweden from 1568 until his death in 1592. He was also the ruler of Finland. Johan III had problems with his older half-brother Erik XIV, who crushed his rebellion in Finland. Eventually Johan III deposed Erik and made himself king. King Johan III finished the Scandinavian Seven Years’ War in 1579 without many Swedish concessions, and successfully fought Russia until 1582. His foreign policy was marked by his connection to Poland, where his son Sigismund III Vasa became king in 1587. In domestic politics, Johan III showed clear Catholic sympathies, probably inspired by his Polish queen, Katarina Jagiellonica; he was also an ardent patron of the arts.
As long as his half-brother Erik was alive, Johan was concerned about his position as king. It’s possible that the fear of a liberation of the locked up king worried him to the point that he ordered the guards to attempt to murder Erik in the event of any suspicion of liberation. Just like his father, Johan understood the importance of propaganda and repeated claims that he had rescued the Swedes from the “tyrant” Erik XIV. Johan was reportedly violent, hot-tempered, and greatly suspicious. He died on November 17, 1592.

04
Sigismund III
Royal House: Vasa
Royal Motto: “For justice and the people”
The son of Johan III and his first wife Katarina Jagellonica, Sigismund was born on June 20, 1566. He ruled over the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as Zygmunt III Waza (1587 – 1632) and Sweden where he was known as Sigismund Vasa (1592 – 1599). Sigismund was elected to the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and he sought to create a personal union between the Commonwealth and Sweden (the Polish-Swedish union). After he had been deposed from the Swedish throne, he spent much of his time attempting to reclaim it. Sigismund’s reign initiated a series of wars between the Commonwealth and Sweden, which continued until the 1660’s. His failure to achieve anything of lasting importance apart from setting the stage for future wars, has led some historians to regard his reign as the beginning of the end of the Polish Golden Age.
On the other hand, Sigismund appears to have had a very happy family life. He was married twice, his first wife was Anna of Steiermark, his second wife was Konstantia of Steiermark. Sigismund was also a talented painter and goldsmith. Only three of his paintings have survived, but the exquisite silver coffin he made with relics of the Holy Adalbert can be seen at the Cathedral of Gniezno, Poland. Sigismund died on April 19, 1632 at the Palace of Warsaw.

05
Karl IX
Royal House: Vasa
Royal Motto: “God my comfort”
Born on October 4, 1550 at Stockholm’s Castle as the youngest son of Gustav Vasa and Margareta Eriksdotter (Lejonhufvud), Karl received – at the passing of his father – the Duchy of Södermanland, which included Närke and Värmland, but he didn’t come into actual possession of them till after the fall of Erik XIV in 1569. The real leader of the rebellion against his brother Erik, Karl didn’t partake in the schemes of his brother Johan III. His relations to Johan were also strained, Johan’s High-Church tendencies probably bothered him, as Karl was a fanatic Calvinist. When Johan died, Sigismund became the king and the Swedes were terrified that he might try to re-catholicize the country. Karl stepped forward as the people’s champion and also a defender of the Vasa dynasty against foreign interference. Eventually Sigismund was deposed by the Riksdag of the Estates in 1599 although Karl didn’t become king officially until 1604 and wasn’t crowned until 1607. His short reign was an uninterrupted warfare. In most of his struggles his was unsuccessful, mostly because he dealt with superior generals (Jan Karol Chodkiewicz and Christian IV of Denmark for example) and bad luck. His domestic policy was fairly unimportant. Karl IX died at Nyköping on October 30, 1611. As a ruler he is the link between his great father and his still-greater son, Gustaf II Adolf. Karl IX was a cruel, selfish, and vindictive king.

06
Gustav II Adolf
Royal House: Vasa
Royal Motto: “With God and victorious arms”
Gustav II Adolf was born on December 9, 1594, the son of Karl IX and Christina Holstein-Gottorp. He is the only Swedish king to be styled “the Great”(den store, in Swedish). As King of Sweden from 1611, he was one of the major players in the Thirty Years’ War. During his reign, Gustav Adolf founded the city of Göteborg as well as a number of smaller cities. He organized the strongest army of the early 17th century, courageously led his forces from the front, and earned the title of the “Father of Modern Warfare” because of his highly innovative skills in the tactical integration of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and logistics. Thanks to Gustav Adolf, Sweden became the dominant Baltic power for the next one hundred years. Future commanders who studied and admired him included Napoleon I. As a general, Gustav Adolf was famous for employing mobile artillery on the battlefield, as well as aggressive tactics. His musketeers were widely known for their strong shooting accuracy and reload speed, three times faster than any contemporary rivals. He was consistent, and famous for amity with his troops.
Gustav II Adolf died on November 6, 1632 at the Battle of Lützen, when at a crucial point he became separated from his troops. After his death, his wife initially kept his body, and later his heart, in her castle for over a year. Now they rest in Riddarholmskyrkan in Stockholm. Gustav Adolf’s brother had died years before, and there were only female heirs left. His widow Maria Eleonora and the dead king’s ministers took over the government on behalf of Gustav Adolf’s underage daughter Kristina. He left one other known child, his illegitimate son Gustav, Count of Vasaborg.

07
Kristina
Royal House: Vasa
Royal Motto: “Wisdom is the realm’s support”
Kristina was born on December 8, 1626 to King Gustav II Adolf and Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg. She was the only surviving legitimate child of the King. As the heiress presumptive, at age 6, Kristina succeeded her father to the Swedish throne upon his death at the Battle of Lützen during Sweden’s intervention in Germany in the Thirty Years’ War. The first half of her reign was led by Axel Oxenstierna, chancellor to her father. Kristina was educated in the manner typical of men, and frequently wore men’s clothes. As a child she showed great precociousness, and in 1649, when she was 23 years old, she invited the philosopher Descartes to Sweden to tutor her. She also took the oath as king, not queen, because her father had wanted it so. Growing up, she was nicknamed the “Girl King”.
Kristina was very intellectual, interested in theater and ballet, often inviting foreign companies to play. She was herself an amateur actor and helped popularize amateur theater at the court. She abdicated her throne on June 5, 1654, in favor of her cousin Karl X Gustav, either to openly practice her previously secret Catholicism, or to accept the same publicly so as to be at the center of a scientific and artistic renaissance. The sincerity of her intention to become Catholic has been questioned. Upon her conversion she took the name Maria Christina Alexandra and moved to Rome where her wealth and former position made her an instant magnet. She cultivated a correspondence with the learned men of her time. When she died, on April 19, 1689, she was buried in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica – she is one of only four women to be given that honor. Her complex character has inspired numerous plays, books, and operatic works from August Strindberg’s 1901 drama Kristina to the 1933 film Queen Christina starring Greta Garbo.

08
Karl X Gustav
Royal House: Pfalz
Royal Motto: “In God my destiny – He will do it”
Karl X Gustav was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Pfalz-Zweibrücken and Princess Katarina of Sweden (King Gustav II Adolf’s half-sister). He was born on November 8, 1622 at Nyköpings Castle. He was married to Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp. Karl learned the art of war, and was present at the second Battle of Breitenfeld and at Jankowitz. From 1646 to 1648 he frequented the Swedish court, supposedly as a prospective husband of his cousin, the queen regnant, Kristina of Sweden. However her insurmountable objection to wedlock put an end to these anticipations. To compensate for this, Kristina declared him her successor in 1649. Awaiting her abdication, Karl Gustav withdrew to the island of Öland until he was called to the throne. His early days as king were focused on healing domestic discords and on rallying all forces for a new policy of conquest. His marriage with Hedwig Eleonora, daughter of Duke Frederick III of Holstein-Gottorp in 1654 was political. Karl Gustav’s reign was short (1654 – 1660) but during that time he did plenty: He spent most of this time abroad (Poland, Germany, and Denmark) as the leader of the successful Swedish army. His march across the Belts, for example, was a triumphant campaign, which took place between January 30 and February 8, 1658, during the Northern Wars. Karl Gustav led the Swedish army from Jutland across the ice of the Little Belt and the Great Belt to reach Zealand. It was a crushing blow to Denmark and led to the Treaty of Roskilde later the same year. Karl XI Gustav died in Göteborg on February 13, 1660.

09
Karl XI
Royal House: Pfalz
Royal Motto: “The Lord is become my protector”
Karl XI was born at Stockholm Palace on November 24, 1655. He was the only son of Karl X Gustav and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp. His father died when Karl was only four years old. Karl was devoted to sports and exercises (his favorite pastime was bear hunting) and was poorly educated, almost illiterate, and therefore not qualified to conduct himself effectively in foreign affairs. He seems to have been ignorant of the world outside of Sweden. However, the victorious battle of Halmstad (1676) when Karl defeated a Danish division was the first sign of good luck, and later the same year he defeated Christian V of Denmark in the Battle of Lund – one of the bloodiest engagements of modern times. He devoted a lot of time trying to rehabilitate Sweden by means of reduction (fiefs that had once been granted to the Swedish nobility were returned to the Crown), which resulted in a complete readjustment of the nation’s finances. In addition to reduction, Karl XI and his administration were involved in other activities, which would be considered constructive and beneficial today. Like Gustav Vasa and Gustav II Adolf, Karl XI has sometimes been described as the greatest of all kings. In nationalistic lore he is depicted as a modest, homespun figure, and a master-builder of Sweden, laying foundations of a new order, which has endured to the present day. He died on April 5, 1697.

10
Karl XII
Royal House: Pfalz
Royal Motto: “With the help of God”
The son of Karl XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder, Karl XII was born on June 17, 1682. He was a sickly child but strengthened himself for war by riding horses bareback and hunting wolves. He was an intelligent student and received a superior education in both languages and theology. Since his father was busy and his mother died in 1693, he and his sisters were raised very much by his grandmother, Hedwig Eleonora, and he was very close to her. He assumed the crown at the age of fifteen, and left Sweden three years later to embark on a series of battles overseas, part of the Great Northern War. Many of the battles were fought against Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia. He is quoted by Voltaire as saying: “I have resolved never to start an unjust war but never to end a legitimate one except by defeating my enemies.” He took his resolution to the extreme, which led to the end of the Swedish Empire and its position as the dominant country in northern Europe. After initial successes, for instance victory in the battle at Narva, the extended war became more and more expensive and difficult for Sweden. In 1709 Karl XII was beaten by the Russians at Potava and the Swedish army surrendered. Karl himself escaped to the town of Bender, near Denser in the Ottoman Empire, were he stayed for five years, trying to convince the Turks to attack Russia. When this didn’t succeed, he returned to Sweden. It is said that Karl XII brought back from Turkey both coffee and kåldomar (stuffed cabbage rolls), a Turkish dish he had fallen in love with. In 1718 Sweden attacked Norway and in the Battle of the Fortress of Fredriksten, the king was shot in the head and killed (November 30).
Karl XII was nicknamed the Alexander of the North.

11
Ulrika Eleonora
Royal House: Pfalz
Royal Motto: “In God my hope”
The youngest child of Karl XI and Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark, Ulrika Eleonora the Younger was born on January 23, 1688. After the death of her brother King Karl XII at Fredrikshald, she claimed the throne over the rights of her nephew Karl Fredrik of Holstein-Gottorp, the only son of her late, elder sister. The succession discussions ended in her favor after she agreed to abolish the absolute monarchy (a monarchical form of government where the monarch has the power to rule his or her land or country freely with no laws). She lived most of her life under the shadows of others. She was a spinster taking care of her dominating grandmother Hedwig Eleonora. But since her brother refused to marry, and as she was the only royal representative in Sweden, she was named a regent during the king’s absence in 1713. In 1715 she married Fredrik I of Hessen, and often sought his advice in political matters. When he wasn’t permitted as her co-regent, she abdicated in his favor after just one year of her reign. Ulrika Eleonora had married for love, and her husband’s open adultery (his official mistress was Hedvig Taube) was a great humiliation to her. She tried to have Hedvig expelled from the country, but the king intervened. Ulrika Eleonora retired to religion and charity. She died of smallpox in 1741 after a childless marriage.

12
Fredrik 1
Royal House: Hesse
Royal Motto: “In God my hope”
The son of the Hessian ruler Karl I von Hessen-Kassel and Marie Amalie Kettler, Princess of Courland, Fredrik was born in Kassel, Germany April 17, 1676. Although an active and dynamic king at the beginning of his 31-year reign, Fredrik quickly lost interest in the affairs of the state after the aristocracy had again taken over the power during the wars with Russia. He devoted most of his time to hunting and love affairs. And although his marriage to Queen Ulrika Eleonora remained childless, he had several children by his mistress Hedvig Taube.
Some historians suggest that it was an aide of Fredrik’s who fired the shot that killed his brother-in-law Karl XII in 1718.
Fredrik also had to oversee the loss of Sweden’s position as a European power, a result of the wars Karl XII had suffered. In the treaty of Nystad in 1721, he was forced to cede Estonia and Livonia to Russia.
Not a strong regent, Fredrik was nevertheless a happy, kind, and generous man, handsome, and easy-going. He abolished duels and instituted official orders: He created the Order of the Polar Star, the Order of the Sword, and the Order of the Seraphim. King Fredrik I died on March 25, 1751 in Stockholm.

13
Adolf Fredrik
Royal House: Holstein-Gottorp
Royal Motto: “The welfare of the state, my welfare”
Adolf Fredrik was born on May 3, 1710 in Gottorp, Germany as the son of Duke and younger prince Christian Augustus of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach. He was elected heir to the throne of Sweden by the Hat faction (the Hats was a political party in Sweden during 1719-1772) so that they might get better conditions of the peace of Turku from Empress Elizabeth of Russia (she had adopted Fredrik’s nephew as her heir apparent). Adolf Fredrik was little more than decorative during his reign; the real power belonged to the omnipotent riksdag. Twice he tried to free himself from the intolerable tutelage of the estate. The first occasion was in 1755 when he tried to regain a portion of the attenuated prerogative, and nearly lost his throne as a consequence. It was his wife, the somewhat pushy Lovisa Ulrika who stimulated him. The second occasion was under the guidance of his eldest son, crown prince Gustav, when he succeeded in overthrowing the tyrannous Hat senate. However, Adolf Fredrik did little to make use of his victory. During his reign Sweden adopted the Gregorian calendar, in use already in most of Europe.
In spite of poor talents as a king, it seems Adolf Fredrik was a good and friendly person, well liked by everyone. He was a talented wood turner. He also tried to fit with the Swedish traditions and the Swedish way of thinking.
Fredrik died of digestion problems on February 12, 1771 after having consumed a meal consisting of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, kippers drowned with champagne, and topped it off with 14 servings of his favorite dessert: hetvägg (a semla served in a bowl of hot milk).

14
Gustav III
Royal House: Holstein-Gottorp
Royal Motto: “The fatherland”
Gustav III was born on January 24, 1746. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Fredrik and Lovisa Ulrika. Gustav was a benefactor of arts and literature. He founded several academies, among them the Swedish Academy, and had the Royal Swedish Opera built. The young Gustav was educated by some of the most eminent Swedish statesmen of the day, but owed most perhaps to the poet and historian Olof von Dalin. His teachers were amazed by his gifts and natural charm. His strong sense of drama won him an honorable place in Swedish literature. He was well read and very enthusiastic about the new French ideas of enlightenment. He married Sophie Magdalene, daughter of Fredrik V of Denmark – but it wasn’t a happy marriage. On a trip to Paris, Gustav took both the French capital and the court by storm, and maintained lifelong correspondences with many of those he met there. Back in Sweden, he tried to mediate between the bitterly divided Hats and Caps (political parties). Eventually the dominant Caps reduced him to a roi fainéant (powerless king). In 1772, he used the royal guard and officers of the Finnish army to seize control of the government from the parliament in a bloodless coup d’état. Carl Michael Bellman wrote a song, Gustafs Skål (Toast to Gustaf) as a salutation to the king following these events – the king very much liked it and informally it came to function as his royal anthem. Like most other contemporary sovereigns of the Age of Enlightenment, Gustaf worked towards reform: Justice became more lenient, the death penalty was removed, and torture was abolished. Gustav III died (March 29) following an assassination attempt during a masked ball at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm at midnight on March 16, 1792. The assassination of Gustav III is the basis of the Un Ballo in Maschera opera by Giuseppe Verdi.

15
Gustav IV Adolf
Royal House: Holstein Gottorp
Royal Motto: “God and the people”
Gustav IV Adolf born November 1, 1778, was the son og Gustav III and his queen consort Sophie Magdalene. Gustav Adolf succeeded to the throne at the age of 14 upon his father’s assassination in March 1792. In 1797 he married Fredrika of Baden, a happy marriage. Gustav Adolf was, unlike his father, quite erotic and was told to “please be considerate of the Queen’s health.” He was also quite religious. But his reign was ill-fated and came to an abrupt end. In 1805 he joined the Third Coalition against Napoleon Bonaparte. His campaign went poorly and the French occupied Swedish Pomerania. When his ally, Russia, made peace and concluded an alliance with France, Sweden was left as Great Britain’s only European ally, besides Portugal. In the winter of 1808 Russia invaded Swedish Finland on the pretext of compelling Sweden to join Napoleon’s Continental System. Soon the Russians occupied all of Finland – a severe loss for Sweden. Gustav Adolf’s clumsy leadership precipitated his desposition. On March 13, 1809 conspirators broke into the king’s apartment apartment in the palace, seized him, and threw him and his family in prison. Duke Karl was persuaded to take leadership of a temporary government. A few months later, the Riksdag of the Estates declared that not only Gustav Adolf but his entire family had lost the crown. Duke Karl was proclaimed king under the title Karl XIII after having accepted a new liberal constitution – and Gustav Adolf and his family were exiled. In exile, Gustav Adolf’s marriage fell apart and he traveled around a great deal using several titles. Finally he settled in St. Gallen, Switzerland where he lived alone in a small hotel under the name Colonel Gustafsson. On February 7, 1837 he suffered a stroke there and died. At the suggestion of King Oscar II of Sweden, his body was finally brought to Sweden and interred in the Riddarholmskyrkan in 1884.

16
Karl XIII
Royal House: Holstein-Gottorp
Royal Motto: “The welfare of the people my highest law”
Born on October 7, 1748 as son of Adolf Fredrik and Lovisa Ulrika, Karl XIII was the brother of Gustav III. He married his cousin Hedvig Elisabet Charlotta of Oldenburg in 1774. In 1772 he cooperated in the revolutionary plans of his brother Gustav III. A man interested in politics – or at least power – Karl was suspected of a lot of intrigues against his brother the king. He was also interested in supernatural things and mysticism. In 1809, after Gustav IV Adolf had been dethroned, Karl was elected king by the Riksdag of Estates. Since Karl XIII had no children, he was forced to adopt the Danish Prince Kristian August as heir – but the prince died in 1810 amidst clouds of suspicion of poisoning. At this time, the king had become exceedingly senile. Baron Karl Otto Mörner, on his own initiative, offered the succession to the Swedish crown to a Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. Only a French marshal could save Sweden from decline. Bernadotte had risen in the ranks to great influence and fame under Napoleon. So with Napoleon’s consent, Bernadotte was elected crown prince, and moved to Sweden. Although an adult, he was formally adopted by Karl XIII. Meanwhile, Karl’s marriage was falling apart, and he spent most of his life apart from his wife. During his old age, he began following her around, irritating her by repeatingly asking the same questions. Karl XIII died on February 5, 1818.

17
Karl XIV Johan
Royal House: Bernadotte
Royal Motto: “The love of the people my reward”
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was born on January 26, 1763 in Pau, France, as the son of Jean Henri Bernadotte, a procurator at Pau, and Jeanne de Saint Vincent. Bernadotte entered the French army as a private in the Régiment de Royale-Marine in 1780 and first served in Corsica. He was a sergeant in 1789 but at the outbreak of the French Revolution his noted military qualities brought him speedy promotion: in 1792 to colonel, and by 1794 as a brigadier. He married Désirée Clary in 1798. Bernadotte declined to help Napoleon stage his coup d’état of November 1799, but nevertheless accepted employment from the Consulate. In 1810 he was, unexpectedly, elected heir to King Karl XIII of Sweden, partly because a large part of the Swedish army was in favor of electing a soldier, and partly because Bernadotte was very popular in Sweden, after having showed Swedish prisoners kindness during the war with Denmark. Bernadotte made his entry into Stockholm on November 2, 1810, was adopted properly under the name Karl Johan, and quickly became immensely popular. He inherited the crown upon the death of Karl XIII in 1818. During his reign Göta Kanal was completed (the work had begun 22 years earlier) and this was a time of uninterrupted peace – much thanks to Bernadotte’s energy and foresight. He died in Stockholm on March 8, 1844. The main street in Oslo, Karl Johans gate, is named after him. Bernadotte was succeeded by his son Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. Bernadotte converted to Lutheranism but never learned to speak Swedish.

18
Oscar I
Royal House: Bernadotte
Royal Motto: “Right and truth”
Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte, later Oscar I, was born on July 4, 1799 in Paris as the only son of Jean Baptiste Bernadotte (later Karl XIV Johan) and his wife Désirée. He was 12 when he moved to Sweden. Unlike his father who never learned Swedish, Oscar became fluent and often acted as his father’s interpreter. Oscar, whose godfather was Napoleon, was well educated, and quickly became an authority on all socio-political questions. In June of 1823, he married Princess Josephine of Leuchtenberg, the granddaughter of the Empress Josephine. Crown Prince Oscar strongly opposed his father’s despotic behavior, although he avoided an actual rupture. But his liberalism was cautious and moderate in nature. Once Crown Prince Oscar took over the throne, he established freedom of press in Sweden, and he also passed the first law towards gender equality. Oscar I established equality between his two kingdoms (Norway and Sweden) by introducing new flags with the common Union badge of Norway and Sweden and a new coat of arms for the union. As early as 1850, he had conceived plans of a dynastic union of the three Scandinavian kingdoms, but it proved too difficult and the scheme was abandoned. Oscar left a large quantity of journals, which show him as a knowledgeable man with many interests (art and music among them). Oscar I wanted to rule Sweden by himself, and since there was no uniform ministry he himself dealt with the members of the cabinet. His mistrust of the rest of the world left him with few real friends. His strongest point was his great insights in socio-economics, but he was unfortunately also indecisive and wavering, and because he was so distrustful he often postponed many important decisions. The king’s health had never been strong, and he died in 1859 at age 60 after a long, slow decline. Oscar I is buried in Riddarholmskyrkan.

19
Karl XV
Royal House: Bernadotte
Royal Motto: “By law the land shall be built”
Born in Stockholm Palace, on July 8, 1859 and dubbed Duke of Skåne at birth, Karl XV was the eldest son of King Oscar 1 and Josephine of Leuchtenberg. As Crown Prince he was Viceroy of Norway briefly in 1856 and 1857. He became regent in September 1857, and king on the death of his father in 1859. Karl XV married Louise of the Netherlands, but it was a bad mix; although Princess Louise was in love with her husband, he preferred other women. Two of his mistresses included actresses Hanna Styrell and Elise Jakobsson-Hwasser (the most celebrated actress at the time). Karl XV neglected his shy wife, but had a loving relationship with his only daughter Louise.
In spite of a brusque manner, Karl XV was one of the most popular Scandinavian kings, and a constitutional ruler in the best sense of the word. His reign was remarkable for its manifold and far-reaching reforms. Sweden’s existing communal law (1862), ecclesiastical law (1863), and criminal law (1864) were enacted appropriately enough under the direction of a king whose motto was: “With law shall the land be built.” The king also declared freedom of women by passing the law of legal maturity for unmarried women in 1858 – his sister, Princess Eugenie, became the first woman who was declared mature. The king was also an advocate of Scandinavianism and the political solidarity of the three northern kingdoms. He was highly gifted in many directions, he wrote poetry, and attained some recognition as a painter. A few weeks before the king’s death, his daughter Louise (then the crown princess of Denmark) gave birth to her second son, and she named him after her father. This grandson, Prince Carl of Denmark, later ascended the throne of Norway, where he assumed the reign name Haakon VII. No subsequent king of Sweden is Karl’s direct descendent. However, his descendents are or have been on the thrones of Denmark, Luxembourg, Greece, Belgium, and Norway. Karl XV died in Malmö en route from Aachen to Stockholm in 1871.

20
Oscar II
Royal House: Bernadotte
Royal Motto: “The welfare of Sweden”
Oscar II, the third son of King Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, was born of January 21, 1829. He studied at Uppsala University, and distinguished himself in mathematics. He married Princess Sophia Wilhelmina, daughter of Duke William of Nassau, in 1857. Oscar II succeeded his brother Karl XV on September 18, 1872 and was crowned as king of Norway in the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim the following year. At the accession he adopted as his motto “The Welfare of the Brother Peoples.” While the King and the Royal Court resided mostly in Sweden, Oscar made the effort of learning Norwegian fluently and realized from the beginning that there were essential difficulties in the maintenance of the union between the two countries. The political events which led up to the peaceful dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905 could hardly have been attained but for the tact and patience of the king himself. The king’s intelligence and aloofness gave him weight as an arbitrator in international questions, and at the request of the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States in 1889, he appointed the chief justice of Samoa, and he was again called in to arbitrate in Samoan affairs in 1899. In 1897 he was empowered to appoint a fifth arbitrator if necessary in the Venezuelan dispute, and he was called in to act as umpire in the Anglo-American arbitration treaty that was quashed by the U.S. Senate. Like his brother, Oscar was talented in the arts. He was a distinguished writer and musician. Oscar II once told Henrik Ibsen that his “Ghosts” was “not a good play.” The King’s face is used as a trademark for the King Oscar Sardines as well as for gingerbread cookies and other bakery products. He died on December 8, 1907.

21
Gustav V
Royal House: Bernadotte
Royal Motto: “With the people for the Fatherland”
Gustav V was born on June 16, 1858 at Drottningholm Slott as the eldest son of King Oscar II and Sophia Nassau. He married Princess Victoria of Baden in 1881 and thus united by a real blood link (i.e. not through adoption) the reigning Bernadotte dynasty with the former royal house of Holstein-Gottorp. Gustav V was the last Swedish king to intervene directly in the country’s politics. He was a conservative man who did not approve of the democratic movement and the demands of the workers’ rights. He was also considered to have German sympathies during WWI; his political stance during the war was highly influenced by his domineering wife, who felt a strong connection to her German homeland. Both the king and his grandson Prince Gustav Adolf had socialized with certain Nazi leaders before WWII, though arguably for diplomatic reasons. Gustav V attempted to convince Hitler during a visit to Berlin to soften his persecution of the Jews. He was also noted for appealing to the leader of Hungary to save its Jews “in the name of humanity.” At the behest of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gustav V appealed to Hitler for peace negotiations in 1938 “in the interest of peace.” When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in October 1941, however, Gustav V tried to write a private letter to Hitler thanking him for taking care of the “Bolshevik pest” and congratulating him on his “already achieved victories.” He was stopped from doing so by Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson. Gustav V was accused of being homosexual by a man named Kurt Haijby and the royal court paid Haijby a substantial sum of money to keep quiet. This came to public notice through the Haijby affair - although later on Haijby was pronounced insane and sent to an asylum, the fact that the Swedish court was prepared to pay him large sums has by some been taken as evidence that he spoke the truth.
Gustav V was a devoted tennis player, appearing under the pseudonym Mr. G. He died on July 29, 1950.

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Gustav VI Adolf
Royal House: Bernadotte
Royal Motto: “Duty above all”
Gustaf VI Adolf, born November 11 1882, was the eldest son of King Gustaf V and his wife Victoria of Baden. He was born in Stockholm, and married, firstly, Princess Margaret of Connaught, with whom he had five children. Margaret died in 1920, expecting her sixth child. The Crown Prince married Louise Mountbatten three years later. Gustaf Adolf became king at age 67 upon the death of his father in 1950. During his reign, work was underway on a new Instrument of Government (to replace the 1809 constitution and produce reforms consistent with the times), eventually taking effect in 1975 after the king’s death. Among the reforms sought by some Swedes was the replacement of the monarchy or at least some moderation of the old constitution’s provision that “The King alone shall govern the realm.”
Gustav Adolf’s personal qualities made him popular among the Swedish people, and in turn this popularity led to strong public opinion in favor of the retention of the monarchy. His expertise and interest in a wide range of fields (architecture and botany among others) made him respected, as did his informal and modest nature and purposeful avoidance of pomp. The monarchy was, however, made subordinate to a democratic state. Additional powers of the monarch were removed when Sweden’s constitutional reform became complete in 1975. His Majesty died in 1973 at age 90 after deterioration in his health that culminated in pneumonia in Helsingborg Hospital. He was succeeded on the throne by his 27-year old grandson Carl XVI Gustaf, son of the late Prince Gustaf Adolf. In a break with tradition King Gustaf VI Adolf was not buried in Riddarholmskyrkan in Stockholm, but in the royal burial grounds in Haga, alongside his two deceased wives.

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Carl XVI Gustaf
Royal House: Bernadotte
Royal Motto: “For Sweden – With the Times”
Carl XVI Gustaf was born April 30, 1946 as the only son of the late Prince Gustav Adolf and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was born at the Haga Palace in Solna. His father’s death in an airplane crash outside Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1947 left the nine-month old Prince second in line for the throne behind his grandfather, then Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf. When his great-grandfather King Gustaf V died in 1950, the four-year old Prince became heir apparent of Sweden. In a speech in 2005, the King expressed some of his feelings about growing up without having known his father. His sister, Princess Birgitta, elaborated on these feelings in an interview around the same time, commenting that their mother and the strict Swedish royal court of the time didn’t consider the emotional needs of Prince Gustaf Adolf’s children. Tragedy, she said, was seldom discussed with children. “Children’s questions were met with silence,” she said. As a result Crown Prince Carl Gustaf was seven years old before he had been told about his father’s death.
Crown Prince Carl Gustaf completed academic studies in history, sociology, political science, tax law, and economics at Uppsala and Stockholm universities. He also spent time at the Swedish Mission to the United Nations and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), worked at a bank in London, the Swedish Embassy in London, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France, and at the Alfa Laval company factory in France.
Carl Gustaf became king on September 15, 1973 upon the death of his grandfather, King Gustav VI Adolf. He married the half-Brazilian daughter of a German businessman, Silvia Sommerlath in 1976 at Stockholm Cathedral. The King and his family reside at Drottningholm Palace outside Stockholm (since 1980) and use the Royal Palace of Stockholm as their workplace. They have three children: Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (1977- ), Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland (1979 -), and Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (1982 -). Prince Carl Philip was born heir apparent. However, a constitutional reform that was already under way at the time of his birth made his older sister, Victoria, the Crown Princess and heiress-apparent on January 1, 1980, according to the principles of equal primogeniture, which Sweden was the first country to adopt. The king’s duties are of representative and ceremonial nature. He pays State Visits abroad and receives those to Sweden, opens the Annual Session of the Parliament, chairs the Special Council held during a change of Government, holds regular Information Councils with Ministers, Chairs the meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council, and receives and signs Letters of Credence of foreign Ambassadors to Sweden – and signs those of Sweden to foreign nations. The King holds the highest ranks in the three branches of the Swedish Armed Forces à la suite according to the Constitution. He also presents the Nobel Prizes each year, and hands over the Polar Music Prize. The King is passionate about the environment, technology, agriculture, trade, and industry, and like many members of the royal family, the King has a keen interest in automobiles. The King is the Honorary Chairman of the World Scout Foundation, and often participates in Scout activities both in Sweden and abroad. The King’s current title is simply His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden. He also holds the personal title of Duke of Jämtland. Carl XVI Gustaf is usually referred to as "the King" (Swedish: Kungen). In formal events and protocols, he is however entitled to "Your Majesty" (Swedish: Ers Majestät) or "His Majesty the King" (Swedish: Hans Majestät Konungen).