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The House of Bernadotte
Sweden's royal house began with a French soldier. Jean Bernadotte, born in Pau, in south-western France, became King of Sweden and Norway, and his descendants still reign in Stockholm [1]. The Swedish Royal Court says the Bernadotte dynasty has held the throne "for over 200 years" [3].
Why Sweden Needed an Heir
After losing Finland in the Finnish War of 1809, Sweden faced a dynastic crisis. King Charles XIII had no heir, and his Holstein-Gottorp branch of the House of Oldenburg was about to die out on the Swedish throne [1]. In 1810 the Riksdag of the Estates first elected a Danish prince, Christian August of Augustenborg, as heir presumptive. He took the name Charles August, but died soon afterwards [1].
A French Marshal Becomes Crown Prince
Bernadotte had risen to the rank of general and served as French Minister of War [1]. Sweden then chose him as its new heir. He founded the house in Sweden in 1818, when he became King as Charles XIV John [1]. The house was also the royal house of Norway from 1818 to 1905 [1]. In 1905 the union with Norway was dissolved, and Norway chose a Danish prince as its own king [1].
The Modern Monarchy
The current king, Carl XVI Gustaf, is a direct descendant of Charles XIV John [1]. Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus was born on 30 April 1946 and ascended the throne on 15 September 1973. He is the seventh king of the House of Bernadotte and the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history [2]. His motto is "For Sweden – With the times" [2].
Under Sweden's Instrument of Government, the King or Queen who holds the throne under the Act of Succession is Head of State. The role is mainly ceremonial and representational [2].
Crown Princess Victoria and the 1979 Act of Succession
Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland, was born on 14 July 1977 [3]. Under the 1979 Act of Succession, which took effect on 1 January 1980, she is heir to the Swedish throne [3]. The Act introduced equal primogeniture. Her younger brother, Prince Carl Philip (born 1979), had been Crown Prince until then [1].
The Crown Princess acts as regent ad interim when the King cannot perform his duties, for example during foreign visits [3]. Her children are Princess Estelle (born 2012) and Prince Oscar (born 2016) [1].
Members of the Royal House
The Royal Court lists the following members of the Royal House [2]:
- HM The King and HM The Queen
- HRH The Crown Princess and HRH Prince Daniel
- HRH Princess Estelle and HRH Prince Oscar
- HRH Prince Carl Philip and HRH Princess Sofia
- HRH Princess Madeleine
The French Bernadottes
Two branches of the French Bernadotte family, relatives of the founder who stayed in France, still survive [1]. The founder's birthplace in Pau remains a link between the two countries; Crown Princess Victoria visited it in 2010 [1].
Key Dates
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1810 | Swedish succession crisis | [1] |
| 1818 | Charles XIV John becomes King | [1] |
| 1905 | End of the union with Norway | [1] |
| 15 Sep 1973 | Carl XVI Gustaf ascends the throne | [2] |
| 1 Jan 1980 | Act of Succession makes Victoria heir | [3] |
In the historical Almanach de Gotha
Licence: contains material adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). This article is released under the same licence. Primary and institutional sources are summarised or briefly quoted.