 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(August 2023) |
The style of the Swedish sovereign is the formal mode of address used by the reigning monarch of Sweden. Its precise form has changed over the years, by either geopolitical change or replacement of ruling house.
This list only include monarchs subsequent to the reign of Gustav I in the 16th century, specifically since 1523 when he was elected king. Due to him, the House of Vasa came to be the first monarchical dynasty to rule a unified Swedish kingdom. Prior to his process of radical change, the Kingdom of Sweden was part of the Kalmar Union and was ruled by many different petty kings before that. During the 12th and 13th century, most kings was styled "King of the Swedes" until the age of Magnus the Caresser.
| Monarch | Period | Style in Swedish | English translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gustav I (1496–1560) |  | 1521–1523 | Jag Gustav Eriksson i Rydboholm utvald Hövitsman över Dalarna, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Östragötaland och Uppland | I Gustav Eriksson, in Rydboholm elected Headman of Dalarna, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Östragötaland och Uppland |
| 1523–1528 | Vi Gustav, med Guds Nåde, utvald Sveriges och Götes konung | We Gustav, by the Grace of God elected King of Sweden and of the Goths | ||
| 1528–1560 | Vi Gustav, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Gustav, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends | ||
| Eric XIV (1533–1577) |  | 1560–1568 | Vi Erik XIV, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Eric XIV, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends |
| John III (1537–1592) |  | 1568–1581 | Vi Johan III, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, storfurste av Finland, av Karelen, Vetski pjatina och Ingermanland i Ryssland samt över de Ester i Livland hertig | We John III, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Karelia, the Pyatina of the Wods, of Ingria in Russia and of the Estonians of Livonia |
| 1581–1583 | Vi Johan III, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, storfurste av Finland, av Karelen, Sjelonski pjatina och Ingermanland i Ryssland samt över de Ester i Livland hertig | We John III, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Karelia, the Pyatina of Shelon, of Ingria in Russia and of the Estonians of Livonia | ||
| 1583–1592 | Vi Johan III, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, storfurste av Finland, av Karelen, Vetski pjatina och Ingermanland i Ryssland samt över de Ester i Livland hertig | We John III, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Karelia, the Pyatina of the Wods, of Ingria in Russia and of the Estonians of Livonia | ||
| Sigismund (1566–1632) |  | 1592–1599 | Vi Sigismund, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, storfurste till Finland, av Karelen, Vetski pjatina och Ingermanland i Ryssland samt över de Ester i Livland hertig; så och konung till Polen, storfurste till Litauen, av Ryssland, Preussen, Masovien, Samogitien, Kiev, Volynien och Livland herre | We Sigismund, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Karelia, the Pyatina of the Wods, Ingria in Russia and of the Estonians of Livonia; King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Lord of Russia, Prussia, Mazovia, Samogitia, Kiev, Wolyn and Livonia |
| Charles IX (1550–1611) |  | 1599–1604 | Vi Karl, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges rikes arvfurste och föreståndare, hertig till Södermanland, Närke och Värmland | We Charles, by the Grace of God, Hereditary Prince and Regent of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland, Närke and Värmland |
| 1604–1607 | Vi Karl, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges rikes uträttkorade konung och arvfurste, hertig till Södermanland, Närke och Värmland | We Charles, by the Grace of God, chosen King of the Swedish Realm and Hereditary Prince, Duke of Södermanland, Närke and Värmland | ||
| 1607–1611 | Vi Karl IX, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes, Vendes, Finnars, Karelers, de Lapparna i Norrlands, Kajaners och de Ester i Livlands konung | We Charles IX, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths, the Wends, the Finns, the Karelians, of the Lapps of the Northern Lands, of the Kajanas and of the Estonians of Livonia | ||
| Gustavus Adolphus (1594–1632) |  | 1611–1617 | Vi Gustav Adolf, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes utkorade konung och arvfurste, storfurste till Finland, hertig till Estland och Västmanland | We Gustavus Adolphus, by the Grace of God, chosen King and heir of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Estonia and Västmanland |
| 1617–1632 | Vi Gustav Adolf, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, storfurste till Finland, hertig uti Estland och Karelen, herre över Ingermanland | We Gustavus Adolphus, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths, the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Estonia and Karelia, Lord of Ingria | ||
| Christina (1626–1689) |  | 1632–1650 | Vi Kristina, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes drottning, storfurstinna till Finland, hertiginna uti Estland och Karelen, fröken över Ingermanland | We Christina, by the Grace of God, Queen of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Princess of Finland, Duchess of Estonia and Karelia, Lady of Ingria |
| 1650–1654 | Vi Kristina, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes drottning, storfurstinna till Finland, hertiginna uti Estland, Karelen, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pommern, Kassuben och Wenden, furstinna till Rügen, fru över Ingermanland och Wismar | We Christina, by the Grace of God, Queen of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Princess of Finland, Duchess of Estonia, Karelia, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pomerania, Kashubia and of Wenden, Princess of Rügen, Lady of Ingria and Wismar | ||
| Monarch | Period | Style in Swedish | English translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles X Gustav (1622–1660) |  | 1654–1658 | Vi Karl Gustav, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, storfurste till Finland, hertig uti Estland, Karelen, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pommern, Kassuben och Wenden, furste till Rügen, herre över Ingermanland och Wismar; så och pfalzgeve vid Rhen, i Bayern, Jülich, Kleve och Berg hertig | We Charles Gustav, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Estonia, Karelia, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pomerania, Kashubia and of Wenden, Prince of Rügen, Lord of Ingria and Wismar; Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, of Jülich, Cleves and Berg |
| 1658–1660 | Vi Karl Gustav, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, storfurste till Finland, hertig uti Skåne, Estland, Livland, Karelen, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pommern, Kassuben och Wenden, furste till Rügen, herre över Ingermanland och Wismar; så och pfalzgeve vid Rhen, i Bayern, Jülich, Kleve och Berg hertig | We Charles Gustav, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Scania, Estonia, Livonia, Karelia, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pomerania, the Kashubes and the Wends, Prince of Rugen, Lord of Ingria and Wismar; Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, of Jülich, Cleves and Berg | ||
| Charles XI (1655–1697) |  | 1660–1697 | Vi Karl, av Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, storfurste till Finland, hertig uti Skåne, Estland, Livland, Karelen, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pommern, Kassuben och Wenden, furste till Rügen, herre över Ingermanland och Wismar; så och pfalzgeve vid Rhen, i Bayern, Jülich, Kleve och Berg hertig | We Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Scania, Estonia, Livonia, Karelia, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pomerania, Kashubia and of Wenden, Prince of Rugen, Lord of Ingria and Wismar; Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, of Jülich, Cleves and Berg |
| Charles XII (1682–1718) |  | 1697–1718 | Vi Karl, av Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, storfurste till Finland, hertig uti Skåne, Estland, Livland, Karelen, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pommern, Kassuben och Venden, furste till Rügen, herre över Ingermanland och Wismar; så och pfalzgreve vid Rhen, i Bayern, samt till Jülich, Kleve och Berg hertig. Greve till Valdens, Sponheim, Mark och Ravensburg, herre till Ravenstein. | We Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Scania, Estonia, Livonia, Karelia, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pomerania, of Kashubia and of Wenden, Prince of Rügen, Lord of Ingria and Wismar; Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, Count of Veldenz, Sponheim, Mark and Ravensburg, Lord of Ravenstein |
| Ulrica Eleanor (1688–1741) |  | 1718–1720 | Vi Ulrika Eleonora, av Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes drottning, storfurstinna till Finland, hertiginna uti Skåne, Estland, Livland, Karelen, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pommern, Kassuben och Venden, furste till Rügen, fru över Ingermanland och Wismar; så och pfalzgrevinna vid Rhen, i Bayern, samt till Jülich, Kleve och Berg hertiginna. Grevinna till Valdens, Sponheim, Mark och Ravensburg, fru till Ravenstein; lantgrevinna och arvprinsessa till Hessen, furstinna till Hersfeld, grevinna till Katzenelnbogen, Diez, Ziegenhain, Nidda och Schaumburg | We Ulrica Eleanor, by the Grace of God, Queen of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Grand Princess of Finland, Duchess of Scania, Estonia, Livonia, Karelia, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pomerania, Kashubia and of Wenden, Princess of Rügen, Lady of Ingria and Wismar; Countess Palatine of the Rhine, Duchess in Bavaria, of Jülich, Cleves and Berg; Landgravine and Hereditary Princcess of Hesse, Princess of Hersfeld, Countess of Katzenelnbogen, Diez, Ziegenhain, Nidda and Schaumburg |
| Monarch | Period | Style in Swedish | English translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick I (1676–1751) |  | 1720–1751 | Vi Fredrik, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung; lantgreve till Hessen, furste till Hersfeld, greve till Katzenelnbogen, Diez, Ziegenhain, Nidda och Schaumburg | We Frederick, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends; Landgrave of Hesse, Prince of Hersfeld, Count of Katzenelnbogen, Diez, Ziegenhain, Nidda and Schaumburg |
| Monarch | Period | Style in Swedish | English translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adolph Frederick (1710–1771) |  | 1751–1771 | Vi Adolf Fredrik, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung; arvinge till Norge, hertig till Schleswig, Holstein, Srormarn, Dithmarschen, greve till Oldenburg och Delmenhorst | We Adolph Frederick, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends; Heir to Norway, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn and Dithmarschen, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst |
| Gustav III (1746–1792) |  | 1771–1792 | Vi Gustav, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung; arvinge till Norge, hertig till Schleswig och Holstein | We Gustav, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends; Heir to Norway, Duke of Schleswig and Holstein |
| Gustav IV Adolph (1778–1837) |  | 1792–1809 | Vi Gustav Adolf, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung; arvinge till Norge, hertig till Schleswig och Holstein | We Gustav Adolph, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends; Heir toNorway, Duke of Schleswig and Holstein |
| Charles XIII (1748–1818) |  | 1792–1796 | Vi Karl, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes arvfurste och riksföreståndare, hertig till Södermanland; arvinge till Norge, hertig till Schleswig, Holstein, Srormaren, Dithmarschen, greve till Oldenburg och Delmenhorst. Svea rikes storamiral | We Charles, by the Grace of God, Hereditary Prince and Regent of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Duke of Södermanland; Heir to Norway, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn and Dithmarschen, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. Grand Admiral of the Swedish Realm |
| 1809–1814 | Vi Karl, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung, hertig till Södermanland; arvinge till Norge, hertig till Schleswig, Holstein, Srormarn, Dithmarschen, greve till Oldenburg och Delmenhorst | We Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends; Heir to Norway, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn and Dithmarschen, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst | ||
| 1814–1818 | Vi Carl, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Norges, Götes och Vendes konung; hertig till Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, greve till Oldenburg och Delmenhorst | We Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, Norway, the Goths and the Wends; Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn and Dithmarschen, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst | ||
| Monarch | Period | Style in Swedish | English translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles XIV John (1763–1844) |  | 1818–1844 | Vi Karl Johan, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Norges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Charles John, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, Norway, the Goths and the Wends |
| Oscar I (1799–1859) |  | 1844–1859 | Vi Oscar, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Norges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Oscar, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, Norway, the Goths and the Wends |
| Charles XV (1826–1872) |  | 1859–1872 | Vi Karl, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Norges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, Norway, the Goths and the Wends |
| Oscar II (1829–1907) |  | 1872–1905 | Vi Oscar, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Norges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Oscar, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, Norway, the Goths and the Wends |
| 1905–1907 | Vi Oscar, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Oscar, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends | ||
| Gustaf V (1858–1950) |  | 1907–1950 | Vi Gustaf, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Gustaf, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends |
| Gustaf VI Adolf (1882–1973) |  | 1950–1973 | Vi Gustaf Adolf, med Guds Nåde, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Gustaf Adolf, by the Grace of God, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends |
| Carl XVI Gustavf (born 1946) |  | 1973–present | Vi Carl Gustaf, Sveriges, Götes och Vendes konung | We Carl Gustaf, King of Sweden |
A monarch is a head of state for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power in the state, or others may wield that power on behalf of the monarch. Usually a monarch either personally inherits the lawful right to exercise the state's sovereign rights or is selected by an established process from a family or cohort eligible to provide the nation's monarch. Alternatively, an individual may proclaim oneself monarch, which may be backed and legitimated through acclamation, right of conquest or a combination of means.
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic, to fully autocratic, and can span across executive, legislative, and judicial domains.
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked below princes and grand dukes. The title comes from French duc, itself from the Latin dux, 'leader', a term used in republican Rome to refer to a military commander without an official rank, and later coming to mean the leading military commander of a province. In most countries, the word duchess is the female equivalent.
Grand duke is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, king, grand prince, archduke, or prince-archbishop, and above a sovereign prince or sovereign duke. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly:
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 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.
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others.
An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by a monarch who is elected, in contrast to a hereditary monarchy in which the office is automatically passed down as a family inheritance. The manner of election, the nature of candidate qualifications, and the electors vary from case to case. Historically, it was common for elective monarchies to transform into hereditary ones over time or for hereditary ones to acquire at least occasional elective aspects.
Regnal numbers are ordinal numbers used to distinguish among persons with the same name who held the same office. Most importantly, they are used to distinguish monarchs. An ordinal is the number placed after a monarch's regnal name to differentiate between a number of kings, queens or princes reigning the same territory with the same regnal name.
A regnal name, regnant name, or reign name is the name used by monarchs and popes during their reigns and subsequently, historically. Since ancient times, some monarchs have chosen to use a different name from their original name when they accede to the monarchy.
Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Kings and their female consorts, as well as queens regnant, are usually styled Majesty.
A queen regnant is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns suo jure over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning king; or a queen regent, who is the guardian of a child monarch and rules pro tempore in the child's stead or instead of her husband who is absent from the realm, be it de jure in sharing power or de facto in ruling alone. A queen regnant is sometimes called a woman king. A princess regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over a principality; an empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over an empire.
The House of Munsö, also called the House of Björn Ironside, the House of Uppsala or simply the Old dynasty, is the earliest reliably attested royal dynasty of Sweden, ruling during the Viking Age. None of the names suggested for the dynasty are universally accepted and most are problematic; the name "House of Munsö" derives from a questionable and speculative theory that they would have ruled from the island of Munsö and the name "House of Björn Ironside" derives from the supposed founder of the dynasty, Björn Ironside, who is often seen as a legendary, rather than historical, figure.
Geatish kings, ruling over the provinces of Götaland (Gautland/Geatland), appear in several sources for early Swedish history. Today, most of them are not considered historical.
The House of Bjelbo, also known as the House of Folkung (Folkungaätten), was an Ostrogothian Swedish family that provided several medieval Swedish bishops, jarls and kings. It also provided three kings of Norway and one king of Denmark in the 14th century.
Members of the Norwegian royal family are people related to King Harald V of Norway or former Norwegian monarchs. The current family who holds the throne are members of the House of Glücksburg who ascended to the Norwegian throne after the election of Prince Carl of Denmark as King of Norway during the dissolution of the Swedish-Norwegian union in 1905.
By the Grace of God is a formulaic phrase used especially in Christian monarchies as an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch. For example in England and later the United Kingdom, the phrase was formally added to the royal style in 1521 and continues to be used. For example, on UK coinage, the abbreviation DG appears today.
King of the Wends was a pan-Scandinavian title denoting sovereignty, lordship or claims over the Wends. It was used from the 12th century to 1972 by kings of Denmark and from c. 1540 to 1973 by the kings of Sweden.
The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was already consolidated in the 8th century, whose rulers are consistently referred to in Frankish sources as "kings". Under the rule of King Gudfred in 804 the Kingdom may have included all the major provinces of medieval Denmark.