Monarchy of Sweden

This article is about the Swedish monarchy as an institution. For a list of kings and queens regnant of Sweden, see List of Swedish monarchs. For a list of Swedish princes and princesses, see Swedish royal family.

King of Sweden
Sveriges Konung
Greater coat of arms of Sweden
Incumbent
Carl XVI Gustaf
since 15 September 1973
Details
StyleHis Majesty
Heir apparentCrown Princess Victoria
First monarchEric the Victorious
ResidenceStockholm Palace[1]
Drottningholm Palace[2]
Websitewww.kungahuset.se

The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden,[3] by law a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.[4] 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,[5] 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.[6] Sweden's monarchy is amongst the oldest in the world, with a regnal list stretching back to 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.[7]

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 the country's otherwise liberal leanings, has resulted in the Swedish monarchy being popular.[8] 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.[9][10][11][12]

Sweden in the present day is a representative democracy in a parliamentary system based on popular sovereignty, as defined in the current Instrument of Government (one of the four Basic Laws of the Realm which makes up the written constitution[13]). The monarch and the members of the royal family undertake a variety of official, unofficial and other representational duties within Sweden and abroad.[5] The current king of Sweden is Carl XVI Gustaf, while his heir is Crown Princess Victoria.[14]

The Swedish monarch has numerous residences, primarily state-owned but some privately owned; their official residence and workplace 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.[15] Several large palaces and a considerable section of the Swedish capital of Stockholm have been at the disposal of the monarch since 1809.

  1. ^ "The Royal Palace of Stockholm". Royal Court of Sweden. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Drottningholm Palace". Royal Court of Sweden. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  3. ^ See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5.
  4. ^ Parliamentary system: see the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 1.
  5. ^ a b "The Monarchy in Sweden". Royal Court of Sweden. Archived from the original on 22 March 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  6. ^ McOmish, Rebecca Thandi Norman, Freya (5 January 2023). "The Swedish Royal Family: Everything You Need to Know". Scandinavia Standard. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Eaton, Victor (13 November 2017). "8 Oldest Monarchies in The World". Oldest.org. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  8. ^ Times, The Brussels. "What do Europeans think about their monarchies?". brusselstimes.com. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  9. ^ Uppdrag granskning - kungens bostäder Archived 22 September 2023 at the Wayback Machine SVT 2023-05-16
  10. ^ Thomas Lyrevik in Den kungliga kleptokratin makt, manipulation, berikning 670 p. ISBN 9789188383419
  11. ^ Ulf Bergström, Staffan Nyberg & Tony Karlsson in Monarkins verkliga kostnader 2020 80 p. LIBRIS #fsqjvf15c1qs0flz
  12. ^ Book Archived 13 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine Chefen by Thomas Sjöberg 2023
  13. ^ "The Constitution". The Riksdag. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  14. ^ "The Swedish monarchy". sweden.se. 18 September 2023. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Royal palaces and residences". kungahuset.se. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.