Kingdom of Sweden Index

Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, reigned 1973 – present; Credit – Wikipedia

Sweden is in northern Europe. It borders Finland and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund Strait. It is not known exactly when the Kingdom of Sweden started. Sweden’s list of rulers usually begins with Eric the Victorious (circa 945 – circa 995). Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch from 1397 until 1523 when Danish rule was overthrown in a rebellion led by nobleman Gustav Vasa, who became King Gustav I of Sweden. In 1814, after the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark lost Norway to Sweden. Eventually, in 1905, the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved and Norway became its own kingdom.

The current Swedish Royal Family are members of the House of Bernadotte.  In 1809, King Carl XIII ascended the throne of Sweden. He had no living children, and his adopted son and heir had died the following year. The Swedes had the idea to offer the position of Crown Prince to  Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, one of the Marshals of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. Bernadotte was well-liked in Sweden, particularly because of his considerate treatment of Swedish prisoners during the recent war with Denmark. In addition, he was related to Napoleon through his wife, and already had a son who could continue the succession. In 1810, the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates elected Bernadotte as Crown Prince. Shortly afterward, he arrived in Stockholm, was formally adopted by the King, taking the name Carl Johan, and converted from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism.  When King Carl XIII died in 1818, Bernadotte ascended the throne as King Carl XIV Johan.  Thus began the Bernadotte dynasty in Sweden, which continues today.

King Carl XIV Johan’s son and successor King Oscar I married Princess Joséphine of Leuchtenberg, the granddaughter of Napoleon I’s first wife Empress Joséphine. Princess Joséphine’s mother was Princess Augusta of Bavaria, a descendant of King Gustav I of Sweden and King Charles IX of Sweden, thereby ensuring that future members of the House of Bernadotte were descendants of the House of Vasa which ruled Sweden from 1523-1654.

Below is an indexed listing with links to biographical articles about the Swedish Royal Family at Unofficial Royalty.  If it says “Notable Issue” before a name, that means not all of the children for the parent of that person are listed. Also listed below are links to Swedish Royal Wedding articles and various Swedish Content Areas.

House of Oldenburg (1450 – 1523)

Note: Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch from 1397 until 1523.

Family of King Christian I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

Family of King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

Family of King Christian II of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

House of Vasa (1523 – 1654)

Family of King Gustav Vasa I of Sweden

Family of King Erik XIV of Sweden

Family of King Johan III of Sweden

Family of King Sigismund III Vasa of Sweden

Family of King Karl IX of Sweden

Family of King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great of Sweden

Queen Christina of Sweden

House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken (1654 – 1720)

Family of King Karl X Gustav of Sweden

Family of King Karl XI of Sweden

King Karl XII of Sweden

Family of Queen Ulrika Eleanora of Sweden

House of Hesse (1720 – 1751)

Family of King Fredrik I of Sweden

House of Holstein-Gottorp (1751 – 1818)

Family of King Adolf Frederik of Sweden

Family of King Gustav III of Sweden

Family of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden

Note: Kings of Sweden from 1814 – 1905 were also Kings of Norway.

Family of King Carl XIII of Sweden/King Karl II of Norway

House of Bernadotte (1818 – present)

Family of King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden/King Karl III Johan of Norway

Family of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway

Family of King Carl XV of Sweden/King Karl IV of Norway

Family of King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway

Family of King Gustaf V of Sweden

Family of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden

Family of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten

Family of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

Family of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

Other Swedish Royals

Swedish Royal Ceremonies and Events

  • Accession to the Throne
  • National Day of Sweden (June 6)
  • Nobel Prizes Presentations (December 10)
  • Nobel Prize Banquet (December 10)
  • Nobel Prize Monarch’s reception and dinner for the Nobel Prize recipients (December 11)
  • Monarch’s Christmas Day Speech (December 25)
  • Opening of the Parliamentary Session (2nd Tuesday of September)
  • Parliament Dinner (Every 4 years after the General Election)
  • Swedish Royal Christenings
  • Swedish Royal Weddings

Swedish Royal Weddings

Swedish Churches

Swedish Miscellaneous Articles

Swedish Content Areas