Guadeloupe Fund
Encyclopedia
The Guadeloupe Fund was established by Sweden
's Riksdag of the Estates
in 1815 for the benefit of Crown Prince and Regent
Charles XIV John of Sweden
, also known as Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, and his heirs.
On March 3, 1813, the island of Guadeloupe
was ceded by Britain
to "His Royal Majesty the King of Sweden, and his successor to the Swedish throne" according to the Act of Succession
of September 26, 1810. This was supposedly in order to keep the Crown Prince "at least partially compensated for the donations and other property, which he had lost since being called to the succession of the Swedish throne", having also used proceeds of sales of his Italian and French property to pay off debts of Sweden and losses as a consequence of Sweden's involvement in the Napoleonic Wars
. Crown Prince Charles, or Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, had been one of the most successful soldiers in Napoleonic
France
. He was Empire Marshal of France
, a former minister of war and had been created Prince of Ponte Corvo by Napoleon, before accepting the election as heir to the Swedish throne. Under his adoptive father, the reigning and yet powerless King Charles XIII of Sweden
, the Crown Prince was effectively the regent of the country, and when Sweden sided with Napoleon's enemies, Bernadotte came to be seen as a traitor to his native France. Upon Sweden's accession to the Sixth Coalition, the offer of a West Indies island by Britain was an attempt to, in some way, compensate for this. Guadeloupe was conveniently located in proximity to the Swedish colony
of Saint-Barthélemy.
After France had been defeated and Napoleon was exiled to Elba
, the Treaty of Paris
of 1814 settled the terms of the peace, in which Guadeloupe, having previously been a French possession, was returned to France. On August 13, 1814, a settlement of 24 million franc
s was reached with Britain as a replacement for the intended compensation.
The Crown Prince, acting as regent, used about half of the sum to pay off government debts; the rest went to various projects of public benefit. In recognition of this, the Riksdag of 1815 instituted that the Crown Prince and his heirs would receive an annual installment of 300,000 Riksdaler, which was to be paid out in perpetuity
.
In the middle of the 20th century the scheme came under close scrutiny and, following a settlement between the Crown
and the House of Bernadotte
, the last payment of the fund was made in 1983.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
's Riksdag of the Estates
Riksdag of the Estates
The Riksdag of the Estates , was the name used for the Estates of the Swedish realm when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to the King...
in 1815 for the benefit of Crown Prince and Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Charles XIV John of Sweden
Charles XIV John of Sweden
Charles XIV & III John, also Carl John, Swedish and Norwegian: Karl Johan was King of Sweden and King of Norway from 1818 until his death...
, also known as Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, and his heirs.
On March 3, 1813, the island of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
was ceded by Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to "His Royal Majesty the King of Sweden, and his successor to the Swedish throne" according to the Act of Succession
Swedish Act of Succession
The Act of Succession is a part of the Swedish Constitution. It was adopted by the Riksdag of the Estates on September 26, 1810, and it regulates the right of members of the House of Bernadotte to accede to the Swedish throne...
of September 26, 1810. This was supposedly in order to keep the Crown Prince "at least partially compensated for the donations and other property, which he had lost since being called to the succession of the Swedish throne", having also used proceeds of sales of his Italian and French property to pay off debts of Sweden and losses as a consequence of Sweden's involvement in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Crown Prince Charles, or Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, had been one of the most successful soldiers in Napoleonic
Napoleonic Era
The Napoleonic Era is a period in the history of France and Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly, the second being the Legislative Assembly, and the third being the Directory...
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was Empire Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
, a former minister of war and had been created Prince of Ponte Corvo by Napoleon, before accepting the election as heir to the Swedish throne. Under his adoptive father, the reigning and yet powerless King Charles XIII of Sweden
Charles XIII of Sweden
Charles XIII & II also Carl, , was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 until his death...
, the Crown Prince was effectively the regent of the country, and when Sweden sided with Napoleon's enemies, Bernadotte came to be seen as a traitor to his native France. Upon Sweden's accession to the Sixth Coalition, the offer of a West Indies island by Britain was an attempt to, in some way, compensate for this. Guadeloupe was conveniently located in proximity to the Swedish colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of Saint-Barthélemy.
After France had been defeated and Napoleon was exiled to Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
, the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1814)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on 30 May 1814, ended the war between France and the Sixth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars, following an armistice signed on 23 May between Charles, Count of Artois, and the allies...
of 1814 settled the terms of the peace, in which Guadeloupe, having previously been a French possession, was returned to France. On August 13, 1814, a settlement of 24 million franc
Franc
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
s was reached with Britain as a replacement for the intended compensation.
The Crown Prince, acting as regent, used about half of the sum to pay off government debts; the rest went to various projects of public benefit. In recognition of this, the Riksdag of 1815 instituted that the Crown Prince and his heirs would receive an annual installment of 300,000 Riksdaler, which was to be paid out in perpetuity
Perpetuity
A perpetuity is an annuity that has no end, or a stream of cash payments that continues forever. There are few actual perpetuities in existence...
.
In the middle of the 20th century the scheme came under close scrutiny and, following a settlement between the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
and the House of Bernadotte
Bernadotte
The House of Bernadotte, the current royal house of Sweden, has reigned since 1818. Between 1818 and 1905, it was also the royal house of the Norway...
, the last payment of the fund was made in 1983.
See also
- Second War against Napoleon
- Possessions of SwedenPossessions of SwedenThis is a list of possessions of Sweden held outside of Sweden proper during the early modern period.- Fiefs :Fiefs that were held for a limited time.*Scania *Hven...
- History of SwedenHistory of SwedenModern Sweden started out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century...
- History of GuadeloupeHistory of Guadeloupe- Pre-Columbian and Colonial Settlement :The earliest settlers on Guadeloupe arrived around 300 BC and developed agriculture on the island. They were removed by the more warlike Caribs. It was the Caribs who called the island "Karukera," which is roughly translated as "island with beautiful...