Monarchy of Finland
Encyclopedia
The nation of Finland
has never been an independent sovereign monarchy
: no attempt to establish one was crowned with success. When it finally became established as a modern independent nation-state, it was— despite a very brief flirtation with monarchy—in the form of a republic.
, but Finland has been part of monarchical states as a sub-unit of a monarchy based outside Finland proper. After the 13th century Swedish conquest
, Finland was a part of the Kingdom of Sweden and occasionally a usually nominal Duchy
, with some brief feudalistic characteristics in the 16th century. Elevation of status to Grand Duchy in 1581 had no effect on the stately position.
King Charles IX of Sweden
briefly used "King of Finns" (Finnars...Konung) as part of his official titulary during 1607-1611. The change in the title had no impact on the official status of Finns or Finland.
gathered in Turku
and decided to ask Empress Elizabeth of Russia if the then Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, great-nephew of the late king Charles XII of Sweden
, could be proclaimed as the King of Finland. However, the political situation had soon outgrown the idea of Finnish independence, and it quickly evaporated.
in 1809, Finland kept the Swedish constitution formally intact and became an autonomous region within the Russian Empire under the title of Grand Principality of Finland. The Russian Emperor wielded the powers formerly reserved for the King of Sweden as the Grand Prince of Finland
, creatively applying the autocratic Swedish constitution of 1772 and 1789. Interestingly, the first Grand Prince, Alexander I of Russia
, was the grandson of Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, who had held the imperial throne for just 6 months in 1762 as Peter III of Russia
.
in Russia. The internal unrest in the country soon descended into an open civil war
, won by the White side, i.e. the non-socialist parties. During the war, the White side was supported by Germany
. In an effort to cement the alliance with Germany, the Finnish parliament, purged of socialist members, elected Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
as the King of Finland and Karelia, Grand Prince of Lapland, Duke of Åland, Lord of Kaleva and the North
. Before Frederick Charles could move to Finland, the collapse of the Central Powers
made the idea of German-born Finnish king untenable and he renounced the throne. After new elections, the Parliament, now with representatives of all parties, adopted a republican constitution in 1919 which has been in effect ever since, with major modifications in 1999.
However there is a potential pretender: Prince Philipp of Hesse
, who, nonetheless, sees the idea of his pretension as ridiculous and refrains from making any claim to the Finnish "throne." He is, however, a second son, and inclusively contracted a morganatic marriage and, according to certain family documents and correspondence, the successor of Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse as King of Finland would have been his second surviving son Prince Wolfgang of Hesse
(1896–1989), apparently because Wolfgang was with his parents in 1918 and ready to travel to Finland
, where a wedding to a Finnish lady was already in preparation for the coming Crown Prince
. Philipp was in the military and unable to be contacted at the time. This choice of the younger of these two twins at that time, however is no precedent that in next generations, the kingship would have been succeeded in secundogeniture
, putting the eldest son always to the Hesse title (according to Dr. Vesa Vares). On the contrary, it is practically inconceivable that succession of a kingdom would depend on secondary consideration.
The only royal buried in Finland is the wife of king Eric XIV, queen Karin Månsdotter
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
has never been an independent sovereign monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
: no attempt to establish one was crowned with success. When it finally became established as a modern independent nation-state, it was— despite a very brief flirtation with monarchy—in the form of a republic.
Early developments
No record has survived about ancient kings of FinlandAncient kings of Finland
Almost nothing is known about the Ancient kings of Finland. Even though no record of ancient kings in Finland exists, prehistoric Finland probably had chieftains called "kings", as the loanword kuningas, "king", has existed in the same meaning in the Finnish language since early Germanic times,...
, but Finland has been part of monarchical states as a sub-unit of a monarchy based outside Finland proper. After the 13th century Swedish conquest
Second Swedish Crusade
The Second Swedish Crusade was a Swedish military expedition to areas in present-day Finland by Birger jarl in the 13th century. As a result of the crusade, Finland became permanently part of Sweden for the next 550 years.-Year of the crusade:...
, Finland was a part of the Kingdom of Sweden and occasionally a usually nominal Duchy
Duke of Finland
Duke of Finland was an occasional medieval title granted as a tertiogeniture to the relatives of the King of Sweden between the 13th and 16th centuries. It included a duchy along with the feudal customs, and often meant a veritably independent principality...
, with some brief feudalistic characteristics in the 16th century. Elevation of status to Grand Duchy in 1581 had no effect on the stately position.
King Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
briefly used "King of Finns" (Finnars...Konung) as part of his official titulary during 1607-1611. The change in the title had no impact on the official status of Finns or Finland.
Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp
In 1742, following the Russian occupation of Finland in the Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743) and vague promises of making the country independent, the four estatesDiet of Finland
The Diet of Finland , was the legislative assembly of the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1809 to 1906 and the recipient of the powers of the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates....
gathered in Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
and decided to ask Empress Elizabeth of Russia if the then Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, great-nephew of the late king Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
, could be proclaimed as the King of Finland. However, the political situation had soon outgrown the idea of Finnish independence, and it quickly evaporated.
Autonomous Grand Principality
Following the capture of Finland from Sweden by RussiaFinnish War
The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...
in 1809, Finland kept the Swedish constitution formally intact and became an autonomous region within the Russian Empire under the title of Grand Principality of Finland. The Russian Emperor wielded the powers formerly reserved for the King of Sweden as the Grand Prince of Finland
Grand Prince of Finland
Grand duke of Finland, was from around 1580 to 1809 a title in use by most Swedish monarchs. Between 1809 and 1917, it was the official title of the head of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, who was the Emperor of Russia. The anachronistic female form of the title in English is usually Grand...
, creatively applying the autocratic Swedish constitution of 1772 and 1789. Interestingly, the first Grand Prince, Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
, was the grandson of Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, who had held the imperial throne for just 6 months in 1762 as Peter III of Russia
Peter III of Russia
Peter III was Emperor of Russia for six months in 1762. He was very pro-Prussian, which made him an unpopular leader. He was supposedly assassinated as a result of a conspiracy led by his wife, who succeeded him to the throne as Catherine II.-Early life and character:Peter was born in Kiel, in...
.
Monarchy and early independence
In December 1917, Finland declared her independence from Russia, as a reaction to the October RevolutionOctober Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
in Russia. The internal unrest in the country soon descended into an open civil war
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national, political and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The Civil War concerned control and leadership of The Grand Duchy of Finland as it achieved independence from Russia after the October Revolution in Petrograd...
, won by the White side, i.e. the non-socialist parties. During the war, the White side was supported by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In an effort to cement the alliance with Germany, the Finnish parliament, purged of socialist members, elected Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
Frederick Charles Louis Constantine, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse , Friedrich Karl Ludwig Konstantin Prinz und Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel in German, was the brother-in-law of the German Emperor William II and the elected King of Finland from 9 October to 14 December 1918.-Early life:Frederick was...
as the King of Finland and Karelia, Grand Prince of Lapland, Duke of Åland, Lord of Kaleva and the North
Kingdom of Finland (1918)
The Kingdom of Finland was an abortive attempt to establish a monarchy in Finland, following Finland's independence from Russia. Had the German Empire endured, Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse would have been installed as King of Finland.-History:...
. Before Frederick Charles could move to Finland, the collapse of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
made the idea of German-born Finnish king untenable and he renounced the throne. After new elections, the Parliament, now with representatives of all parties, adopted a republican constitution in 1919 which has been in effect ever since, with major modifications in 1999.
Monarchy today
Today, there are no known monarchist movements in Finland nor any pretenders to any of the earlier planned or actual positions of Dukes, Grand Dukes or Kings of Finland.However there is a potential pretender: Prince Philipp of Hesse
Prince Philipp of Hesse (b. 1970)
Prince Philipp of Hesse is grandson of Prince Philipp of Hesse and is the youngest child and second son of Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse and his former wife, Princess Tatjana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.As the nephew of Prince Wolfgang of Hesse, he is in the direct line of descent from the...
, who, nonetheless, sees the idea of his pretension as ridiculous and refrains from making any claim to the Finnish "throne." He is, however, a second son, and inclusively contracted a morganatic marriage and, according to certain family documents and correspondence, the successor of Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse as King of Finland would have been his second surviving son Prince Wolfgang of Hesse
Prince Wolfgang of Hesse
Prince and Landgrave Wolfgang of Hesse-Kassel , was the designated Hereditary Prince of the monarchy of Finland , and as such, already called the Crown Prince of Finland officially until 14 December 1918, and also afterwards...
(1896–1989), apparently because Wolfgang was with his parents in 1918 and ready to travel to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, where a wedding to a Finnish lady was already in preparation for the coming Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
. Philipp was in the military and unable to be contacted at the time. This choice of the younger of these two twins at that time, however is no precedent that in next generations, the kingship would have been succeeded in secundogeniture
Secundogeniture
A secundogeniture was a dependent territory given to a younger son of a princely house and his descendants, creating a cadet branch. This was a special form of inheritance...
, putting the eldest son always to the Hesse title (according to Dr. Vesa Vares). On the contrary, it is practically inconceivable that succession of a kingdom would depend on secondary consideration.
The only royal buried in Finland is the wife of king Eric XIV, queen Karin Månsdotter
Karin Månsdotter
Karin Månsdotter was Queen of Sweden, first a mistress and then the spouse of King Eric XIV of Sweden...