Swedish Act of Succession
Encyclopedia
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. The current monarch of Sweden
is King Carl XVI Gustaf
.
assembled at Örebro
in 1810, upon electing Charles XIV John (Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte) as the heir to King Charles XIII
. This happened at a tumultuous time for Sweden, as only one year earlier the former king, Gustav IV Adolf
had been deposed and replaced by his uncle, Charles XIII. At the same time the Finnish War
was coming to an end and Finland
, then a part of Sweden proper
, was held by Russia. The authoritarian constitution of 1772 was abolished and power was returned to parliament by the new Instrument of Government
adopted on June 6, 1809. From 1814 to 1905 the Act of Succession also regulated succession to the Norwegian
throne, due to the union of Sweden-Norway
.
shall belong to the "pure evangelical faith", i.e., the (Evangelical-Lutheran
) Church of Sweden
, and that the royal offspring are to be brought up within the realm. The heir to the throne is not able to marry or embark on foreign travel without consent of the monarch. He or she is also prevented from becoming the head of state in another country, either by election or marriage, without the consent of the monarch and the government
, by forfeit of all rights of succession for themselves and their heirs.
. This means that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of sex, is the first in line of succession. This created Victoria
(born 1977) crown princess over her younger brother Prince Carl Philip
(born 1979). By 1995, changes in other parts of the constitution lowered the age of maturity for government from 25 to 18 years, the same age as the civil maturity. This meant that Victoria was able at the age of 18 to act as a regent, in place of her father when he was out of the country. On June 19, 2010, she married Daniel Westling
who has now become Prince of Sweden.
Constitution of Sweden
The Swedish Constitution consists of four fundamental laws :* The 1810 Act of Succession * The 1949 Freedom of the Press Act * The 1974 Instrument of Government * The 1991 Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression...
. It was adopted by the 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...
on September 26, 1810, and it regulates the right of members of 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...
to accede to the Swedish
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....
throne. The current monarch of Sweden
Monarch of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the constitutional monarchy of the Kingdom of Sweden. The present monarch, Carl XVI Gustaf, has reigned since 15 September 1973. He and his immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
is King Carl XVI Gustaf
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
.
History
The Act of Succession was adopted by the Riksdag of the EstatesRiksdag 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...
assembled at Örebro
Örebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
in 1810, upon electing Charles XIV John (Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte) as the heir to King Charles XIII
Charles XIII of Sweden
Charles XIII & II also Carl, , was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 until his death...
. This happened at a tumultuous time for Sweden, as only one year earlier the former king, Gustav IV Adolf
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden also Gustav Adolph was King of Sweden from 1792 until his abdication in 1809. He was the son of Gustav III of Sweden and his queen consort Sophia Magdalena, eldest daughter of Frederick V of Denmark and his first wife Louise of Great Britain. He was the last Swedish...
had been deposed and replaced by his uncle, Charles XIII. At the same time the Finnish War
Finnish 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...
was coming to an end and 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...
, then a part of Sweden proper
Sweden proper
Sweden proper, , is a term used to distinguish those territories that were fully integrated into the Kingdom of Sweden, as opposed to the dominions and possessions of, or states in union with, Sweden....
, was held by Russia. The authoritarian constitution of 1772 was abolished and power was returned to parliament by the new Instrument of Government
Instrument of Government (1809)
The Instrument of Government adopted on 6 June 1809 by the Riksdag of the Estates was one of the fundamental laws that made up the constitution of Sweden from 1809 to 1974...
adopted on June 6, 1809. From 1814 to 1905 the Act of Succession also regulated succession to the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
throne, due to the union of Sweden-Norway
Union between Sweden and Norway
The Union between Sweden and Norway , officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, consisted of present-day Sweden and Norway between 1814 and 1905, when they were united under one monarch in a personal union....
.
Provisions
The act specifies that the monarch and the royal familySwedish Royal Family
The Swedish Royal Family since 1818 consists of a number of persons in the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. They are entitled to royal titles and style , and some perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state...
shall belong to the "pure evangelical faith", i.e., the (Evangelical-Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
) Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
, and that the royal offspring are to be brought up within the realm. The heir to the throne is not able to marry or embark on foreign travel without consent of the monarch. He or she is also prevented from becoming the head of state in another country, either by election or marriage, without the consent of the monarch and the government
Government of Sweden
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden is the supreme executive authority of Sweden. It consists of the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. The Government is responsible for their actions to the Riksdag, which is the legislative assembly...
, by forfeit of all rights of succession for themselves and their heirs.
Reforms
In 1980, the rule of succession was changed from agnatic to equal primogeniturePrimogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
. This means that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of sex, is the first in line of succession. This created Victoria
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland is the heiress-apparent to the Swedish throne. If she ascends to the throne as expected, she will be Sweden's fourth queen regnant .-Early life:...
(born 1977) crown princess over her younger brother Prince Carl Philip
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland , is the second child of three children and only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. Born Crown Prince of Sweden, he retained his title and first place in succession for seven months until 1 January 1980...
(born 1979). By 1995, changes in other parts of the constitution lowered the age of maturity for government from 25 to 18 years, the same age as the civil maturity. This meant that Victoria was able at the age of 18 to act as a regent, in place of her father when he was out of the country. On June 19, 2010, she married Daniel Westling
Daniel Westling
Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland is the husband of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. Prior to his marriage to the heiress apparent, Daniel was a personal trainer and gym owner and ran a company called Balance Training with three gyms in central Stockholm.-Early life:Daniel was born in Örebro ...
who has now become Prince of Sweden.
See also
- Line of succession to the Swedish throneLine of succession to the Swedish ThroneThe line of succession to the Swedish throne is determined by the Swedish Act of Succession. In 1980 Sweden adopted equal primogeniture, meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession...
- List of Swedish monarchs
- List of Swedish queens
- Dukes of Swedish provincesDukes of Swedish provincesDuchies in Sweden have been allotted since the 13th century to powerful Swedes, almost always to Princes of Sweden and wives of the latter. From the beginning these duchies were often centers of regional power, where their dukes and duchesses had considerable executive authority of their own,...
External links
- Successionsordning - at Wikisource (in Swedish)
- Act of Succession - at the Riksdag