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Charles XIII (Swe: Karl XIII) (October 7, 1748 - February 5, 1818), was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway (where he was known as Carl II) from 1814 until his death. He was the second son of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, sister of Frederick the Great.
Life and politics
In 1772 he co-operated in the revolutionary plans of his brother Gustav III of Sweden. On the outbreak of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788 he served with distinction as admiral of the fleet, especially at the battles of Hogland (June 7, 1788) and Öland (July 26, 1789). On the latter occasion he would have won a signal victory but for the unaccountable remissness of his second-in-command, Admiral Liljehorn. On the death of Gustav III, Charles, now duke of Södermanland, acted as regent of Sweden till 1796; but the real ruler of the country was the narrow-minded and vindictive Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm, whose mischievous influence over him was supreme. These four years were perhaps the most miserable and degrading in Swedish history (an age of lead succeeding an age of gold, as it has well been called) and may be briefly described as alternations of fantastic jacobinism and ruthless despotism. On the coming of age of Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (November 1796), the duke became a mere cipher in politics till the March 13, 1809, when those who had dethroned Gustav IV Adolf appointed him regent, and finally elected king by Riksdag of the Estates. But by this time he was prematurely decrepit, and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte took over the government as soon as he landed in Sweden, 1810. By the Union of Sweden and Norway in 1814 Charles became king of Norway under the name Carl II of Norway. After eight years as king only by title, Charles died without a natural heir on February 5, 1818, and Bernadotte succeeded him as King Charles XIV John
Children
He had married his cousin Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp (1759–1818), on July 7, 1774 but both of their children would die in infancy.
With his mistress, Augusta Fersen he had a son:
- Carl Löwenhielm 1772–1861
See also
1748 births | 1818 deaths | House of Holstein-Gottorp | Swedish monarchs | Norwegian monarchs | Dukes of Swedish Provinces
References
Karel XIII. | Karl 13. af Sverige | Karl XIII. (Schweden) | Karl XIII | Carlos XIII | Karlo la 13-a (Svedio) | Charles XIII de Suède | Carlo XIII di Svezia | Karel XIII van Zweden | カール13世ヨハン (スウェーデン王) | Karl II | Karl XIII av Sverige | Karol XIII Oldenburg | Kaarle XIII | Karl XIII
"Charles XIII of Sweden"