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Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a representative democracy based on a parliamentary system. The Head of State is the highest public office in Sweden. According to the Act of Succession of 1810 that office is inherited within the House of Bernadotte. In the Swedish Act of Succession, it also says that the king must be a Christian.
The line of succession
Main article: Line of succession to the Swedish Throne
Present monarch: His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf (since September 19, 1973), born 1946
- HRH Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Westrogothia, daughter of the King, born 1977
- HRH Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Wermelandia, son of the King, born 1979
- HRH Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Helsingia and Gestricia, daughter of the King, born 1982
History
Sweden has been a kingdom since prehistoric times. As early as the 1st century, Tacitus wrote that the Suiones had a king, but the order of succession to the later historic kings of Sweden is not known, except for what is accounted for in the historically controversial Norse sagas (see Mythological kings of Sweden and Semi-legendary kings of Sweden).
Originally, the Swedish king had little power, and it was restricted to the functions of a warchief, judge and priest at the Temple at Uppsala (see Germanic king). It is a testimony to this lack of influence that there are thousands of runestones commemorating commoners, but no chronicle about the Swedish kings, prior to the 14th century, and only one runestone that mentions a king (Haakon the Red).
The power of the king was however, greatly strengthened by the introduction of Christianity during the 11th century, and the following centuries saw a process of consolidation of power in the hands of the king.
The king was traditionally elected at the Stone of Mora, and the people had the right to both elect king and to depose him. The stones were, however, destroyed ca 1515.
The office is hereditary since 1541. The present Bernadotte dynasty was established during the Napoleonic Wars through the Constitution of 1809 and the Act of Succession of 1810, in a bloodless Revolution after present day Finland, then the eastern half of the Realm, was lost to Russia.
The 19th Century Constitution divided the powers of government between the Riksdag and the Monarch. Following the break-through of Parliamentarism in 1917 the king's powers were considerably reduced, and he became a constitutional monarch with only limited political authority.
Head of state
In 1974 a new Instrument of Government became part of the Constitution which abolished the Privy Council as the government institution and stripped the Monarch of virtually all formal powers, while still retaining him as Head of State. Many of the king's previous politicial functions were transferred to the Speaker of the Riksdag. The monarch leads the Privy Council in a session that establishes the new government following a general election or cabinet reshuffle. The king also chairs the Committee for Foreign Affairs (Utrikesnämnden), a body which serves to officially inform the head of state and the leaders of the opposition of government affairs. Bills passed in the Swedish parliament become law without having to acquire royal assent.
A more recent constitutional reform changed the rules for succession to equal primogeniture. This allowed for female succession to the throne and created Princess Victoria heir apparent over her younger brother.
See also
- List of Swedish monarchs
- Swedish monarchs family tree
- List of Swedish governments
- Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs
- Swedish Royal Family
External links
- The Royal Court of Sweden - Official site
- The Act of Succession - At the Riksdag
"Monarch of Sweden"