This is a list of Swedish monarchs, that is, the Kings and ruling Queens of Sweden, with Regents and Viceroys of the Kalmar Union up until the present time.
The earliest record of what is generally considered to be a Swedish king appears in Tacitus' work Germania, c. 100 AD (the king of the Suiones). However, due to scant and unreliable sources before the 11th century, lists of succession traditionally start in the 10th century with king Olof Skötkonung, and his father Eric the Victorious, who also were the first Swedish kings to be baptized.
There are, however, lists of Swedish pagan monarchs with far older dates, but in many cases these kings appear in sources of disputed historical reliability. These records notably deal with the legendary House of Yngling, and based on the Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, Erik Segersäll and Olof Skötkonung have often been classified as belonging to the Swedish house of Ynglings. However, according to Icelandic sources this line of kings was broken (see Ingjald and Ivar Vidfamne), and trace them back to Sigurd Ring and Ragnar Lodbrok (whom Saxo, on the other hand, considered to belong to the House of Yngling). As there is no evidence that Eric and Olof ever used the Yngling name themselves, modern historians instead refer to their family as the House of Munsö, the Old Dynasty or the House of Uppsala.
In the 16th century, Johannes Magnus constructed a mythical line of Swedish kings, beginning with Magog, the son of Japheth, to demonstrate the antiquity of the Swedish throne. On the basis of his list, Eric XIV and Charles IX adopted their high ordinals; previous monarchs with those names are traditionally numbered counting backward from Eric XIV and Charles IX.
In addition to the list below, the Swedish throne was also claimed by the kings of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1599 to 1660. Following his abdication Sigismund continued to claim the throne from 1599 to his death in 1632. After his death the claim was continued by his sons Wladyslaw IV (from 1632 to 1648) and John II Casimir (from 1648 to 1660).
Monarchs and Regents of Sweden
For lists of the prehistoric kings of Sweden see
lightblue = House of Stenkil
| Monarch |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Stenkil (Stenkil Ragnvaldsson)
1060-1066 |
|
Probably from Västergötland, son of Ragnvald Ulfsson (according to Hervarar saga) |
Ingamoder Emundsdotter |
Sotdöd (died in sickness) in "Svitjod", 1066 |
Eric VII Stenkilsson (Erik Stenkilsson)
1066-1067 |
|
son of Stenkil |
|
1067, dies in a war against Eric VIII the Pagan |
Eric VIII the Pagan (Erik Hedningen)
1066-1067 |
|
|
|
1067, dies in a war against Eric VII Stenkilsson |
Halsten Stenkilsson (Halsten)
1067-1070 |
|
c. 1050 son of Stenkil |
|
1084, aged about 34 |
Anund Gårdske
1070-1075 |
|
Coming from Garðaríki, (Kievan Rus'), although probably with ancestral links to Scandinavia |
|
|
Håkan the Red (Håkan röde)
1075-1079 |
|
Levene, Västergötland, c. 1040, son of Stenkil |
The widow of Eric VIII the Pagan |
|
Inge I the Elder (Inge den äldre)
1079-1084, 1087-1105 |
|
son of Stenkil and Ingamoder Emundsdotter |
Helena, sister of Blot-Sweyn |
Died of sickness, 1105. First buried in Hånger, but then moved to Varnhem Abbey |
Blot-Sweyn (Blot-Sven)
1084-1087 |
|
|
|
1087, ambushed by Inge I the Elder's troops |
Eric Årsäll
1087-1088 |
|
Possibly son of Blot-Sweyn |
|
1088 |
| 1087-1105, Inge I the Elder (Inge den äldre) (second period) |
| Philip Halstensson (Filip Halstensson) 1105-1118 |
|
son of king Halsten |
Ingegerd, daughter of Harald Hardrada |
Assumed to be buried in Vreta Abbey with his brother Inge II |
Inge II the Younger (Inge den yngre)
1110-1125 |
|
son of king Halsten |
Ulvhild Håkansdotter |
Östergötland, 1125, Accusations has it that he was poisoned by his wife with an "evil drink". Assumed to be buried in Vreta Abbey with his brother Philip |
Ragnvald Knaphövde
1125-1126 |
|
Assumed to be related in some way to the House of Stenkil |
|
1126, killed before accepted in Västergötland by the supporters of Magnus the Strong |
| 1126-1130, Four years without a king. Magnus the Strong was however ruling over the West Geats and Sverker was ruling over the East Geats. |
Pink = House of Sverker, yellow = House of Eric, lightblue = House of Stenkil
| Monarch |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
| Sverker I the Elder (also called Clubfoot, Sverker den äldre or Klumpfot; king from 1125 in Östergötland), 1156 |
|
of East Geatish ancestry, son of Cornube or Kol |
Ulvhild Håkansdotter,
Rikissa of Poland |
Dec 25, 1156, murdered, some appoint Magnus Henriksen to be behind the murder, buried at Alvastra Abbey |
Eric IX the Saint (Erik den helige),
1156-1160 |
 |
c. 1120, some appoint him to have West Geatish roots |
|
Killed by Magnus Henriksen as he came out of the church in Uppsala, 1160, aged about 40, enshrined in Uppsala Cathedral |
Magnus Henriksen,
1160-1161 |
|
son of Henry and Ingrid Ragvaldsdotter (the granddaughter of Inge I) |
Brigida (his stepsister) |
Died in the battle of Örebro againtst Charles VII, 1161 |
Charles VII (Karl Sverkersson),
1161-1167 |
 |
1130, son of Sverker I the Elder and Ulvhild Håkansdotter |
Kirsten Stigsdatter, 1163 |
Killed by Canute I Ericson on Visingsö, 12 April 1167, aged about 37, buried at Alvastra Abbey |
| Canute I Ericson (Knut Eriksson) (1167-1173 not in Östergötland; from 1173 also in Östergötland), 1167-1196 |
 |
before 1150, son of Eric the Saint and Kristina (probably a granddaughter of Inge I the Elder) |
|
Died peacefully in 1195 or 1196, buried at Varnhem Abbey |
| Sverker II the Younger (Sverker den yngre), 1196-1208 |
|
born before 1167, probably already c. 1164 son of king Charles VII and queen Christine Stigsdatter of Hvide |
Benedicta Ebbesdatter
Ingegerd daughter of Birger Brosa |
Died in the Battle of Gestilren, July 17, 1210, aged about 45, buried at Alvastra Abbey |
Eric X (Erik Knutsson),
1208-1216 |
 |
1180 son of Canute I Ericson |
Richeza of Denmark (the daughter of Valdemar I of Denmark) |
Died suddenly in fever on Näs Castle, Visingsö, 1216, aged about 36, buried at Varnhem Abbey |
| John I the Child (Johan Sverkersson unge), 1216-1222 |
|
1201 son of Sverker II |
|
Died on Visingsö, 1222, aged about 21, buried at Alvastra Abbey |
Eric XI the Lisp and Lame (Erik läspe och halte),
1222-1229 and 1234-1250 |
 |
1216 son of king Erik X of Sweden and Richeza of Denmark |
Catherine of Ymseborg |
February 2, 1250, aged about 34, buried at Varnhem Abbey |
Canute II the Tall (Knut långe)
1229-1234 |
|
son of Holmger who was "nepos" (nephew?) of Canute I Ericson |
|
1234, buried at Sko kloster |
| 1234-1250, Eric XI the Lisp and Lame (second period) |
| Monarch |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Valdemar I (Valdemar Birgersson)
1250-1275 |
 |
1239 son of Birger jarl and Ingeborg Eriksdotter (the daugher of Eric X) |
Married four times, among others Sofia of Denmark, daughter of Eric IV of Denmark |
Died while imprisoned by his brother Magnus at Nyköping Castle, 1302, aged about 63, buried at Vreta Abbey or Riddarholmen Church |
Magnus III Ladislaus (also Barnlock, Magnus Ladulås)
1275-1290 |
 |
1240 son of Birger jarl and Ingeborg Eriksdotter (the daugher of Eric X) |
Helwig of Holstein |
Visingsö,1290, aged about 50, buried at Riddarholmen Church |
Birger (Birger Magnusson)
1290-1318 |
|
1280 son of Magnus III Ladislaus and Helwig of Holstein |
Martha of Denmark, 1298 |
May 31, 1321, in exile in Denmark, after murdering his brothers at Nyköping Banquet, aged about 41, buried at Ringsted, Zealand |
|
|
Magnus IV Ericson (Magnus Eriksson, technically Magnus IV)
1319-1364 |
 |
Norway, 1316 son of Erik Magnusson (brother of Birger) and Ingeborg Håkonsdotter |
Blanka of Namur,1335 |
Drowned in a shipwreck when seeking refuge with his son in Bømlofjord, Norway, Dec 1, 1374, aged about 58 |
Eric XII (Erik Magnusson)
1356-1359 |
|
1339 son of Magnus IV Eriksson |
Beatrix of Bavaria |
Generally believed that he and his wife died in the plague, June 21, 1359, aged about 20 |
Haakon (Håkan Magnusson)
1362-1364 |
|
1340 son of Magnus IV Eriksson and Blanka of Namur |
Margrete Valdemarsdotter, 9 April 1363 in Copenhagen |
Oslo, 1380, aged about 40, buried in Oslo |
Albert of Sweden (Albrekt av Mecklenburg)
1363-1389 |
 |
Mecklenburg, c. 1338, son of Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg and Euphemia of Sweden |
|
Mecklenburg, April 1, 1412, aged about 54, buried in Mecklenburg |
| Olof Haakonson (in opposition to Albert; pretender of the Swedish crown) 1385-1387 |
|
Akershus Castle, Oslo, 1370, son of Haakon VI of Norway and Margaret I of Denmark |
None |
Falsterbo castle, August 23, 1387, aged about 17, buried in Sorø, Zealand |
Monarchs of the Kalmar Union and Regents (Riksföreståndare)
| Monarch |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Margaret (Margareta Valdemarsdotter)
1389-1412 |
 |
Vordingborg Castle, 1353 daughter of Valdemar IV and Helvig of Sønderjylland |
Haakon VI of Norway |
Flensburg Fjord, 28 Oct 1412, aged about 55, buried in Roskilde Cathedral |
Eric XIII (Erik av Pommern)
1396-1439 |
 |
Rügenwalde, Pomerania, 1382, son of Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Mary of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
Philippa of England, daughter of Henry IV of England |
Rügenwalde Castle, May 3, 1459, aged about 77, buried in Rügenwalde, Pomerania |
|
|
| Christopher of Bavaria (Kristoffer av Bayern) 1441-1448 |
 |
Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz in Bavaria, Feb 26, 1418 son of Duke John of Pfalz-Neumarkt and Catherine Vratislava |
Dorothea of Brandenburg |
Helsingborg, 5 Jan or 6 Jan 1448, aged 29, buried at Roskilde Cathedral |
|
|
Charles VIII (Karl Knutsson Bonde)
1448-1457, 1464-1465 and 1467-1470 |
 |
1408 or 1409 son of Knut Tordsson (Bonde) and Margareta Karlsdotter (Sparre av Tofta) |
Birgitta Turesdotter (Bielke) (died before he became king)
Katarina Karlsdotter
Kristina Abrahamsdotter |
May 15, 1470, aged about 61 - 62, buried at Riddarholmen Church |
|
|
Christian I of Sweden (Kristian I)
1457-1464 |
 |
Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, February 1426, son of Dietrich of Oldenburg and Helvig of Schauenburg |
Dorothea of Brandenburg |
Copenhagen, May 21, 1481, aged 55, buried at Roskilde Cathedral |
| 1464-1465 Charles VIII (Karl Knutsson Bonde) (second period)
|
| 1467-1470 Charles VIII (Karl Knutsson Bonde) (third period)
|
John (II) / Hans of Sweden (Hans)
1497-1501 |
 |
Aalborg Castle, 2 February 1455, son of Christian I and Dorothea of Brandenburg |
Christina of Saxony |
Aalborg Castle, 20 February 1513, aged 58, buried in Odense |
|
|
Christian II of Sweden/Christian the Tyrant (Kristian Tyrann)
1520-1521 |
 |
Nyborg Castle, July 1, 1481 son of Hans and Christina of Saxony |
Isabella of Habsburg |
Kalundborg Castle, January 25, 1559, aged 77, buried in Odense |
| Monarch |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Gustav I (Gustav Vasa)
1523-1560
also as regent Gustav Eriksson (Vasa), 1521-1523 |
 |
Rydboholm Castle or Lindholmen in Uppland, 12 May 1496 son of Erik Johansson and Cecilia Månsdotter |
Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (1531–1535)
Margareta Leijonhufvud (1536–1551)
Katarina Stenbock (1552–1560) |
Stockholm Palace, 29 September 1560, aged 64, buried in Uppsala Cathedral |
Eric XIV (Erik XIV)
1560-1568 |
 |
Stockholm Castle, 13 December 1533 son of Gustav I and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg |
Karin Månsdotter |
Died in imprisonment in Örbyhus Castle, 26 February 1577, aged 43, buried at Västerås Cathedral |
John III (Johan III)
1568-1592 |
 |
Stegeborg Castle, Östergötland, 20 December 1537 son of Gustav I and Margaret Leijonhufvud |
Catherine Jagellonica (1562 – 1583),
Gunilla Bielke (1585 – 1597) |
Stockholm Castle, 17 November 1592, aged 54, buried at Uppsala Cathedral |
Sigismund III Vasa (Sigismund)
1592-1599 |
 |
Gripsholm Castle, 20 June 1566, son of John III and Catherine Jagellonica of Poland. |
Anna of Austria (1592 – 1598),
Constance of Austria (1605 – 1631) |
Warsaw, Poland, 30 April 1632, aged 65, buried at Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland |
Charles IX (Karl IX)
1604-1611
also as regent Duke Charles, 1599-1604 |
 |
Stockholm Castle, 4 October 1550 son of Gustav I and Margaret Leijonhufvud |
Maria of Palatinate-Simmern (1579 – 1589),
Christina of Holstein-Gottorp (1592 – 1611) |
Nyköping Castle, 30 October 1611, aged 61, buried at Strängnäs Cathedral |
Gustav II Adolf (Gustav II Adolf / Gustavus Adolphus)
1611-1632 |
 |
Stockholm Castle, 9 December 1594, son of Charles IX and Christina of Holstein-Gottorp. |
Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg |
6 November 1632, in the Battle of Lützen, Electorate of Saxony, aged 37, buried at Riddarholmen Church |
Christina (Kristina)
1632-1654 |
 |
Stockholm, 8 December[1] 1626, daughter of Gustavus Adolphus and Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg |
Unmarried |
Rome, 19 April 1689, aged 62, buried at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City |
- Also known as The House of Wittelsbach Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg or The House of Pfalz
| Monarch |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Charles X Gustav (Karl X Gustav)
1654-1660 |
 |
Nyköping Castle, 8 November 1622, son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catharina of Sweden (daughter of Charles IX) |
Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp |
Gothenburg, 13 February 1660, aged 37, buried at Riddarholmen Church |
Charles XI (Karl XI)
1660-1697 |
 |
Stockholm Palace, 24 November 1655 son of Charles X and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp |
Ulrike Eleonora of Denmark, daughter of Frederick III of Denmark |
Stockholm Palace, 5 April 1697, aged 41, buried at Riddarholmen Church |
Charles XII (Karl XII)
1697-1718 |
 |
Stockholm Palace, 17 June 1682 son of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder |
Unmarried |
Fredrikshald, Norway, 30 November 1718, aged 36, buried at Riddarholmen Church |
Ulrika Eleonora
1718-1720 |
 |
Stockholm Palace, 23 January 1688 daughter of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder |
Frederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel |
Stockholm, 24 November 1741, aged 53, buried at Riddarholmen Church |
| Monarch |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Charles XIV John (Karl XIV Johan / Jean Baptiste Bernadotte)
1818-1844 |
 |
January 26, 1763 son of Jean Henri Bernadotte and Jeanne de Saint-Vincent |
Désirée Clary |
March 8, 1844, aged 81 |
Oscar I
1844-1859 |
 |
July 4, 1799, Paris, son of Charles XIV John and Désirée Clary |
Josephine of Leuchtenberg |
July 8, 1859, Stockholm, aged 60 |
Charles XV (Karl XV)
1859-1872 |
 |
May 3, 1826 son of Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg |
Louise of the Netherlands |
September 18, 1872, aged 46 |
Oscar II
1872-1907 |
 |
January 21, 1829 son of Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg |
Sofia of Nassau |
December 8, 1907, aged 78 |
Gustaf V
1907-1950 |
 |
16 June 1858 son of Oscar II and Sofia of Nassau |
Victoria of Baden |
29 October 1950, aged 92 |
Gustaf VI Adolf
1950-1973 |
 |
11 November 1882 son of Gustav V and Victoria of Baden |
Princess Margaret of Connaught
Lady Louise Mountbatten |
15 September 1973, aged 90 |
Carl XVI Gustaf
Since 30 April 1973 |
 |
15 September 1946 son of Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
Silvia, 19 June 1976 at Stockholm Cathedral
3 children |
References
- The Cambridge History of Scandinavia. Vol.I. Cambridge University Press, 2003 (ISBN 0521472997).
- Morby John E. Dynasties of the World. Oxford University Press, 2002 (ISBN 0-19-860473-4).
- Liljegren, Bengt. Rulers of Sweden. Historiska Media, 2004 (ISBN 91-85057-63-0).
- Lagerqvist Lars O., Åberg Nils. Kings and Rulers of Sweden. Vincent Publications, 2002 (ISBN 91-87064-35-9).
See also
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