House of Bernadotte
| House of Bernadotte | |
|---|---|
Arms of Bernadotte
|
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| Country | Sweden, Norway |
| Titles |
"By the Grace of God King of the Swedes, the Goths and the Wends"
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| Founded | 1810 |
| Founder | Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte |
| Final ruler | Norway: Oscar II |
| Current head | Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden |
| Deposition | Norway: 1905 dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden |
"By the Grace of God King of the Swedes, the Goths and the Wends"
The House of Bernadotte (/ˌbɜr.nəˈdɒt/ ber-NƏ-daht; Swedish pronunciation: [bɛɳäˈdɔtː]), the current royal house of Sweden, has reigned since 1818. Between 1818 and 1905, it was also the royal house of Norway. Its founder, Charles XIV John of Sweden (who was born Jean Bernadotte), was adopted by Charles XIII of Sweden, whose House of Holstein-Gottorp was becoming extinct.
Following the conclusion of Finnish War in 1809, Sweden lost possession of Finland, which had constituted roughly the eastern half of the Swedish realm for centuries. Resentment towards King Gustav IV Adolf precipitated an abrupt coup d'état. Gustav Adolf (and his son Gustav) was deposed and his uncle Charles XIII was elected King in his place. However, Charles XIII was 61 years old and prematurely senile. He was also childless; one child had been stillborn and another died after less than a week. It was apparent almost as soon as Charles XIII ascended the throne that the Swedish branch of the House of Holstein-Gottorp would die with him. In 1810 the Riksdag of the Estates, the Swedish parliament, elected a Danish prince, Prince Christian August of Augustenborg, as heir to the throne. He took the name Charles August, but died later that same year.
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