Sweden's Monarchy: Post-Wwi Constitutional Change

Sweden has been a continuous monarchy since the 10th century, making it one of the oldest monarchies in the world. The Swedish monarchy has played a key role in the development of Swedish culture, having patronized the arts and sciences for centuries. Sweden's current king, Carl XVI Gustaf, ascended to the throne in 1973 and is the country's longest-reigning monarch. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, with the monarch as the head of state, but they exert no political power and their responsibilities are ceremonial and symbolic. The country's constitution, dating back to 1809 and revised in 1974-1975, is based on four fundamental laws: the Instrument of Government, the Act of Succession, the Freedom of Press Act, and the Riksdag (Parliament) Act. This constitutional framework outlines the role of the monarchy, with the monarch's duties regulated by law. So, was Sweden a constitutional monarchy at the end of World War I? And what changes or continuities occurred in the country's political system during this period?

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Sweden's monarchy is one of the world's oldest

Sweden's monarchy is one of the oldest in the world, with a history that dates back more than a millennium to the late Viking Age and the subsequent Middle Ages. The first Swedish king about whom anything definite is known is Eric the Victorious, who ruled in the 10th century. Eric's son, Olof Skötkonung, was the first king to be baptised in Sweden and founded a Christian kingdom.

Originally an elective monarchy, Sweden's monarchy became hereditary in the 16th century during the reign of Gustav Vasa. However, virtually all monarchs before that belonged to a small number of political families, which are considered the royal dynasties of Sweden. The Swedish monarchy has, over the past thousand years, undergone cycles of decline and strengthening, culminating in the modern constitutional monarchy.

The current king, Carl XVI Gustaf, ascended to the throne on 15 September 1973 and is the country's 74th monarch. He is the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history, surpassing his predecessor Gustaf VI Adolf, who died in 1973. The Swedish monarchy has played a key role in the development of Swedish culture, having patronized the arts and sciences for centuries. Several of Sweden's most prestigious academies and cultural institutions are under Swedish royal protection.

The monarchy has adapted to the changing times, with the introduction of a fully cognatic line of succession in 1980, allowing the crown to pass to the eldest child regardless of gender. This change retroactively installed Princess Victoria as crown princess, making her the current heir apparent. The monarchy continues to be a unifying force in Sweden, with the king promoting Swedish interests and undertaking various official duties, both within Sweden and abroad.

The Swedish monarchy's role has changed over time

Sweden has been a continuous monarchy since the 10th century, making it unique in the world with its historical and cultural heritage stretching back over a millennium. The Swedish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world and is based on traditions that stretch back over a thousand years. There have been more than 70 monarchs during this period, all of whom can be named.

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the monarch is the country's head of state and their duties are regulated by law. The current king, Carl XVI Gustaf, ascended to the throne on 15 September 1973 and is the country's 74th monarch. The king carries out his duties in accordance with his motto, "For Sweden – With the Times", which involves promoting Swedish interests and being attentive to the many efforts made in and for Sweden.

Over the centuries, the role of the Swedish monarchy has changed in line with the rest of society. The current democratic regime is a product of the stable development of successively added democratic institutions introduced during the 19th century up to 1921, when women's suffrage was introduced. The Swedish monarchy has been one of the key features in the development of Swedish culture, having patronized the arts and sciences for centuries. Several of Sweden's most prestigious academies and cultural institutions are under Swedish royal protection.

The monarchy's historical role, politically, militarily, and culturally, in spite of the country's otherwise liberal leanings, has resulted in the Swedish monarchy being popular. However, in recent years, there has been some serious criticism of the way the monarchy has developed under the current king's fifty-year reign.

The Instrument of Government, one of the four fundamental laws that make up the written constitution, sets out the basic principles of political life in Sweden, defining rights and freedoms. The monarch's functions and duties, as defined in the 1974 Constitution Act, include heading the special cabinet council held when there is a change of government, but no executive powers with respect to the governance of the realm are vested in him or her. The King’s political power, which had already been abolished in practice, formally disappeared in 1974.

The Swedish monarchy is popular

Sweden has been a continuous monarchy since the 10th century, making it unique in the world with its historical and cultural heritage stretching back more than a millennium. The Swedish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world, with a regnal list stretching back to the tenth century, starting with Eric the Victorious. Over the centuries, its role has changed in line with the rest of society, and Sweden is now a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system.

The Swedish monarchy has been one of the key features in the development of Swedish culture, having for centuries patronized the arts and sciences. Several of Sweden's most prestigious academies and cultural institutions are under Swedish royal protection. This historical role, politically, militarily, and culturally, has resulted in the Swedish monarchy being popular, despite the country's otherwise liberal leanings.

The current king, Carl XVI Gustaf, ascended to the throne on 15 September 1973 and is the country's 74th monarch. He is Sweden's longest-reigning monarch ever, celebrating 50 years on the throne in 2023. The King carries out his duties in accordance with his motto, "For Sweden – With the Times", which involves promoting Swedish interests and being attentive to the many efforts made in and for Sweden. The King works to promote Swedish interests and has an extensive representative programme in Sweden, as well as carrying out state visits to other countries.

The popularity of the Swedish monarchy remains relatively stable, with support for the monarchy at 54% and support for King Carl XVI Gustaf at +15 on a scale from -50 to +50. The current heir to the Swedish throne, Crown Princess Victoria, is the most popular public figure ever in the history of the SOM Institute's surveys, scoring +28 on the popularity scale.

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Sweden's current king is the country's longest-reigning monarch

Sweden has been a continuous monarchy since the 10th century, making it unique in the world with its historical and cultural heritage stretching back more than a millennium. The Swedish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world, with a regnal list stretching back to the 10th century, starting with Eric the Victorious.

Sweden's current king, Carl XVI Gustaf, ascended to the throne on 15 September 1973 and is the country's 74th monarch. He is the seventh king of the House of Bernadotte and the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history. His reign has been marked by some of the most serious criticism ever published about the Swedish monarchy, with concerns raised about the way the monarchy has developed during his time as king.

The Swedish monarchy has been a key feature in the development of Swedish culture, having patronized the arts and sciences for centuries. Several of Sweden's most prestigious academies and cultural institutions are under Swedish royal protection. The monarchy has also played a significant role politically, militarily, and culturally, contributing to its popularity despite the country's liberal leanings.

As a constitutional monarchy, Sweden's king is the country's head of state, but he holds no political power and has a primarily ceremonial role. The king carries out his duties in accordance with his motto, "For Sweden – With the Times", which involves promoting Swedish interests and staying attentive to various efforts made in and for Sweden. He represents Sweden during state visits, which are used to build personal relationships and increase exchanges with other nations. The king also receives foreign ambassadors and is the most senior representative of the Swedish Armed Forces, holding the ranks of admiral in the Navy and general in the Army and Air Force.

Sweden's monarchy is a constitutional monarchy

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, with a long history of kings and queens. The Swedish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world, dating back over a millennium to the 10th century. Originally an elective monarchy, it became a hereditary monarchy in the 16th century during the reign of Gustav Vasa, though virtually all monarchs before that belonged to a small number of political families, now considered the royal dynasties of Sweden.

The current king, Carl XVI Gustaf, ascended to the throne on 15 September 1973 and is the country's 74th monarch. He is the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history, and his motto is "For Sweden – With the Times". The monarchy has been one of the key features in the development of Swedish culture, having patronized the arts and sciences for centuries. Several of Sweden's most prestigious academies and cultural institutions are under Swedish royal protection.

The Swedish monarchy is centred on the monarchical head of state, who has ceremonial and symbolic duties, regulated by law. The monarch's functions and duties, as defined in the 1974 Constitution Act, include heading the special cabinet council held when there is a change of government, but they have no executive powers with respect to the governance of the realm. The current democratic regime is a product of a stable development of successively added democratic institutions introduced during the 19th century up to 1921, when women's suffrage was introduced.

The Swedish constitution, dating from 1809 and revised in 1975, is based on four fundamental laws: the Instrument of Government, the Act of Succession, the Freedom of the Press Act, and the Riksdag (Parliament) Act. The Act of Succession of 1810 provides the rules governing the line of succession and designates the legitimate heirs to the Swedish Throne. In 1980, a rewrite of the Act changed the rules of succession from agnatic primogeniture to absolute primogeniture, allowing for the crown to pass to the eldest child regardless of gender.

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