List of Swedish monarchs.html |
| | | ca | | | de | | | en | | | es | | | fr | | | it | | | nl | | | no | | | pl | | | pt | | | ru | | | ro | | | fi | | | sv | | | tr | | | vo | | |
| |  |
| Kingdom of Sweden |
 This article is part of the series: |
|
|
|
|
Other countries · Atlas Politics portal |
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
The House of Uppsala
| Monarch | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric VI the Victorious (Erik Segersäll) c. 970- c. 995 |
945?, son of Björn Eriksson | Sigrid the Haughty | Sotdöd (died in sickness) in Old Uppsala c. 995, aged about 50 | |
| Olof the Treasurer (Olof Skötkonung) c. 995- c. 1022 |
c. 980, son of Eric the Victorious and Sigrid the Haughty | Estrid of the Obotrites | c. 1022, aged about 42 | |
| Anund Jacob (Anund Jakob) c. 1022-1050 - and in south and east Canute of Denmark |
25 July 1008 or 1010 son of Olof the Treasurer and Estrid of the Obotrites | c. 1050, aged about 40 | ||
| Emund the Old (Emund Gammal) 1050-1060 |
Illegitimate son of Olof the Treasurer | Astrid Njalsdotter | 1060 |
The House of Stenkil
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 in 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 the soon-to-be king Sverker was already ruling over the East Geats. | ||||
The Houses of Sverker and Eric
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 |
Murdered by his own coach on Christmas day 1156 while going to church. 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, 18 May 1160, aged about 40, enshrined in Uppsala Cathedral | |
| Magnus Henriksen, 1160-1161 |
son of Henry and Ingrid Ragvaldsdotter (the granddaughter of Inge I) | Married to his stepsister Birgida, the daughter of Harald IV (Gille) of Norway | 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) | Cecilia Johansdotter | 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, 17 July 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, 10 April 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, 10 March 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 | 2 February 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 | Likely married to a woman of the house of Folkung | 1234, buried at Sko kloster | |
| 1234-1250, Eric XI the Lisp and Lame (second period) | ||||
The House of Bjälbo
The House of Bjälbo is sometimes refered to as the House of Folkung
| Monarch | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valdemar I (Valdemar Birgersson) 1250-1275 |
.png) |
1239 son of Birger jarl and Ingeborg Eriksdotter (the daughter 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, 26 December 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 daughter of Eric X) | Helwig of Holstein | Visingsö, 18 December 1290, aged about 50, buried in Riddarholmen Church |
| Birger (Birger Magnusson) 1290-1318 |
1280 son of Magnus III Ladislaus and Helwig of Holstein | Martha of Denmark, 1298 | 31 May 1321, in exile in Denmark, after murdering his brothers at Nyköping Banquet, aged about 41, buried at Ringsted, Zealand | |
| Mats Kettilmundsson Regent 1318-1319 (not of the House of Bjälbo) |
Unknown birthyear | None | May 1326, in Åbo, as hövitsman of Finland | |
| 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, 1 December 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, 21 June 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, 11 September 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, 1 April 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, 23 August 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, 3 May 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 |
15 May 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, 21 May 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, 1 July 1481 son of Hans and Christina of Saxony | Isabella of Habsburg | Kalundborg Castle, 25 January 1559, aged 77, buried in Odense |
The House of Vasa
| 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) |
Tre Kronor (castle), 29 September 1560, aged 64, buried in Uppsala Cathedral |
| Eric XIV (Erik XIV) 1560-1568 |
_Domenicus_Verwildt.jpg) |
Tre Kronor (castle), 13 December 1533 son of Gustav I and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg | Karin Månsdotter | Died (Poisoned) while imprisoned 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) |
Tre Kronor (castle), 17 November 1592, aged 54, buried at Uppsala Cathedral |
| Sigismund 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 |
 |
Tre Kronor (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 |
| Gustavus Adolphus (Gustav II Adolf) 1611-1632 |
 |
Tre Kronor (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 in Riddarholmen Church |
| Christina (Kristina) 1632-1654 |
 |
Stockholm, 8 December1 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 |
The House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
- Also known as The House of Wittelsbach Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg or The House of Pfalz
The House of Hesse
| Monarch | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick I (Fredrik I av Hessen) 1720-1751 |
 |
Kassel, (in todays Germany), 23 April 1676 son of Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) and Princess Maria Amalia of Courland | Louise Dorothea of Prussia Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden |
Stockholm, 25 March 1751, aged 74, buried in Riddarholmen Church |
The House of Holstein-Gottorp
The House of Bernadotte
.jpg)
References
- ^ Note that the birth date is December 8 in the Julian calendar, which was in effect in Sweden at the time, corresponding to December 18 in the Gregorian calendar.
- The Cambridge History of Scandinavia. Vol.I. Cambridge University Press, 2003 (ISBN 0-521-47299-7).
- 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
- Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs
- Line of succession to the Swedish Throne
- Swedish monarchs family tree
- Heirs of Sverker dynasty
- List of Swedish queens
- List of Swedish governments
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: