King of Sweden
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.
| This article is part of the Politics of Sweden series |
| Constitution |
| Parliament |
| Government |
| Monarch |
| Speaker |
| Prime Minister |
| Elections |
| Referenda |
| Political parties |
| Agencies |
| Privy Council |
| The Estates |
| Table of contents |
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2 History 3 Head of state 4 Related topics 5 External links |
Present monarch: His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf (since September 19, 1973), born 1946
The line of succession
Main article: List of Succession to the Swedish throneHistory
Sweden has been a kingdom for more than a 1000 years, 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, having been lost to Russia. The Constitution divided the Powers of Government between the Riksdag and the Monarch. However, since the break-through of Parliamentarism in 1917 the king has in practice given up political power.
Head of state
In 1974 a new Instrument of Government became part of the Constitution which abolished the Privy Council and stripped the Monarch of virtually all formal powers, less of being the Head of State. Many of the head of state functions were instead awarded to the Speaker of the Riksdag. The position of the monarch today is almost wholly ceremonial. The swedish monarch has even less power than the norwegian and danish ones, as he is not leading the meetings in the cabinet. Neither he is expected to sign any documents.
A more recent constitutional reform changed the rules for succession to full cognatic primogeniture. This allowed for female succession to the throne and created Princess Victoria heir apparent over her younger brother.
Related topics
External links