Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs
Encyclopedia
The Royal motto or Valspråk (lit. Choice of saying) of the Swedish monarch is a Swedish royal tradition stemming from the early 16th century. All regents of Sweden
, beginning with Gustav Vasa
, have had their own motto during their respective periods of reign. The Swedish royal motto is in many ways equivalent to a national motto. The tradition among Swedish regents is different to that of some other monarchies in that the motto is not the same for one dynasty
, but is personal to the monarch. Historically the royal motto has been used in connection with the Swedish coat of arms
, and today can be seen printed on the 1 krona
coin.
Gustav III was the first king to have his motto only in Swedish. Up until Adolf Frederick, the motto for every regent had been in Latin and Swedish (or, as in the case of Gustav II Adolf, in German). Due to the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905, Oscar II
had to change his motto.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, beginning with Gustav Vasa
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
, have had their own motto during their respective periods of reign. The Swedish royal motto is in many ways equivalent to a national motto. The tradition among Swedish regents is different to that of some other monarchies in that the motto is not the same for one dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
, but is personal to the monarch. Historically the royal motto has been used in connection with the Swedish coat of arms
Coat of arms of Sweden
The greater national coat of arms and the lesser national coat of arms are the official coats of arms of Sweden.- Escutcheon :...
, and today can be seen printed on the 1 krona
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
coin.
Gustav III was the first king to have his motto only in Swedish. Up until Adolf Frederick, the motto for every regent had been in Latin and Swedish (or, as in the case of Gustav II Adolf, in German). Due to the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905, Oscar II
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
had to change his motto.
| Regent | Reign | Royal motto (in Swedish Swedish language Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish... ) | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... translation |
|---|---|---|---|
House of Vasa House of Vasa The House of Vasa was the Royal House of Sweden 1523-1654 and of Poland 1587-1668. It originated from a noble family in Uppland of which several members had high offices during the 15th century.... | |||
| Gustav Vasa Gustav I of Sweden Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death.... | 1521-1560 | All makt är av Gud | All power is of God God God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism.... |
| Erik XIV Eric XIV of Sweden -Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn.... | 1560-1568 | Gud giver åt vem Han vill | God gives to whom He wishes |
| Johan III John III of Sweden -Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland... | 1568-1592 | Gud vår beskyddare | God our protector |
| Sigismund Sigismund III Vasa Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599... | 1592-1599 | För rätten och folket | For the justice and the people |
| Karl IX Charles IX of Sweden Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland... | 1599-1611 | Gud min tröst | God my comfort |
| Gustav II Adolf Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden Gustav II Adolf has been widely known in English by his Latinized name Gustavus Adolphus Magnus and variously in historical writings also as Gustavus, or Gustavus the Great, or Gustav Adolph the Great,... | 1611-1632 | Med Gud och segrande vapen | With God and victorious arms |
| Kristina Christina of Sweden Christina , later adopted the name Christina Alexandra, was Queen regnant of Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Grand Princess of Finland, and Duchess of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia, from 1633 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolph and his wife Maria Eleonora... | 1632-1654 | Visheten är rikets stöd | Wisdom is the realm's support |
House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken The House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was the Royal House of Sweden from 1654 to 1720.By this point it had splintered into several different houses... (Pfalz) - cadet branch Cadet branch Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have... of the House of Wittelsbach | |||
| Karl X Gustav Charles X Gustav of Sweden Charles X Gustav also Carl Gustav, was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. After his father's death he also succeeded him as Pfalzgraf. He was married to Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, who... | 1654-1660 | I Gud mitt öde - Han skall göra det | In God my destiny - He will do it |
| Karl XI Charles XI of Sweden Charles XI also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire .... | 1660-1697 | Herren är vorden min beskyddare | The Lord is become my protector |
| Karl XII Charles XII of Sweden Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718... | 1697-1718 | Med Guds hjälp | With the help of God |
| Ulrika Eleonora | 1719-1720 | I Gud mitt hopp | In God my hope |
House of Hesse House of Hesse The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry... | |||
| Fredrik I Frederick I of Sweden Frederick I, , was a prince consort of Sweden from 1718 to 1720, and a King of Sweden from 1720 until his death and also Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1730... | 1720-1751 | I Gud mitt hopp | In God my hope |
House of Holstein-Gottorp - cadet branch Cadet branch Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have... of the House of Oldenburg House of Oldenburg The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden... | |||
| Adolf Fredrik Adolf Frederick of Sweden Adolf Frederick or Adolph Frederick was King of Sweden from 1751 until his death. He was the son of Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach.... | 1751-1771 | Statens välfärd, min välfärd | The welfare of the state, my welfare |
| Gustav III Gustav III of Sweden Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia.... | 1771-1792 | Fäderneslandet | The fatherland |
| Gustav IV Adolf Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden also Gustav Adolph was King of Sweden from 1792 until his abdication in 1809. He was the son of Gustav III of Sweden and his queen consort Sophia Magdalena, eldest daughter of Frederick V of Denmark and his first wife Louise of Great Britain. He was the last Swedish... | 1792-1809 | Gud och folket | God and the people |
| Karl XIII Charles XIII of Sweden Charles XIII & II also Carl, , was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 until his death... | 1809-1818 | Folkets väl min högsta lag | The welfare of the people my highest law |
House of Bernadotte | |||
| Karl XIV Johan | 1818-1844 | Folkets kärlek min belöning | The love of the people my reward |
| Oscar I Oscar I of Sweden Oscar I was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. When, in August 1810, his father Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden, Oscar and his mother moved from Paris to Stockholm . Oscar's father was the first ruler of the current House of Bernadotte... | 1844-1859 | Rätt och sanning | Right and truth |
| Karl XV Charles XV of Sweden Charles XV & IV also Carl ; Swedish and Norwegian: Karl was King of Sweden and Norway from 1859 until his death.... | 1859-1872 | Land skall med lag byggas | By law the land shall be built |
| Oscar II Oscar II of Sweden Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar... | 1872-1905 | Brödrafolkens väl | The welfare of the brother peoples |
| 1905-1907 | Sveriges väl | The welfare of Sweden | |
| Gustaf V Gustaf V of Sweden Gustaf V was King of Sweden from 1907. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg... | 1907-1950 | Med folket för fosterlandet | With the people for the Fatherland |
| Gustaf VI Adolf Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden Gustaf VI Adolf - Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf - was King of Sweden from October 29, 1950 until his death. His official title was King of Sweden, of the Goths and of the Wends. He was the eldest son of King Gustaf V and his wife Victoria of Baden... | 1950-1973 | Plikten framför allt | Duty above all |
| Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him... | 1973-present | För Sverige i tiden | For Sweden – With the Times |