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 Constitution of Sweden that office is inherited within the House of Bernadotte.

Head of State

Head of State: His Royal Majesty King Carl XVI Gustav (since September 19, 1973)

Elections: No elections. Hereditary, in accordance with the constitutional Act of Succession (1810)

Heir Apparent: Crown Princess Victoria, daughter of the monarch (born July 14, 1977)

History

Main article: Swedish monarch

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. 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 a ceremonial Head of State. A more recent constitutional reform changed the rules for sucession to full cognatic primogeniture. This allowed for female succession to the throne and created Victoria of Sweden heir apparent over her younger brother.

See also: List of Swedish monarchs, Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs, Government of Sweden, Parliament of Sweden

External links

• The Royal Court of Sweden (http://www.royalcourt.se/net/Royal+Court) - Official site
• The Act of Succession (http://www.riksdagen.se/english/work/succession.asp) - At the Riksdag