List of Swedish monarchs

Kingdom of Sweden

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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 to 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 contemporary Swedish usage, medieval kings are usually not given any ordinal at all.

Sweden have been ruled by Queen regnants on three separate occasions by Margaret I of Denmark (1389-1412), Christina of Sweden (1632-1654), Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden (1718-1720) respectively.

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).

1 Monarchs and Regents of Sweden
2 References
3 See also

Monarchs and Regents of Sweden

For lists of the prehistoric kings of Sweden see

Mythical kings of Sweden
Semi-legendary kings of Sweden

The House of Munso

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Eric 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	25 July 1008 or 1010 son of Olof the Treasurer and Estrid of the Obotrites		c. 1050, aged about 40
Emund the Old (Emund den gamle) 1050–1060	Illegitimate son of Olof the Treasurer	Astrid Njalsdotter	1060

The House of Stenkil and contemporary

House of Stenkil

Name	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 Stenkilsson (Erik Stenkilsson) 1066–1067	son of Stenkil		1067, dies in a war against Eric the Pagan
Eric the Pagan (Erik Hedningen) 1066–1067			1067, dies in a war against Eric 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 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 the Elder's troops
1087–1105, Inge 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 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
1126-30 Magnus I of Sweden was ruling over the West Geats, and soon-to-be King Sverker was already ruling over the East Geats.

The Houses of Sverker and Eric

      House of Stenkil
      House of Eric
      House of Sverker

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Sverker I the Elder (also called Clubfoot, Sverker den äldre or Klumpfot; king from 1125 in Östergötland), 1130–1156	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 II, 1160–1161	son of Henry and Ingrid Ragvaldsdotter (the granddaughter of Inge the Elder)	Married to his stepsister Birgida, the daughter of Harald IV (Gille) of Norway	Died in the battle of Örebro againtst Charles VII, 1161
Charles I (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 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	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
Eric (XI) the Lisp and Lame (Erik läspe och halte), 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

The House of Bjälbo

The House of Bjälbo is sometimes referred to as the House of Folkung

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Valdemar (Valdemar Birgersson) 1250–1275	1239 son of Birger jarl and Princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter (a 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 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) 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 (rival king until 1359; joint-rule with father months before death)	1339 son of Magnus IV Eriksson and Blanka of Namur	Beatrix of Bavaria	Generally believed that he and his wife died in the plague, 21 June 1359, aged about 20
Hacon (Håkan Magnusson) 1362–1364 (joint-rule with father)	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

The House of Mecklenburg

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Albert of Sweden (Albrekt av Mecklenburg) 1364–1389		Mecklenburg, c. 1338, son of Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg and Euphemia of Sweden		Mecklenburg, 1 April 1412, aged about 74, buried in Mecklenburg

Monarchs during the Kalmar Union period and Regents (Riksföreståndare)

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Margaret (Margareta Valdemarsdotter) 1389 – 28 October 1412	Vordingborg Castle, 1353 daughter of Valdemar IV and Helvig of Sønderjylland	Haakon VI of Norway	Flensburg Fjord, 28 October 1412, aged about 55, buried in Roskilde Cathedral
Eric (XIII) (Erik av Pommern) 1396 – 24 September 1439	Rügenwalde, Pomerania, 1382, son of Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Mary of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Philippa of England	Rügenwalde Castle, 3 May 1459, aged about 77, buried in Rügenwalde, Pomerania
1435–1436 : Regent Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (rikshövitsman) 1438–1440 : Regent Karl Knutsson Bonde later King Charles II
Christopher (Kristoffer av Bayern) 13 September 1441 – 6 January 1448	Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz in Bavaria, February 26, 1418 son of Duke John of Pfalz-Neumarkt and Catherine Vratislava	Dorothea of Brandenburg	Helsingborg, 5 January or 6 January 1448, aged 29, buried at Roskilde Cathedral
1448 : Regent Bengt Jönsson (Oxenstierna) and Nils Jönsson (Oxenstierna)
Charles II (Karl Knutsson Bonde) 20 June 1448 – 1457, 1464 – 30 January 1465 and 1467 – 15 May 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 or 62, buried at Riddarholmen Church
1457 : Regents Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna), archbishop of Upsala, and Erik Axelsson (Tott)
Christian I (Kristian I) 23 June 1457 – 23 June 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– 30 January 1465 Charles II (Karl Knutsson Bonde) (second period) 1465 : Regent Kettil Karlsson (Vasa), bishop of Linköping 1465–1466 : Regent Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna) 1466–1467 : Regent Erik Axelsson (Tott)
1467 – 15 May 1470 Charles II (Karl Knutsson Bonde) (third period) 1470–1497 : Regent Sten Sture the Elder (Sten Sture den äldre)
John II ("Hans") 6 October 1497 – August 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
1501 – 14 December 1503 : Regent Sten Sture the Elder 1504– 2 January 1512 : Regent Svante Nilsson (Svante Nilsson, herre till Ekesjö) 1512 : Regent Erik Arvidsson Trolle 1512 – 5 February 1520 : Regent Sten Sture the Younger (Sten Sture den yngre)
Christian II (Kristian Tyrann) 1 November 1520 – 23 August 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

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Gustav I (Gustav Vasa) 6 June 1523 – 29 September 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) 29 September 1560 – 29 September 1568	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) 29 September 1568 – 17 November 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
Sigmund (Sigismund) 17 November 1592 – 24 July 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) 6 March 1604 – 30 October 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
Gustav II Adolph (Gustav II Adolf) 30 October 1611 – 6 November 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) 6 November 1632 – 6 June 1654	Stockholm, 8 December^[1] 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

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Charles X Gustav (Karl X Gustav) 6 June 1654 – 13 February 1660	Nyköping Castle, 8 November 1622, son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catharina of Sweden (daughter of Charles IX)	Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp	Gothenburg, 13 February 1660, aged 37, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Charles XI (Karl XI) 13 February 1660 – 5 April 1697	Tre Kronor (castle), 24 November 1655 son of Charles X and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp	Ulrike Eleonora of Denmark, daughter of Frederick III of Denmark	Tre Kronor (castle), 5 April 1697, aged 41, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Charles XII (Karl XII) 15 April 1697 – 11 December 1718	Tre Kronor (castle), 17 June 1682 son of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder	Unmarried	Fredrikshald, Norway, 30 November 1718, aged 36, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Ulrica Eleanor (Ulrika Eleonora) 2 February 1719 – 4 April 1720	Tre Kronor (castle), 23 January 1688 daughter of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder	Frederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)	Stockholm, 24 November 1741, aged 53, buried in Riddarholmen Church

The House of Hesse

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Frederick (Fredrik I av Hessen) 4 April 1720 – 5 April 1751		Kassel, (in today's 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

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Adolph Frederick (Adolf Fredrik) 5 April 1751 – 12 February 1771	Gottorp, Schleswig, (in today's Germany), 14 May 1710 son of Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach	Louisa Ulrika of Prussia	Stockholm Palace, 12 February 1771, aged 60, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Gustav III 12 February 1771 – 29 March 1792	Stockholm, 24 January [O.S. 13 January] 1746 son of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia	Sophia Magdalena of Denmark	Assassinated (shot in the back when he was on a masked ball at the opera, 16 March 1792). Died in Stockholm Palace, 29 March 1792, aged 46, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Gustav IV Adolph 29 March 1792 – 10 May 1809 with Charles, Duke of Södermanland as regent 1792–1796	Stockholm Palace, 1 November 1778 son of Gustav III and Sophie Magdalena	Frederica of Baden	St. Gallen, Switzerland, 7 February 1837, aged 58, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Charles XIII (Karl XIII) 6 June 1809 – 5 February 1818	Stockholm, 7 October 1748 son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia	Queen Hedvig Elizabeth Charlotte	Stockholm, 5 February 1818, aged 69, buried in Riddarholmen Church

The House of Bernadotte

Name	Birth	Marriages	Death
Charles XIV John (Karl XIV Johan) 5 February 1818 – 8 March 1844	Pau, France, 26 January 1763 son of Jean Henri Bernadotte and Jeanne de Saint-Vincent	Désirée Clary	Stockholm Palace, 8 March 1844, aged 81, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Oscar I 8 March 1844 – 8 July 1859	Paris, France, 4 July 1799, son of Charles XIV John and Désirée Clary	Josephine of Leuchtenberg	Stockholm Palace, 8 July 1859, aged 60, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Charles XV (Karl XV) 8 July 1859 – 18 September 1872	Stockholm Palace, 3 May 1826 son of Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg	Louise of the Netherlands	Malmö, 18 September 1872, aged 46, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Oscar II 18 September 1872 – 8 December 1907	Stockholm, 21 January 1829 son of Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg	Sofia of Nassau	Stockholm, 8 December 1907, aged 78, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Gustaf V 8 December 1907 – 29 October 1950	Drottningholm Palace, 16 June 1858 son of Oscar II and Sofia of Nassau	Victoria of Baden	Drottningholm Palace, 29 October 1950, aged 92, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Gustaf VI Adolf 29 October 1950 – 15 September 1973	Stockholm, 11 November 1882 son of Gustav V and Victoria of Baden	Princess Margaret of Connaught Lady Louise Mountbatten	Helsingborg, 15 September 1973, aged 90, buried at Royal Burial Ground
Carl XVI Gustaf 15 September 1973 – present	Haga Palace, 30 April 1946 son of Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha	Silvia, 19 June 1976 at Stockholm Cathedral

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).