Charles XIII
Charles XIII | |
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Riddarholm Church | |
Spouse |
Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp (m. 1774) |
Issue more... |
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Lutheran | |
Signature |
Charles XIII, or Carl XIII (
Though known as King Charles XIII in Sweden, he was actually the seventh Swedish king by that name, as Charles IX (reigned 1604–1611) had adopted his numeral after studying a fictitious history of Sweden.[3] In Norway he is known as Charles II.[2]
Early life
Prince Charles was placed under the tutelage of
Charles was, however, his father's favorite, and similar to him in personality.[5] He was also described as close to his brother Gustav during their childhood.[4]
Because of his position as the heir to the throne after his elder brother Gustav, he was early targeted as a useful tool for the opposition to his brother: already in the 1760s, the Caps (party) tried to use him against his brother the crown prince through his then love interest countess Brita Horn, daughter of the Cap's politician Adam Horn.[5] Gustav, however, was always careful to prevent Charles from being used by the opposition, which came to its first test during the December Crisis (1768), when Charles, ultimately, did not let himself be used by the Caps party.[5] In 1770, he made a journey through Germany and France alone.
Reign of Gustav III
After the death of his father in 1771, when his brother the crown prince was abroad, the
In 1772 he cooperated in the Revolution of 1772 of his elder brother, King Gustav. He was given the task of using his connections in the Caps party to neutralize it and secure the southern provinces by use of the military, tasks he performed successfully[5] and for which the king rewarded him with the title Duke of Södermanland.
Duke Charles in early years was the object of his mother's plans to arrange political marriages for her children. On the wish of his mother, he was to be married to her niece, his cousin
Charles was described as dependent and easily influenced.
The Duke was known for his interest in the
Duke Charles was given several political tasks during his tenure as a duke. In 1777, he served as regent during Gustav III's stay in Russia. In 1780, he served as formal chief commander during the king's stay in Spa. The same year, Gustav III named him regent for his son should he succeed him while still a minor.[5] However, he was not appointed regent during the journey of the king to Italy and France in 1783–84, and in the following years, he came under the influence of Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm, who was in opposition to the monarch, and came to be less trusted by Gustav III.[5]
In 1785, he was offered the Dukedom of Courland by the nobility of the Duchy and given the support of Gustav III.[11] This however never materialized.
On the outbreak of the
The autumn of 1789, Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte wished to depose Gustav III and place her husband Duke Charles upon the throne.
Charles was in close connection to the opposition against Gustav III, and it is debated whether he knew of and supported the plans to assassinate the king.[13]
Reign of Gustav IV Adolf
On the assassination of Gustav III in 1792, Charles acted as regent of Sweden until 1796 on behalf of his nephew, King Gustav IV, who was a minor when his father was shot in the Stockholm opera. Gustav III had designated him regent in his earlier will. When he was dying, he altered the will, and while still appointing Charles regent of his minor son, he was no longer to rule absolute, but restricted by a government consisted of the supporters of Gustav III.[5] After the death of the monarch, however, Charles successfully contested the will and was given unlimited power as sole regent.[5]
The Duke-regent was in practice not willing or capable to manage the state affairs, reportedly because of his lack of energy and staying power.[5] Instead, he entrusted the power of government to his favorite and adviser Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm, whose influence over him was supreme. These four years have been considered perhaps the most miserable and degrading period in Swedish history; an Age of Lead succeeding an
On the coming of age of
In 1803, the Boheman affair caused a severe conflict between Gustav IV Adolf and the ducal couple. The mystic
Reign
On 13 March 1809, those who had dethroned Gustav IV Adolf appointed Charles regent, and he was finally elected king by the Riksdag of the Estates. By the time he became king, he was 60 years old and prematurely decrepit. In November 1809, he was affected by a heart attack, and was not able to participate in government. The new constitution which was introduced also made his involvement in politics difficult. A planned attempt to enlarge the royal power in 1809–10 was not put into effect because of his indecisiveness and health condition.[5]
His incapacity triggered a search for a suitable heir. The initial choice was a Danish prince, Christian August, who took the name
By the
Charles was the 872nd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Spain.
Family
He married his cousin
They had a son who died in infancy:- Carl Adolf, Duke of Riddarholm Church).[1]
With
- Carl Löwenhielm 1772–1861[16]
Adopted sons:
- Charles August, Crown Prince of Sweden[17]
- Charles XIV John of Sweden[18]
Honours and arms
Honours
- Sweden:
- Knight of the Order of the Seraphim, 7 October 1748
- Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword, 7 October 1748; Grand Cross, 1st Class, 27 July 1788[19]
- Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star, 7 October 1748
- Commander Grand Cross of the Order of Vasa, 7 October 1748
- Founder of the Order of Charles XIII, 27 May 1811[20]
- Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, 18 October 1770[21]
- Russian Empire:[22]
- Knight of the Order of St. Andrew, 28 August 1796
- Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, 28 August 1796
- Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant, 10 February 1810[23]
- Spain: Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, 23 September 1814[24]
Arms
-
Coat of Arms as
King Charles XIII
of Sweden, 1809-1814 -
Coat of Arms as King Charles XIII
of Sweden and Norway, 1814-1818 -
Royal Monogram of
King Charles XIII of Sweden
Ancestors
Swedish royalty |
House of Holstein-Gottorp |
---|
Adolf Frederick |
Gustav III |
Gustav IV Adolf |
|
Charles XIII |
|
Ancestors of Charles XIII Eleonore d'Esmier d'Olbreuse | ||||||||||||||||
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See also
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e Bain 1911.
- ^ a b Langslet, Lars Roar (29 June 2022). "Karl 2". Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022 – via Store norske leksikon.
- ^ Article Karl Archived 30 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine in Nordisk familjebok
- ^ a b c d e f Alma Söderhjelm (1945). Gustav III:s syskon (The siblings of Gustav III) Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag. pp. 28–29. 23033 (Swedish)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Karl XIII, urn:sbl:12358, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av Olof Jägerskiöld), hämtad 9 February 2015.
- ^ Alma Söderhjelm (1945). Gustav III:s syskon (The siblings of Gustav III) Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag. p. 28-29. 23033 (Swedish)
- ^ Alma Söderhjelm (1945). Gustav III:s syskon (The siblings of Gustav III) Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag. 23033 (Swedish)
- ISBN 80-901579-9-8.
- ^ "Svenska Frimurare Orden". www.frimurarorden.se. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ^ "Svenska Frimurare Orden". www.frimurarorden.se. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ^ Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte, Queen Consort of Charles XIII of Sweden (1903). C. C. Bonde (ed.). Hedvig Elisabeth Charlottas dagbok II 1783–1788 (The diaries of Hedvig Elizabeth Charlotte II) (in Swedish). P. A. Norstedt & Söners förlag. p. 96. 412070.
- ^ ISBN 978-91-7668-964-6(in Swedish)
- ^ Nationalencyklopedin accessed online 2 January 2007, article Karl XIII
- ^ Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte, Queen Consort of Charles XIII of Sweden (1936). Cecilia af Klercker (ed.). Hedvig Elisabeth Charlottas dagbok VII 1800–1806 (The diaries of Hedvig Elizabeth Charlotte VIII 1800–1806) (in Swedish). P. A. Norstedt & Söners förlag Stockholm. pp. 497–527. 362103.
- ^ Halvdan Koht: biografi (Karl XIII), i NBL1[clarification needed], bd. 7, 1936
- ^ "Carl A Löwenhielm". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 24. p. 605. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Mykland, Knut. "Christian August". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Archived from the original on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
- ^ Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 931–932.
- ^ Svenska Sjöhjältar 7:1, Arnold Munthe (1914), p.232
- ^ Anton Anjou (1900). Riddare af Konung Carl XIII:s orden: 1811–1900: biografiska anteckningar (in Swedish). Eksjö, Eksjö tryckeri-aktiebolag.
- ^ Liste der Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hohen Ordens vom Schwarzen Adler (1851), "Von Seiner Majestät dem Könige Friedrich II. ernannte Ritter" p. 10 Archived 3 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Almanach de la cour: pour l'année ... 1817. l'Académie Imp. des Sciences. 1817. pp. 61, 76.
- ^ J ..... -H ..... -Fr ..... Berlien (1846). Der Elephanten-Orden und seine Ritter. Berling. pp. 129–130.
- ^ Guerra, Francisco (1816), "Caballeros Existentes en la Insignie Orden del Toyson de Oro", Calendario manual y guía de forasteros en Madrid (in Spanish): 41, archived from the original on 4 April 2023, retrieved 25 April 2020
- ^ Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 29. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
Sources
- public domain: Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). "Charles XIII.". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 931. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
Further reading
- Cronholm, Neander N. (1902). A History of Sweden from the Earliest Times to the Present Day. ch 38 pp 221–48
Written sources
- Signum svenska kulturhistoria: Gustavianska tiden
- Ingvar Andersson: Gustavianskt (1979)
- Signum Förlag: Frihetstiden
- Lars Elgklou: Familjen Bernadotte. En kunglig släktkrönika
- Herman Lindqvist: Historien om Sverige. Gustavs dagar
- Cecilia af Klercker (1908). Hedvig Elisabeth Charlottas dagbok I 1775–1782 (The diaries of Hedvig Elizabeth Charlotte II) (in Swedish). P.A. Norstedt & Söners förlag. 412070.
- Cecilia af Klercker (1939). Hedvig Elisabeth Charlottas dagbok IX 1807–1811 (The diaries of Hedvig Elizabeth Charlotte IX 1807–1811) (in Swedish). P.A. Norstedt & Söners förlag. 412070.
External links
- Nordisk familjebok
- Karl XIII av Holstein-Gottorp – Historiesajten
- The American Cyclopædia. 1879. .