House of Bernadotte
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The House of Bernadotte is the
royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...
of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, founded there in 1818 by King Charles XIV John of Sweden. It was also the
royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...
of
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
between 1818 and 1905. Its founder was born in Pau in
southern France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...
as Jean Bernadotte. Bernadotte, who had been made a General of Division and
Minister of War A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
for his service in the French Army during the French Revolution, and Marshal of the French Empire and Prince of Pontecorvo under
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
, was adopted by the elderly King
Charles XIII of Sweden Charles XIII or Carl XIII (; 7 October 1748 – 5 February 1818) was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 to his death. He was the second son (and younger brother to King Gustav III) of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa ...
, who had no other heir and whose Holstein-Gottorp branch of the
House of Oldenburg The House of Oldenburg is a Germans, German dynasty whose members rule or have ruled in Danish Realm, Denmark, Kingdom of Iceland, Iceland, Kingdom of Greece, Greece, Norway, Russian Empire, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, the United Kingdom, King ...
thus was soon to be extinct on the Swedish throne. The current king of Sweden,
Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. Having reigned since 1973, he is the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history. Carl Gustaf was born during the reign of his paternal great-grandfather, K ...
, is a direct descendant of Charles XIV John.


History of the house

Following the conclusion of the
Finnish War The Finnish War (; ; ) was fought between the Gustavian era, Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established a ...
in 1809, Sweden lost possession of
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
, which had constituted roughly the eastern half of the Swedish realm for centuries. Resentment towards King Gustav IV Adolf precipitated an abrupt ''
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
''. Gustav Adolf (and his son Gustav) was deposed and his uncle Charles XIII was elected King in his place. However, Charles XIII was 61 years old and prematurely senile. He was also childless; one child had been stillborn and another died after less than a week. It was apparent almost as soon as Charles XIII ascended the throne that the Swedish branch of the House of Holstein-Gottorp would die with him. In 1810 the Riksdag of the Estates, the Swedish parliament, elected a Danish prince, Prince Christian August of Augustenborg, as heir-presumptive to the throne. He took the name Charles August, but died later that same year. At this time, Emperor Napoleon I of France controlled much of continental Europe, and some of his client states were headed by his siblings. The Riksdag decided to choose a king of whom Napoleon would approve. On 21 August 1810, the Riksdag elected Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, a
Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...
, as heir presumptive to the Swedish throne. The
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
of the House of Bernadotte impales the coat of arms of the House of Vasa (''heraldic right'') and the coat of arms of Bernadotte as Prince of Pontecorvo (''heraldic left''; which has the Eagle of Zeus, that shares with the
House of Bonaparte The House of Bonaparte (originally ''Buonaparte'') is a former imperial and royal European dynasty of French and Italian origin. It was founded in 1804 by Napoleon I, the son of Corsican nobleman Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Buonaparte (née ...
). It is visible as an inescutcheon in the Greater Coat of Arms of the Realm. When elected to be Swedish royalty the new heir had been called '' Prince Bernadotte'' according to the promotions he received from Emperor Napoleon I, culminating in sovereignty over the Principality of Pontecorvo. Some Swedish experts have asserted that all of his male heirs have had the right to use that Italian title, since the Swedish government never made payments promised Charles John to get him to give up his position in Pontecorvo. Some members of the house who lost their royal status and Swedish titles due to unapproved marriages have also been given the titles Prince Bernadotte and Count of Wisborg in the
nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
of other countries.


Bernadotte

Bernadotte, born in the town of Pau, in the province of Béarn, France, had risen to the rank of general during the French Revolution. In 1798, he married Désirée Clary, whose sister was married to Joseph, Napoleon's elder brother. In 1804, Napoleon promoted Bernadotte to a Marshal of France. Napoleon also granted him the title "Prince of
Pontecorvo Pontecorvo is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. Its population is . History The village lies under Rocca Guglielma, a medieval fortification perched on an inaccessible spur. Its name derives from the ''pons curvu ...
". As the
Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...
of Sweden, he assumed the name Charles John () and acted as regent for the remainder of Charles XIII's reign. In 1813, he broke with Napoleon and led Sweden into the anti-Napoleon alliance. When Norway was awarded to Sweden by the
Treaty of Kiel The Treaty of Kiel () or Peace of Kiel ( Swedish and or ') was concluded between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Kingdom of Sweden on one side and the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway on the other side on 14 January 1814 ...
, Norway resisted and declared independence, triggering a brief war between Sweden and Norway. The war ended when Bernadotte persuaded Norway to enter into a personal union with Sweden. Instead of being merely a Swedish province, Norway remained an independent kingdom, though sharing a common monarch and foreign policy. Bernadotte reigned as Charles XIV John of Sweden and Charles III John of Norway from 5 February 1818 until his death on 8 March 1844. The House of Bernadotte reigned in both countries until the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905. Prince Carl of Denmark was then elected as King Haakon VII of Norway. Carl was a grandson of King Charles XV of Sweden and a great-great-grandson of Charles XIV.


French origins

King Charles John's first known paternal ancestor was Joandou du Poey, who was a shepherd. He married Germaine de Bernadotte in 1615 in the southern French city of Pau and began using her
surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...
. Through her the couple owned a building there called ''de Bernadotte'', the surname theoretically meaning ''Young woman of Béarn'' in local dialect. A grandson of theirs, Jean Bernadotte (1649–1698), was a weaver. Another Jean Bernadotte (1683–1760), his son, was a tailor. His son Henri Bernadotte (1711–1780) married Jeanne de Saint-Jean (1728–1809) and with her was the father of the future Swedish–Norwegian king. Henri was a local
prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in Civil law (legal system), civil law. The prosecution is the ...
, from a family of
artisan An artisan (from , ) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art, sculpture, clothing, food ite ...
s, who had once been imprisoned for debt. This was a modest family which occupied only one floor of the house in a cross street in a popular and peripheral district of Pau. Two branches of the French Bernadotte family survive. The elder descends from Andrew (''André'') Bernadotte, an older granduncle of Carl John's, with descendants today in the general population of France. The younger branch divided in two, one branch descending from the king's older brother John (''Jean Évangéliste'') Bernadotte (1754–1813), the heads of which were French
baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
s as of 1810 with Louvie Palace in the south of Pau as their seat (branch extinct with the death of Baron Henri Bernadotte in 1966), and the other branch being the Swedish Royal House.''Bulletin du Musée Bernadotte'' charts on ancestry


Kings of Sweden

*1818–1844: Charles XIV John *1844–1859: Oscar I *1859–1872: Charles XV *1872–1907: Oscar II *1907–1950: Gustaf V *1950–1973: Gustaf VI Adolf *1973–present:
Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. Having reigned since 1973, he is the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history. Carl Gustaf was born during the reign of his paternal great-grandfather, K ...


Kings of Norway

*1818–1844: Charles III John *1844–1859: Oscar I *1859–1872: Charles IV *1872–1905: Oscar II


Entire royal house

This is a list only of the royal house, not of the royal whole family. It excludes in-laws and living persons (2022) who were royal, i.e. born members of the royal house, who no longer are royal today. Royals currently alive are listed in ''italics''. All are listed primarily as Swedish royalty unless otherwise noted. * King Charles XIV & III John of Sweden and Norway (1763–1844) ** King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway (1799–1859) *** King Charles XV & IV of Sweden and Norway (1826–1872) **** Prince Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland (1852–1854) **** Queen Louise of Denmark (1851–1926) *** Prince Gustav, Duke of Uppland (1827–1852) *** King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway (1829–1907) **** King Gustaf V of Sweden (1858–1950) ***** King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden (1882–1973) ****** Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (1906–1947) *******'' King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (b. 1946)'' ********'' Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (b. 1977)'' *********'' Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland (b. 2012)'' *********'' Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne (b. 2016)'' ********'' Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland (b. 1979)'' ********'' Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (b. 1982)'' ******* Princess Birgitta of Sweden (1937–2024) ****** Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland (1907–2002) ****** Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland (1912–1997) ****** Prince Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna (1916–2012) ****** Queen Ingrid of Denmark (1910–2000) ***** Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland (1884–1965) ****** Prince Lennart, Duke of Småland (1909–2004) ***** Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland (1889–1918) **** Prince Oscar, Duke of Gotland (1859–1953) **** Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland (1861–1951) ***** Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland (1911–2003) ***** Princess Margaretha of Sweden (1899–1977) ***** Crown Princess Märtha of Norway (1901–1954) ***** Queen Astrid of Belgium (1905–1935) **** Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke (1865–1946) *** Prince August, Duke of Dalarna (1831–1873) *** Princess Eugenie of Sweden and Norway (1830–1889)


See also

*
Monarchy of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the #IOG, Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. by law a constitutional monarchy, constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parl ...
*
List of Swedish monarchs This list records the Monarchy of Sweden, monarchs of Sweden, from the late Viking Age to the present day. Sweden has continuously been a monarchy since the country's consolidation in the Viking Age and early Middle Ages, for over a thousand year ...
* Maison Bernadotte (French) * Swedish royal family * Guadeloupe Fund * Count of Wisborg * Swedish Act of Succession *
Line of succession to the Swedish throne The order of succession, line of succession to the Monarchy of Sweden, Swedish throne is determined by the Swedish Act of Succession, Act of Succession (), originally approved jointly by the Riksdag of the Estates assembled in Örebro and King ...
*
Coat of arms of Sweden The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sweden () is the arms of dominion of the Monarchy of Sweden, King of Sweden. It has a greater and a lesser version. The shield displays the "Three Crowns of Sweden" quartering the "Lion of Bjälbo", with an ine ...
* Armorial of the House of Bernadotte


Notes


References

* Jean-Marc Olivier, "Bernadotte Revisited, or The Complexity of a Long Reign (1810–1844)", in ''Nordic Historical Review'', number 2, October 2006, pp. 127–137.


External links

*
The Bernadotte dynasty family tree on Kindo

The Bernadottes in Black and White
, photos from an exhibition at the
Nationalmuseum Nationalmuseum is the List of national galleries, national gallery of fine arts of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm. The museum's operations stretch far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, including the Natio ...
, Stockholm. , - , - {{Authority control France–Sweden relations 1818 establishments in Sweden