Count Adolf Ludvig Hamilton (1747–1802) was a Swedish

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

and politician. His father was

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Gustaf David Hamilton. He was one of the leaders of the opposition of the nobility against King

Gustav III of Sweden Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he s ...

in 1789. He also authored a critical book about Gustav III: .Nordisk familjebok
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Biography

Adolf Ludvig Hamilton was the son of Gustaf David Hamilton. He became an

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

in 1759 and in 1766 he became chamberlain for the then

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 ...

Gustav III (later King

). In 1771 he became chamberlain for

Sophia Magdalena of Denmark Sophia Magdalena of Denmark (; ; 3 July 1746 – 21 August 1813) was Queen of Sweden from 1771 to 1792 as the wife of King Gustav III. Born into the House of Oldenburg, the royal family of Denmark-Norway, Sophia Magdalena was the first daughter ...

. He resigned from this later post in 1782 and moved to the Blomberg estate in

Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...

, Sweden. Count Hamilton was initially in favor of King Gustav III. However, he gradually developed a considerable hatred against the king, and after his resignation as chamberlain he joined the opposition in the

Riksdag of the Estates Riksdag of the Estates (; informally ) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to the King. It was a Diet made up of the Fou ...

. He was the first to proclaim in the at

Stockholm Palace Stockholm Palace, or the Royal Palace, ( or ) is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch (King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia use Drottningholm Palace as their usual residence). Stockholm Palace is in Stadsholm ...

that the Act of Union and Security proposed by King Gustav III needed to be discussed separately by the four Estates. The act essentially provided King Gustav III tremendous power and simultaneously dramatically reduced the rights and privileges of the nobility. Hamilton was initially much in favor of the French Revolution, however, after observing the tyranny during the

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (French: ''La Terreur'', literally "The Terror") was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the French First Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and Capital punishment in France, nu ...

his feelings towards

Jacobinism A Jacobin (; ) was a member of the Jacobin Club, a revolutionary political movement that was the most famous political club during the French Revolution (1789–1799). The club got its name from meeting at the Dominican rue Saint-Honoré ...

became lukewarm and in 1800 he had reversed his position and became a

royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...

. Hamilton had a French education and his writings and speeches often included

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...

. He was known and feared for his

epigrams An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word derives from the Greek (, "inscription", from [], "to write on, to inscribe"). This literary device has been practiced for over two millennia. ...

. After his resignation as a chamberlain he kept a diary, which is kept at the Hamiltonian archive at Barsebäck Castle. In his later years, probably in the year 1795, he completed the book , which contains many anecdotes about the influential people in the mid-18th century Sweden. He was the father of Gustaf Wathier Hamilton.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Adolf Ludvig Swedish people of Scottish descent 1747 births 1802 deaths 18th-century Swedish politicians Swedish counts Gustavian era people Swedish courtiers Members of the Riksdag of the Estates