Privy Council of Sweden
The Privy Council, or Riksrådet, was the principal government institution of Sweden from 1319 to 1974.
The Privy Council originated as a council of personal advisers to the Monarch where the foremost advisor received the title of Earl of Jarl. The last Earl of Sweden was Birger Jarl who died in 1266 and during the reign of king Magnus I of Sweden between 1275 and 1290 the informal meetings became a permanent institution called the Royal Council or Kungligt råd. In 1319 the name had been changed to Rikets råd or Council of the Realm, and had the offices of Lord Chancellor (Kansler), Chief Justfice (Drots) and Constable (Marsk).
Modern Sweden
The Royal declaration of 1611, the Constitution of 1634 and government under King Gustavus Adolphus and Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna laid a foundation for the modern Sweden. The current administrative subdivision into Counties is a legacy from this time. The senior posts of the Privy Council had been expanded to five:
Parliamentarism vs. Absolute Monarcy
King Charles XII had issued a new working order for the Privy Council Chancellery in 1713 to enable him to conduct government from the field. This provided opportunity for Riksdag of the Estates to influence the Constitutions of 1719 and 1721, that gave Sweden half a century of parliamentary government. The Privy Council now had 16 members, was lead by the king, where each councilor had one vote, except for the king who had two. The Council was the government of the kingdom but also the supreme judicial authority. The estates could remove displeasing councilors, a tenet of parliamentary power and the majority would appoint the Chancellery President who was the first among equals in the Council. The Freedom of the Press Act was established during this period, 1766.
This parliamentary government would remain until the bloodless Coup d'Etat, or Revolution, perpetrated by king Gustav III in 1772 which restored royal sovereignty, under dictatorial forms. The loss of the Finnish War in 1809 by his son Gustav IV Adolf restored initiative to the Estates which used it to remove the King and replace him with a new dynasty and a new constitution.
The Constitution of 1809
On June 6, 1809 the new Constitution was adopted, and while the King still controlled the Council; the powers of Government had to be shared with the Estates. The Privy Council was revived, now with nine members where the leading members were the Prime Minister of State and the Prime Minister of Justice. The departmental reform of 1840 successfully created seven departments, or ministries, under the Council to better organize the tasks of government. In 1866 the Estates were abolished and the new Riksdag was organized in two chambers. The office Prime Minster was instituted in 1876, with Louis de Geer as the first head of Government.
In 1917 the parliamentarian principles had been firmly established in Swedish politics and the Monarch was no longer able to exercise any of his constitutionally granted political powers. The Government depended politically on support from the Parliament, but the powers were still exercised under the Royal authority of the Privy Council. The Swedish term used for the council, i. e. the Government, during this period was Kungl. Maj:t, an abbreviation of Kungligt Majestät (i Konselj), or Royal Majesty (in Council) in English.
The Constitution of 1974
In 1974 a new Instrument of Government replaced the previous one from 1809, which abolished the Privy Council as an active Government institution and replaced it, also formally, with a Cabinet Government under the Parliament.
Its function since 1975 has been limited to the initial meeting by each new Cabinet, which are held in Council, at the Royal Castle, chaired by the King, following approval by Parliament.
List of Lords High Chancellor and Chancellry Presidents
- Bengt Oxenstierna (1685-July 12, 1702, acting from 1680)
- Nils Gyldenstolpe 1705-May 4 1709
- Count Arvid Horn (April 10, 1719-1739, acting from 1709)
- Carl Gyllenborg (1739-December 9, 1746)
- Carl Gustaf Tessin (Deccember 5, 1747-March 1752, acting from 1746)
- Count Andreas Johan Höpken (March 1752-1761)
- Count Claes Ekeblad (1761-1765)
- Carl Gustaf Löwenhielm (1765-March 7, 1768)
- Count Claes Ekeblad (1769-1771)
- Ulrik Scheffer (1771-1772)
- Joachim von Düben (April 22, 1772-August 22, 1772)
- Ulrik Scheffer (August 22, 1772-1783)
- Gustaf Philip Creutz (June 1783-1785)
- Emanuel de Geer (1786-1787)
- Christofer Bogislaus Zibet (May 15, 1792-1793)
- Count Fredrik Sparre (July 16, 1792-December 14, 1797)
- Count Nils Anton Augustus Bark (August 1793-1799)
- Christofer Bogislaus Zibet (October 1799-1801)
- Fredrik Wilhelm Ehrenheim (1801-1809)
See also: History of Sweden, List of Swedish monarchs, Privy Council of the British monarch
Referenced By
1590 | Absolute Monarchy in Sweden | Albert of Mecklenburg | Albert of Sweden | Anders Torstenson | Anders Torstensson | Arvid Horn | Axel Lillie | Axel Oxenstierna | Baltzar von Platen (1766-1829) | Bengt Jönsson Oxenstierna | Bengt and Nils Oxenstierna of Sweden | Cabinet of Sweden | Carl Carlsson Gyllenhielm | Carl Gustaf Wrangel | Carl III Johan of Norway | Carl I of Norway | Carl XIV Johan | Chancelier fédéral | Chancellier fédéral | Chancellor | Charles III of Norway | Charles VIII of Sweden | Charles XIV John of Sweden | Charles XIV of Sweden | Charles X Gustav of Sweden | Charles X of Sweden | Christian II of Denmark | Christian II of Sweden | Christian IV of Denmark | Christian IV of Denmark and Norway | Christian IV of Norway | Christian the Tyrant | Christina Gyllenstierna | Count Baltzar von Platen | Count Oxenstierna Axel Gustafsson | Dalia | Eric Trolle | Eric Trolle of Sweden | Erik Trolle | Federal Chancellor | Foundation of Modern Sweden | Fredrik Vilhelm von Hessenstein | Gabriel Oxenstierna | Government of Sweden | Governor-General in the Swedish Realm | Governor General of Sweden | Gustaf Adolf Lewenhaupt | Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm | Gustaf Horn | Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt | Gustaf Otto Stenbock | Gustaf Reuterholm | Gustav Armfelt | Gustav Bonde | Gustav Horn | Gustav III | Gustav III of Sweden | Hans Christoff von Königsmarck | Heraldry of Oelandia | Heraldry of Olandia | Heraldry of Öland | Herman Wrangel | Hermann von Wrangel | History of Sweden | Jacob De la Gardie | Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte | Jean Baptiste Bernadotte | Jesper Mattson Cruus af Edeby | Johan Oxenstierna | Karl Gustav von Wrangel | Karl Knutsson Bonde | Karl XIV Johan | King of Sweden | Kristina Nilsdotter Gyllenstierna | Kungliga Biblioteket | Lapland, Sweden | Laplandia | Lappland | Lapponia | Lars Kagg | Lennart Torstenson | Lennart Torstensson | List of Governors General of Sweden | List of Swedish Governors General | List of Swedish politicians | List of Swedish prime ministers | Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie | Magnus de la Gardie | Modernization of Sweden | National Library of Sweden | Nils Jönsson Oxenstierna | Nils Magnus Brahe | Nils Oxenstierna | Olaf Palme | Olof Palme | Parliament of Sweden | Per Brahe | Per Brahe the younger | Prime Minister of Sweden ...
|
