Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs (original) (raw)
The Royal mottos or Valspr�k of the Swedish monarchs has been a tradition since first used by Gustav I of Sweden, in the early 16th century. Every regent of Sweden since has had used their own motto during their periods of reign. The tradition of using a royal motto in other monarchies is that it most often stays the same within one dynasty, and here the Swedish tradition is different. In this respect they do however serve all the traditional purposes of a national or royal motto. One example is the imprint on all one Krona coins, the currency of Sweden.
Due to the dissolution of the Sweden-Norway Union in 1905, Oscar II had his motto changed.
Royal mottos
| Regent | Reign | Royal motto (in Swedish) | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| The House of Vasa | |||
| Gustav Vasa | 1521-1560 | All makt �r av Gud | All power is of God |
| Erik XIV | 1560-1568 | Gud giver �t vem Han vill | God gives to whom He wishes |
| Johan III | 1568-1592 | Gud v�r beskyddare | God our protector |
| Sigismund | 1592-1599 | F�r r�tten och folket | For the justice and the people |
| Karl IX | 1599-1611 | Gud min tr�st | God my comfort |
| Gustav II Adolf | 1611-1632 | Med Gud och segrande vapen | With God and victorious arms |
| Kristina | 1632-1654 | Visheten �r rikets st�d | Wisdom is the realms support |
| The House of Pfalz - cadet branch to the House of Wittelsbach | |||
| Karl X Gustav | 1654-1660 | I Gud mitt �de - Han skall g�ra det | In God my destiny - He will do it |
| Karl XI | 1660-1697 | Herren �r vorden min beskyddare | The Lord is become [sic] my protector |
| Karl XII | 1697-1718 | Med Guds hj�lp | With the help of God |
| Ulrika Eleonora | 1719-1720 | I Gud mitt hopp | In God my hope |
| The House of Hesse | |||
| Fredrik I | 1720-1751 | I Gud mitt hopp | In God my hope |
| The House of Holstein-Gottorp | |||
| Adolf Fredrik | 1751-1771 | Statens v�lf�rd, min v�lf�rd | The welfare of the state, my welfare |
| Gustav III | 1771-1792 | F�derneslandet | The fatherland |
| Gustav IV Adolf | 1792-1809 | Gud och folket | God and the people |
| Karl XIII | 1809-1818 | Folkets v�l min h�gsta lag | The welfare of the people my highest law 1 |
| The House of Bernadotte | |||
| Karl XIV Johan | 1818-1844 | Folkets k�rlek min bel�ning | The love of the people my reward |
| Oskar I | 1844-1859 | R�tt och sanning | Right and truth |
| Karl XV | 1859-1872 | Land skall med lag byggas | Land is built by law |
| Oskar II | 1872-1905 | Br�drafolkens v�l | The welfare of the brother peoples |
| 1905-1907 | Sveriges v�l | The welfare of Sweden | |
| Gustaf V | 1907-1950 | Med folket f�r fosterlandet | With the people for the motherland |
| Gustaf VI Adolf | 1950-1973 | Plikten framf�r allt | Duty above all |
| Carl XVI Gustaf | 1973-present | F�r Sverige i tiden | For Sweden - With the times |
See also: List of Swedish monarchs
Note: (1) Compare with the motto of the U.S. state of Missouri (1821): "Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law". Originally from Cicero's De Legibus, Book III, Part III, Sub. VIII.