- Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs
The Royal mottos or "Valspråk" of the
Swedish monarchs has been a tradition since first used byGustav I of Sweden , in the early 16th century. Every regent ofSweden 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.Gustav III was the first king to have his motto only in Swedish. Up until Adolf Frederick, they had all been in Latin and Swedish (or, as in the case of Gustav II Adolf, in German). Due to the
dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905 , Oscar II had to change his motto.Royal mottos Regent Reign Royal motto (in Swedish) English translation The House of Vasa Gustav Vasa 1521-1560 All makt är av Gud All power is of God Erik XIV 1560-1568 Gud giver åt vem Han vill God gives to whom He wishes Johan III 1568-1592 Gud vår beskyddare God our protector Sigismund 1592-1599 För rätten och folket For the justice and the people Karl IX 1599-1611 Gud min tröst God my comfort Gustav II Adolf 1611-1632 Med Gud och segrande vapen With God and victorious arms Kristina 1632-1654 Visheten är rikets stöd Wisdom is the realm's support The House of Pfalz - cadet branch to the House of Wittelsbach Karl X Gustav 1654-1660 I Gud mitt öde - Han skall göra det In God my destiny - He will do it Karl XI 1660-1697 Herren är vorden min beskyddare The Lord is become [sic| [sic] my protector Karl XII 1697-1718 Med Guds hjälp 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 välfärd, min välfärd The welfare of the state, my welfare Gustav III 1771-1792 Fäderneslandet The fatherland Gustav IV Adolf 1792-1809 Gud och folket God and the people Karl XIII 1809-1818 Folkets väl min högsta lag The welfare of the people my highest law [Compare with the motto of the U.S. state ofMissouri (1821): "Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law". Originally fromCicero 's "De Legibus", Book III, Part III, Sub. VIII.]The House of Bernadotte Karl XIV Johan 1818-1844 Folkets kärlek min belöning The love of the people my reward Oscar I 1844-1859 Rätt och sanning Right and truth Karl XV 1859-1872 Land skall med lag byggas By law the land shall be built Oscar II 1872-1905 Brödrafolkens väl The welfare of the brother peoples 1905-1907 Sveriges väl The welfare of Sweden Gustaf V 1907-1950 Med folket för fosterlandet With the people for the Fatherland Gustaf VI Adolf 1950-1973 Plikten framför allt Duty above all Carl XVI Gustaf 1973-present För Sverige - I tiden For Sweden - With the Times "See also:
List of Swedish monarchs "Notes
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