Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs

The royal motto of the Swedish monarch is a Swedish royal tradition stemming from the early 16th century. All reigning monarchs of Sweden, beginning with Gustav I, have had their own mottos during their respective periods of reign. The Swedish royal motto in many ways is equivalent to a national motto. The tradition among Swedish monarchs, in common with the Danish and Norwegian monarchies, but different from that of most other modern European monarchies, is that the motto is not the same for one dynasty, but is personal to each monarch. Historically the royal motto has been used in connection with the Swedish coat of arms, and until 30 June 2017 it could be seen in print on the 1 krona coin. The new generation of coins does not feature a motto.

Gustav III was the first king to have his motto only in Swedish. Up until Adolf Frederick, the motto for every regent had 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.

List

Monarch Reign Royal motto (in Swedish) English translation
House of Vasa
Gustav I 1521–1560 All makt är av Gud All power is of God
Eric XIV 1560–1568 Gud giver åt vem Han vill God gives to whom He wishes
John III 1568–1592 Gud vår beskyddare God our protector
Sigismund 1592–1599 För rätten och folket For the justice and the people
Charles IX 1599–1611 Gud min tröst God my comfort
Gustav II Adolf 1611–1632 Med Gud och segrande vapen With God and victorious arms
Christina 1632–1654 Visheten är rikets stöd Wisdom is the support of the realm
House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken (Pfalz) - cadet branch of the House of Wittelsbach
Charles X Gustav 1654–1660 I Gud mitt öde - Han skall göra det In God my destiny - He shall do it
Charles XI 1660–1697 Herren är vorden min beskyddare The Lord is become my protector
Charles XII 1697–1718 Med Guds hjälp With the help of God
Ulrika Eleonora 1719–1720 I Gud mitt hopp In God my hope
House of Hesse
Frederick I 1720–1751 I Gud mitt hopp In God my hope
House of Holstein-Gottorp - cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg
Adolf Frederick 1751–1771 Statens välfärd, min välfärd The welfare of the state [is] my welfare
Gustav III 1771–1792 Fäderneslandet The fatherland
Gustav IV Adolf 1792–1809 Gud och folket God and the people
Charles XIII of Sweden,
Charles II of Norway 		1809–1818 Folkets väl min högsta lag The welfare of the people [is] my highest law [a]
House of Bernadotte
Charles XIV John of Sweden,
Charles III John of Norway 		1818–1844 Folkets kärlek min belöning The love of the people [is] my reward
Oscar I 1844–1859 Rätt och sanning Justice and truth
Charles XV of Sweden,
Charles IV of Norway 		1859–1872 Land skall med lag byggas Lands [or the land] shall be built with law
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 before all
Carl XVI Gustaf 1973–present För Sverige – i tiden For Sweden – with the Times

See also

Footnotes and references

  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.