Adolf Fredrik of Sweden

Biography

Adolf Frederick (Swedish: Adolf Fredrik; German: Adolf Friedrich; 14 May 1710 – 12 February 1771) was King of Sweden from 1751 until he died in 1771. Born at Gottorf Castle, he was the son of Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin, and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach. His rise to the Swedish throne marked the return of the House of Oldenburg, through its Holstein-Gottorp branch, to Sweden after 220 years. He was an uncle of Catherine the Great and husband to Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia.

Adolf Frederick was chosen as heir to the Swedish throne under specific political circumstances. After the Swedish parliamentary government failed to reclaim the Baltic provinces during the Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743, the Riksdag sought a successor acceptable to Russia. Adolf Frederick became crown prince in 1743, mainly due to Russia, which wanted to keep its influence over Swedish affairs. He became king in 1751 after Frederick I of Sweden died.

During his reign, Adolf Frederick acted as a constitutional figurehead during Sweden's Age of Liberty, a period when the parliament had more power than the monarchy. He tried several times, with support from pro-absolutist nobles, to regain the absolute powers of earlier Swedish kings, but these attempts were largely unsuccessful. His wife, Louisa Ulrika, was much more politically driven and was involved in a 1756 coup attempt to restore royal power, which failed and led to the execution of several noble supporters.

The economic and political scene during his reign was shaped by the rival Hat and Cap factions in the Riksdag. The Hat party, supporting mercantilist policies and a strong foreign policy, was dominant for much of his reign but lost power after economic difficulties. During the 1765–1766 parliament, the Cap opposition took control of the government and introduced major reforms, moving toward more economic freedom. One of the most notable acts from this parliament was the Freedom of Press Act, which abolished censorship, keeping punishments only for slandering the monarch or the Church of Sweden. This was remarkable for its time.

Adolf Frederick died on 12 February 1771 in Stockholm, reportedly after eating an extremely large meal. He was succeeded by his son, Gustav III, who restored royal authority and changed Sweden's political landscape. Adolf Frederick's reign, though mostly passive, was marked by internal peace and important legislative developments in Sweden.