Adolf Fredrik King of Sweden 1751-1771 Date of Birth: 14.05.1710 Country: Sweden

Biography of Adolf Frederick

Adolf Frederick was the King of Sweden from 1751 to 1771. Born into the family of Duke Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp (1673-1726) and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach (1682-1755), he was also the maternal uncle of Catherine II of Russia, being the brother of her mother, Elizabeth Johanna. At the age of 16, after the death of his elder brother, he became the Prince-Bishop of Lübeck in 1727. In 1739, he served as the administrator of Holstein-Gottorp during the minority of Charles Peter Ulrich.

On June 23, 1743, under pressure from Russia and as per the terms of the Treaty of Åbo, he was declared the heir of the childless Frederick I. On March 25, 1751, Adolf Frederick ascended to the Swedish throne. During his reign, he constantly clashed with the ruling "Hats" party, which made every effort to limit his power. Even the upbringing of his son became a state affair, and he was deprived of any say in the matter. Additionally, the "Hats" created a commission of estates (ständernas commission) with the authority to arrest anyone who expressed support for the king. They also created a stamp with the royal signature for the nobility to use when the king refused to sign a document personally.

In June 1756, supporters of strengthening royal authority attempted a coup, which ultimately failed. Several close friends of the royal couple were executed. The unsuccessful Seven Years' War severely undermined the influence of the "Hats" and brought the "Caps" party to power. However, their rule was short-lived as their economic policies worsened the situation, leading to the convening of the Riksdag. The "Caps" vehemently opposed this, prompting Adolf Frederick to declare that he was relinquishing his royal power until the estates were summoned. This unexpected statement led the colleges to announce that they could not fulfill their functions without legitimate authority. Unrest spread among the people, and when the command of the Stockholm troops announced that they could no longer vouch for the loyalty of their soldiers, the Estates were forced to convene.

During the Riksdag of 1769-1770, the "Hats" party regained the upper hand, but the king was disappointed with the change in power. Adolf Frederick was characterized as gentle and friendly, but also inert and indecisive. His favorite pastime was making snuffboxes. In contrast, his spouse, Louisa Ulrika, possessed a passionate and ambitious temperament, which allowed her to fully control him.

Adolf Frederick passed away on February 12, 1771, in Stockholm, after suffering a stroke following an excessively indulgent meal. In his "Notes on Sweden," Chamberlain Adolf Ludwig Hamilton wrote that "no other cause was needed for his death, other than the fact that the deceased king strained his weak stomach at the table." Count Johan Gabriel Oxenstierna recorded in his diary that "this death suited a country priest, not a monarch." A kind-hearted individual and exemplary family man, he was beloved by his subjects, and his death caused widespread sorrow.

Adolf Frederick was married to Louisa Ulrika of Prussia (1720-1782) from 1744. They had three sons: future kings Gustav III (1746-1792) and Charles XIII (1748-1818), as well as Prince Frederick Adolf, Duke of Östergötland (1750-1803) who had no legitimate children, and a daughter, Sophia Albertina (1753-1829), who later became the abbess of Quedlinburg.