Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs
The Royal mottos or ValsprÃÂÃÂ¥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.
| Regent | Reign | Royal motto (in Swedish) | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| The House of Vasa | |||
| Gustav Vasa | 1521-1560 | All makt ÃÂär av Gud | All power is of God |
| Erik XIV | 1560-1568 | Gud giver ÃÂÃÂ¥t vem Han vill | God gives to whom He wishes |
| Johan III | 1568-1592 | Gud vÃÂÃÂ¥r beskyddare | God our protector |
| Sigismund | 1592-1599 | FÃÂör rÃÂätten och folket | For the justice and the people |
| Karl IX | 1599-1611 | Gud min trÃÂöst | God my comfort |
| Gustav II Adolf | 1611-1632 | Med Gud och segrande vapen | With God and victorious arms |
| Kristina | 1632-1654 | Visheten ÃÂär rikets stÃÂöd | 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 ÃÂöde - Han skall gÃÂöra det | In God my destiny - He will do it |
| Karl XI | 1660-1697 | Herren ÃÂär vorden min beskyddare | The Lord is become [sic] my protector |
| Karl XII | 1697-1718 | Med Guds hjÃÂälp | 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 vÃÂälfÃÂärd, min vÃÂälfÃÂärd | The welfare of the state, my welfare |
| Gustav III | 1771-1792 | FÃÂäderneslandet | The fatherland |
| Gustav IV Adolf | 1792-1809 | Gud och folket | God and the people |
| Karl XIII | 1809-1818 | Folkets vÃÂäl min hÃÂögsta lag | The welfare of the people my highest law 1 |
| The House of Bernadotte | |||
| Karl XIV Johan | 1818-1844 | Folkets kÃÂärlek min belÃÂöning | The love of the people my reward |
| Oskar I | 1844-1859 | RÃÂätt och sanning | Right and truth |
| Karl XV | 1859-1872 | Land skall med lag byggas | Land is built by law |
| Oskar II | 1872-1905 | BrÃÂödrafolkens vÃÂäl | The welfare of the brother peoples |
| 1905-1907 | Sveriges vÃÂäl | The welfare of Sweden | |
| Gustaf V | 1907-1950 | Med folket fÃÂör fosterlandet | With the people for the motherland |
| Gustaf VI Adolf | 1950-1973 | Plikten framfÃÂör allt | Duty above all |
| Carl XVI Gustaf | 1973-present | FÃÂör 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.