Gustav III Statue

Gustav III (24 January 1746 – 29 March 1792), sometimes referred to as Gustavus III, reigned as King of Sweden from 1771 until he was assassinated in 1792. He was the eldest child of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden.

Gustav strongly opposed what he regarded as the nobility’s misuse of political authority that had expanded after the death of King Charles XII during the Great Northern War. In 1772, he carried out a coup d’état known as the Swedish Revolution, which brought an end to the Age of Liberty and significantly increased royal power. Through this action, he reclaimed authority from the Riksdag of the Estates and reasserted monarchical control.

This consolidation of power was further reinforced by the Union and Security Act of 1789. The act curtailed many of the political powers that the Riksdag had exercised during the Age of Liberty, thereby strengthening the monarchy. At the same time, it reduced the exclusive privileges of the nobility and broadened access to public office, formally allowing greater participation in government by other social groups within Swedish society.