Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs
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The Royal mottos or Valsprak 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 aer av Gud | All power is of God |
| Erik XIV | 1560-1568 | Gud giver at vem Han vill | God gives to whom He wishes |
| Johan III | 1568-1592 | Gud var beskyddare | God our protector |
| Sigismund | 1592-1599 | Foer raetten och folket | For the justice and the people |
| Karl IX | 1599-1611 | Gud min troest | God my comfort |
| Gustav II Adolf | 1611-1632 | Med Gud och segrande vapen | With God and victorious arms |
| Kristina | 1632-1654 | Visheten aer rikets stoed | 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 oede - Han skall goera det | In God my destiny - He will do it |
| Karl XI | 1660-1697 | Herren aer vorden min beskyddare | The Lord is become [sic] my protector |
| Karl XII | 1697-1718 | Med Guds hjaelp | 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 vaelfaerd, min vaelfaerd | The welfare of the state, my welfare |
| Gustav III | 1771-1792 | Faederneslandet | The fatherland |
| Gustav IV Adolf | 1792-1809 | Gud och folket | God and the people |
| Karl XIII | 1809-1818 | Folkets vael min hoegsta lag | The welfare of the people my highest law 1 |
| The House of Bernadotte | |||
| Karl XIV Johan | 1818-1844 | Folkets kaerlek min beloening | The love of the people my reward |
| Oskar I | 1844-1859 | Raett och sanning | Right and truth |
| Karl XV | 1859-1872 | Land skall med lag byggas | Land is built by law |
| Oskar II | 1872-1905 | Broedrafolkens vael | The welfare of the brother peoples |
| 1905-1907 | Sveriges vael | The welfare of Sweden | |
| Gustaf V | 1907-1950 | Med folket foer fosterlandet | With the people for the motherland |
| Gustaf VI Adolf | 1950-1973 | Plikten framfoer allt | Duty above all |
| Carl XVI Gustaf | 1973-present | Foer Sverige i tiden | For Sweden - With the times |
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.