Frederick I of Sweden

King of Sweden (1676-1751)

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Lived 1676–1751, aged 75Sweden

Sweden Historical Figures

Wikipedia
46 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1676–1751
Aged 75
Awards
1
recognised work

Summary

Updated 2026-06-21

He became king of Sweden only because his wife gave up the throne — and even then, he was handed almost no power. Frederick I spent three decades as a figurehead monarch in an era when parliament ran the country, and died without an heir, ending his family's claim to the crown.

Biography

About

Frederick was born a German landgrave on 28 April 1676, and became prince consort of Sweden in 1718 when he married into the royal family. After his brother-in-law Charles XII died in 1720 during the Great Northern War, Charles's sister Ulrika Eleonora briefly took the throne but was forced to surrender most authority to the Riksdag. She abdicated shortly after, and Frederick ascended in her place — though the parliament, not the king, held real control. In 1730 he also inherited the title of Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. His reign dragged on for thirty years while the Hat Party pushed Sweden int…

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