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Monarchy in the Age of Liberty : Royal power and public life in eighteenth-century Sweden

Nordin, Jonas LU orcid and Olsson, Lena (2026)
Abstract
What was the function of monarchy when the monarch had none? After the death of Sweden's King Charles XII in 1718, absolutism was abolished, and the new Constitution reduced the monarch to a mere figurehead. The monarchy nevertheless continued to be an indispensable part of the political system. This book explains the role of the king in the politics of the Age of Liberty (1718–1772), exploring the image of the monarch conveyed through the information channels of the time, and clarifying the opinions about the monarch held by ordinary subjects.

Using a wide range of sources and many images, a time is described when the influence of kings was drastically diminished. For posterity, the ultimate symbol of the Swedish monarch's... (More)
What was the function of monarchy when the monarch had none? After the death of Sweden's King Charles XII in 1718, absolutism was abolished, and the new Constitution reduced the monarch to a mere figurehead. The monarchy nevertheless continued to be an indispensable part of the political system. This book explains the role of the king in the politics of the Age of Liberty (1718–1772), exploring the image of the monarch conveyed through the information channels of the time, and clarifying the opinions about the monarch held by ordinary subjects.

Using a wide range of sources and many images, a time is described when the influence of kings was drastically diminished. For posterity, the ultimate symbol of the Swedish monarch's powerlessness has been the replacement of the king's signature by a dry stamp; but this is one of the many paradoxes of the Age of Liberty, as the stamp was actually introduced to save the monarchy.

While the monarch's executives power was curtailed, his symbolic significance and public presence increased. Subjects learned more about the public and private lives of their rulers than ever before, and the era saw some of the most lavish royal ceremonies in Swedish history. Portraying one of the most peculiar forms of government of the eighteenth century, this book also offers new perspectives on the intellectual history of Europe in general. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
translator
Olsson, Lena
organization
publishing date
type
Book/Report
publication status
published
subject
keywords
monarchism, republicanism, Age of Liberty, Swedish history, royal ceremonies, mediation, public sphere, popular politics
pages
414 pages
publisher
Lund University Press
ISBN
978-91-98740-4-3-1
978-91-98740-4-4-8
DOI
10.7765/9789198740448
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The book is a slightly revised translation of Jonas Nordin, Frihetstidens monarki: Konungamakt och offentlighet i 1700-talets Sverige (Stockholm: Atlantis, 2009): https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-31251
id
a1cc633c-c8b5-44f1-a9ba-e9fb192dc6fe
date added to LUP
2026-02-19 16:42:44
date last changed
2026-02-25 12:43:46
@book{a1cc633c-c8b5-44f1-a9ba-e9fb192dc6fe,
  abstract     = {{What was the function of monarchy when the monarch had none? After the death of Sweden's King Charles XII in 1718, absolutism was abolished, and the new Constitution reduced the monarch to a mere figurehead. The monarchy nevertheless continued to be an indispensable part of the political system. This book explains the role of the king in the politics of the Age of Liberty (1718–1772), exploring the image of the monarch conveyed through the information channels of the time, and clarifying the opinions about the monarch held by ordinary subjects.<br/><br/>Using a wide range of sources and many images, a time is described when the influence of kings was drastically diminished. For posterity, the ultimate symbol of the Swedish monarch's powerlessness has been the replacement of the king's signature by a dry stamp; but this is one of the many paradoxes of the Age of Liberty, as the stamp was actually introduced to save the monarchy.<br/><br/>While the monarch's executives power was curtailed, his symbolic significance and public presence increased. Subjects learned more about the public and private lives of their rulers than ever before, and the era saw some of the most lavish royal ceremonies in Swedish history. Portraying one of the most peculiar forms of government of the eighteenth century, this book also offers new perspectives on the intellectual history of Europe in general.}},
  author       = {{Nordin, Jonas and Olsson, Lena}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-98740-4-3-1}},
  keywords     = {{monarchism; republicanism; Age of Liberty; Swedish history; royal ceremonies; mediation; public sphere; popular politics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University Press}},
  title        = {{Monarchy in the Age of Liberty : Royal power and public life in eighteenth-century Sweden}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/243105064/Nordin_Jonas_Monarchy_in_the_Age_of_Liberty_9789198740448.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.7765/9789198740448}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}