View source for Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs

The '''royal motto''' of the [[Monarchy of Sweden|Swedish monarch]] is a Swedish royal tradition stemming from the early 16th century. All reigning monarchs of [[Sweden]], beginning with [[Gustav I of Sweden|Gustav I]], have had their own mottos during their respective periods of reign. The Swedish royal motto in many ways is equivalent to a [[national motto]]. The tradition among Swedish monarchs, in common with the [[royal mottos of Danish monarchs|Danish]] and [[royal mottos of Norwegian monarchs|Norwegian]] monarchies, but different from that of most other modern European monarchies, is that the motto is not the same for one [[dynasty]], but is personal to each monarch. Historically the royal motto has been used in connection with the [[Coat of arms of Sweden|Swedish coat of arms]], and until 30 June 2017 it could be seen in print on the 1 [[Swedish krona|krona]] coin. The new generation of coins does not feature a motto.

[[Gustav III]] was the first king to have his motto only in Swedish. Up until [[Adolf Frederick of Sweden|Adolf Frederick]], the motto for every regent had been in Latin and Swedish (or, as in the case of [[Gustav II Adolf]], in German). Due to the [[dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden]] in 1905, [[Oscar II of Sweden|Oscar II]] had to change his motto.

==List==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Monarch
! Reign
! Royal motto (in [[Swedish language|Swedish]])
! [[English language|English]] translation
|-
| colspan=4 | 
{{Center|'''[[House of Vasa]]'''}}
|-
| [[Gustav I of Sweden|Gustav I]]
| 1521–1560
| All makt är av Gud
| All power is of [[God]]
|-
| [[Eric XIV of Sweden|Eric XIV]]
| 1560–1568
| Gud giver åt vem Han vill
| God gives to whom He wishes
|-
| [[John III of Sweden|John III]]
| 1568–1592
| Gud vår beskyddare
| God our protector
|-
| [[Sigismund III Vasa|Sigismund]]
| 1592–1599
| För rätten och folket
| For the justice and the people
|-
| [[Charles IX of Sweden|Charles IX]]
| 1599–1611
| Gud min tröst
| God my comfort
|-
| [[Gustavus Adolphus|Gustav II Adolf]]
| 1611–1632
| Med Gud och segrande vapen
| With God and victorious arms
|-
| [[Christina, Queen of Sweden|Christina]]
| 1632–1654
| Visheten är rikets stöd
| Wisdom is the support of the realm
|-
| colspan=4 | 
{{Center|'''[[House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken]] (Pfalz)''' – [[cadet branch]] of the [[House of Wittelsbach]]}}
|-
| [[Charles X Gustav of Sweden|Charles X Gustav]]
| 1654–1660
| I Gud mitt öde – Han skall göra det
| In God my destiny – He shall do it
|-
| [[Charles XI of Sweden|Charles XI]]
| 1660–1697
| Herren är vorden min beskyddare
| The Lord is become my protector
|-
| [[Charles XII of Sweden|Charles XII]]
| 1697–1718
| Med Guds hjälp
| With the help of God 
|-
| [[Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden|Ulrika Eleonora]]
| 1719–1720
| I Gud mitt hopp
| In God my hope
|-
| colspan=4 | 
{{Center|'''[[House of Hesse]]'''}}
|-
| [[Frederick I of Sweden|Frederick I]]
| 1720–1751
| I Gud mitt hopp
| In God my hope
|-
| colspan=4 | 
{{Center|'''[[House of Holstein-Gottorp (Swedish line)|House of Holstein-Gottorp]]''' – [[cadet branch]] of the [[House of Oldenburg]]}}
|-
| [[Adolf Frederick of Sweden|Adolf Frederick]]
| 1751–1771
| Statens välfärd, min välfärd
| The welfare of the state [is] my welfare
|-
| [[Gustav III of Sweden|Gustav III]]
| 1771–1792
| Fäderneslandet
| The fatherland
|-
| [[Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden|Gustav IV Adolf]]
| 1792–1809
| Gud och folket
| God and the people
|-
| [[Charles XIII of Sweden|Charles XIII of Sweden,<br>Charles II of Norway]]
| 1809–1818
| Folkets väl min högsta lag
| The welfare of the people [is] my highest law {{efn|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.}}
|-
| colspan=4 | 
{{Center|'''[[House of Bernadotte]]'''}}
|-
| [[Charles XIV of Sweden|Charles XIV John of Sweden,<br>Charles III John of Norway]]
| 1818–1844
| Folkets kärlek min belöning
| The love of the people [is] my reward
|-
| [[Oscar I of Sweden|Oscar I]]
| 1844–1859
| Rätt och sanning
| Justice and truth
|-
| [[Charles XV of Sweden|Charles XV of Sweden,<br>Charles IV of Norway]]
| 1859–1872
| Land skall med lag byggas
| Lands [or the land] shall be built with law
|-
| rowspan=2 valign=middle | [[Oscar II of Sweden|Oscar II]]
| 1872–1905
| Brödrafolkens väl
| The welfare of the brother peoples
|-
| 1905–1907
| Sveriges väl
| The welfare of Sweden
|-
| [[Gustaf V of Sweden|Gustaf V]] 
| 1907–1950
| Med folket för fosterlandet
| With the people for the Fatherland
|-
| [[Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden|Gustaf VI Adolf]]
| 1950–1973
| Plikten framför allt
| Duty before all
|-
| [[Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden|Carl XVI Gustaf]]
| {{nowrap|1973–present}}
| För Sverige – i tiden
| For Sweden &ndash; with the Times
|}

==See also==
* [[List of Swedish monarchs]]
* [[Royal mottos of Danish monarchs]]
* [[Royal mottos of Norwegian monarchs]]

==Footnotes and references==

{{reflist}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151223021154/http://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt/monarchytheroyalcourt/themonarchyinsweden/mottoesofthemonarchs.4.396160511584257f2180004713.html Mottoes of The Kings and Queens of Sweden]

[[Category:Monarchy of Sweden]]
[[Category:Lists of royal mottos|Sweden]]