Charles XI is the Swedish king who ruled from 1660 to 1697. He left a mark in the history of Sweden, making the monarchy unlimited. The reduction carried out in the country (return to state ownership of lands) significantly weakened the position of the nobility and freed the peasants from dependence. In Europe, he pursued an independent policy, moved away from France and became close to Denmark. He is considered an outstanding ruler of Sweden, who contributed to its economic development.
Childhood
Born on 11.24.1655, the future king Charles XI, from 1660-1697. who ruled Sweden, at the age of five was left without a father. Until his adulthood, he was appointed regents from among high-ranking noblemen. They were not interested in the little king, doing their own thing. This led to the fact that he was practically illiterate when he assumed control of the state.
He had no idea how to rule the country. But he had the character of a real king, which allowed others to believe in him. He was a very religious, strong-willed, brave man, firm in his decisions to such an extent that many considered him a despot.
Regency time
Under King Charles XI, the government was entrusted to the Regent Council and Magnus Gabriel Delagardi, the husband of King Charles X's sister. He was a prominent politician, the richest nobleman in Sweden. During their reign, peace treaties were concluded with all countries with which Charles X fought:
- May 1660 - with Poland (Olive). Livonia moved to Sweden. Poles abandoned claims to the Swedish throne.
- June 1660 - an agreement with Denmark (Copenhagen).
- 1661 - an agreement with Russia (Cardis).
Foreign policy was extremely unstable, nobles hesitated and could not decide with whom friendship was more important: with France or its rivals - Holland and England. Weak domestic policies led to frequent unrest and riots in the population.
Years of rule
When Charles XI turned 17 years old in 1672, the Swedish Riksdag (unicameral parliament) declared him an adult and called for a reduction begun by his father, Charles X. The political situation at that time was extremely unstable. Bloody wars in Europe, calming down for a while, flared up with renewed vigor.
The largest European country, France, waged war on Brandenburg. Sweden, bound by a treaty, was forced to engage in hostilities. But for the Swedes, participation in them was extremely unsuccessful. They lost all their lands, annexed under Charles X. After joining the conflict in Denmark, supporting Brandenburg, the Swedish king Charles XI was forced to declare war on her. The battles took place on land and at sea.
The most significant victory that brought the Swedes back to their king was the battle of Lund (1676). This war was with varying success: on land, the Swedes defeated, on the sea - the Danes. The hostilities ended with the signing of peace treaties: with Denmark - in Lund, with Brandenburg - in Saint-Germain-en-Le.
Carrying out reforms
Being on the throne in the years 1660-1697, Charles XI did not rule the state for 12 years due to his infancy. After coming of age, he gained power in a country with a weakened economy. Frequent crop failures caused hunger in northern Sweden.
Centralized power was extremely weak in the country. Having received the land in control, high-ranking nobles led the country to a split. Therefore, the Rigdsdag demanded a reduction, that is, the return of land to the state, which was done by the young king. There was a weakening of the aristocracy and the strengthening of royal power. This naturally led to monarchist absolutism.
The Council of State was renamed Royal. Reductions went to the king, the right to establish laws, the size of taxes. The estates did not have the same meaning. The economic situation of the country has improved significantly. Every year, two and a half million dealers entered the treasury. The peasantry ceased to depend on the nobility.
The foreign policy of the Kingdom of Sweden has changed dramatically. Charles XI went on a rapprochement with Denmark, marrying the Danish princess Ulrike Eleanor. He freed himself from treaties with France, implementing an independent policy.
King's name in art
A lot of the mysterious is connected with the name of the Swedish king Charles XI. This is reflected in art. The pitiful speech on the occasion of his death raises a lot of questions, since it is written in Latin in Russian. Its author is the Ceremonial Master of the Royal Court Yu. G. Sparvenfeld. A speech was made in Stockholm about six months after the death of the monarch on his birthday. Later it was printed in Latin in duplicate. U. Birgegord suggested that this was due to the desire to increase the loyalty of the Russian-speaking inhabitants of Ingermanland to the Swedish government. The speech had a symbolic meaning, was intended to show that Sweden includes land inhabited, including by the Russian-speaking population.
In the Hermitage is a portrait of Charles XI, painted by an unknown artist. A lot of portraits of the king and his family were painted by the court artist Ehrenstral, including the one that depicts the king's family and his dead wife. She is depicted in a portrait hanging over the head of the monarch.
The same artist painted his dying portrait. It is interesting that the king died on April 15, 1697, and they buried him only on November 24.
Gold coins with the inscription "Karl XI 1660-1697 2 dukaten" in 1697 were issued into circulation on the occasion of the death of the ruler. The cost of one copy at auctions ranges from 6 to 8 thousand euros.
Mysterious associated with the name of Charles XI
A lot of mysticism is connected with the king. Even in the children's book of the writer Salma Lagerlef, “Niels Traveling with the Wild Geese,” it is presented in the form of a monument that walks at night. Prosper Merimee has a small work entitled “Vision of Charles XI”, in which he talks about a mysterious vision that predicted future tragic events.
The author claims that the veracity of the story he told is confirmed by a protocol signed by four witnesses. The protocol itself is allegedly in the royal archive. But how true this is, and whether this document exists, no one knows.
The vision is connected with the accession to the throne of the Vasa dynasty. It is claimed that this vision came true in 1792 when King Gustav III, who was shot by a young officer Ankarström, was killed at a costume ball.