Charles XIII (redirected from Charles XIII of Sweden)

Charles XIII, king of Sweden and Norway

Charles XIII, 1748–1818, king of Sweden (1809–18) and Norway (1814–18). He became regent for his nephew, Gustavus IV, after the assassination (1792) of his brother Gustavus III. He introduced some liberal policies, but these were abandoned at the end of his regency (1796). Called to the throne at the forced abdication (1809) of his nephew, Charles accepted a new constitution that limited the monarch's power, and he signed treaties with Denmark and France and a treaty ceding Finland to Russia. In 1810 he adopted the French marshal Bernadotte (later King Charles XIV) as his heir, and thereafter left all affairs in his hands.

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Charles XIII

 Swedish Karl

(born Nov. 8, 1622, Nyköping Castle, Swed.—died Feb. 13, 1660, Göteborg) King of Sweden (1809–18) and first king of the union of Sweden and Norway (1814–18). Second son of King Adolf Frederick (1710–71), he served as admiral of the fleet in the Russo-Swedish war. On the death of his brother Gustav III (1792), Charles became regent for his nephew Gustav IV. After the latter's deposition in 1809, Charles was elected king. He was prematurely aged and childless. In 1810 Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (later Charles XIV John) was named heir apparent; from then on, Charles was eclipsed by the crown prince.