Monarchy of Finland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this article or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since July 2006. (help, talk) |
The nation of Finland has never been an enduring independent sovereign monarchy in the traditional sense of a nation-state ruled by its own monarch: no attempt to establish one was crowned with success. When it finally became established as a modern independent nation-state, it was (despite a very brief flirtation with monarchy) in the form of a republic.
Finland however has repeatedly been part of monarchical states though usually as a sub-unit of a monarchy based outside Finland proper. These incarnationas have seen the country identified as a principality, a grand duchy and other forms as described below.
The best-sustained of these was the autonomous Grand Principality of Finland 1809-1917.
- Ancient kings of Finland are mostly legends.
- Duke of Finland was created as a Swedish title and duchy at least four times, between 13th and 16th centuries.
- John of Vasa, second son of Gustav I of Sweden was given Finland as an appanage, a royal duchy (to revert to the crown). John exercised an independent foreign policy.
- The selfsame John, once king of Sweden, created the title Grand Duke of Finland as a subsidiary title of Swedish monarchs.
- Charles IX of Sweden used "King of Finns" as part of his official titulary.
- in 1741, invading Russian troops proclaimed as King of Finland the then Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, great-nephew of late Charles XII of Sweden, Grand Duke of Finland.
- In 21 August 1772, a new arrangement took effect whereby Finland was nominally sperate but in personal union with Sweden, as Grand Principality (often called a grand duchy in other languages). This apparently did not change essentially its administration.
- 1809-1917 Following its capture from Sweden by Russia, Finland became a nominally autononous state within the Russian Empire under the title of Grand Duchy of Finland
- In 1918 following its split from Russia, Finland was proclaimed a kingdom and Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse was elected as its king however he abdicated after several weeks recognising that his position was untenable after the collapse of the Central Powers. See Kingdom of Finland 1918
