Oscar I | |
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King of Sweden and Norway (more...) | |
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Crown prince Oscar of Sweden, painted by Joseph Karl Stieler | |
Reign | March 8 1844 - July 8 1859 |
Predecessor | Charles XIV John |
Successor | Charles XV |
Consort | Josephine of Leuchtenberg |
Issue | |
Charles XV Prince Gustaf, Duke of Uppland Oscar II Princess Eugenie Prince August, Duke of Dalarna |
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Full name | |
Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte | |
Titles and styles | |
HM The King HRH The Crown Prince HRH The Duke of Södermanland |
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Royal house | House of Bernadotte |
Father | Charles XIV John |
Mother | Désirée Clary |
Born | July 4, 1799 Paris, France |
Died | July 8, 1859 Stockholm, Sweden |
Oscar I, born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte (4 July, 1799, Paris – 8 July, 1859, Stockholm), was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. When, in August 1810, Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden, Oscar and his mother moved from Paris to Stockholm (June 1811). He was the first ruler of the current House of Bernadotte. Oscar's mother was Désirée Clary, Napoleon Bonaparte's first fiancée. Her sister, Julie Clary, was married to Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte. Désirée chose Napoleon to be Oscar's godfather.
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From Charles XIII of Sweden Oscar received the title of Duke of Södermanland. He quickly acquired the Swedish language. By the time he reached the age of majority he had become a general favourite. His very considerable native talents were developed by an excellent education, and he soon came to be regarded as an authority on all socio-political questions. In 1839 he wrote a series of articles on popular education, and (in 1841) an anonymous work, "Om Straff och straffanstalter", advocating prison reforms. Twice during his father's lifetime he was viceroy of Norway. By proxy at the Leuchtenberg Palace in Munich on 22 May 1823 and in person at a wedding ceremony conducted in Stockholm on 19 June 1823 he married the Princess Josephine, daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, and granddaughter of the Empress Josephine.
Oscar's father had selected four princesses as candidates for marriage, in order of his priority:[1]
In 1824 and 1833, the Crown Prince was briefly Viceroy of Norway. In 1838 the king began to suspect his heir of plotting with the Liberal party to bring about a change of ministry, or even his own abdication. If Oscar did not actively assist the Opposition on this occasion, his disapprobation of his father's despotic behaviour was notorious, though he avoided an actual rupture. Yet his liberalism was of the most cautious and moderate character, as the Opposition, shortly after his accession (March 8, 1844), discovered to their great chagrin. He would not hear of any radical reform of the cumbrous and obsolete Constitution of 1809. But one of his earliest measures was to establish freedom of the press. He also passed the first law towards gender equality in Sweden when he in 1845 declared that brothers and sisters should have equal inheritance, unless there was a will.
He formally established equality between his two kingdoms by introducing new flags with the common Union badge of Norway and Sweden and a new coat of arms for the union. Most of the legislation during Oscar I's reign aimed at improving the economic position of Sweden, and the Riksdag of the Estates, in its address to him in 1857, declared that he had promoted the material prosperity of the kingdom more than any of his predecessors.
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In foreign affairs Oscar I was a friend of the principle of nationality. In 1848 he supported Denmark against the Kingdom of Prussia in the First War of Schleswig; placed Swedish and Norwegian troops in cantonments in Funen and North Schleswig (1849-1850); and mediated the Truce of Malmö (26 August, 1848). He was also one of the guarantors of the integrity of Denmark (the London protocol, 8 May, 1852).
As early as 1850 Oscar I had conceived the plan of a dynastic union of the three Scandinavian kingdoms, but such difficulties presented themselves that the scheme had to be abandoned. He succeeded, however, in reversing his father's obsequious policy towards Imperial Russia. His fear lest Russia should demand a stretch of coast along the Varanger Fjord induced him to remain neutral during the Crimean War, and, subsequently, to conclude an alliance with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Second French Empire (November 25, 1855) for preserving the territorial integrity of Scandinavia.
He was the 968th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Spain.
Oscar I left five legitimate children - four sons and one daughter. Two of his sons, Carl and Oscar, succeeded him to the throne.
Oscar also had two children with his mistress, the actress Emilie Högquist:
With another mistress, Jaquette Löwenhielm (née Gyldenstolpe), Oscar had a daughter
Monarchical styles of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway |
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Reference style | His Majesty |
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Spoken style | Your Majesty |
Alternative style | Sire |
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16. Jean Bernadotte | |||||||||||||||
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8. Jean Bernadotte |
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17. Marie de la Barrère-Bertandot | |||||||||||||||
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4. Jean Henri Bernadotte |
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18. Jacques du Pucheu dit de Laplace | |||||||||||||||
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9. Marie du Pucheu dite de La Place |
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19. Françoise de Labasseur | |||||||||||||||
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2. Charles XIV John of Sweden |
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20. | |||||||||||||||
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10. Jean de Saint Vincent |
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21. | |||||||||||||||
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5. Jeanne de Saint Vincent |
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22. Doumengé Habas d'Arrens | |||||||||||||||
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11. Marie d'Abbadie de Sireix |
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23. Marie d'Abbadie, Abbesse Laïque de Sireix | |||||||||||||||
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1. Oscar I of Sweden |
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24. Jacques Clary | |||||||||||||||
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12. Joseph Clary |
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25. Catherine Barosse | |||||||||||||||
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6. François Clary |
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26. François Ammoric | |||||||||||||||
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13. Françoise Agnes Ammoric |
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27. Jeanne Boisson | |||||||||||||||
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3. Désirée Clary |
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28. Jean Louis Somis | |||||||||||||||
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14. Joseph Ignace Somis |
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29. Françoise Bouchard | |||||||||||||||
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7. Françoise Rose Somis |
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30. François Soucheiron | |||||||||||||||
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15. Catherine Rose Soucheiron |
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31. Anne Cautier | |||||||||||||||
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Oscar I
House of Bernadotte
Born: July 4 1799 Died: July 8 1859 |
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Regnal titles | ||
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Preceded by Karl XIV/III Johan |
King of Sweden 1844-1859 |
Succeeded by Karl XV/IV |
King of Norway 1844-1859 |
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Titles of nobility | ||
Preceded by Karl XIII/II |
Duke of Södermanland | Succeeded by Carl Oscar |
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