List of monarchs of Sweden

This list records the monarchs of Sweden, from the late Viking Age to the present day. Sweden has continuously been a monarchy since the country's consolidation in the Viking Age and early Middle Ages, for over a thousand years. The incumbent Swedish royal family is the House of Bernadotte, established on the throne in 1818.

History

There were organized political structures in Sweden before the kingdom was unified; based on archaeological evidence, early tribal societies are believed to have transitioned into organized chiefdoms in the first few centuries AD, perhaps spurred by contacts with the Roman Empire and the rest of Europe. In the period AD 500–800, Scandinavian societies began adopting cultural elements from the newly established Germanic kingdoms in Europe, transitioning further into petty kingdoms.
Archaeological evidence suggests that were numerous petty kingdoms throughout modern-day Sweden. Foreign sources and later native sources describe the later medieval kingdom as being composed of two main regions: Svealand and Götaland. Sources from as early as the Roman author Tacitus mention two main peoples or tribes in modern Sweden: the Svear and Götar ; the Svear are mentioned in more foreign sources than the Götar, credited with military activities at sea. The securely attested Swedish rulers in the Viking Age, predecessors of the later line of Swedish kings, ruled from the religious and political center of Old Uppsala; though its history before the Viking Age is poorly attested, it is probable that Old Uppsala had been a political and religious center since the Migration Period.
File:Gamla Upplsa museum.jpg|thumb|Reconstruction of Old Uppsala, the center of the proto-historic Swedish petty kingdom which gave rise to the medieval Swedish kingdom
The earliest historically attested Swedish rulers are 9th-century petty kings from the Vita Ansgarii, an account written 870 by Rimbert partly concerning Saint Ansgar's visit to Svealand. Some kings of Old Uppsala are also mentioned in later Icelandic texts and sagas. The line of legendary Swedish kings from Icelandic tradition, called sagokungar in Swedish, are not generally treated as historical figures, though some may be based on actual chieftains or petty kings. Some later king-lists deliberately extended the sequence of kings for nationalistic purposes, such as Johannes Magnus's Historia de omnibus Gothorum Sueonumque regibus ; supposed ancient kings mentioned in such sources are clearly fictional.
The petty kingdoms eventually gave rise to more complex political structures and what is today considered the beginning of the Swedish kingdom developed over the course of the Viking Age and the subsequent Middle Ages. For a consecutive list from then, the first Swedish king of whom anything definite is known is the 10th-century Eric the Victorious, though the information reported about him in different sources is scarce. Eric's son Olof Skötkonung was the first king to be baptized in Sweden and is credited with founding a Christian kingdom. The early and then medieval Swedish kingdom was an elective monarchy, with kings being elected from particularly prominent families; this practice did however often result in de facto dynastic succession and the formation of royal dynasties, such as those of Eric and Bjälbo as well as infighting between rival families.
From 1389 to 1523, Sweden was often united with Denmark and Norway under the kings of the Kalmar Union. Sweden's full independence was restored under Gustav I in 1523. He is often credited as the founder of modern Sweden, and in 1544 he formally abandoned the previous elective monarchy in favor of hereditary succession. Initially adopting the medieval "King of Swedes and Geats", Gustav I later adopted the lengthier title rex Svecorum Gothorum Vandalorumque. The last monarch to be titled as king of the Swedes, Geats and Wends was Gustaf VI Adolf since his successor, the present king Carl XVI Gustaf, upon his accession adopted the shortened title "King of Sweden".
In 1980, the rule of succession was changed from agnatic to absolute primogeniture, to the benefit of Princess Victoria, the current heir apparent.

Monarchs and regents of Sweden

House of Munsö (970–1060)

Portrait	Name	Reign	Succession	Marriage	Life details
	Eric "the Victorious" Erik Segersäll	970 – c. 995	First king about whom anything definite is known	Sigrid the Haughty	c. 945 – c. 995 Attributed various wives and children in different sources
	Olof "Skötkonung"	c. 995 – c. 1022	Son of Eric the Victorious	Estrid of the Obotrites	c. 980 – c. 1022
	Anund Jacob Anund Jakob	c. 1022 – 1050	Son of Olof	Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir	c. 1008 – 1050
	Emund "the Old" Emund den gamle	c. 1050 – 1060	Illegitimate son of Olof	Astrid Njalsdotter	Died 1060 Last king of the House of Munsö

House of Stenkil (1060–1125/1130)

Portrait	Name	Reign	Succession	Marriage	Life details
	Stenkil Stenkil Ragnvaldsson	c. 1060 – 1066	Possibly son-in-law of Emund	"Ingamoder"	Died c. 1066
	Eric and Eric Erik och Erik	c. 1066	Recorded in only one source as two pretenders who fought each other after Stenkil's death.	Nothing recorded	Nothing known
	Halsten Halsten Stenkilsson	c. 1066 – 1068	Son of Stenkil	Unknown queen	Few life details known. Deposed c. 1068. Possibly later returned to rule as co-ruler with his brother Inge I.
	Anund "from Russia" Anund Gårdske	c. 1068 – 1076	Recorded in only one source as elected king after Halsten's deposition	Nothing recorded	Few life details known; said to have come from Kievan Rus'. Deposed c. 1076.
	Håkan "the Red" Håkan Röde	1070s	Possibly great-grandson of Eric the Victorious	Nothing recorded	Few life details known. Different sources place Håkan either as the predecessor of Stenkil or Inge.
	Inge "the Elder" Inge den äldre	c. 1078 – 1112	Son of Stenkil. Seized power, either from Anund or Håkan.	Helena	Died c. 1112 Ended the period of anarchy begun after Stenkil's death. Maybe deposed c. 1081–1083 before regaining the throne.
	Sweyn Blot-Sven	c. 1081 – 1083	Possibly son-in-law of Stenkil. Said to have usurped the throne.	Nothing recorded	Few life details known. Historicity disputed on account of poor source material. Either deposed or succeeded by his son.
	Eric "Årsäll" Erik Årsäll	c. 1083	Possibly son of Sweyn, who some sources record him as succeeding	Nothing recorded	Few life details known. Historicity disputed on account of poor and contradictory sources. Deposed by Inge if historical.
	Philip Filip Halstensson	c. 1100 – 1118	Son of Halsten. Appears to have begun his reign as a co-ruler with Inge the Elder.	Ingegerd of Norway	Died 1118
	Inge "the Younger" Inge Halstensson	c. 1118 – 1125/1130	Son of Halsten. Possibly initially co-ruler with Philip.	Ulvhild Håkansdotter	Died c. 1130 Likely the last male-line member of Stenkil's dynasty.
	Ragnvald "Knaphövde"	1120s/1130s	No known connection to previous kings. Recorded in Västgötalagen as the successor of Inge II and predecessor of Sverker I.	Nothing recorded	Few life details known

Houses of Sverker and Eric (1125/1130–1250)

Portrait	Name	Reign	Succession	Marriage	Life details
	Magnus I "the Strong" Magnus Nilsson	c. 1125 – 1130 or c. 1130 – 1134	Grandson of Inge the Elder. Attested only as a pretender in the Gesta Danorum; perhaps never recognized as king.	Richeza of Poland	Died in 1134 Elected king but failed to establish his power; killed in 1134 at the Battle of Fotevik.
	Sverker I "the Elder" Sverker den äldre	c. 1130 – 25 December 1156	Either no previous royal connection' or grandson of Sweyn. Elected in opposition to Magnus I.'	Ulvhild Håkansdotter Richeza of Poland	Died 25 December 1156 Assassinated, allegedly by the pretender Magnus II.
	Eric "the Holy" Erik Jedvardsson	c. 1157 – 18 May 1160	Cousin of Sverker I	Christina of Denmark	c. 1120 – 18 May 1160 Attempted to christianize Finland. Murdered by the pretender Magnus II and later canonized, becoming Sweden's patron saint.
	Magnus II Magnus Henriksson	18 May 1160 – 1161	Great-grandson of Inge I. Seized power after murdering Eric IX.	Bridget Haraldsdotter	Died in 1161 Killed in battle against Charles VII.
	Charles Karl Sverkersson	c. 1157 – 12 April 1167	Son of Sverker I. Initially ruled in Västergötland in opposition to Eric IX; later overthrew Magnus II.	Christina Hvide	1130 – 12 April 1167 Murdered by Canute I, who succeeded him as king.
	Canute I Knut Eriksson	12 April 1167 – 1196	Son of Eric IX. Seized power after murdering Charles VII.	Cecilia Johansdotter	Before 1150 – 1196
	Kol	1170s	Sons of Sverker I. Ruled together in Östergötland, in opposition to Canute I.	Nothing recorded	Few life details known
	Boleslaw Burislev	1170s	Sons of Sverker I. Ruled together in Östergötland, in opposition to Canute I.	Nothing recorded	Few life details known
	Sverker II "the Younger" Sverker Karlsson	1196 – 1208	Son of Charles VII	Benedicta Hvide	c. 1164 – 17 July 1210 Deposed after the Battle of Lena. Killed at the Battle of Gestilren while trying to retake the throne.
	Sverker II "the Younger" Sverker Karlsson	1196 – 1208	Son of Charles VII	Ingegerd Birgersdotter	c. 1164 – 17 July 1210 Deposed after the Battle of Lena. Killed at the Battle of Gestilren while trying to retake the throne.
	Eric "the Survivor" Erik Knutsson	1208 – 10 April 1216	Son of Canute I. Seized power after defeating Sverker II in battle.	Rikissa of Denmark	1180 – 10 April 1216
	John I Johan Sverkersson	10 April 1216 – 10 March 1222	Son of Sverker II	Unmarried and childless	1201 – 10 March 1222 Died of illness as the last male-line member of Sverker's dynasty.
	Eric "the Lisp and Lame" Erik Eriksson	March 1222 – 1229	Son of Eric X	Catherine Sunesdotter	1216 – 2 February 1250 Largely overshadowed by prominent statesmen. Deposed and in exile 1229–1234.
	Canute II "the Tall" Knut Holmgersson	1229 – 1234	Relative of the House of Eric. Elected king after the deposition of Eric XI.	Unknown queen	Died 1234
	Eric "the Lisp and Lame" Erik Eriksson	1234 – 2 February 1250	Returned and regained power after Canute II's death	Catherine Sunesdotter