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Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden

Stockholm Palace, 1 Nov 1778 – St. Gallen, 7 Feb 1837

12 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born1 Nov 1778, Stockholm Palacenot verified1 source
  • TitleMonarch of Sweden, 1792–1809not verified1 source
  • EventAssassination of Gustav III of Swedenor Finnish War · 1809 Swedish coup d'étatnot verified1 source
  • Event1809 Swedish coup d'étator Finnish War · assassination of Gustav III of Swedennot verified1 source
  • EventFinnish Waror assassination of Gustav III of Sweden · 1809 Swedish coup d'étatnot verified1 source
  • Died7 Feb 1837, St. Gallennot verified1 source
  • FatherGustav III of Swedennot verified1 source
  • MotherSophia Magdalena of Denmarknot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1 Nov 1778

    Born in Stockholm Palace

  2. 1792–1809

    Monarch of Sweden

  3. 1799–1807

    5 children are born

  4. 7 Feb 1837

    Dies in St. Gallen, aged 58

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 5

During his lifetime

He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Stockholm Palace.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1770s · Gustav IV is born in Stockholm Palace

In the news1772

Famine and distillery ban in 1772

Following severe crop failures and widespread famine in 1771 and 1772, the government banned the legal manufacture of spirits for personal use to conserve grain.

What people wore

Men's evolving fashion in rural Sweden

In the mid-18th century, ordinary men typically wore sturdy, grey woollen wadmal coats fastened with hooks instead of buttons, often lacking pockets. By the late 1700s, younger men increasingly adopted fashionable blue coats adorned with silver-plated buttons, velvet-ribboned hats, and silk accessories.

Getting around

Traveling by Horse and Foot

In the mid-18th century, people typically traveled by horse or on foot, and women often rode in special side-saddles because the roads were often little more than paths. Goods were also frequently transported on horseback using pack saddles as long as the ground was free of snow.

Watt’s steam engine. James Watt’s much more efficient steam engine, patented in 1769, powered the mills and mines of the Industrial Revolution.Around the world · 1769–1776

Watt’s steam engine. James Watt’s much more efficient steam engine, patented in 1769, powered the mills and mines of the Industrial Revolution.

Nicolás Pérez · CC BY-SA 3.0

In the news1770–1771

Potato adoption during 1770-1771 famine

Famine threatened the population in 1770-1771 due to consecutive poor harvests, leading to the adoption of the potato as a vital food substitute.

Music

Traveling musicians performed at manor house festivities

At manor house festivities, musicians often traveled 30 to 60 kilometers from cities to play for dancing, staying overnight at the estate.

Daily life

Water and storage in manor kitchens

In manor house kitchens, water was carried in from a well in wooden buckets, and drinking water was kept in a lidded copper barrel.