King Gustav IV Adolf

In 1797, Gustav IV Adolf married the 16-year-old Princess Fredrika of Baden.

As king, Gustav IV Adolf implemented a number of domestic policy reforms. His foreign policy was strongly influenced by his personal opinions, including his firm opposition to Napoleon.

In 1808 Russia attacked Finland, which for 600 years had been part of Sweden. The war went badly for Sweden, which lost Finland, and the king was blamed for this.

In 1809, Gustav Adolf was deposed in a coup d'état and his descendants were removed from the line of succession. The family was exiled that same year.

Gustav IV Adolf depicted by the Austrian painter Johann Baptist Lampi the Elder (1751–1830). The painting hangs in the Swedish Gallery at Gripsholm Castle, and is part of the Swedish State Portrait Collection. Photo: Nationalmuseum