Gustavus III (1746-1792)

King of Sweden from 1771. After his coup d'etat (1772) he attempted to rule as an enlightened despot, but his increasing dictatorship led to opposition. After political opposition at home and military failure abroad he become absolute monarch in 1789. He was assassinated in 1792.

Born in Stockholm, the son of King Adolphus Frederick. He crushed the power of parliament and its warring factions of the ‘Hats and Caps’ in the coup of 1772 and introduced a number of reforming measures. Defied by a parliament he had summoned in 1786, he attempted to revive his fortunes by attacking Russia (1788), but the failure of this campaign, mutiny in the army in Finland, and opposition at home led to his absolute rule.

Strongly influenced by France, Gustavus encouraged the arts, particularly the theatre, and founded the Swedish Academy (1786). Culturally, the period takes its name from him (the Gustavian Age). He was assassinated at a masked ball by conspirators from the nobility.