House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
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| Swedish Royalty |
| House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken |
|---|
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| Charles X Gustav |
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| Charles XI |
| Charles XII |
| Ulrika Eleonora |
The House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken (huset Pfalz-Zweibrücken; also known in Sweden as the Palatine dynasty, Swedish: Pfalziska ätten) was a branch of the House of Wittelsbach. Its Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg branch was the ruling dynasty of Sweden from 1654 to 1720.
The house descended from Stephen, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken (1385–1459), a son of King Rupert of Germany, and later divided into several branches, including Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg, from which the Swedish royal line descended.
Their reign in Sweden coincided with the Caroline era (karolinska tiden), a period characterized by royal absolutism and the military prowess of the Caroleans under Kings Charles XI and Charles XII, during which the Swedish Empire reached both its height and its ultimate decline in the Great Northern War.
History
[edit]
The house originated with Stephen, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken (1385–1459), a son of King Rupert of Germany.[1] His descendants divided into several branches, including Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg. In 1615, John Casimir, Count Palatine of Kleeburg, married Catherine of Sweden, a daughter of King Charles IX of Sweden, establishing a close dynastic connection with the Swedish royal house.[2]
Their son Charles X Gustav succeeded his cousin Queen Christina following her abdication in 1654, beginning the rule of the Palatinate dynasty in Sweden. He was succeeded by his son Charles XI, his grandson Charles XII, and finally his granddaughter Ulrika Eleonora. In 1720, Ulrika Eleonora relinquished the throne in favour of her husband, Frederick I of Hesse, ending the rule of the Palatinate dynasty in Sweden. Although the house ceased to reign in Sweden in 1720, its descendants continued through female lines and became connected with several later European royal families, including the House of Bernadotte.[3]
Family tree
[edit]Cadet branches
[edit]Cadet branches include:
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Wittelsbacher". Deutsche Biographie (in German).
- ↑ "Johan Kasimir". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 20. Riksarkivet. p. 204.
- ↑ Louda, Jiří; Maclagan, Michael (1999). Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe (2nd ed.). London: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-84820-6.
External links
[edit]
Media related to House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken at Wikimedia Commons
