Oscar I
King of Sweden and Norway
Crown prince Oscar of Sweden, painted by Joseph Karl Stieler
Reign	March 8 1844 - July 8 1859
Full name	Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte
Born	July 4, 1799
	Paris, France
Died	July 8, 1859
	Stockholm, Sweden
Predecessor	Charles XIV John
Successor	Charles XV
Consort	Josephine of Leuchtenberg
Issue	Crown Prince Charles Prince Gustaf, Duke of Uppland Prince Oscar, Duke of Östergötland Princess Eugenie August, Duke of Dalarna
Royal House	Bernadotte
Father	Charles XIV John
Mother	Désirée Clary

Oscar I, born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte (July 4, 1799, Paris–July 8, 1859, Stockholm), was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. He was the only son of Charles XIV John of Sweden and his wife, Queen Desideria. When, in August 1810, Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden, Oscar and his mother moved from Paris to Stockholm (June 1811).

Upbringing

From Charles XIII of Sweden Oscar received the title of Duke of Södermanland. He quickly acquired the Swedish language. By the time he reached the age of majority he had become a general favourite. His very considerable native talents were developed by an excellent education, and he soon came to be regarded as an authority on all socio-political questions. In 1839 he wrote a series of articles on popular education, and (in 1841) an anonymous work, "Om Straff och straffanstalter", advocating prison reforms. Twice during his father's lifetime he was viceroy of Norway. On June 19, 1823 he married the princess Josephine, daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, and granddaughter of the Empress Josephine.

Planned marriage

Oscar's father had selected four princesses as candidates for marriage, in order of his priority:^[1]

• Vilhelmina of Denmark (born 18 January 1808), daughter of Frederick VI of Denmark and Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel (ultimately she married firstly Frederick VII of Denmark and secondly Charles of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg)
• Josephine of Leuchtenberg (born 14 March 1807), daughter of Eugene, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg and Augusta of Bavaria
• Marie of Hesse (born 6 September 1804), daughter of William II of Hesse and Augusta of Prussia (ultimately she married Bernard II of Saxe-Meiningen)
• Marie of Saxe-Weimar (born 3 February 1808), daughter of Charles Frederick of Saxe-Weimar and Maria Pavlovna of Russia (ultimately she married Charles of Prussia)

Politics

In 1824 and 1833, the Crown Prince was briefly Viceroy of Norway. In 1838 the king began to suspect his heir of plotting with the Liberal party to bring about a change of ministry, or even his own abdication. If Oscar did not actively assist the Opposition on this occasion, his disapprobation of his father's despotic behaviour was notorious, though he avoided an actual rupture. Yet his liberalism was of the most cautious and moderate character, as the Opposition, shortly after his accession (March 8, 1844), discovered to their great chagrin. He would not hear of any radical reform of the cumbrous and obsolete Constitution of 1809. But one of his earliest measures was to establish freedom of the press. He also passed the first law towards gender equality in Sweden when he in 1845 declared that brothers and sisters should have equal inheritance, unless there was a will.

He formally established equality between his two kingdoms by introducing new flags with the common Union badge of Norway and Sweden and a new coat of arms for the union. Most of the legislation during Oscar I's reign aimed at improving the economic position of Sweden, and the Riksdag of the Estates, in its address to him in 1857, declared that he had promoted the material prosperity of the kingdom more than any of his predecessors.

  Swedish Royalty
  House of Bernadotte

Charles XIV John Children    Oscar I Oscar I Children    Charles XV    Gustaf, Duke of Upland    Oscar II    Princess Eugenie    August, Duke of Dalarna Charles XV Children    Lovisa, Queen of Denmark    Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland Oscar II Children    Gustaf V    Oscar, Duke of Gotland    Eugén, Duke of Närke    Carl, Duke of Västergötland Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway    Astrid, Queen of Belgium    Carl, Duke of Östergötland Gustaf V Children    Gustaf VI Adolf    Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland    Erik, Duke of Västmanland Gustaf VI Adolf Children    Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten    Sigvard, Duke of Uppland    Ingrid, Queen of Denmark    Bertil, Duke of Halland    Carl Johan, Count af Wisborg Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Princess Birgitta    Princess Désirée    Princess Christina    Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf Children    Crown Princess Victoria    Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland    Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland

In foreign affairs Oscar I was a friend of the principle of nationality. In 1848 he supported Denmark against the Kingdom of Prussia in the First War of Schleswig; placed Swedish and Norwegian troops in cantonments in Funen and North Schleswig (1849-1850); and mediated the Truce of Malmö (August 26, 1848). He was also one of the guarantors of the integrity of Denmark (the London protocol, May 8, 1852).

As early as 1850 Oscar I had conceived the plan of a dynastic union of the three Scandinavian kingdoms, but such difficulties presented themselves that the scheme had to be abandoned. He succeeded, however, in reversing his father's obsequious policy towards Imperial Russia. His fear lest Russia should demand a stretch of coast along the Varanger Fjord induced him to remain neutral during the Crimean War, and, subsequently, to conclude an alliance with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Second French Empire (November 25, 1855) for preserving the territorial integrity of Scandinavia.

Children

Monarchical Styles of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway

Reference style His Majesty Spoken style Your Majesty Alternative style Sire

Oscar I left four legitimate sons, of whom two, Carl and Oscar, succeeded him to the throne, as well as one daughter.

1. King Charles XV (Charles IV in Norway) (1826-1872)
2. Prince Gustaf, Duke of Uppland (1827-1852)
3. King Oscar II (1829-1907)
4. Princess Eugenie (1830-1889)
5. Prince August, Duke of Dalarna (1831-1873)

Oscar also had two children with his mistress, the actress Emilie Högquist:

1. Hjalmar Högquist, born June 18, 1839 in Hamburg.
2. Max Högquist, born August 12, 1840 in Stockholm.

They were often more or less parodically referred to as The Princes of Lappland.

With another mistress, Jaquette Löwenhielm (née Gyldenstolpe), Oscar had a daughter

1. Oscaria, born 1819.

Trivia

Oscar's mother was Désirée Clary, Napoleon Bonaparte's first fiancée. Her sister, Julie Clary, was married to Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte. Désirée chose Napoleon to be Oscar's godfather.

Ancestry

References

1. ^ Hjalmar Lagerqvist, Sveriges drottningar

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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