Charles XIV John

Biography

Jean Bernadotte was born in Pau, in Béarn in south-western France, in 1763 and joined the French royal army in 1780. The Revolution opened rapid promotion to him: he was a brigadier general by 1794 and served with distinction in Germany and Italy. In 1798 he was briefly ambassador in Vienna and married Désirée Clary, Napoleon's former fiancée and sister-in-law of Joseph Bonaparte, and in 1799 he was minister of war for two months.

Despite a stormy relationship with Napoleon, he was made one of the first Marshals of the Empire in 1804 and governed occupied Hanover. He played an important part in the victory at Austerlitz, was rewarded with the principality of Pontecorvo in 1806, fought in the campaigns against Prussia and later governed the Hanseatic towns, where he was respected as an administrator.

In August 1810 the Swedish Riksdag, meeting at Örebro, unexpectedly elected him heir to the childless Charles XIII. Adopted as Charles John, he quickly took control of Swedish policy. He allied Sweden with Russia in 1812, made peace with Britain and, as commander of the Allied Army of the North in 1813, defended Berlin and fought at Leipzig. He then forced Denmark to cede Norway in the Treaty of Kiel, and when the Norwegians resisted he won a short war and brought Norway into union with Sweden.

He succeeded Charles XIII as king of Sweden and Norway on 5 February 1818 and was crowned in Stockholm and Trondheim. He reigned until his death in Stockholm on 8 March 1844 and was succeeded by his son, Oscar I.