Count Adolf Ludvig Hamilton (1747–1802) was a Swedish

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

and politician. His father was

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Gustav David Hamilton Gustav David Hamilton (1699–1788) was a Swedish count and soldier. He was born in 1699 in Barsebäck, Malmöhus County, Sweden. He left Sweden in 1718-1720 to educate himself in warfare in France. In 1720 he became a captain and in 1740 he became ...

. He was one of the leaders of the opposition of the nobility against King

Gustav III of Sweden Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what ...

in 1789. He also authored a critical book about Gustav III: .Nordisk familjebok
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Biography

Adolf Ludvig Hamilton was the son of

Gustaf David Hamilton Gustav David Hamilton (1699–1788) was a Swedish count and soldier. He was born in 1699 in Barsebäck, Malmöhus County, Sweden. He left Sweden in 1718-1720 to educate himself in warfare in France. In 1720 he became a captain and in 1740 he beca ...

. He became an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in 1759 and in 1766 he became

chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

for the then

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

Gustav III (later King

). In 1771 he became

for

Sophia Magdalena of Denmark Sophia Magdalena of Denmark ( da, Sophie Magdalene; sv, Sofia Magdalena; 3 July 1746 – 21 August 1813) was Crown Princess of Sweden by her marriage to Gustav III. She was liked by many in the Caps party, believing she was a symbol of virtue a ...

. He resigned from this later post in 1782 and moved to the Blomberg estate in

Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Väs ...

, Sweden. Count Hamilton was initially in favor of King Gustav III. However, he gradually developed a considerable hatred against the king, and after his resignation as chamberlain he joined the opposition in the

Riksdag of the Estates Riksdag of the Estates ( sv, Riksens ständer; informally sv, Ståndsriksdagen) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to t ...

. He was the first to proclaim in the at

Stockholm Palace Stockholm Palace or the Royal Palace ( sv, Stockholms slott or ) is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch (King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia use Drottningholm Palace as their usual residence). Stockholm Palac ...

that the

Act of Union and Security The Union and Security Act ( sv, Förenings- och säkerhetsakten, fi, Yhdistys- ja vakuuskirja), alternatively Act of Union and Security, was proposed by king Gustav III of Sweden to the assembled Estates of the Realm during the Riksdag_of_the_Est ...

proposed by King Gustav III needed to be discussed separately by the four Estates. The act essentially provided King Gustav III tremendous power and simultaneously dramatically reduced the rights and privileges of the nobility. Hamilton was initially much in favor of the

French revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

, however, after observing the tyranny during the

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...

his feelings towards

Jacobinism A Jacobin (; ) was a member of the Jacobin Club, a revolutionary political movement that was the most famous political club during the French Revolution (1789–1799). The club got its name from meeting at the Dominican rue Saint-Honoré M ...

became lukewarm and in 1800 he had reversed his position and became a

royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

. Hamilton had a French education and his writings and speeches often included

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...

. He was known and feared for his

epigrams An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two millen ...

. After his resignation as a chamberlain he kept a diary, which is kept at the Hamiltonian archive at Barsebäck Castle. In his later years, probably in the year 1795, he completed the book , which contains many anecdotes about the influential people in the mid-18th century Sweden. He was the father of Gustaf Wathier Hamilton.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Adolf Ludvig Swedish people of Scottish descent 1747 births 1802 deaths 18th-century Swedish politicians Swedish counts Gustavian era people Swedish courtiers Members of the Riksdag of the Estates