The Commandant General in Stockholm ( sv, Överkommendanten i Stockholm) is a military position in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

with responsibility for state ceremonial activities. Lieutenant General

Michael Claesson Lieutenant General Leif ''Michael'' Claesson (born 1 March 1965) is a Swedish Army officer. He served as the Chief of Policy and Plans Department in the Defence Staff from 2018 to 2020. Claesson currently serves av Chief of Joint Operations. ...

, Chief of Joint Operations is the Commandant General in Stockholm since 2020.

History

The King's Adjutant General was tasked with, among other things, commanding the troops in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

. In 1810 a commanding Adjutant General of Stockholm Garrison was appointed. In 1818, this position was referred to as the Commandant General of Stockholm Garrison ( sv, Överkommendant för Stockholms garnison). Prior to November 1905, the Commandant General was a specially appointed general officer, after which the position was taken over by the commanding officer of the IV Army Division (1905–1927), Eastern Army Division (1928–1936), IV Army Division (1937–1942), then by the military commander of the Eastern Military District (Milo Ö) (1942–1991), then by the commanding officer of the

Middle Military District Middle Military District ( sv, Mellersta militärområdet, Milo M) was a Swedish military district, a command of the Swedish Armed Forces that had operational control over Middle Sweden, for most time of its existence corresponding to the area cov ...

(Milo M) (1991–2000), and finally by the commanding officer of the

Central Military District The Central Military District (Russian: Центральный военный округ) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the c ...

(MD M) (2000–2005). After 2005, when the military districts were discontinued, a three-star general or

flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countr ...

of the

Swedish Armed Forces The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...

has held the position as the Commandant General. The position was held by the Chief of Joint Operations (2005–2012) and by the Chief of Defence Staff (2012–2018). Since 30 November 2018, the Supreme Commander has appointed the Commandant General in Stockholm.

Tasks

2005–2018

According to the Swedish Armed Forces Code of Statutes 2005:6, the Commandant General in Stockholm is the chief representative of the state ceremonial activities of the Swedish Armed Forces. The Commandant General shall advise the Supreme Commander in matters relating to state ceremonial activities. The Commandant General is appointed by Supreme Commander and must be a minimum of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. The Commandant General in Stockholm and the Commandant of Stockholm are: # The Commandant General or the Commandant of Stockholm shall, if necessary, participate in state ceremonies or at other ceremonies organized in conjunction with national ceremonies or foreign official visits in Sweden or on similar occasions. They will also participate in receptions or visits if the King, the Regent ad interim, the

Speaker of the Riksdag The speaker of the Riksdag ( sv, Riksdagens talman) is the speaker (politics), presiding officer of the national unicameral legislature in Sweden. The Riksdag underwent profound changes in 1867, when the medieval Riksdag of the Estates was abolis ...

, the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

, the Marshal of the Realm, a cabinet minister or the

Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters The Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters ( sv, Högkvarteret, HKV) is the highest level of command in the Swedish Armed Forces. Established in 1994, its primary task is to command operations, but is also involved in areas such as military strategy, ...

request it. # It is the responsibility of the Commandant General or when he is prevented from attending, the Commandant of Stockholm, to receive such heads of foreign states' military units on an official visit in Stockholm, in the Royal Guards Wing of the

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 ...

2018–present

According to the Swedish Armed Forces Code of Statutes 2018:3, the Commandant General shall: #brief the Supreme Commander on matters relating to state ceremonial activities #coordinate the Swedish Armed Forces' participation in state ceremonial activities #at the request of the Speaker of the Riksdag, the Prime Minister, the Marshal of the Realm, a cabinet minister or the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, give the Commandant Staff (''Kommendantstaben'') the task of planning and implementing the participation of the

Royal Guards Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...

, honorary forces, parading troops and military music #cooperate with the Speaker of the Riksdag, the Prime Minister, the Marshal of the Realm and the Chief of

His Majesty's Military Staff His Majesty's Military Staff ( sv, H.M. Konungens stab) is the military staff of the Swedish monarch and functions as a unit of the Royal Court. It is led by the chief of staff and supports the King and the Royal Family at official ceremonies, mil ...

in matters concerning state ceremonies #collaborate with other authorities and organizations in joint ceremonies #establish rules of procedure for the Commandant Staff #if necessary, attend state ceremonies and ceremonies organized in connection with domestic ceremonies or foreign official visits or on similar occasions #participate in receptions or visits if the head of state, Deputy Regent ('' Riksföreståndare''), the Speaker of the Riksdag, the Prime Minister, the Marshal of the Realm, a cabinet minister or the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters so request #in the Royal Guards Wing at Stockholm Palace receive heads of foreign states' military units who are on an official visit to Stockholm. The Commandant General in Stockholm may delegate the tasks to the Commandant of Stockholm.

Uniform

The Commandant General is wearing a staff (m/1793) that is steel blue and sprinkled with gold crowns and fitted with a gold knob and

chape Chape has had various meanings in English, but the predominant one is a protective fitting at the bottom of a scabbard or sheath for a sword or dagger (10 in the diagram). Historic blade weapons often had leather scabbards with metal fittings a ...

. The staff is provided with a twist in gold and black silk with a hard braided tuft. At the deposing of King

Gustav IV Adolf Gustav IV Adolf or Gustav IV Adolph (1 November 1778 – 7 February 1837) was King of Sweden from 1792 until he was deposed in a coup in 1809. He was also the last Swedish monarch to be the ruler of Finland. The occupation of Finland in 1808–09 ...

in March 1809, the staff played an important symbolic role as the one who held the staff is also associated with the person who was in charge in Stockholm.

Heraldry

The coat of arms of the Commandant General in Stockholm.

Blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...

: "Azure, powdered with open crowns and charged with the badge of Stockholm, the crowned head of

Saint Eric Eric IX, ( Swedish: ''Erik Jedvardsson; Erik den helige; Sankt Erik''; d. 18 May 1160) also called Eric the Holy, Saint Eric, and Eric the Lawgiver, was a Swedish king in the 12th century, 1156–1160. The ''Roman Martyrology'' of the Catholic ...

couped, all or. The shield surmounted a sword bendwise and a baton bendwise sinister in saltire, both or, the baton charged with open crowns azure placed two and one".

List of officeholders

Footnotes

References

{{Leadership of the Swedish Armed Forces Military appointments of Sweden Stockholm Garrison