The 1719 Instrument of Government ( sv, regeringsform) adopted on 21 February 1719 by 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 ...

(Swedish parliament), was the

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these prin ...

of the

Kingdom of 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 ...

from 1719 to 1720. Although only in force for a few months, it has great significance in Swedish history, as its promulgation marked the end of the country's first period of absolutism (1680-1719) and the beginning of the period of

constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies di ...

and

parliamentary government A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

traditionally known as the

Age of Liberty In Swedish and Finnish history, the Age of Liberty ( sv, frihetstiden; fi, vapauden aika) was a period that saw parliamentary governance, increasing civil rights and the decline of the Swedish Empire that began with Charles XII's death in 1 ...

. The Instrument came about as a result of the succession crisis which occurred after

Charles XII of Sweden Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of ...

died childless during the

Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swed ...

, leaving two potential heirs: his sister Ulrika Eleonora the Younger, and his nephew

Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Charles Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp () (30 April 1700 – 18 June 1739) was a Prince of Sweden and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp and an important member of European royalty. His dynasty, the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gott ...

. The crisis was eventually resolved by a deal whereby the Riksdag acknowledged Ulrika as

queen regnant A queen regnant (plural: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank and title to a king, who reigns '' suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a "kingdom"; as opposed to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reign ...

, and in exchange she signed a new constitution, thereby renouncing the

absolute monarchy Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constitut ...

instituted by her father King Charles XI. As such it was in effect a revival of the

Instrument of Government (1634) The Instrument of Government ( sv, regeringsform) of 1634 was a document describing the form and operation of the Swedish government, retrospectively regarded as the country's first constitution, although it was not intended to function as such.

, and indeed the title "Instrument of Government" ( sv, regeringsform) was deliberately chosen to invoke that earlier document; there are however substantial differences between the two, with the 1634 Instrument having a more narrowly descriptive and administrative function while the 1719 Instrument was explicitly intended to be a political constitution in the modern sense. Only a year after its promulgation, the 1719 Instrument of Government was replaced by a new constitution, the Instrument of Government (1720), although the two were largely identical in content.Regeringsformen
'' Nordisk Familjebok'' (1915), p.1208 The 1720 Instrument subsequently remained in force for the rest of the Age of Liberty, until absolutism was restored by King Gustav III's self-coup in 1772.

References

Sources

* * {{Constitutions of Sweden, state=collapsed 1719 in law Constitution of Sweden Defunct constitutions 1719 in Sweden 1719 in politics