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Why do Swedish royals use a French surname? The origins of the first Bernadotte

Sweden was a monarchy long before its current ruling house arrived on the throne. However, it was the last dynasty to accede to the throne that made it famous.  Its founder was born in France, and the Kingdom of Sweden was his reward for a well-conducted campaign during the Napoleonic wars.  Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte was born in Pau, southern France, on the 26th of January 1763, the…
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HistorySweden

In the beginning: The Bernadotte dynasty

The Bernadottes first began ruling over the Kingdom of Sweden in 1818 with King Karl XIV Johan (also called King Charles XIV John), who was also the King of Norway during this time. He was born on 26 January 1763 in France as Jean Bernadotte. It was in 1810 that he was…