This page is a list of heirs to the Swedish throne. The list includes all individuals who were considered to inherit the throne of the Kingdom of Sweden, either as heir apparent or as heir presumptive, since the accession of the House of Holstein-Gottorp on 25 March 1751. Those who succeeded as King of Sweden are shown in bold in the table below.
In 1809 a coup d'état against King Gustav IV replaced him with his uncle Karl XIII. As the new king was childless, he and the ruling government arranged for the adoption of an heir to succeed him.
| House of Holstein-Gottorp (1751–1818) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch |
Became heir (Date; Reason) |
Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) |
Next in line of succession |
| Adolf Fredrik | Crown Prince Gustav | Son | 25 March 1751 Father became king |
12 February 1771 Father died, became king |
Prince Karl, brother |
| Gustav III | Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland | Brother | 12 February 1771 Brother became king |
1 November 1778 Son born to king |
Prince Fredrik Adolf, Duke of Östergötland, brother |
| Crown Prince Gustav Adolf | Son | 1 November 1778 Born |
29 March 1792 Father died, became king |
Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland, 1778–1782, uncle | |
| Prince Karl Gustav, Duke of Småland, 1782–1783, brother | |||||
| Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland, 1783–1792, uncle | |||||
| Gustav IV Adolf | Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland | Uncle | 29 March 1792 Nephew became king |
9 November 1799 Son born to king |
Prince Fredrik Adolf, Duke of Östergötland, 1792–1798, brother |
| Prince Karl Adolf, Duke of Värmland, 1798, son | |||||
| Prince Fredrik Adolf, Duke of Östergötland, 1798–1799, brother | |||||
| Crown Prince Gustav | Son | 9 November 1799 Born |
29 March 1809 Father abdicated, excluded from succession |
Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland, 1799–1802, granduncle | |
| Prince Karl Gustav, Grand Duke of Finland, 1802–1805, brother | |||||
| Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland, 1805–1809, granduncle | |||||
| Karl XIII | None, 1809–1810 | ||||
| Crown Prince Karl August | Adopted son | 24 January 1810 Elected as heir |
28 May 1810 Died |
None | |
| None, 1810 | |||||
| Crown Prince Karl Johan | Adopted son | 21 August 1810 Elected as heir |
5 February 1818 Adoptive father died, became king |
Prince Oscar, Duke of Södermanland, son | |
| House of Bernadotte (1818–present) | |||||
| Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch |
Became heir (Date; Reason) |
Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) |
Next in line of succession |
| Karl XIV Johan | Crown Prince Oscar, Duke of Södermanland | Son | 5 February 1818 Father became king |
8 March 1844 Father died, became king |
None, 1818–1826 |
| Prince Karl, Duke of Skåne, 1826–1844, son | |||||
| Oscar I | Crown Prince Karl, Duke of Skåne | Son | 8 March 1844 Father became king |
8 July 1859 Father died, became king |
Prince Gustaf, Duke of Uppland, 1844–1852, brother |
| Prince Oscar, Duke of Östergötland, 1852, brother | |||||
| Prince Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland, 1852–1854, son | |||||
| Prince Oscar, Duke of Östergötland, 1854–1859, brother | |||||
| Karl XV | Prince Oscar, Duke of Östergötland | Brother | 8 July 1859 Brother became king |
13 September 1872 Brother died, became king |
Prince Gustaf, Duke of Värmland, son |
| Oscar II | Crown Prince Gustaf, Duke of Värmland | Son | 13 September 1872 Father became king |
8 December 1907 Father died, became king |
Prince Oscar, Duke of Gotland, 1872–1882, brother |
| Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Skåne, 1882–1907, son | |||||
| Gustaf V | Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Skåne | Son | 8 December 1907 Father became king |
29 October 1950 Father died, became king |
Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, 1907–1947, son |
| Prince Carl Gustaf, Duke of Jämtland, 1947–1950, grandson | |||||
| Gustaf VI Adolf | Crown Prince Carl Gustaf, Duke of Jämtland | Grandson | 29 October 1950 Grandfather became king |
15 September 1973 Grandfather died, became king |
Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland, uncle |
| Carl XVI Gustaf | Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland | Uncle | 15 September 1973 Nephew became king |
13 May 1979 Son born to king |
None |
| Crown Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland | Son | 13 May 1979 Born |
1 January 1980 Law of succession changed |
Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland, granduncle | |
| Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland | Daughter | 1 January 1980 Law of succession changed[a] |
Incumbent | Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland, 1980–2012, brother | |
| Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland, 2012–present, daughter | |||||
- ^ In 1980, the law of succession was changed from agnatic primogeniture to absolute primogeniture.