Lord High Constable of Sweden facts for kids
The Lord High Constable (called riksmarsk in Swedish) was a very important job in Sweden. It existed from the 1200s until 1676, though it was sometimes not used. The person holding this job was a member of the Swedish Privy Council, which was like a group of top advisors to the king. From 1630, the Lord High Constable also led the Swedish Council of War, which managed the army. After 1634, the Lord High Constable was one of the five most powerful officials in the country, known as the Great Officers of the Realm.
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The Lord High Constable in the Middle Ages
The job of "marscalcus" (constable) was first mentioned in Sweden in 1268. This person was a nobleman, but we don't know much about their exact duties back then. It's thought that the constable might have taken over from an earlier role that looked after the king's horses and riders.
Constable Torgils Knutsson was one of the most powerful people in Sweden in the late 1200s. He helped rule the country when King Birger Magnusson was a child. After him, constables were only called upon by the king now and then. They didn't have regular tasks.
Later, Queen Margaret, who wanted to make the king's power stronger, chose not to have a Lord High Constable. But her successor, Eric of Pomerania, was made to appoint one by the Swedish noblemen. So, in 1435, Karl Knutsson Bonde became the first constable in a long time. He later became a king of Sweden! In 1436, it was suggested that the constable should be in charge of justice and lead the country's army during wartime. However, for most of the rest of the 1400s, the job was empty.
The Lord High Constable in the Early Modern Period
Lars Siggesson Sparre was a Lord High Constable for a long time during the reign of Gustav I. He was an important person, but the job still didn't have clear duties. When a war council was created in 1540, the constable was not part of it. Kings like Eric XIV, John III, and Sigismund wanted to make the constable's job more modern, but they never did.
The title of Lord High Constable didn't have a special role until 1630. That's when Constable Jacob De la Gardie became the head of the Council of War. This council was in charge of military matters. In 1634, the Lord High Constable became the second most important of the five Great Officers of the Realm. These five officers were the top members of the Swedish Privy Council.
The job of Lord High Constable ended when Carl Gustaf Wrangel died in 1676. King Charles XI had become an adult four years earlier. He decided not to appoint new people to these high offices when they became empty. The title of riksmarsk has not been used since then. However, two other jobs that Charles XI ended, the Lord High Chancellor and the Lord High Steward, were brought back for a short time later in the 1700s.
Other Similar Important Jobs
There have been other important jobs in Swedish history that sound a bit like the riksmarsk. Some of these jobs took over duties that the constable used to have.
The Fodermarsk
The fodermarsk job appeared in the late Middle Ages. This person was in charge of making sure the horses at the royal court had enough food.
The Hovmarskalk (Marshal of the Court)
The first hovmarskalk was appointed around 1540. This job is still used today! In the past, the hovmarskalk managed the royal court's money. Today, the First Marshal of the Court leads an office that plans public appearances and state visits for the Swedish Royal Family.
The Riksmarskalk (Marshal of the Realm)
Göran Klasson Stjernsköld became the first riksmarskalk in 1607. This person was the head of the royal court, and that is still what the job does today.
List of Lord High Constables of Sweden
- Torgils Knutsson (around 1290–1306)
- Karl Ulfsson, Lord of Tofta (1364-1371)
- Karl Knutsson Bonde (1435-?)
- Nils Stensson Natt och Dag (1439)
- Tord Karlsson Bonde (1453 or 1454–1456)
- Ture Turesson (Bielke) (1457-1464)
- Svante Nilsson Sture the Elder (1497-?)
- Lars Siggesson Sparre (1523-1554)
- Svante Nilsson Sture the Younger (1561-1564)
- Gustaf Olofsson Stenbock (1569-1572)
- Klas Fleming (around 1591-?)
- Magnus Brahe (1602-1611)
- Axel Nilsson Ryning (1611-1620)
- Jacob De la Gardie (1620-1652)
- Gustaf Horn (1653-1657)
- Adolf Johan of Pfalz-Zweibrücken (1660)
- Lars Kagg (1660-1661)
- Carl Gustaf Wrangel (1664-1676)
Images for kids
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Lars Siggesson Sparre - Lord High Constable 1523–1554.
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Svante Nilsson Sture the Younger - Lord High Constable 1561–1564.
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Gustaf Horn - Lord High Constable 1653–1657.
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Adolf Johan of Pfalz-Zweibrücken - Lord High Constable 1660.
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Lars Kagg - Lord High Constable 1660–1661.
