Oscar II facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oscar II |
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Photograph of Oscar II, c. 1900–07
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| King of Sweden | |||||
| Reign | 18 September 1872 – 8 December 1907 | ||||
| Coronation | 12 May 1873 | ||||
| Predecessor | Charles XV | ||||
| Successor | Gustaf V | ||||
| King of Norway | |||||
| Reign | 18 September 1872 – 26 October 1905 | ||||
| Coronation | 18 July 1873 | ||||
| Predecessor | Charles IV | ||||
| Successor | Haakon VII | ||||
| Born | 21 January 1829 Stockholm Palace, Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Died | 8 December 1907 (aged 78) Stockholm Palace, Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Burial | 19 December 1907 Riddarholm Church |
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| Spouse |
Sophia of Nassau
(m. 1857) |
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| Issue | Gustaf V of Sweden Prince Oscar Bernadotte Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke |
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| House | Bernadotte | ||||
| Father | Oscar I of Sweden | ||||
| Mother | Josephine of Leuchtenberg | ||||
| Religion | Church of Sweden Church of Norway |
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| Signature |  |
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Oscar II (born Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was the King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907. He was also the King of Norway from 1872 until 1905.
Oscar was the son of King Oscar I and Queen Josephine. He became king of both Sweden and Norway when his brother, Charles XV, passed away in 1872. Oscar II's rule happened during a time when both countries were changing a lot. They were becoming more industrial and saw many new technologies.
His time as king also saw the slow end of the Union of Sweden and Norway. This union finally broke apart in 1905. After this, his grandnephew, Prince Carl of Denmark, became King Haakon VII of Norway. When Oscar II died in 1907, his oldest son, Gustaf V, became the new King of Sweden.
King Oscar II is the great-great-grandfather of the current King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Other royal family members, like Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Harald V of Norway, King Philippe of the Belgians, and Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, are also his descendants.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Oscar Fredrik was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on 21 January 1829. He was the third of four sons of Crown Prince Oscar and Josephine of Leuchtenberg. When he was born, he was given the title Duke of Östergötland.
Prince Oscar joined the Royal Swedish Navy when he was eleven years old. He became a junior lieutenant in 1845. Later, he studied at Uppsala University, where he was very good at mathematics. In 1848, he became an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Oscar was also a talented writer and loved music. He wrote poems and essays. Some of his works were collected and published in several volumes. In 1859, Prince Oscar became the next in line to the thrones of Sweden and Norway. This happened because his older brother, King Charles XV, had no living children.
Becoming King of Sweden and Norway
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Oscar II became King on 18 September 1872, after his brother, Charles XV, passed away. When he became king, he chose the motto Brödrafolkens väl / Broderfolkenes Vel, which means "The Welfare of the Brother Peoples."
Even though the King and his family mostly lived in Sweden, Oscar II learned to speak Norwegian fluently. He understood that keeping the union between the two countries would be difficult.
Leading the Countries
King Oscar II was very smart and fair. This made him a good choice to help solve problems between different countries. For example, in 1889, he was asked by the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States to choose the Chief Justice of Samoa. He also helped with other issues in Samoa in 1899.
He was a strong supporter of the Navy throughout his life. He often visited naval ships. When the warship Oscar II was launched, he even signed his name on one of its main guns.
The role of Prime Minister of Sweden was created in 1876. Louis De Geer was the first person to hold this title. The most important prime minister during Oscar's rule was Erik Gustaf Boström. Boström served as Prime Minister from 1891–1900 and again from 1902–1905. King Oscar II trusted him a lot. This arrangement, where the King gave the Prime Minister more freedom, helped Sweden move towards a more modern way of governing.
Supporting Science and Arts
Oscar II's poems and hymns are still known in Scandinavian countries. He also wrote about Charles XII of Sweden. In 1881, he started the world's first open-air museum in Bygdøy, near Oslo (which was called Christiania back then).
He loved theater and ordered a new opera house to be built for the Royal Swedish Opera. It opened in 1898 and is still used today. Oscar II was also a big fan of Arctic exploration. He helped fund many important expeditions to the Arctic. These included Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld's trips to the Russian Arctic and Greenland, and Fridtjof Nansen's journey to the North Pole on the ship Fram.
King Oscar II also really liked mathematics. For his 60th birthday, he held a competition for a major discovery in advanced mathematics. The famous mathematician Henri Poincaré won this prize.
End of His Reign and Death
The peaceful dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905 was largely due to the King's careful and patient actions. He was removed from the Norwegian throne on 7 June 1905 by the Storting (the Norwegian parliament). He officially gave up the Norwegian throne on 26 October. He did not want any prince from his family to become King of Norway. However, relations between the two countries improved before he passed away. Oscar II died in Stockholm on 8 December 1907.
Family Life
On 6 June 1857, Oscar II married Princess Sophia Wilhelmina in Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Germany. She was the youngest daughter of William, Duke of Nassau. They had four sons:
- King Gustaf V (1858–1950)
- Prince Oscar, Duke of Gotland (1859–1953)
- Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland (1861–1951)
- Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke (1865–1947)
His oldest son, Gustaf, became King Gustaf V of Sweden after him. His second son, Prince Oscar, gave up his right to the throne when he married Ebba Munck af Fulkila, who was not of royal birth. He was later given the title Prince Bernadotte. Prince Carl, his third son, married Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. His youngest son, Prince Eugen, was a well-known artist and never married.
Legacy
King Oscar II's name and picture are still used today. For example, they are on King Oscar sardines in Norway since 1902. His image also appears on gingerbread cookies and other baked goods made by Göteborgs Kex in Sweden.
Images for kids
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Portrait of Oscar II wearing the Crown of Eric XIV. He was the last Swedish king to be crowned.
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See also
In Spanish: Óscar II de Suecia para niños
