Historedia
EuropeEvent

Coup of 1809: Gustav IV Adolf seized and confined at Gripsholm

When
1809
Where
Gripsholm Castle; Karlstad; Stockholm
Episodes
4

The Coup of 1809 was a Swedish coup d'état on 13 March 1809, led by noblemen including Georg Adlersparre and Carl Johan Adlercreutz. It resulted in the seizure and confinement of King Gustav IV Adolf at Gripsholm Castle. The event led to his abdication, deposition, and the adoption of a new Instrument of Government that limited monarchical power.

Episodes

  1. 7 March 1809 · KarlstadAdlersparre's Rebellion

    Georg Adlersparre triggered the coup by raising the flag of rebellion in Karlstad on 7 March 1809.

  2. 13 March 1809 · Gripsholm CastleSeizure and Confinement at Gripsholm

    Conspirators seized King Gustav IV Adolf on 13 March 1809 and imprisoned him in Gripsholm Castle.

  3. 29 March 1809 · StockholmAbdication of Gustav IV Adolf

    Gustav IV Adolf abdicated on 29 March 1809, leading to the writing of a new Instrument of Government.

  4. 6 June 1809 · StockholmAdoption of the Instrument of Government

    The 1809 Instrument of Government was adopted on 6 June 1809, limiting monarchical power.

Background and detail

Background. The immediate cause of the coup was the occupation of Finland by Russian forces in 1808–09. Lieutenant-colonel Georg Adlersparre triggered the coup on 7 March 1809 by raising the flag of rebellion in Karlstad and marching upon Stockholm. The coup was violently initiated by officers of the king's own army, leading to the seizure of the monarch.

Seizure and Confinement. On 13 March 1809, seven conspirators led by Carl Johan Adlercreutz broke into the royal apartments, seized King Gustav IV Adolf, and imprisoned him and his family in Gripsholm Castle. This action prevented the king from joining loyal troops in Scania. The king's uncle, Duke Charles, accepted the leadership of a provisional government proclaimed the same day.

Abdication and Deposition. Following his abdication on 29 March 1809, an Instrument of Government was hastily written, severely circumscribing the powers of the monarchy. Gustav IV Adolf was deposed following the coup, and the Riksdag elected Charles XIII king after his nephew's deposition, ending Sweden's second Autocracy. The new constitution divided powers between the monarch and the Riksdag, marking a significant shift in Swedish governance.

Instrument of Government. The 1809 Instrument of Government was adopted on 6 June 1809 by the Riksdag of the Estates and King Charles XIII. It came about as a result of the Coup of 1809. Although the King alone governed the realm, he was understood to exercise powers through ministers, effectively limiting his authority.

People involved

Sources

  1. Coup of 1809 Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-27
  2. Gustav IV Adolf Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-20
  3. Instrument of Government (1809) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-31
  4. Gripsholm Castle Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-03
  5. Riksdag of the Estates Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-19
  6. Charles XIII Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-01

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.