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Oscar I
King of Sweden and Norway
Crown prince Oscar of Sweden, painted by Joseph Karl Stieler
Reign	March 8, 1844 - July 8, 1859
Full name	Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte
Born	July 4, 1799
	Paris, France
Died	July 8, 1859
	Stockholm, Sweden
Predecessor	Charles XIV John
Successor	Charles XV
Consort	Josephine of Leuchtenberg
Issue	Crown Prince Charles Prince Gustaf, Duke of Uppland Prince Oscar, Duke of Östergötland Princess Eugenie August, Duke of Dalarna
Royal House	Bernadotte
Father	Charles XIV John
Mother	Désirée Clary

Oscar I, born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte (July 4, 1799, Paris–July 8, 1859, Stockholm), was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. He was the only son of Charles XIV John of Sweden and his wife, Queen Desideria. When, in August 1810, Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden, Oscar and his mother moved from Paris to Stockholm (June 1811).

Contents 1 Upbringing 2 Planned marriage 3 Politics 4 Children 5 Trivia 6 Ancestry 7 References

From Charles XIII of Sweden Oscar received the title of Duke of Södermanland. He quickly acquired the Swedish language. By the time he reached the age of majority he had become a general favourite. His very considerable native talents were developed by an excellent education, and he soon came to be regarded as an authority on all socio-political questions. In 1839 he wrote a series of articles on popular education, and (in 1841) an anonymous work, "Om Straff och straffanstalter", advocating prison reforms. Twice during his father's lifetime he was viceroy of Norway. On June 19, 1823 he married the princess Josephine, daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, and granddaughter of the Empress Josephine.

Oscar's father had selected four princesses as candidates for marriage, in order of his priority:^[1]

• Vilhelmina of Denmark (born 18 January 1808), daughter of Frederick VI of Denmark and Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel (ultimately she married firstly Frederick VII of Denmark and secondly Charles of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg)
• Josephine of Leuchtenberg (born 14 March 1807), daughter of Eugene, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg and Augusta of Bavaria
• Marie of Hesse (born 6 September 1804), daughter of William II of Hesse and Augusta of Prussia (ultimately she married Bernard II of Saxe-Meiningen)
• Marie of Saxe-Weimar (born 3 February 1808), daughter of Charles Frederick of Saxe-Weimar and Maria Pavlovna of Russia (ultimately she married Charles of Prussia)

In 1824 and 1833, the Crown Prince was briefly Viceroy of Norway. In 1838 the king began to suspect his heir of plotting with the Liberal party to bring about a change of ministry, or even his own abdication. If Oscar did not actively assist the Opposition on this occasion, his disapprobation of his father's despotic behaviour was notorious, though he avoided an actual rupture. Yet his liberalism was of the most cautious and moderate character, as the Opposition, shortly after his accession (March 8, 1844), discovered to their great chagrin. He would not hear of any radical reform of the cumbrous and obsolete Constitution of 1809. But one of his earliest measures was to establish freedom of the press. He also passed the first law towards gender equality in Sweden when he in 1845 declared that brothers and sisters should have equal inheritance, unless there was a will.

He formally established equality between his two kingdoms by introducing new flags with the common Union badge of Norway and Sweden and a new coat of arms for the union. Most of the legislation during Oscar I's reign aimed at improving the economic position of Sweden, and the Riksdag of the Estates, in its address to him in 1857, declared that he had promoted the material prosperity of the kingdom more than any of his predecessors.

  Swedish Royalty
  House of Bernadotte

Charles XIV John Children    Oscar I Oscar I Children    Charles XV    Gustaf, Duke of Upland    Oscar II    Princess Eugenie    August, Duke of Dalarna Charles XV Children    Lovisa, Queen of Denmark    Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland Oscar II Children    Gustaf V    Oscar, Duke of Gotland    Eugén, Duke of Närke    Carl, Duke of Västergötland Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway    Astrid, Queen of Belgium    Carl, Duke of Östergötland Gustaf V Children    Gustaf VI Adolf    Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland    Erik, Duke of Västmanland Gustaf VI Adolf Children    Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten    Sigvard, Duke of Uppland    Ingrid, Queen of Denmark    Bertil, Duke of Halland    Carl Johan, Count af Wisborg Grandchildren    Princess Margaretha    Princess Birgitta    Princess Désirée    Princess Christina    Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf Children    Crown Princess Victoria    Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland    Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland

In foreign affairs Oscar I was a friend of the principle of nationality. In 1848 he supported Denmark against the Kingdom of Prussia in the First War of Schleswig; placed Swedish and Norwegian troops in cantonments in Funen and North Schleswig (1849-1850); and mediated the Truce of Malmö (August 26, 1848). He was also one of the guarantors of the integrity of Denmark (the London protocol, May 8, 1852).

As early as 1850 Oscar I had conceived the plan of a dynastic union of the three Scandinavian kingdoms, but such difficulties presented themselves that the scheme had to be abandoned. He succeeded, however, in reversing his father's obsequious policy towards Imperial Russia. His fear lest Russia should demand a stretch of coast along the Varanger Fjord induced him to remain neutral during the Crimean War, and, subsequently, to conclude an alliance with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Second French Empire (November 25, 1855) for preserving the territorial integrity of Scandinavia.

Monarchical Styles of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway

Reference style His Majesty Spoken style Your Majesty Alternative style Sire

Oscar I left five legitimate children - four sons and one daughter. Two of his sons, Carl and Oscar, succeeded him to the throne.

1. King Charles XV (Charles IV in Norway) (1826-1872)
2. Prince Gustaf, Duke of Uppland (1827-1852)
3. King Oscar II (1829-1907)
4. Princess Eugenie (1830-1889)
5. Prince August, Duke of Dalarna (1831-1873)

Oscar also had two children with his mistress, the actress Emilie Högquist:

1. Hjalmar Högquist, born June 18, 1839 in Hamburg.
2. Max Högquist, born August 12, 1840 in Stockholm.

They were often more or less parodically referred to as The Princes of Lappland.

With another mistress, Jaquette Löwenhielm (née Gyldenstolpe), Oscar had a daughter

1. Oscaria, born 1819.

Oscar's mother was Désirée Clary, Napoleon Bonaparte's first fiancée. Her sister, Julie Clary, was married to Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte. Désirée chose Napoleon to be Oscar's godfather.

8. Jean Bernadotte

4. Jean Henri Bernadotte

9. Marie du Pucheu

2. Charles XIV John of Sweden

10. Jean de Saint Vincent

5. Jeanne de Saint Vincent

11. Marie d'Abbadie de Sireix

1. Oscar I of Sweden

12. Joseph Clary

6. François Clary

13. Françoise Agnes Ammoric

3. Désirée Clary

14. Joseph Ignace Somis

7. Françoise Rose Somis

15.

1. ^ Hjalmar Lagerqvist, Sveriges drottningar

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Oscar I House of Bernadotte Born: July 4, 1799 Died: July 8, 1859
Regnal titles
Preceded by Karl XIV/III Johan	King of Sweden 1844-1859	Succeeded by Karl XV/IV
	King of Norway 1844-1859
Titles of nobility
Preceded by Karl XIII/II	Duke of Södermanland	Succeeded by Carl Oscar

v • d • e Monarchs of Norway
Fairhair dynasty (except *)	Harald Fairhair · Eric Bloodaxe · Haakon the Good · Harald Greycloak · Haakon Sigurdsson* · Olaf Tryggvason · Eiríkr Hákonarson (R)* & Sveinn Hákonarson (R)* & Hákon Eiríksson (R)* · Sweyn Forkbeard*†§ · Olaf the Saint · Hákon Eiríksson (R)* · Canute the Great*†§ · Sveinn Álfífuson · Magnus the Good† · Harald Hard-rule · Magnus Haraldsson · Olaf Kyrre · Haakon Magnusson & Magnus Barefoot · Olaf Magnusson · Eystein Magnusson · Sigurd the Crusader · Magnus the Blind · Harald Gille · Sigurd Munn · Eystein Haraldsson · Inge Bent-back · Haakon Herdebrei · Magnus Erlingsson · Sverre Sigurdsson · Haakon Sverresson · Guttorm Sigurdsson · Inge Bårdsson · Haakon Haakonsson · Magnus the Law-mender · Eric Magnusson · Haakon Magnusson
House of Bjelbo	Magnus Ericsson‡ · Haakon Magnusson‡ · Olaf Haakonsson†
The Kalmar union	Margaret†‡ · Eric of Pomerania†‡ · Christopher of Bavaria†‡ · Charles I‡
House of Oldenburg (Under Denmark)	Christian I† · Hans† · Christian II† · Frederick I† · Christian III† · Frederick II† · Christian IV† · Frederick III† · Christian V† · Frederick IV† · Christian VI† · Frederick V† · Christian VII† · Frederick VI†
Independence of 1814	Christian Frederick†
House of Bernadotte (Union with Sweden)	Charles II (not Bernadotte)‡ · Charles III John‡ · Oscar I‡ · Charles IV‡ · Oscar II‡
House of Schleswig-Holstein- Sonderburg-Glücksburg	Haakon VII · Olav V · Harald V
(R) Regent · † also Monarch of Denmark · ‡ also Monarch of Sweden · § also Monarch of England

v • d • e Monarchs of Sweden
House of Munsö	Eric the Victorious & Olof Björnsson · Olof Skötkonung · Anund Jacob · Emund the Old
House of Stenkil	Stenkil · Eric Stenkilsson & Eric the Pagan · Halsten · Anund Gårdske · Haakon the Red · Halsten & Inge the Elder · Blot-Sweyn · Eric of Good Harvests · Inge the Elder · Philip Halstensson & Inge the Younger · Ragnvald Knaphövde · Magnus the Strong
Houses of Eric (E) and Sverker (S)	Sverker the Elder (S) · Eric the Saint (E) · Magnus Henriksen · Charles Sverkersson (S) · Kol & Boleslas (S) · Canute I (E) · Sverker the Younger (S) · Eric Canutesson (E) · John Sverkersson (S) · Eric Ericsson (E) · Canute II · Eric Ericsson (E)
House of Bjelbo	Valdemar Birgersson · Magnus Ladulås · Birger Magnusson · Mats Kettilmundsson (regent) · Magnus Ericsson‡ · Eric Magnusson · Magnus Ericsson & Haakon Magnusson‡
House of Mecklenburg	Albrekt of Mecklenburg
Monarchs (M) and Regents (R) during the Kalmar Union	Margaret I of Denmark (M)†‡ & Eric of Pomerania (M)†‡ · Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (R) · Eric of Pomerania (M)†‡ · Charles Canutesson (R) · Eric of Pomerania (M)†‡ · Charles Canutesson (R) · Christopher of Bavaria (M)†‡ · Bengt Jönsson (Oxenstierna) (R) & Nils Jönsson (Oxenstierna) (R) · Charles Canutesson (M)‡ · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna (R) & Erik Axelsson Tott (R) · Christian I (M)†‡ · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) (R) · Charles Canutesson (M) · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) (R) · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna (R) · Erik Axelsson Tott (R) · Charles Canutesson (M) · Sten Sture the Elder (R) · John II (M)†‡ · Sten Sture the Elder (R) · Svante Nilsson (R) · Eric Trolle (R) · Sten Sture the Younger (R) · Christian II (M)†‡ · Gustav Eriksson (Vasa) (R)
House of Vasa	Gustav I · Eric XIV · John III · Sigismund* · Charles IX · Gustavus Adolphus · Christina
House of Palatinate- Zweibrücken	Charles X Gustav · Charles XI · Charles XII · Ulrika Eleonora
House of Hesse-Kassel	Frederick I
House of Holstein-Gottorp	Adolf Frederick · Gustav III · Gustav IV Adolf · Charles XIII‡
House of Bernadotte	Charles XIV John‡ · Oscar I‡ · Charles XV‡ · Oscar II‡ · Gustav V · Gustav VI Adolf · Carl XVI Gustaf
† also Monarch of Denmark · ‡ also Monarch of Norway · * also Monarch of Poland