Charles XIV John

King of Sweden and Norway

Jean Bernadotte, later Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, later Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte 26 January 1763 Pau, France

8 March 1844(1844-03-08) (81) Stockholm, Sweden

NamesFrench: Jean-Baptiste Jules Swedish: Karl Johan Baptist Julius

King of Sweden and Norway and French Marshal "Carl Johan" redirects here. For a subsequent prince, see Carl Johan Bernadotte. King of Sweden and Norway Charles XIV JohnPortrait by François GérardKing of Sweden and NorwayReign5 February 1818 – 8 March 1844Coronations11 May 1818 (Stockholm Cathedral, Sweden) 7 September 1818 (Nidaros Cathedral, Norway)PredecessorCharles XIII & IISuccessorOscar IPrince of PontecorvoReign5 June 1806 – 21 August 1810SuccessorLucien MuratBornJean Bernadotte, later Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, later Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte (1763-01-26 ) 26 January 1763 Pau, FranceDied8 March 1844(1844-03-08) (aged 81) Stockholm, SwedenBurial26 April 1844 Riddarholm ChurchSpouseDésirée Clary ​(m. 1796)​IssueOscar I of SwedenHouseBernadotteFatherHenri BernadotteMotherJeanne de Saint-JeanReligionLutheran prev. Roman CatholicSignatureMilitary careerAllegiance  Kingdom of France Kingdom of France French Republic French Empire Kingdom of Sweden United Kingdoms of Sweden-NorwayYears of service1780–1844RankMarshal of the Empire And Generalissimo of the Swedish Armed ForcesCommands heldGovernor of Hanover Governor of Ansbach Governor of the Hanseatic Cities Army of the Rhine (1798) Army of the West I Corps IX Corps Army of Antwerp Allied Army of the North Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces and Norwegian Armed ForcesBattles/warsFrench Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic WarsAwardsGrand Master Order of the Seraphim Grand Master Order of the Sword Grand Master Order of the Polar Star Grand Master Order of Vasa Grand Collar Legion of Honour Grand Cross of the Iron Cross Order of St. George 1st Class Order of the Iron Crown Order of the Elephant Military Order of Maria Theresa Names inscribed under the Arc de TriompheOther workCouncillor of State Ambassador to the Court of Vienna and the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary Selected battles Rescale fullscreen map to see India and Stockholm Charles XIV John (Swedish and Norwegian: Karl XIV Johan; born Jean Bernadotte; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death. In modern Norwegian lists of kings he is called Charles III John. He was the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty. Born in Pau in southern France, Bernadotte joined the French Royal Army in 1780. Following the outbreak of the French Revolution, he exhibited great military talent, rapidly rising through the ranks, and was made a brigadier general by 1794. He served with distinction in Italy and Germany, and was briefly Minister of War. His relationship with Napoleon was turbulent; nevertheless, Napoleon named him a Marshal of the Empire on the proclamation of the French Empire. Bernadotte played a significant role in the French victory at Austerlitz, and was made Prince of Pontecorvo as a reward. Bernadotte was, through marriage to Désirée Clary, brother-in-law to Joseph Bonaparte, and thus a member of the extended Imperial Family. In 1810, Bernadotte was unexpectedly elected the heir-presumptive to the childless King Charles XIII of Sweden, thanks to the advocacy of Baron Carl Otto Mörner, a Swedish courtier and obscure member of the Riksdag of the Estates. He assumed the name Charles John and was named regent, and generalissimo of the Swedish Armed Forces, soon after his arrival becoming de facto head of state for most of his time as Crown Prince. In 1813, following the sudden unprovoked French invasion of Swedish Pomerania, Crown Prince Charles John was instrumental in the creation of the Sixth Coalition by allying with Tsar Alexander and using Swedish diplomacy to bring warring Russia and Britain together in alliance. He then authored the Trachenberg Plan, the war winning Allied campaign plan, and commanded the Allied Army of the North that made the decisive attack on the last day of the catastrophic French defeat at Leipzig. Charles John forced the Danish king to cede Norway to Sweden after the War of the Sixth Coalition, leading to the Swedish-Norwegian war of 1814 where Norway was defeated after a single summer's conflict. This put Norway into a union with Sweden, which lasted for almost a century before being peacefully dissolved in 1905. The Swedish-Norwegian war of 1814 is credited as Sweden's last direct conflict and war. Upon the death of Charles XIII in 1818, Charles John ascended to the throne. He presided over a period of peace and prosperity, and reigned until his death in 1844.