GUSTAVUS IV. (17 78-183 7 ), king of Sweden, the son of Gustavus III. and Queen Sophia Magdalena, was born at Stock holm, on Nov. I, 17 78. Carefully educated under the direction of Nils von Rosenstein, he grew up serious and conscientious. In 1797 he married Frederica Dorothea, daughter of Charles Freder ick, grand-duke of Baden, a marriage which might have led to a war with Russia but for the hatred of the French republic shared by the emperor Paul and Gustavus IV., which served as a bond of union between them. Indeed the king's morbid horror of Jacobin ism drove him to adopt all sorts of reactionary measures and to postpone his coronation for some years, so as to avoid calling together a diet; but the disorder of the finances, caused partly by the continental war and partly by the almost total failure of the crops in 1798 and 1799, compelled him to summon the estates to Norrkoping in March i800, and on April 3, Gustavus was crowned.
The change which now took place in Sweden's foreign policy and its consequences are elsewhere set forth (see SWEDEN : History). By the end of 1808 it was obvious that the king was insane. His violence had alienated his most faithful supporters, while his obstinate incompetence paralysed the national efforts. To remove a madman by force was the one remaining expedient ; and this was successfully accomplished by a conspiracy of officers of the western army, headed by Adlersparre, the Anckarsvards, and Adlercreutz. On March 13, 1809 seven of the conspirators broke into the royal apartments unannounced, seized the king, and con ducted him to the château of Gripsholm ; Duke Charles was per suaded to accept the leadership of a provisional Government, which was proclaimed the same day ; and a diet, hastily sum moned, approved the revolution.
On March 29, Gustavus, in order to save the crown for his son, voluntarily abdicated ; but on May to, the estates, dominated by the army, declared that his whole family had forfeited the throne. On June 5, the duke regent was proclaimed king under the title of Charles XIII., after accepting the new liberal constitution, which was ratified by the diet the same day. In December Gus tavus and his family were transported to Germany. Gustavus now assumed the title of count of Gottorp, but subsequently called himself Colonel Gustafsson, under which pseudonym he wrote most of his works. Separated from his family, he led an erratic life for some years; was divorced from his consort in 1812 ; and finally settled at St. Gall in Switzerland in great loneliness and in digence. He died on Feb. 7, 1837, and, at the suggestion of King Oscar II. his body was brought to Sweden and interred in the Rid darholmskyrka.