 Though the King was a near-autocrat on paper, the Riksdag's authority grew steadily into the early 20th century.The new 1974 Instrument of Government first took effect on 1 January 1975 and formally stripped the new king of most of his formal political powers, thus codifying actual practices dating from the definitive establishment of parliamentary government in 1917.The new document reduced the king a mostly representative and ceremonial role.