 The nominee was then to be presented to and appointed by the king, but the king could appoint mayors directly in exceptional cases.This was codified in the Instrument of Government of 1720 and on 8 July the same year Riksrådet ("the Council of the Realm") decided, after a petition from the said Estate, that only the city could present nominees, not the king or anyone else.Thus the supervision of the local governor and directly appointed mayors by the king ceased after 1720 (the so-called Age of Liberty).