sweden swedish november style april style king sweden death period swedish history known charles son king sweden father died years old charles educated governors coronation age seventeen soon forced military expeditions secure recently acquired danish troops war having successfully fought returned stockholm engaged country neglected political financial economic situation managing sustain peace remaining years reign changes finance commerce national maritime land armaments judicial procedure church government education emerged period succeeded son use trained army battles europe fact charles crowned mean 11th king sweden charles father 10th great grandfather king sweden having adopted mythological history sweden descendant actually 5th king charles numbering tradition begun continues present king sweden guardian rule charles born stockholm palace november father left sweden july fight war poland years warfare king returned winter gathered family estates mid january fell ill month later wrote died testament left administration minority regency led queen formal regent chair member votes final rest council member council addition left command army seat council younger brother count provisions led remainder council immediately challenging february day king death sent message council stating knew contested demanded respected council answered discussed parliament following council stockholm council tried attending parliament questioned good health suitable widow attend council hard sending messenger quarters reply council allowed meet inform considered necessary met satisfaction council indifference politics came great relief lords guardian government mother remained formal regent attained majority december careful political conflicts appearances parliament charles spoke government questions ear ask aloud clearly adolescent charles devoted sports exercise favourite bear hunting appeared ignorant main difficulties seen evident signs disability poorly understood time according contemporary sources king considered poorly educated qualified conduct effectively foreign affairs charles dependent mother advisors interact foreign envoys foreign language skills apart german ignorant world outside swedish borders italian writer visited stockholm described teenage virtually afraid uneasy talk foreigners daring look face trait deep religious devotion god fearing frequently prayed kneeling attended described king main pursuits hunting upcoming war jokes war situation europe time sweden going financial problems guardians decided negotiate alliance france ensure sweden isolated war national finances improve thanks french subsidies france directed aggression dutch spring sweden forced directing forces lead denmark ally holy roman empire evident sweden verge war country remedy attempted chancellor traveled copenhagen spring try danish princess denmark engaged swedish king mid june engagement officially proclaimed news arrived swedish defeat battle danish king christian declared war sweden september continued internal feuds king forced rule year old king inexperienced considered ill served amidst called anarchy nation dedicated autumn newly formed camp arm swedish nation battle war swedish soldiers outnumbered invaded taking proceeding king grow quickly suddenly found great pressure victory battle august charles commander chief defeated danish division king good luck charles continued south arriving flooded near november danish army commanded christian positioned impossible cross river charles wait weeks finally happened december charles launched surprise attack danish forces fight engagements time combatants perished battlefield swedish commanders showed ability chief glory day attributed fighting spirit battle proved decisive rule lands described significant event charles personality charles commemorated date rest life following year men led charles routed battle proved pitched battle war september christian evacuated army zealand france dictated terms general said resented french king forced peace managed leave empire practically intact peace denmark treaties treaty saint post war actions charles devoted rest life avoiding warfare gaining larger independence foreign affairs promoted economic reorganization military remaining years throne longest peace time early years assisted man trusted prime minister sources king basically dependent sudden death opened road monarch men tried close king place financial restoration sweden weak economy suffered war deep crisis charles assembled estates october assembly described important held estates king finally pushed reduction ordeal discussed meant land object previously owned crown lent given away including counties recovered affected prominent members nobility ruined guardian lord chief justice estates return extravagant room reduction process involved examination title deed kingdom including resulted complete nation finances according swedish legend travelled country dressed farmer simple traveller legend referred swedish discover identify corruption oppression populace stories arriving villages looking corrupt church officials sending travelled followed military kings sweden era travelled country stories published book middle 19th century important decision assembly mandatory king advice council war members council engaged internal feuds king ruled listening advice assembly asked estates bound council estates responded desired reply bound absolute monarchy formally established sweden estates confirmed power officially proclaiming king sole ruler sweden military assembly estates king forth suggestion military reform lands sweden soldiers ready times farms provide accommodations soldier soldiers known trained skilled preferring attack defend looting strictly forbidden soldier country visible new swedish system charles modernized military techniques worked improve overall skill knowledge officers sending abroad study swedish navy suffered major defeats danish dutch forces war revealing weaknesses organization supply weaknesses basing fleet stockholm navy bolstered founding naval base main base future operations today newest charles believed important new swedish southern sweden southwest sweden island policies included ban books written danish norwegian breaking promise treaty use swedish language conduct new priests teachers having come sweden king seen bitter resentment peasants war particularly tough province guerrilla movement northern attacked soldiers stolen money strong support local villages charles remained inhabitants life allow soldiers regiment soldiers stationed recruited northern provinces advocated rough treatment inhabitants governor general trusted aide governor general notably brutal treatment locals rule governor general proved strongly implemented german swedish baltic estonia germany charles found opposed estates bound law german emperor peace treaty baltic power structure completely different german descended nobility charles wanted abolish unable finally sparsely populated great interest church charles devoted february church law forth initiative church order declared king ruler church way ruled country god ruled world attending sunday ordinary people found walking streets time arrested years later declared learn read written archbishop bishop understand god charles encouraged production printed distributed churches completed new printed version bible completed named successor family matters daughter king denmark previously engaged cousin engagement broken scandal charles engaged attempt smooth longstanding hostilities war soon broke war gained reputation loyalty future home country exhibiting kindness swedish prisoners jewelry engagement ring care swedish prisoners war personal merits continued charitable acts tenure swedish people eased difficulties brought danish background peace negotiations sweden denmark marriage agenda ratified september married stockholm hasty humble ceremony different enjoyed hunting riding enjoyed reading art best remembered great charitable activity limited ill health numerous charles active busy charles away troops pursuing lonely sad marriage considered success king queen fond queen little political involvement placed shadow mother law great crown counties large nobility tried speak behalf people property confiscated crown king told reason married wanted political advice instead helped people property confiscated secretly economically budget confidence grew time named future regent son succeed minor instead years time death personally supporting people said death bed admitted mother hadn happy death marriage produced seven children charles grandmother surviving son future king frederick younger ultimately succeeded brother swedish throne elder child eventually broke seriously ill charles finally dedicated time care death july year shook deeply fully recovered infant son given palace renamed death complained stomach pains summer asked doctors opinion pain continuously worse viable cure treatment continued perform duties usual february pains severe cope returned stockholm doctors discovered large hard stomach point little doctors alleviate king pain best died april year autopsy showed king developed cancer spread entire abdominal cavity legacy described sweden greatest swedish kings eclipsed father son half 20th century view changed regarded dependent uncertain easily influenced recent book biography king characterized strong sweden economic reforms achievement financial military stability strength commemorated bill portrait taken paintings possibly displayed page king pictured bill founded charles reign fortified town near bremen site modern named estonia dedicated ancestors
Charles XI of Sweden