The royal motto of the Swedish monarch is a Swedish royal tradition stemming from the early 16th century. All reigning monarchs of Sweden, beginning with Gustav I, have had their own mottos during their respective periods of reign. The Swedish royal motto in many ways is equivalent to a national motto. The tradition among Swedish monarchs, in common with the Danish and Norwegian monarchies, but different from that of most other modern European monarchies, is that the motto is not the same for one dynasty, but is personal to each monarch.
Gustav III was the first king to have his motto only in Swedish. Up until Adolf Frederick, the motto for every regent had been in Latin and Swedish (or, as in the case of Gustav II Adolf, in German). Due to the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905, Oscar II had to change his motto.
House of Vasa
Gustav I of Sweden
Reign: 1523-06-06 – 1560-09-29
Birth: 1496-05-12
Death: 1560-09-29
“All power is of God”
Eric XIV of Sweden
Reign: 1560-09-29 – 1568-09-29
Birth: 1533-12-13
Death: 1577-02-26
“God gives to whom He will”
John III of Sweden
Reign: 1568-09-30 – 1592-11-17
Birth: 1537-12-20
Death: 1592-11-17
“God our defender”
Sigismund III of Sweden-Polen
Reign: 1587-08-19 – 1632-04-19, Reign: 1592-11-17 – 1599-07-24
Birth: 1566-06-20
Death: 1632-04-30
“For justice and the people”
Charles IX of Sweden
Reign: 1604-03-22 – 1611-10-30
Birth: 1550-10-04
Death: 1611-10-30
“In God I trust”
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Reign: 1611-10-30 – 1632-11-06
Birth: 1594-12-19
Death: 1632-11-06
“With God and arms victorious”
Christina I of Sweden
Reign: 1632-11-06 – 1654-06-06
Birth: 1626-12-07
Death: 1689-04-09
“Wisdom is the prop of the realm”
House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Charles X Gustav of Sweden
Reign: 1654-06-06 – 1660-02-13
Birth: 1622-11-08
Death: 1660-02-13
“In God my destiny – He shall perform it”
Charles XI of Sweden
Reign: 1660-02-13 – 1697-04-05
Birth: 1655-11-24
Death: 1697-04-05
“The Lord is become my Defender”
Charles XII of Sweden
Reign: 1698-04-05 – 1718-11-30
Birth: 1682-06-17
Death: 1718-11-30
“With God’s help”
Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden
Reign: 1718-12-05 – 1720-02-29
Birth: 1688-01-23
Death: 1741-11-24
“In God my hope”
House of Hesse
Frederick I of Sweden
Reign: 1720-03-24 – 1751-03-25
Birth: 1676-04-28
Death: 1751-03-25
“In God my hope”
House of Holstein-Gottorp
Adolf Frederick of Sweden
Reign: 1751-03-25 – 1771-02-12
Birth: 1710-05-14
Death: 1771-02-12
“The prosperity of the State my felicity”
Gustav III of Sweden
Reign: 1771-02-12 – 1792-03-29
Birth: 1746-01-24
Death: 1792-03-29
“The Fatherland”
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
Reign: 1792-03-29 – 1809-03-29
Birth: 1778-11-01
Death: 1837-02-07
“God and the people”
Charles XIII of Sweden
Reign: 1809-06-06 – 1818-02-05
Birth: 1748-10-07
Death: 1818-02-05
“The good of the people my supreme law”
House of Bernadotte
Charles XIV John of Sweden
Reign: 1818-02-05 – 1844-03-08
Birth: 1764-01-26
Death: 1844-03-08
“The people’s love my reward”
Oscar I of Sweden
Reign: 1844-03-08 – 1859-07-08
Birth: 1799-07-04
Death: 1859-07-08
“Justice and truth”
Charles XV of Sweden
Reign: 1859-07-08 – 1872-09-18
Birth: 1826-05-03
Death: 1872-09-18
“With law shall the land be built”
Oscar II of Sweden
Reign: 1872-09-18 – 1907-12-08
Birth: 1829-01-21
Death: 1907-12-08
“For the good of the kindred nations”
Gustaf V of Sweden
Reign: 1907-12-08 – 1950-10-29
Birth: 1858-06-16
Death: 1950-10-29
“With the people for the land of our fathers”
Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
Reign: 1950-10-29 – 1973-09-15
Birth: 1882-11-11
Death: 1973-09-15
“Duty first”
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Reign: 1973-09-15
Birth: 1946-04-30
“For Sweden – With the times”