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Karl XIII 1748-1818
King of Sweden and of Norway

He was the younger brother of Gustav III, and uncle and successor to Gustav IV Adolf. As Duke of Södermanland he commanded the Swedish fleet against Russia (1788-90). He was made regent during the minority of his nephew (1792-96), and was elected king (1809), when he signed a new constitution limiting the powers of the monarchy. In 1810, the French Marshal Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince and adopted by him as Karl Johan; he took over the reins of power when the king's health failed (1811), and in 1814 secured the Crown of Norway for Sweden. Karl XIII was married to Charlotte of Oldenburg (d.1818), whose diary is an important source for the history of her time.