What does “Kunglig Majestät” mean and other similar terms

Introduction

When you read old documents or books about old Sweden, you often come across the term "Kungl. Maj:t". It is certainly an abbreviation of "Kunglig Majestät" but what does it really mean? Who or what is hiding behind the designation? Is it the King himself? The correct term in English is The King in Council but more commonly known as Royal Majesty. The term is no longer used but disappeared with the Swedish Constitution Act of 1974.

The Concept of “Kunglig Majestät” - The King in Council

In older times, the term was very common and was given a special meaning with the Constitution Act of 1809. After 1809, the term no longer referred to the King as a person, but to the government agencies and bodies that were entitled to make decisions in the King's name, regardless of whether or not the King had personally participated in the decision-making process. Under the Constitution Act of 1809, it was the King (or in his absence the Crown Prince, for example) who signed all decisions on government matters after the King's appointed advisers (the Cabinet ministers) had presented matters to him in a cabinet meeting (Konselj). Decisions were then taken by the King and countersigned by a Cabinet Minister, usually the rapporteur on the matter. However, only a very small proportion of cases were dealt with in this way. When you come across "Kungl. Maj:t" in older documents and books, however, the term usually refers to the bodies that are today called "The Government". In Sweden, a konselj is a government meeting chaired by the head of state. Before 1975, when the Constitution Act of 1809 was in force, meetings of the Cabinet normally took place every week at Stockholm Palace, whereupon all government decisions received Royal Sanction and then formally became Royal Decrees ("Kungl. Maj:t" Decrees). Under the new Constitution Act of 1974, which came into force on 1 January 1975, this changed and now the Prime Minister is only required to keep the Head of State informed of the affairs of the realm. The image to the right is from a “Konselj” meeting (Cabinet meeting) in 1938 at Stockholm Palace. King Gustav V presides at the end of the table; to his right: Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson.

Historical use of the term “Kunglig Majestät” - The King in Council

The term Kunglig Majestät (Royal Majesty) can be traced back to the 16th century, when Swedish King Erik XIV adopted the title of Majesty (Majestät), as did an increasing number of kings (Denmark, France, England, and other kingdoms) during that time. The word majesty is originally Latin and means "greatness". The Kunglig Majestät is widely used in the Swedish 1719, 1720, and 1772 Constitutions to refer to the King and the Royal Power. The term "Kungl. Maj:t" was used, when in use, in all decisions and documents issued by the King in the Council and in all rulings and judgments issued by the Supreme Court, which during this time was considered to be exercising the King's jurisdiction (1809 RF § 17), as well as in rulings by the Supreme Administrative Court (Regeringsrätten) and the Administrative Court of Appeal (Kammarrätten) [though only in cases where the Kammarrätten was the court of the last instance]. The term Kunglig Majestät (Kungl. Maj:t or K. M:t) was the name given to the government body that made decisions in the name of the King under the 1809 Swedish Constitution (1809-1974). It usually referred to the executive branch of government (also referred to as the King in the Council or just the King), but also to the highest judicial power: the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court. “Kunglig Majestät” (The King in Council) was abolished by the 1974 Constitution and replaced by The Government. So, with the 1974 Constitution, "The King" (Konungen) refers to the office of the King itself, or the King personally. In the 1809 Constitution, "Kungl. Maj: t" (The King in Council) meant the power of the State itself (The Government), regardless of who exercised that power (the government, the judiciary, etc.).

Kunglig Majestäts Kansli - The Chancellery of The King in Council

The Chancellery of The King in Council (Kunglig Majestäts Kansli) is the name used until 1974 for the current Government Offices (Regeringskansliet), with its division into departments. It has been known in a permanent form since the reign of King Gustav Vasa of the 16th century. The organization of the Chancellery was regulated in Chancellery Orders and, with Chancellor of the Realm Axel Oxenstierna's Chancellery Order of 1626, it was incorporated into the “kollegium system” and was called the Chancellery Office (Kanslikollegium) until 1801. With the 1974 Constitution, the term "The Chancellery of the King in Council" (Kunglig Majestäts Kansli) was replaced on 1 January 1975 by the term "The Offices of the Government" (Regeringskansliet).

Kunglig Majestäts Befallningshavande - Royal County Administrator

Under the 1855 Instruction of the County Governors (Landshövdingeinstruction), the Kunglig Majestät’s County Administration (Kunglig Majestäts Befallningshavande) was the universal term for the counties’ highest administrative authority in Sweden, i.e. for both The Office of the Governor of Stockholm (Överståthållarämbetet in Stockholm) and the County Governors (Landshövdingar) in the rest of the realm. In the 1918 County Governor's Instruction, this authority was instead called the "Länsstyrelse" (The County Administrative Board), but the concept of the “Kunglig Majestäts befallningshavande” was only abolished in the 1958 County Governor's Instruction. The “Kunglig Majestäts Befallningshavande” was abbreviated as K. B.

The Concept of the Crown (Kronan)

In older texts, one also often encounters concepts such as the Crown (“Kronan”) and the Government Agencies (“Statsverket”) as an economic body for the part of the State administration that was under the Kungl. Maj:t (the Government). Both these terms mean the Swedish State and are the central public power in Sweden, whose organs consist of the Head of State, the Riksdag (Parliament), and the Government, as well as the courts and administrative authorities (Government agencies) subordinate to them. “Kronan” (Crown) was often used as a prefix to many positions of government employees, such as “kronobåtsman” (crown navy seaman), “kronolänsman” (crown district police chief), etc. The prefix "krono" is only used to clarify that they were government employees. So, a “länsman” and a “kronolänsman” are thus the same things.

Kunglig nåd - Royal Pardon

Historically, the Swedish government (before 1975, the Kungl. Maj:t) could remit or mitigate a sentence imposed on a person for a crime. Pardon normally anticipated the application for it, and was often considered to involve a final submission to responsibility for the crime. Applying for mercy or reparation was called 'going to the king', which also meant any other kind of matter in which any citizen thought the monarch could do justice. Pardon in legal terms generally means a remission or mitigation of punishment (pardon) in an individual case. Today, the Institution of pardon is regulated by the Instrument of Government (Regeringsformen).

Befallningsman - County Bailiff

Befallningsman (County Bailiff) is a title of an official or civil servant used in different times with several different meanings. It was common that the term “befallningsman” to be used as a term for crown bailiffs (Kronofogde), and in some cases also for Länsman (local police chief). In these contexts, the term "Kunglig befallningsman" (Royal County Bailiff) could also be used, to indicate that it was a government official.

Kungliga ämbetsverk - Royal Administrative Agencies

Many former government agencies were formerly known as royal agencies, such as the Kungl. Lotsverket (Royal Board of Pilot Services), Kungl. Postverket or Kongl. Postverket (Royal Post Office). A central agency or government agency is a state authority that is directly subordinate to the government. These agencies originated in the “kollegier” (agencies) that emerged in Sweden from the time of Gustav Vasa (16th century) onwards, notably with the adoption of the Constitution Act of 1634, and reached their modern form with the departmental reform of 1840. Further examples of royal designations were the Swedish regiments earlier called royal, such as Kungl. Södermanlands Regemente (The Royal Södermanland Regiment). The Navy branch of the services was formally known as the Kungl. Flottan (The Royal Navy). The prefix “Royal” was used by almost all Swedish regiments from the latter half of the 18th century until the 1974 Instrument of Government. The term meant that the regiments were directly subordinate to the king/government, but without "The King in Grace himself assuming command". Until 1927, only one regiment was not royal, namely the Crown Prince's Hussar Regiment (K 7).