An army rebellion began on 7 March 1809, and conspirators seized Gustav IV in Stockholm on 13 March before he could join loyal troops. His uncle Charles accepted leadership of a provisional government. Gustav then tried to preserve the succession for his son by abdicating, but the Riksdag excluded the whole family on 10 May. Fear that his son would eventually avenge the deposition is offered as the most likely explanation for that wider exclusion. Charles became Charles XIII under a new liberal constitution while Sweden was still facing a Russian offensive.
Chapter · 1:54:26-1:57:35
Gustav IV's overthrow and the succession crisis
Gustav IV's attempted abdication failed to preserve his son's succession, and Charles XIII took the throne under a new constitution.