ADOLPHUS

See also:

• FREDERICK
• FREDERICK (Mod. Ger. Friedrich; Ital. Federigo; Fr. Frederic and Federic; M.H.G. Friderich; O.H.G. Fridurih, " king or lord of peace," from O.H.G. fridu, A.S. frith, " peace," and rfh " rich," " a ruler," for derivation of which see HENRY)

FREDERICK (1710-177.1)  , king of Sweden, was born at Gottorp on the 14th of May 1710 . His father was Christian Augustus (1673-1726), duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, bishop of Lubeck, and administrator, during the war of 1700-1721, of the duchies of Holstein-Gottorp for his nephew Charles Frederick; his mother was Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach . From 1727 to 1750 he was bishop of Lubeck, and administrator of Holstein-Kiel during the minority of Duke Charles Peter Ulrich, afterwards Peter III. of Russia . In 1743 he was elected heir to the throne of Sweden by the " Hat " faction in order that they might, obtain better conditions of peace from the empress Elizabeth, whose fondness for the house of Holstein was notorious (see SWEDEN, History) . During his whole reign (1751-1771) Adolphus Frederick was little more than a state decoration, the real power being lodged in the hands of an omnipotent riksdag, distracted by fierce party strife . Twice he endeavoured to free himself from the intoler- ( propitious in the coming year . This festival, like that at Athens, able tutelage of the estates . The first occasion was in 1755 f was held late in summer; at Byblus, where' the mourning when, stimulated by his imperious consort Louisa Ulrica, sister of Frederick the Great, he tried to regain a portion of the attenuated prerogative, and nearly lost his throne in consequence . On the second occasion, under the guidance of his eldest son, the crown prince Gustavus, afterwards Gustavus III., he succeeded in overthrowing the tyrannous "Cap " senate, but was unable to make any use of his victory . He died of surfeit at Stockholm on the 12th of February 1771 . See R . Nisbet Bain, Gustavus III. and his Contemporaries, vol. i .

(

London, 1895) . (R . N .