List of monarchs of Finland

This is a list of the monarchs of Finland until it became a republic in 1919; that is, the Kings of Sweden with Regents and Viceroys of the Kalmar Union, the Grand Dukes of Finland (identical with the Tsars of Russia), up to the two-year Regent period following the independence in 1917, with a brief flirtation with a truly domestic monarchy.

Part of the Kingdom of Sweden, from the Middle Ages until 1809
Finland as an integral part of Sweden under the King of Sweden (Ruotsin kuningas).

Some texts suggest the Swedish rule of Finland started as early as during the Houses of Sverker and Eric (Sverker I of Sweden 1130–1156 and Eric the Saint 1156–1160). But the first historic documents suggesting rule by Swedish kings in Finland not limited to sparse crusades and conquests are dated at around 1249.

The House of Bjelbo

 * 1250–1275 : Valdemar of Sweden (Valdemar Birgerinpoika)
 * regent: Birger Jarl
 * 1275–1290 : Magnus III of Sweden (Maunu Ladonlukko)
 * 1290–1318 : Birger of Sweden (Birger Maununpoika)
 * 1319–1364 : Magnus IV of Sweden (Maunu IV)
 * co-kings, successively: Eric XII of Sweden and Haakon I of Sweden, sons of Magnus IV
 * 1363–1395 : Albert, King of Sweden (Albrekt Mecklenburgilainen)
 * 1385–87 in opposition: Olav IV of Norway (Olavi Haakoninpoika)

Rulers of the Kalmar Union and Regents (Valtionhoitaja, Riksföreståndare)



 * 1389–1412 : Margaret I of Denmark (Margareeta), widow of King Haakon of Sweden, mother of Olav IV, and heiress of Estonia, a Danish dominion
 * 1396–1439 : Eric of Pomerania (Eerik XIII Pommerilainen, died 1459), a first cousin twice removed of Haakon I of Sweden
 * 1438–1440 : Carl Knutsson Bonde, Regent (Kaarle Knuutinpoika)
 * 1441–1448 : Christopher of Bavaria (Kristoffer Baijerilainen)
 * 1448–1448 : Regents Bengt and Nils Jönsson Oxenstierna ((Pentti Jönsinpoika Häräntähti and Niilo Jönsinpoika Häräntähti))
 * 1448–1457 : Charles VIII of Sweden (Kaarle VIII Knuutinpoika), he had been 1442–48 chatelain and margrave of Viipuri county
 * 1457–1457 : Regents Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna the archbishop and Eric Axelsson Tott ((arkkipiispa Jöns Pentinpoika and herra Eerik Akselinpoika))
 * 1457–1464 : Christian I of Sweden (Kristian I)
 * 1464–1465 : Charles VIII of Sweden (Kaarle VIII)
 * 1465–1465 : Regent Kettil Karlsson Vasa the bishop ((piispa Kettil Kaarlenpoika Vaasa))
 * 1465–1466 : Regent Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna the archbishop
 * 1466–1467 : Regent Eric Axelsson Tott, also 1457–81 chatelain and margrave of Viipuri county
 * 1467–1470 : Charles VIII of Sweden (Kaarle VIII)
 * 1470–1497 : Regent Sten Sture the elder (Sten Sture vanhempi) - also, 1483–1501 chatelain and margrave of Viipuri county
 * 1497–1501 : John II of Sweden (Hans of Denmark, Juhana II, Hannu, Tanskan Hannu)
 * 1501–1503 : Regent Sten Sture the elder (Sten Sture vanhempi)
 * 1504–1511 : Regent Svante Niilonpoika (Svante Niilonpoika, Ekesiön herra, he did not use the name of Sture)
 * 1512–1512 : Regent Eric Trolle
 * 1512–1520 : Regent Sten Sture the younger (Sten Sture nuorempi, he took the name of Sture of his great-grandmother's family, for image reasons and for its prestige)
 * 1520–1521 : Christian II of Sweden (Kristian II)

The House of Vasa



 * 1521–1560 : Gustav I of Sweden (Kustaa I Vaasa)
 * As Gustav Vasa, regent 1521–1523
 * 1560–1568 : Eric XIV of Sweden (Eerik XIV)
 * 1568–1592 : John III of Sweden (Juhana III), adopted title Grand Prince of Finland (Suomen suuriruhtinas) around 1580
 * As Duke John of Finland acted as feudal lord of part of Finland Duke of Finland and Governor-General of the rest 1556–1563
 * 1592–1599 : Sigismund of Sweden (Sigismund), also titled Grand Prince of Finland
 * 1599–1611 : Charles IX of Sweden (Kaarle IX), "King of Finns"
 * As Duke Charles, regent 1599–1604
 * 1611–1632 : Gustav Adolph the Great (Kustaa II Aadolf), also titled Grand Prince of Finland
 * 1632–1654 : Christina of Sweden (Kristiina), also titled Grand Princess of Finland

The House of Pfalz-Zweibrücken

 * 1654–1660 : Charles X Gustav of Sweden (Kaarle X Kustaa), also titled Grand Prince of Finland
 * 1660–1697 : Charles XI of Sweden (Kaarle XI), also titled Grand Prince of Finland
 * 1697–1718 : Charles XII of Sweden (Kaarle XII), also titled Grand Prince of Finland
 * 1719–1720 : Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden (Ulriika Eleonoora), also titled Grand Princess of Finland

The House of Hesse

 * 1720–1751 : Frederick I of Sweden (Fredrik I), also titled Grand Prince of Finland

The House of Holstein-Gottorp

 * 1751–1771 : Adolf Frederick of Sweden (Aadolf Fredrik), Grand Prince of Finland
 * 1771–1792 : Gustav III of Sweden (Kustaa III), Grand Prince of Finland
 * 1792–1796 : Charles, duke of Södermanland as Regent (Södermanlannin herttua Kaarle)
 * 1792–1809 : Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (Kustaa IV Aadolf), Grand Prince of Finland

Grand Principality of Finland in Russian Empire 1809–1917
The Grand Principality of Finland in the Russian Empire (1809–1917) with the Emperor of Russia as the Grand Prince of Finland (Suomen suuriruhtinas).

The House of Romanov

 * 1809–1825 : Alexander I (Aleksanteri I)
 * 1825–1855 : Nicholas I (Nikolai I)
 * 1855–1881 : Alexander II (Aleksanteri II)
 * 1881–1894 : Alexander III (Aleksanteri III)
 * 1894–1917 : Nicholas II (Nikolai II)

Interim period 1917–19
Regents (valtionhoitaja) using the powers reserved for the monarch.


 * 27 May 1918 – 12 December 1918 : Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
 * 12 December 1918 – 26 July 1919 : Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim

The House of Hesse

 * 9 October 1918 – 14 December 1918 : Frederik Kaarle I, King of Finland

For later heads of state after the proclamation of the republic, see List of Presidents of Finland.