The king was shot on 16 March 1792 during a masquerade ball at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm. The opera that the king himself had founded. Gustav III, the theater king who both founded the Swedish Academy, the Royal Dramatic Theatre, the Drottningholm Theatre, who wrote plays etc. how could he be so hated that a great conspiracy was created with the aim of murdering the king?
To find the answer one must travel back to 1741
The basis for this was the way in which the king's father Adolf Fredrik came to power and the so-called freedom-era rulers and their interests.
In the early 1740s, Sweden was ruled by two competing parties, Hattar and Mössor they were called, Hats and Caps.
The Caps pursued a pro-Russian policy while the Hats detested Russia and were supported by France. These two countries also bribed Swedish politicians and bought support.
The Hats who detested Russia chose to go to war against Russia in 1741, something that would soon prove to be a disastrous idea. Sweden was a clear loser and risked being invaded, loose Finland and maybe dismembered.
Sweden had to accept Russia's demands and among these was to accept the Russian Tsarina Elizabeth's demands on who would become Sweden's crown prince. It turned out to be a relative of Elisabeth: Adolf Fredrik of Holstein Gottorp, a person whom Elisabeth thought she could rule over. A vassal
In 1743, Adolf Fredrik was elected despite violent protests from a large part of the Swedish people. Adolf Fredrik himself was a peaceful man. He accepted that it was Hats and Caps that ruled and he only needed to approve bills with a stamp. Adolf Frederick's wife, on the other hand, Lovisa Ulrika, sister of the Prussian ruler Frederick the Great, dreamed of a strong royal power. In 1756 it was revealed that the Queen had plans for a coup d'état. It ended that time with her confidants in the coup plans washed away and the queen receiving a scolding. However, the coup failed. However, Adolf Fredrik and Lovisa's son Gustav III succeeded. When Adolf Fredrik was out of time, a year passed and then Gustav carried out the coup in 1772. He banned Hats and Caps. Became a king of the "enlightened despot" type, which was popular in the 18th century. The nobility, having their privileges abolished and their political power taken from them, now began to hate the king.
But so far we have not arrived at any conspiracy. In 1772, it would be 20 years before shots fell on the Royal Opera House.
More on that tomorrow.