During the 28 years from the first motion in the

Riksdag right up to 1980, when the fully cognatic

right of inheritance came into force, the question

of female succession to the throne principally dealt

with the monarchy as an institution. A critical -

and benevolent - interpretation on the introduction

of female succession is that it became easier to

accept at a time when the political role of the

monarchy had practically come to an end.

For the non-socialist parties the claim on female

succession was a way of retaining and consolidating

the monarchy, but this was done with overtones of

equality between women and men. For the Social

democrats and the Communists the resistance to

the introduction of female succession was a way

of avoiding a reinforcement of the monarchy which

in turn might be an obstacle to the future change-

over to republic. It should be pointed out that

succession to the throne was a relatively distinct

right – left question in the politics. The true picture

of the non – Socialist actions can be seen as an

interplay of normative and institutional starting-

points. In terms of purpose and means it was a

combination of those. The actions of the Social

democrats was characterized by pragmatism.

That the party did not carry the matter of republic

might above all be motivated by the fact that the

party assumed that the national support of the

monarchy was strong.

We want to emphasize that it was mostly male

politicians with the non - Socialist parties who

pursued the policy of introducing female

succession to the throne. An exception to this

was the participation of Ingrid Gärde - Widemar

in first motion in the Riksdag in 1952. This could

indicate that this was not a question of equality

between women and men, which aimed at

influencing the normative level, but was to a

greater extent a question of the institutional

level. Another explanation might have been that

the question of female succession to the throne

was a constitutional question and for that reason

of greater political importance.

It should be emphasized that the non – Socialist

politicians derived inspiration from the monarchies

in Europe which had female succession. They often

referred to Denmark, where cognatic succession

had been introduced in 1953. Hence it had been

conceivable that the Social democrats in Sweden

had referred to Norway as an example of a monarchy

which at that time had no female succession and

yet there had been Social democratic governments

for a long time. They did not however do so. None

of monarchies in Europe had fully cognatic succession.

In this manner Sweden was unique Europe at this time.