In 1905 Gustaf Adolf, eldest son of the then Crown Prince Gustaf, married the English Princess Margareth, daughter of the Duke of Connaught, the brother of Edward VII. In 1908 the marriage was contracted between King Gustafs second son, Prince Wilhelm, and Princess Maria of Russia, In 1897 Gustafs brother, Prince Carl, had married Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, The importance such royal relationships possessed at that time may not be underestimated; -they were of importance to King Gustaf's personal orientation and experience in the realm of foreign policy, and thereby also of value to his land.
Gustaf V's period of government as Crown Prince and King coincides with the epoch of modern democracy. Its starting point can be placed. several respect to the year of the Union separation, 1905, which for a great many reasons characterized the close of an older period and the beginning of a new. Palpable changes in the structure and administrdtign of the Swedish community took place during the first years of the 20th century, though great alternations admittedly had been commenced and completed previously, In a manner praiseworthy in its nature the State authorities had solved several of the most important public problems—the Customs, defence and basic taxation questions. The Parliamentary representation reform pf 1865 had been a progressive step sat its time, but soon it transpired that it was unable to answer the demands of 'a social system which was undergoing strong growth and change.
The case for social reform and universal franchise was pressed more j@nd more sharply by" the parties of the Left, the Liberals and Social Democrats. They were able to motivate their claims in this case by references to the effects of industrialism and to the whole social development of the community which had already given rise to new party groupings and induced desires for changes in the Constitution and the State administration, The King's Problems The relation between the' Royal Power, the older social system in which the landed proprietor and State official constituted such' a notable feature, and the democratic people's movements which were developing was the one great problem with which King Gustaf was faced; the other was foreign policy, Developments have revealed -that he possessed great qualities for 'sélving both these tasks. King Gustaf's personal disposition reflected some of the best sides of the new spirit of the age, loyalty and conscientiousness, industriousness and freedom from ostentation and phrases, The King's liking for open-air life, his strong interest in sport, were typical characteristics of the time likewise his often-revealed sympathy for sickness and suffering.
Increased Respect for Sweden Undoubtedly the defence decision of 1914 contribut ed to increase spect for Sweden's neutrality on the part of the combatant Powers. This neutrality also became the lodestar òf King Gustaf and his constitutional advisers during the perilous war years, during which Sweden was more than once in danger of being implicated in the struggle.
That Scandinavia mits entirety was able to remain out of the conflict was due not in the least to the internal understanding, unity and peaceful aspirations of the Scandinavian State leaders. Credit for this is to be ascribed for the greater part to King Gustaf, In December 1914 the three Scandinavian kings met at his invitation in Malmo, where the plan was drawn up for ce-operation as regards neutrality which, to the advantage of the Scandinavian countries, was followed at least during the ars of war, This meeting, and its successors, fied not only support and assistance in the difficult situation created by the war, but it also signified the burial in oblivion of the old grudge between Sweden and Norway and created conditions for mutual understanding in the future.
Wise and magnanimous expression of his views given by Kini was Gustaf at another Royal meeting, this time at Christiania at the end of November 1917. "I should be s neither to myself not to his said the King, "if I said that what happened in 1905 can yet have been forgotten. That which then occurred gave the idea of unity to the Scandinavian peninsula a deep wound, to the healing of which I for my part earnestly wish to *contribute. It is for that res Your Majesty (Häkon VII of Norway), that I am present today to say to your Majesty and the former Union brother; let us create a new association, pot of the old kind, but an association of the understanding and the heart, the vitality of which I hope®ill be of a more enduring nature than the former." And he concluded his speech by declaring; "Let us therefore take each other by the hand as a sign of our firm will to work in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.