The Carl Johan monument
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You are now looking up at King Carl III Johan, who was the shared king of Norway and Sweden. When Norway became an independent country in 1814, this was met with considerable dissatisfaction by the Swedes. They occupied parts of Norway, and the Danish-Norwegian king, Christian Frederik, eventually had to abdicate. Norway entered a union with Sweden, and as part of the agreement, Norway was allowed to retain large parts of its constitution and self-rule. The king would be the same as in Sweden, and thus Karl II became the second Norwegian king in 1814. King Karl II died in 1818, and he was succeeded by Carl III Johan, who was crowned in the Nidaros Cathedral the same year. His real name was Jean Baptiste Bernadotte and he was a French private soldier who quickly rose through the ranks. After several years of opposition to Napoleon Bonaparte, they reconciled in 1804 and Bernadotte was appointed to France's highest officer title. His career did not go unnoticed. In Sweden, the aging king had no heir. The former French private soldier was offered the title of Crown Prince in Sweden and accepted it in 1810. The monument shows the saluting king on horseback in his officer's uniform and has adorned the Palace Square since 1875. King Carl III was married to Queen Desideria and he lived to be 81 years old. He was buried in Sweden in 1844.