Instrument of Government (1720)

The 1720 Instrument of Government (Swedish: 1720 års regeringsform) adopted on 2 May 1720 by the Riksdag of the Estates (Swedish parliament), was the constitution of the Kingdom of Sweden from 1720 to 1772, and was thus in force for almost the entirety of the period of constitutional monarchy known as the Age of Liberty, having replaced the largely identical Instrument of Government (1719).

The Riksdag disapproved of this manoeuvre and suspected Frederick of having ambitions of restoring absolute monarchy, and so in exchange for ratifying his accession as king it forced him to accept a new constitution, which imposed tighter restrictions upon royal power than its predecessor.

The Riksdag comprised four estates (the nobility, clergy, burghers and peasantry), each consisting of a number of representatives elected by members of the respective social groups.

[5] The executive functions of government were discharged by the Council of the Realm (Swedish: riksråd), which consisted of 16 members drawn from the first three estates of the Riksdag.

The councillors were appointed by the Riksdag: each of the first three estates nominated three candidates for cabinet posts to the king, who was then allowed to select his preference from the three choices.