The origin of the title "Lord High Admiral of Sweden" can be traced to the reign of king Eric XIV and the year 1561 or possibly 1562.
Eric's successor, younger brother John III, appointed Clas Fleming riksamiral, probably in 1571, and once again it was intended that the office would mean administration, and not just a commanding role in the occasion of naval warfare.
[1] In the 1610s, during Göran Gyllenstierna's period as Lord High Admiral, the office began to mean specific assignments in a more regular way than before.
The heads of the five departments were called Great Officers of the Realm and were the five most prominent members of the Swedish Privy Council.
King Charles XI, who had come to age in 1672, wanted to avoid appointing new holders of the high offices, once these became vacant.