The First Commandant in Stockholm is a Lieutenant General and a Swedish Armed Forces mission unit commander. He is the principal representative for state ceremonial operations.
The Commandant in Stockholm is a colonel and also head of the Life Guards in Kungsängen. He coordinates guard duties with other Swedish Armed Forces state ceremonial duties.
The head of the garrison unit at the First Commandant’s office (based at The Royal Guards’ Wing of the Royal Palace in Stockholm) is a senior lieutenant and reports to the Commandant in Stockholm. He provides supports in the management and implementation of Royal Guard duties at Stockholm and Drottningholm Royal Palaces and other state ceremonial activities. The garrison unit comprises, commander, deputy commander, secretary and five permanent garrison commanders (of which one is on permanent service at Drottningholm). Both palaces also have permanent kitchen staff who cater for The Royal Guards, stationed at the two Palace Guard Wings.
Duties in brief
The Royal Guards:
- coordinate Guard services with those of other authorities, organisations and the Swedish Armed Forces at state ceremonies etc in Stockholm.
- regulate guard services within the Swedish Armed Forces.
- organise (and participate in) the military element of royal, state and other official ceremonies and foreign visits and naval visits at the request of the Speaker of Parliament, Prime Minister, Marshall of the Realm, head of department or Head Quarters.
- consult with the Speaker of Parliament, Prime Minister, Marshall of the Realm and HM King’s Chief of Staff on ceremonial matters.
The garrison service also includes many larger events in central Stockholm today and mass media contact and proactive communication activities.
Organisational history and traditions
Command of the Stockholm garrison has fluctuated over the centuries. For much of the 18th century there was no commander-in-chief in the Swedish capital. Each unit commander had command of his own contingent of troops. However this proved impractical over time and on 20 October 1790, the government of Gustav III established a specific post “His Royal Majesty’s Serving Adjutant General”, whose duties included overall command of troop units garrisoned in Stockholm. One Adjutant General was appointed by the King from the ranks of adjutant generals to serve initially for one week at a time, and subsequently for longer periods.
In 1808 the post of adjutant general was split into two: the serving adjutant general for expeditions and the commanding adjutant general in Stockholm (supported by senior aid de camps and staff adjutants). The latter subsequently evolved into the First Commandant post. From 1818, the general adjutant commander was given the title of First Commandant and the commanding senior aid de camps Commandant of the Stockholm garrison. This organisation lasted more or less unchanged until 1926, when the oldest second-in-command or regiment commander within the garrison also became the Commandant (from which point the adjutant post was held by a stationed officer).
On 1 October 1938 the so-called First Commandant system was established, comprising the First Commandant, acting commandant, adjutant and expedition warrant officer. The commandant system was reinstated in 1942.
Today, the post of First Commandant is held by a Swedish Armed Forces unit commander and that of commandant by the Head of the Life Guards (see organisation chart above). Until 1960, the head of the garrison unit was an adjutant (from 1810 to around 1820 senior aid de camps and duty major at the Royal Guard) and is now in the Life Guards.