Please note that this lecture is given in Swedish
On December 14, 1697, the fifteen-year-old Karl XII was crowned. Now, the coronation oil has been recreated based on the preserved recipe.
The fifteen-year-old Karl XII ascended the Swedish throne on December 14, 1697. As an absolute monarch, he did not consider the Church’s approval necessary to ascend the throne. Instead, he placed the crown on his own head and then rode in procession to Stockholm Cathedral to be anointed with holy oil.
The coronation oil was prepared by the German-born apothecary Gottlieb Fichtelius, who worked at Apoteket Örnen – known today as Apoteket Korpen – at Stortorget in Gamla Stan. The oil was commissioned by Privy Councillor and Lord Marshal Johan Gabriel Stenbock, and contained nine exotic and extremely costly ingredients. During the ceremony in Storkyrkan, the oil was stored in Karl IX’s anointing horn, one of the Swedish royal regalia.
During an evening at the Royal Palace, perfumery historian Victor Langer and palace educator Jonas Rosin will present the unique project of recreating Karl XII’s coronation oil – from the discovery of the preserved recipe to the finished reconstruction. You will also learn more about the coronation day on December 14, 1697, and have the opportunity to smell the recreated coronation oil and its ingredients.