Certamen Equestre
Charles XI's Carousel 1672
On 18th December 1672, the 17-year-old Charles XI was declared of age at a ceremony in the Throne Room of Stockholm Castle. His accession to the throne was celebrated with several days festivities in the capital, ending with a banquet at the castle and a magnificent firework display on the waters of Strömmen. The climax of the proceedings was the carousel which took place at Rännarbanan (The Tilt-Yard), presentday Hötorget, on 19th December.
Charles XI's carousel was amply documented by the court painter, David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl, who was instructed by the King to immortalise the occasion in a sequence of engravings, Certamen Equestre. These pictures are remarkably accurate, as witness the accoutrements now in the Royal Armoury.
Contrary to the practice under Gustavus Adolphus and Kristina, this carousel was not modelled on German practice. Instead the inspiration came from the France of Louis XIV, which was now the arbiter of fashion for Charles XI's northerly domains. The Italian diplomat Lorenzo Magalotti characterised the Swedish court at that time as a brilliant French colony.
Charles XI's carousel had a direct prototype in the chivalrous festivities arranged by Louis XIV in 1662 at Place de Carrousel in Paris to mark the birth of his son and heir. That carousel could be studied in detail in Stockholm through the collection of engravings published with words by Perrault and illustrations by Silvestre and Chauveau. The French monarch is shown as commander of the Roman quadrille, dressed "à la Romaine", as was the fashion for 17th century princes posing as both the spiritual and secular successors of the emperors of the ancient world.
Four quadrilles, representing various "nations", took part in Charles XI's carousel. The young King himself, as Le Chevalier de la Gloire, rode at the head of the ancient Geats, just as Gustavus Adolphus had done at his coronation in 1617. But Charles XI, like his French exemplar, was clad in Roman armour and the Geatish champions in his quadrille carried Roman insignia and standards. The other quadrilles consisted of Turks, Poles and "other powers in Europe".
Erik Lindschöld, Secretary to the Chancery, was given the task of putting the content of the carousel into a programme poem, the tenor of which was that the countries of Europe, led by the King of Sweden, should bestir themselves to achieve unity and to make common cause against the arch-enemy of Christendom - the Turks. The carousel was performed in the Rännarbanan riding school, which was hung with spruce fronds for the occasion.
It took place to the light of 100 sex-armed chandeliers. The King himself, a superb horseman, took the greatest prize, the "Zierdanken" for the "most graceful" rider. Count Bengt Oxenstierna, an experienced diplomat, was entrusted with the arrangements for the hastilude. The scenery for the carousel was the work of the court architect, Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, and the court painter, Ehrenstrahl, who also supervised the making of the properties. The many craftsmen involved included the sculptor Nicolaes Millich, for helmets, armour and the Roman insignia; the court carpenter, Lukas Meijlandt, who made lances; the tailor Tolle Ballie, who "made various Roman clothing"; the shoemaker Jacob Schwartzkopf, who made Roman boots to match; the saddler Simon Jüterbock, who delivered saddles and caparisons; and the plume-maker Daniel Balliet, who decorated helmets and harness with multicoloured plumes.
The equipment for some of the participants in the carousel was paid for by the King. Others received royal permission to use accessories from the abundant stories of the Royal Armoury. For example, caparisons from Queen Kristina's coronation carriage were to be seen on six horses led by the reins in the quadrille of the Ancient Geats.
Charles XI's carousel was the last and stateliest of the Swedish carousels of the 17th century. Its purpose was to set the seal on Sweden's great power status, with Charles XI riding at the head of his people and his illustrious lieutenants.