This seated, full-length portrait of Charles XIII in full coronation robes is a dynastic image. The main point here is not the regalia, but the Act of Adoption in his left hand. That document, and Bernadotte’s oath of allegiance at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on 5 November 1810, confirmed the latter’s election as the country’s new crown prince, Charles John. It would not be long before the adopted son ruled, and not Charles XIII. The king had aged rapidly following a stroke, a change reflected in this portrait.