Jacob Johan Anckarström

Who was Jacob Johan Anckarström?

Jacob Johan Anckarström was a Swedish military officer who was convicted and executed for regicide. He was the son of Jacob Johan Anckarström the Elder. He served as a captain in King Gustav III's regiment between 1778 and 1783. During travels to Gotland, he was accused of slandering the king and fled to Stockholm, where he spent the winter, but was subsequently arrested, brought back and tried in Gotland. Although he was acquitted due to lack of evidence, he later maintained in his confession that this incident sparked his fire of hatred towards the king, fuelled by the contemporary revolutionary movement in Europe.

On 16 March 1792, Gustav III had returned to Stockholm, after spending the day at Haga Palace outside the city, to dine and visit a masquerade ball at the Royal Opera. During dinner, he received an anonymous letter that contained a threat to his life, but as the king had received numerous threatening letters in the past, he chose to ignore the warning.

After dining, he left his rooms to take part in the masquerade. Soon after entering, he was surrounded by Anckarström and his co-conspirators, among them Counts Claes Horn and Adolf Ribbing, who wore black masks and greeted him in French with the words "Bonjour, beau masque". Anckarström moved in behind the king and fired a pistol-shot into the left side of his back. The murder weapon was loaded with two balls, five shot and six bent nails. The King jumped aside, crying in French "Ah! Je suis blessé, tirez-moi d'ici et arrêtez-le". The king was immediately carried back to his quarters, and the exits of the Opera were sealed. Anckarström was able to flee before the doors were sealed, but left the pistols behind, who were brought around to several gun-smiths the next morning. A gun-smith, who had repaired them for Anckarström, recognised them and identified him as their owner. Anckarström was arrested the same morning and immediately confessed to the murder, although he denied a conspiracy until he was informed that Horn and Ribbing had been arrested and confessed in full.