Gustav III, on his return to Sweden, tries to mediate between the bitterly divided Hat and Cap parties.

On June 21, 1771, he opens his first Riksdag with a speech that arouses powerful emotions.

It is the first time in more than a century that a Swedish king addresses a Swedish Riksdag in its native tongue.

He stresses the need for all parties to sacrifice their animosities for the common good, and volunteers, as "the first citizen of a free people," to be the mediator between the contending factions.

A composition committee is actually formed, but it proves illusory from the first: the patriotism of neither Hat nor Cap faction is sufficient for the smallest act of self-denial.

The subsequent attempts of the dominant Caps to reduce him to a roi fainéant (a powerless king), encourages him to consider a coup d'état.