The
Swedish nobility (
Adeln) has historically been a legally and/or socially privileged
class in
Sweden, and part of the so-called
frälse (a derivation from
Old Swedish meaning
free neck). The archaic term for nobility,
frälse, also included the clergy, a classification defined by
tax exemptions and representation in the
diet. Today, the nobility is very much part of modern Swedish society and do not maintain their former privileges although their family names, titles and coats of arms are still protected. The Swedish nobility consists of both "introduced" and "unintroduced" nobility, where the latter has not been formally "introduced" at the
House of Nobility (
Riddarhuset). The House of Nobility still maintains a fee for male members over the age of 18 e.g. for keeping of their common buildings in Stockholm.