Category Archives: Swedish Royals

Katarina Karlsdotter, Queen of Sweden and Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

The heraldic coat of arms of the Gumsehuvud family, Katarina’s birth family; Credit – Av Dan Köhl – Eget arbete, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76271138

Katarina Karlsdotter Gumsehuvud was the second wife of Karl Knutsson Bonde, who reigned as King Karl VIII of Sweden in 1448-1457, 1464-1465, and 1467-1470 and as King Karl I of Norway from 1449 to 1450. Born in 1418 in Stockholm, Sweden, Katarina was the daughter of Swedish nobleman Karl Ormsson Gumsehuvud (link in Swedish), a member of the Swedish Council of State, and his second of three wives Märta Gregersdotter Aspenäs.

Katarina had one full brother:

  • Gustaf Karlsson Gumsehuvud (born circa 1407- 1417, died 1486) married (1) Birgitta Stensdotter Bielke (circa 1410 – circa 1462), no children (2) Märta Karlsdotter (? – 1464), no children (3) Ingeborg Philipsdotter Thott (1455 – circa 1494), no children

Wood sculpture of Karl Knutsson made posthumously by his contemporary Bernt Notke, considered to be a real likeness; Credit – Wikipedia

After his first wife Birgitta Turesdotter Bielke died in 1436, Karl Knutsson Bonde, later King Karl VIII of Sweden and King Karl I of Norway, married Katarina in Stockholm on October 5, 1438. Before the marriage, a dispensation was obtained from the Pope because Katarina was related to Karl’s first wife. The dispensation ensured that children born in the marriage would be legitimate. Katarina and Karl’s wedding is described as magnificent in the Karlskrönikan (Karl’s Chronicle) commissioned by Karl Knutsson Bonde. The celebrations lasted twelve days with wine, mead, dancing, and jousting. A council meeting was held during the celebrations, where the groom, Karl Knutsson Bonde was elected Regent of Sweden, effectively, the ruler of Sweden.

Karl and Katarina’s daughter Magdalena; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl and Katarina had a happy marriage. They had four surviving daughters. In addition, they had four sons and one daughter with unknown names who all died in infancy or early childhood.

Surviving children of Karl and Katarina:

  • Margareta Karlsdotter Bonde (1442 – 1462), unmarried
  • Magdalena Karlsdotter Bonde (1445 – 1495), married Ivar Axelsson Tott, no children
  • Richeza Karlsdotter Bonde (circa 1445 – ?), nun at Vadstena Abbey in Vadstena, Sweden
  • Brigitta Karlsdotter Bonde (1446 – 1469), nun at Vadstena Abbey

On January 5, 1448, 31-year-old Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden suddenly died without an heir. In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and reigned as King Christian I. However, in Sweden, in June 1448, Katarina’s husband Karl Knutsson, Lord High Constable of Sweden, was elected King of Sweden and reigned as King Karl VIII during three periods: 1448–1457, 1464–1465, and 1467–1470. Karl and Katarina were crowned King and Queen of Sweden at Uppsala Cathedral in Upsala, Sweden on July 2, 1448.

In 1449, a portion of the Norwegian council elected Karl as King of Norway, and Karl and Katarina were crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway on November 20, 1449. However, Christian also continued pursuing his claim to Norway. Norway was now faced with a union with Denmark or Sweden or electing a separate king, an option quickly discarded. The Norwegian Council of the Realm was divided between Christian and Karl but eventually ruled in favor of Karl. After an armed conflict between Denmark and Norway, a joint Danish-Swedish meeting decided that Karl should renounce Norway in favor of King Christian I and that the survivor of the two kings would be recognized as king in all three kingdoms. Karl reluctantly agreed with the decision. King Christian I was crowned King of Norway on August 2, 1450.

32-year-old Queen Katarina died in Stockholm, Sweden on September 7, 1450, one of the many people who died of the bubonic plague that year, the first time it appeared in Stockholm. She was buried at Vadstena Abbey in Vadnesta, Sweden where two of her daughters would serve as nuns.

Katarina’s husband King Karl VIII survived her by twenty years, dying on May 15, 1470, aged, sixty-two, at Tre Kronor Castle (Three Crowns Castle) in Stockholm after a short illness. A few weeks before he died, King Karl VIII married his mistress Kristina Abrahamsdotter, attempting to legitimize their son Karl and have him become the next King of Sweden. However, the Swedish nobility did not recognize the five-year-old Karl as King Karl VIII’s successor. Instead, Sten Sture the Elder, the son of Karl VIII’s half-sister Birgitta Stensdotter Bielke from the second marriage of Karl’s mother to Sten Turesson Bielke, became the Lord Regent of Sweden. He ruled from June 1, 1470 to October 6, 1497, and from November 12, 1501, until he died on December 14, 1503.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2009). Karl Ormsson (Gumsehuvud). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Ormsson_(Gumsehuvud)
  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2005). Katarina Karlsdotter (Gumsehuvud). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarina_Karlsdotter_(Gumsehuvud)
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Karl Knutsson Bonde, King Karl VIII of Sweden/King Karl I of Norway [Review of Karl Knutsson Bonde, King Karl VIII of Sweden/King Karl I of Norway]. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-karl-viii-of-sweden-king-karl-i-of-norway/
  • ‌Katarina Karlsdotter (Gumsehuvud). (2022). Katarina Karlsdotter (Gumsehuvud). Geni_family_tree. https://www.geni.com/people/Katarina-Karlsdotter-Gumsehuvud/4753263
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Catherine Karlsdotter. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Karl Knutsson Bonde, King Karl VIII of Sweden/King Karl I of Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Wood sculpture of Karl Knutsson made posthumously  by his contemporary Bernt Notke, considered to be a real likeness; Credit – Wikipedia

Born Karl Knutsson Bonde, he reigned as King Karl VIII of Sweden in 1448-1457, 1464-1465, and 1467-1470 and as King Karl I of Norway from 1449 to 1450. Karl Knutsson Bonde was born circa September 29, 1408, at Ekholmen Castle in Veckholm, Sweden. He was the son of  Knut Tordsson Bonde, a knight and member of the privy council, and Margareta Karlsdotter, the only child and the heiress of Karl Ulfsson, Lord of Tofta. Karl VIII had three full siblings and several half-siblings but there is little information about them. After Karl’s father died in 1413, when Karl was just five years old, his mother married Sten Turesson Bielke. From his mother’s inheritance, Karl received the estate of Fågelvik Manor in Småland, his residence before he devoted himself to politics. Karl Knutsson traveled abroad, learned foreign languages, ​​and studied the art of war.

In 1428, Karl married Birgitta Turesdotter Bielke (1410 – 1436), the daughter of Ture Stensson Bielke. Birgitta died eight years after her marriage.

Karl and Birgitta had two children:

  • Ture Karlsson Bonde (circa 1430 – before 1447), died in his teens
  • Kristina Karlsdotter Bonde (circa 1432 – 1488), married Erik Eriksson Gyllenstierna, had five children

On October 5, 1438, Karl married Katarina Karlsdotter (1418 – 1450), the daughter of nobleman Karl Ormsson Gumsehuvud. Karl and Katarina had four surviving daughters. In addition, they had four sons and one daughter with unknown names who all died in infancy or early childhood. 32-year-old Queen Katarina died in Stockholm, Sweden on September 7, 1450, one of the many people who died of the bubonic plague that year, the first time it appeared in Stockholm. She was buried at Vadstena Abbey in Vadnesta, Sweden where two of her daughters would serve as nuns.

Children of Karl and Katarina:

  • Margareta Karlsdotter Bonde (1442 – 1462), unmarried
  • Magdalena Karlsdotter Bonde (1445 – 1495), married Ivar Axelsson Tott, no children
  • Richeza Karlsdotter Bonde (circa 1445 – ?), nun at Vadstena Abbey in Vadstena, Sweden
  • Brigitta Karlsdotter Bonde (1446 – 1469), nun at Vadstena Abbey

In 1434, Karl became a member of the Privy Council of Sweden and later that year he became Lord High Constable of Sweden, one of Sweden’s highest positions. Because of the growing dissatisfaction among the Swedish nobility with Eric of Pomerania, who reigned as Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden, Karl was named Military Governor of the Realm in 1436. He then replaced King Eric as the elected Regent of Sweden from 1438 to 1440. Between 1439 and 1441, the nobility of Eric’s three kingdoms deposed him. Christopher of Bavaria, Eric’s nephew, the only child of his sister Catherine of Pomerania,  succeeded him in all three kingdoms as Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

On January 5, 1448, 31-year-old Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden suddenly died. Christopher married 15-year-old Dorothea of Brandenburg in 1445 but the marriage was childless. Christopher’s death without an heir resulted in a succession crisis that temporarily broke up the Kalmar Union which had united the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The Danish throne was first offered to Adolphus, Duke of Schleswig, the most prominent feudal lord of the lands subject to Danish sovereignty. Adolphus declined because of his age and recommended his nephew Christian, Count of Oldenburg. In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and reigned as King Christian I.

However, in Sweden, in June 1448, Karl Knutsson, Lord High Constable of Sweden, was elected King of Sweden and reigned as King Karl VIII during three periods: 1448–1457, 1464–1465, and 1467–1470. During the time between the three periods when King Karl VIII ruled Sweden, some regents ruled Sweden and during 1457 – 1465, King Christian I was King of Sweden. See Unofficial Royalty: Kingdom of Sweden Index for a listing of the regents and their periods of rule.

In 1449, a portion of the Norwegian council elected Karl as King of Norway, and he and Katarina were crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway on November 20, 1449. However, Christian also continued pursuing his claim to Norway.  Norway was now faced with a union with Denmark or Sweden or electing a separate king, an option quickly discarded. The Norwegian Council of the Realm was divided between Christian and Karl but eventually ruled in favor of Karl. After an armed conflict between Denmark and Norway, a joint Danish-Swedish meeting decided that Karl should renounce Norway in favor of King Christian I and that the survivor of the two kings would be recognized as king in all three kingdoms. Karl reluctantly agreed with the decision. King Christian I was crowned King of Norway on August 2, 1450.

Being the king in both Denmark and Norway gave King Christian I a power advantage. However, the wars fought between Christian and Karl beginning in 1452 were not decisive. In 1457, a rebellion against King Karl VIII took place, led by Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson and Swedish nobleman Erik Axelsson Tott. Karl went into exile and the two rebellion leaders organized the election of King Christian I of Denmark as King of Sweden. Karl was able to regain the Swedish throne two more times, from 1464–65 and 1467–1470.

The tomb of King Karl VIII in the foreground and the tomb of King Magnus III Ladulås in the background; Credit – Photo © Susan Flantzer

On May 15, 1470, 62-year-old King Karl VIII died at Tre Kronor Castle (Three Crowns Castle) in Stockholm after a short illness. He was buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm where another medieval Swedish king, King Magnus III Ladulås (circa 1240 – 1290), is buried as well as the fifteen Swedish monarchs and their spouses from King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great (died 1632) to King Gustaf V (died 1950).

Karl had two children with his mistress Kristina Abrahamsdotter: a daughter Anna Karlsdotter Bond (circa 1441 – 1469), and a son Karl Karlsson Bonde (1465 – 1488). On an unknown date during the spring of 1470, a few weeks before he died, King Karl VIII married his mistress Kristina Abrahamsdotter, attempting to legitimize their son Karl and have him become the next King of Sweden. However, the Swedish nobility did not recognize the five-year-old Karl as King Karl VIII’s successor. Instead, Sten Sture the Elder, the son of Karl VIII’s half-sister Birgitta Stensdotter Bielke from the second marriage of Karl’s mother to Sten Turesson Bielke, became the Lord Regent of Sweden. He ruled from June 1, 1470 to October 6, 1497, and from November 12, 1501, until he died on December 14, 1503.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). König von Schweden und Norwegen. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_VIII._(Schweden)
  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2005). Katarina Karlsdotter (Gumsehuvud). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarina_Karlsdotter_(Gumsehuvud)
  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2002). kung av Sverige 1448–1457, 1464–1465 och 1467–1470, Sveriges riksföreståndare 1438–1440 och kung av Norge 1449–1450. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Knutsson_(Bonde)
  • Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2005). konge av Sverige og Norge. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_I
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden (Flantzer, Ed.) [Review of Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden]. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/eric-of-pomerania-eric-iii-king-of-norway-eric-vii-king-of-denmark-eric-xiii-king-of-sweden/
  • King Charles VIII of Sweden. (2023). Geni_family_tree. https://www.geni.com/people/King-Charles-VIII-of-Sweden/6000000000345666785
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Catherine Karlsdotter. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Karl Knutsson. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

UPDATED: It’s A Girl for Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden

DD.KK.HH. Prins Carl Philip och Prinsessan Sofia, augusti 2024. Photo: The Royal Court of Sweden

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden welcomed their fourth child, a daughter, on Friday, February 7, 2025 at 1:10pm local time.  The baby was born at the Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm.  The Prince and Princess have three older sons, Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel and Prince Julian. The new Princess is 8th in line for the Swedish throne. 

On Monday, February 10, 2025, the King announced the baby’s name and title – Princess Ines Marie Lilian Silvia of Sweden, Duchess of Västerbotten. In keeping with the King’s 2009 changes to the Royal House, Princess Ines will not hold the style of Royal Highness.

Her given names:

Ines – a name liked by the Prince and Princess
Marie – in honor of Princess Sofia’s mother, Maria Hellqvist
Lilian – in honor of the late Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland
Silvia – in honor of Carl Philip’s mother, Queen Silvia

The title Duke/Duchess of Västerbotten was last granted to King Carl Gustaf’s father, Prince Gustaf Adolf, who died in a plane crash in 1947.

Swedish Royal Court: TRH Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia welcome their fourth child – a daughter

Swedish Royal Court: Princess Ines Marie Lilian Silvia, Duchess of Västerbotten

Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden was born Christopher of Bavaria on February 26, 1416, in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, then in Palatinate-Neumarkt, now in the administrative region of the Upper Palatinate in Bavaria, Germany. He was the only child of Johan, Count Palatine of Neumarkt and Catherine of Pomerania. Christopher’s paternal grandparents were Rupert, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Nuremberg. Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Maria of Mecklenburg were his maternal grandparents.

Christopher’s uncle Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Christopher’s maternal uncle, born Bogislaw of Pomerania, the future Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, was taken as a child to Denmark to be raised as the heir to his maternal great-aunt Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden who had no surviving children. Bogislaw’s name was changed to the more Nordic-sounding Eric. When Eric of Pomerania came of age, he was declared co-ruler in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, Margarethe I remained the effective ruler of all three kingdoms for the remainder of her life. Margrethe I devised the Kalmar Union, a personal union from 1397 to 1523, in which a single monarch ruled the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland), and Norway, together with Norway’s overseas colonies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland).

On October 28, 1412, 59-year-old Queen Margrethe I died and Eric succeeded his great-aunt as King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. However, Eric’s marriage to Philippa of England was childless. Eric named his cousin Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania the heir presumptive of his three kingdoms. However, the Danish nobility refused to ratify his choice. In response, Eric left Copenhagen and lived at Visborg Castle in Gotland, Sweden’s largest island. Between 1439 and 1441, the nobility of Eric’s three kingdoms deposed him.

After Eric left Copenhagen, the Danish Imperial Council offered Christopher the Kingdom of Denmark and the right to inherit Norway and Sweden. Christopher became Regent of Denmark in July 1439 and was elected King of Denmark in April 1440. The following year he put down a peasant revolt and then traveled to Uppsala, Sweden where he was crowned King of Sweden in September 1441. On January 1, 1443, Christopher was crowned King of Norway.

Christopher’s reign was marked by difficulties related to his election as king. To gain support, Christopher had to make promises that later were difficult to keep and roused anger among the nobility. Christopher had promised the Swedes to return to them the island of Gotland, where the exiled former king, Erik of Pomerania lived in Visborg Castle and supported himself with piracy. Christopher’s negotiations failed, and when complaints were made, he replied frivolously, “My uncle must live too.” In Sweden, Christopher was called the “Bark King” because the people had to mix bark into their bread during a crop failure. In Denmark, there were complaints that Christopher invited too many Bavarians to come to Denmark. Christopher introduced unpopular tithes, a compulsory government tax.

In 1443, Copenhagen was granted a new city charter that prohibited trade in foreign currency. The Hanseatic League cities were not happy about this. In 1445, Christopher was forced to reaffirm the existing rights of the Hanseatic League in Sweden and Norway via a treaty. The treaty also provided for Christopher’s marriage to Dorothea of Brandenburg, the youngest of the three daughters and the youngest of the four children of Johann IV, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmburg.

Dorothea of Brandenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 12, 1445, 15-year-old Dorothea of Brandenburg married 29-year-old Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The marriage was childless and lasted less than three years. On January 5, 1448, 31-year-old Christopher suddenly died at Kärnan Fortress in Helsingborg, Sweden. He is buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. Christopher’s widow Dorothea was proclaimed the regent of Denmark until a new monarch could be elected.

Christopher’s death without an heir resulted in a succession crisis that temporarily broke up the Kalmar Union which had united the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The Danish throne was first offered to Duke Adolphus of Schleswig, the most prominent feudal lord of the lands subject to Danish sovereignty. Adolphus declined because of his age and recommended his nephew Christian, Count of Oldenburg, the future King Christian I of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and in 1450, he was elected King of Norway and reigned as King Christian I. However, in Sweden, in June 1448, Karl Knutsson, Lord High Constable of Sweden, was elected King of Sweden and reigned as King Karl VIII during three periods: 1448–1457, 1464–1465, and 1467–1470.

In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and reigned as King Christian I. The Danish Council of State made it a condition that Christian marry Dorothea of Brandenburg, Christopher’s widow. Christian I and Dorothea were married on October 26, 1449, and their coronation was held two days later. In 1450, Christian I was elected King of Norway. He also reigned in Sweden from 1457 to 1464. Sweden would not be reunited permanently with Denmark and Norway until Christian I’s son and successor King Hans conquered Sweden in 1497.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). König von Schweden, Dänemark und Norwegen. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christoph_III.
  • Christoffer af Bayern. (2025). Wikipedia.org. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christoffer_af_Bayern
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2021). Dorothea of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/dorothea-of-brandenburg-queen-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden [Review of Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden]. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/eric-of-pomerania-eric-iii-king-of-norway-eric-vii-king-of-denmark-eric-xiii-king-of-sweden/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Queen of Norway, and Queen of Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/margrethe-i-queen-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden-2/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Christopher of Bavaria. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Eric of Pomerania, King of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Eric of Pomerania was King of the three Scandinavian kingdoms as King Eric III of Norway (1389 – 1442), King Eric VII of Denmark (1396 – 1439), and King Eric XIII of Sweden (1396 – 1434, 1436 – 1439). However, he was deposed in all three kingdoms. Eric was born in 1381 or 1382 as Bogislaw of Pomerania at Darłowo Castle in Rügenwalde, Duchy of Pomerania, now Darłowo, Poland. He was the elder of the two children and the only son of Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Maria of Mecklenburg. Eric’s paternal grandparents were Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania and Adelheid of Brunswick-Grubenhagen. Heinrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg and Ingeborg of Denmark, the eldest daughter of King Valdemar IV of Denmark, were his maternal grandparents.

Eric’s parents Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Maria of Mecklenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Eric had one sister:

Eric’s maternal grandmother Ingeborg of Denmark was the sister of Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark (1387 – 1412), Queen of Norway (1388 – 1412), and Queen of Sweden (1389 – 1412). Ingeborg was the only one of Margrethe’s five siblings to marry and have children. Margrethe I’s only child Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway (1370 – 1387), died in his teens and had no heirs. After her son’s death Margrethe was named Queen of Denmark and Queen of Norway. In 1389, Queen Margrethe I replaced the unpopular King Albert of Sweden when the Swedish noble rose against him.

Statue of Eric of Pomerania with Queen Margrethe I in Viborg, Denmark; Credit – By Oleryhlolsson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86745447

In 1389, Margrethe I brought seven or eight-year-old Bogislaw to Denmark to be raised as a Dane. Bogislaw’s name was changed to the more Nordic-sounding Eric. When Eric came of age, he was declared co-ruler in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, Margarethe I remained the effective ruler of all three kingdoms for the remainder of her life. Margrethe devised the Kalmar Union, a personal union from 1397 to 1523, in which a single monarch ruled the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland), and Norway, together with Norway’s overseas colonies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland).

Queen Philippa, painted in the in the 1590s by Cornelius Krommeny; Credit – Wikipedia

Early in his reign, King Henry IV of England tried to negotiate an alliance between England and the Kalmar Union. He suggested a marriage between two of his children, his eldest son and heir, the future King Henry V of England, and his daughter Philippa of England, with Margrethe I’s great-niece and great-nephew, Catherine of Pomerania and Eric of Pomerania. Terms for the marriages were not agreed upon at that time, however, in 1405, a marriage between Philippa and Eric of Pomerania was arranged. Eleven-year-old Philippa was married by proxy to 24-year-old Eric on November 26, 1405, at Westminster Abbey in London. Philippa was formally proclaimed Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in London, England on December 8, 1405, in the presence of the Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian ambassadors.

In August 1406, Philippa left England to travel to Sweden and married Eric of Pomerania in person on October 26, 1406, at Lund Cathedral in Lund, Sweden. Documentation from the wedding indicates that Philippa wore a tunic with a cloak in white silk bordered with gray squirrel and ermine, making her the first documented princess to wear a white wedding dress. On November 1, 1406, Philippa was crowned Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

On October 28, 1412, 59-year-old Queen Margrethe I died aboard her ship docked in the harbor at Flensburg, then in the Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Several possible causes of Margrethe’s death have been discussed over the years including the bubonic plague and poisoning by her co-ruler and great-nephew Eric, who became sole King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden when Margrethe died.

In 1417, Eric made Copenhagen a royal possession assuring its status as the capital of Denmark. He also took away Copenhagen Castle from the Bishop of Roskilde, and the castle became his primary residence. During Eric’s reign, he had many conflicts with the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe,  the Teutonic Order, a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society, and the Schauenburg Counts of Holstein. The tax burden related to these conflicts caused discontent among Eric’s subjects, particularly in Sweden.

Eric went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from 1423 – 1425. While he was away, his wife Philippa was regent for Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. After Eric returned from his pilgrimage, Philippa continued her commitment to the kingdoms. She resolved disputes among her subjects, and organized and successfully defended Copenhagen against attacking forces from the Hanseatic League cities.

Philippa by Reinhold Callmander on a window above her grave, 1890s; By Mariusz Paździora (photo); Reinhold Callmander (painting) – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6100584

After twenty-three years of marriage, Philippa gave birth, for the first and last time, to a stillborn boy in 1429. Her health deteriorated after the stillbirth and during a visit to Vadstena Abbey in Stockholm, Sweden, Philippa died on January 5, 1430, at the age of 35. Her death was a great loss to Eric and the monarchy. She was buried in St. Anna’s Chapel, which she had built at the Vadstena Abbey church. In Philippa’s memory, Eric gave a generous sum of money to Vadstena Abbey. In return, he demanded that the abbey employ ten priests to pray and sing psalms continually for Philippa’s soul. After Philippa’s death, Eric had a relationship and eventually, a morganatic marriage, with Cecilia, Philippa’s former lady-in-waiting,

Visborg Castle in an early 17th-century drawing; Credit – Wikipedia

With no children to succeed him, Eric named his cousin Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania as his heir presumptive of his three kingdoms. However, the Danish nobility refused to ratify his choice. In response, Eric left Copenhagen and lived at Visborg Castle in Gotland, Sweden’s largest island. Between 1439 and 1441, the nobility of Eric’s three kingdoms deposed him. Christopher of Bavaria, Eric’s nephew, the only child of his sister Catherine succeeded him in all three kingdoms.

Darlowo Castle, now in Darłowo, Poland, where Erik was born and died; Credit – Wikipedia

For ten years, Eric lived in Gotland and supported himself by piracy. After Swedish attacks in 1449, he was forced to surrender Visborg Castle to Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and return to his birthplace Rügenwalde in the Duchy of Pomerania. From 1449 to 1459, Eric ruled Pomerania-Rügenwalde, a small partition of the Duchy of Pomerania-Stolp. Erik died at his birthplace, Darłowo Castle in Rügenwalde, Duchy of Pomerania, now Darłowo, Poland, on September 24, 1459, aged 77-78, and was buried in St. Mary Church in Darłowo.

Eric’s tomb in St. Mary Church in Darłowo, Poland; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). König der Kalmarer Union, Herzog von Pommern-Stolp. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_VII._(D%C3%A4nemark)
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2003). Konge af Norge, Danmark og Sverige (1382-1459). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_af_Pommern
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Queen of Norway, and Queen of Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/margrethe-i-queen-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden-2/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2017). Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/philippa-of-england-queen-of-denmark-sweden-and-norway/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Eric of Pomerania. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_of_Pomerania
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Haakon VI, King of Norway, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

The royal seal of King Haakon; Credit – Wikipedia

Haakon VI was King of Norway from 1343 to 1380 and King of Sweden from 1362 to 1364, and the husband of Margrethe I, the reigning Queen of Denmark (1387 – 1412), Norway (1388 – 1412), and Sweden (1389 – 1412) after his death. Haakon’s exact birth date and place of birth are unknown. He was possibly born in mid-August 1340, most likely in Sweden. Haakon was the second of the two sons of Magnus Eriksson, King of Sweden and King of Norway and Blanche of Namur. Haakon’s father was King Magnus VII of Norway but medieval Swedish kings did not use regnal numbers as part of their title. Haakon’s paternal grandparents were the Swedish Eric, Duke of Södermanland and the Norwegian Ingeborg Haakonsdatter. His maternal grandparents were John I, Count of Namur and Marie of Artois.

Queen Blanche of Sweden, and Prince Haakon, 1877 historical painting by Finnish artist Albert Edelfelt; Credit – Wikipedia

Haakon’s mother Queen Blanche is remembered in Sweden for the song: “Rida rida ranka, hästen heter Blanka” (“Ride, ride on my knee, the horse is called Blanka”), which influenced the famous 1877 historical painting of Blanche and her son Haakon by Finnish artist Albert Edelfelt.

Haakon had one elder brother Eric Magnusson (1339 – 1359) and at least three unknown sisters who died in infancy or early childhood. Eric married Beatrix of Bavaria. The couple had no surviving children and both Erik and Beatrix died in 1359, probably from the black plague.

When Haakon was born, his father Magnus decided to divide his kingdoms between his sons. Eric was designated to succeed his father as King of Sweden, while Haakon would become King of Norway. Haakon had become a very young King of Norway in 1343. Opposition to Magnus’ rule in Norway led to an agreement between Magnus and the Norwegian nobles. Haakon would become King of Norway, with Magnus as regent during his minority. In 1344, Haakon’s five-year-old brother Eric was formally elected King of Sweden and co-reigned with his father. In 1362, three years after Eric’s death, Haakon became co-ruler of Sweden with his father. The two reigned over Sweden together until 1364, when they were deposed in favor of Magnus’ nephew Albert III, Duke of Mecklenburg by a group of exiled Swedish noblemen. Magnus and Haakon tried to retake the Swedish throne but were unsuccessful. With no throne, Magnus lived with his son Haakon in Norway. On 1 December 1, 1374, Haakon’s father Magnus, aged 58, drowned in a shipwreck in Bømlafjorden, a fjord in Norway.

Margrethe’s effigy on her tomb at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1359, King Valdemar IV of Denmark betrothed his six-year-old daughter Margrethe of Denmark to eighteen-year-old King Haakon VI of Norway as part of an alliance treaty. Four years later, on April 9, 1363, King Haakon VI and Margrethe were married at Copenhagen Cathedral in Denmark. Haakon’s parents Magnus Eriksson and Blanche attended the wedding. Shortly after the wedding, Blanche fell ill and died. The cause of death and the place where she is buried are unknown.

Ten-year-old Margrethe, now Queen Consort of Norway and Sweden, remained in Denmark for some time after the wedding. Eventually, she moved to Norway and lived primarily at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. Margrethe was too young for the marriage to be consummated. She spent her time getting acclimated to Norway and preparing for her duties as Queen Consort.

Haakon and Margrethe’s son Olaf who was King of Denmark and King of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Margrethe and Haakon VI had one son, born at Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway:

Margrethe’s father Valdemar IV, King of Denmark died on October 24, 1375, and Margrethe was the only survivor of his six children. It was expected Albrecht IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the son of Ingeborg of Denmark, Valdemar IV’s eldest child who survived childhood and had children, would claim the Danish throne. However, Margrethe managed to win over the Danish royal council by offering them lucrative grants and agreements. She also won the support of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in central and northern Europe, which did not want the House of Mecklenburg to gain power in Denmark. On May 3, 1376, Haakon and Margrethe’s five-year-old son Olaf was proclaimed King of Denmark with his mother Margrethe acting as Regent of Denmark because of her son’s young age.

The ruins of St. Mary’s Church in Oslo where King Haakon VI was buried; Credit – By Grzegorz Wysocki Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2827853

Haakon never stopped attempting to reclaim the Swedish throne. He was exhausted by the constant warfare and the conflict with his cousin Albert of Mecklenburg who had been King of Sweden since 1364. On September 11, 1380, forty-year-old King Haakon VI of Norway died in Oslo, Norway, and was buried at St. Mary’s Church in Oslo which now lies in ruins. Haakon’s ten-year-old son Olaf, King of Denmark was now also King of Norway, and his mother Margrethe, Regent of Denmark, was also Regent of Norway. With Olaf’s accession to the throne of Norway, 434 years of a Danish-Norwegian union began.

On August 3, 1387, Haakon and Margrethe’s sixteen-year-old son Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway died. During her son’s reign, Margrethe had been a very capable Regent of Denmark and Norway. After her son’s death, she used all her diplomatic skills and was named Queen of Denmark on August 10, 1387, and Queen of Norway on February 2, 1388. Margrethe joined forces with the Swedish nobles who rose against the unpopular King Albert of Sweden, Haakon’s cousin who had taken the Swedish throne in 1364, when he attempted to reduce the land holdings of the Swedish nobility. At a meeting at Dalaborg Castle in Sweden in March 1388, the Swedish nobles proclaimed Margrethe to be Sweden’s “sovereign lady and rightful ruler”. Margrethe sent troops to Sweden and on February 24, 1389, they defeated King Albert of Sweden at the Battle of Åsle, something that Haakon had never been able to do.

Margrethe was now the reigning Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. She was the founder of the Kalmar Union which united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under a single monarch from 1397 – 1523. Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden was called “the first great ruling queen in European history” by Norwegian-American author, historian, and college professor Knut Gjerset. Because Queen Margrethe I had no living children, she adopted her great-nephew Eric of Pomerania. When Eric came of age, he was declared co-ruler in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, Margrethe remained the effective ruler of all three kingdoms for the remainder of her life. Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden survived her husband by thirty-two years, dying on October 28, 1412, aged fifty-nine. She was interred in Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2004). Konge av Sverige og Norge. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A5kon_VI_Magnusson
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/margrethe-i-queen-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden-2/
  • Magnus IV of Sweden. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_IV_of_Sweden
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Blanche of Namur. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Haakon VI. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Effigy of Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

I first came across Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in 2011, when I visited Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, the burial site of most Danish monarchs and their spouses. Her tomb there with its beautiful effigy and wonderful carvings is my favorite royal tomb. The founder of the Kalmar Union which united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under a single monarch from 1397 – 1523, Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden was called “the first great ruling queen in European history” by Norwegian-American author, historian, and college professor Knut Gjerset.

Margrethe held various titles at certain points during her life:

  • Queen Consort of Sweden: 1363 – 1364
  • Queen Consort of Norway: 1363 – 1380
  • Regent of Denmark (for her son): 1376 – 1387
  • Regent of Norway (for her son): 1380 – 1387
  • Sovereign Queen of Denmark: 1387 – 1412
  • Sovereign Queen of Norway: 1388 – 1412
  • Sovereign Queen of Sweden: 1389 – 1412

Margrethe’s father Valdemar IV, King of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

The youngest of the six children and the youngest of the four daughters of Valdemar IV, King of Denmark and Helvig of Schleswig, Margrethe was born in March 1353 in Søborg Castle in Denmark.

Margrethe had five elder siblings but at the time of her birth, three siblings had died.

Margrethe’s mother Queen Helvig; Credit – Wikipedia

Margrethe grew up at her father’s court at his many castles including Copenhagen Castle, Søborg Castle, Vordingborg Castle, Kalundborg Castle, Roskilde Castle, and his hunting seat Gurre Castle. In 1355, Margrethe’s mother Queen Helvig entered Esrum Abbey as a lay sister after being replaced by her husband’s mistress Tove. Queen Helvig died circa 1374 and was buried at Esrum Abbey.

Seal of King Haakon VI of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1359, King Valdemar IV of Denmark betrothed his six-year-old daughter Margrethe to eighteen-year-old King Haakon VI of Norway, a younger son of Magnus Eriksson, King of Norway and Sweden, as part of an alliance treaty. Margrethe and King Haakon VI were married at Copenhagen Cathedral in Denmark on April 9, 1363.

When Margrethe’s husband Haakon was born, his father Magnus Eriksson, King of Norway and Sweden decided to divide his kingdoms between his sons. The elder son Eric was designated to succeed his father as King of Sweden, while Haakon would become King of Norway. By 1343, three-year-old Haakon had become King of Norway. Opposition to Magnus’ rule in Norway led to an agreement between Magnus and the Norwegian nobles. In violation of the Norwegian laws on royal inheritance, Haakon would become King of Norway, with Magnus as regent during his minority. In 1344, five-year-old Eric was formally elected King of Sweden and co-reigned with his father. Three years after Eric died in 1359, Haakon became co-ruler of Sweden with his father. The two reigned over Sweden together until 1364, when they were deposed in favor of Magnus’ nephew, Albert III, Duke of Mecklenburg by a group of exiled Swedish noblemen. Magnus and Haakon tried to retake the Swedish throne but were unsuccessful.

Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway where Margrethe spent the early years of her marriage; Credit – By Ghirlandajo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42021733

Ten-year-old Margrethe remained in Denmark for some time after the wedding. Eventually, she moved to Norway and lived primarily at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. Margrethe was too young for the marriage to be consummated. Her governess was Swedish noblewoman Merete Ulvsdatter, a daughter of Saint Birgitta of Sweden. Margrethe was raised with Merte Ulvsdatter’s daughters Ingegerd and Katrine, who became her closest friends. She spent her time getting acclimated to Norway and preparing for her duties as Queen Consort.

Margrethe and Haakon VI had one son who was born at Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway:

Margrethe’s son Olaf who was King of Denmark and King of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Margrethe’s father Valdemar IV, King of Denmark died on October 24, 1375, and Margrethe was the only survivor of his six children. It was expected that Duke Albert IV of Mecklenburg, the son of Ingeborg of Denmark, Valdemar IV’s eldest child who survived childhood and had children,  would claim the Danish throne. However, Margrethe managed to win over the Danish royal council by offering them lucrative grants and agreements. She also won the support of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in central and northern Europe, which did not want the House of Mecklenburg to gain power in Denmark. On May 3, 1376, Margrethe’s five-year-old son Olaf was proclaimed King of Denmark with his mother Margrethe acting as Regent of Denmark because of her son’s young age. A little more than four years later, on September 11, 1380, Margrethe’s husband King Haakon VI of Norway died. Their ten-year-old son Olaf was now also King of Norway, and his mother Margrethe was also Regent of Norway. With Olaf’s accession to the throne of Norway, 434 years of a Danish-Norwegian union began.

On August 3, 1387, Margrethe’s sixteen-year-old son Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway died. He was buried at Sorø Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey on the island of Zealand in Denmark, where Margrethe’s father King Valdemar IV of Denmark was buried. There were unproven rumors that Olaf was poisoned. In 2015, Jørgen Lange Thomsen, a forensic scientist, proposed a theory Olaf died from Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disorder. See Copenhagen Post: Mystery of Danish king deaths fosters new theory.

During her son’s reign, Margrethe had been a very capable Regent of Denmark and Norway. After her son’s death, she used all her diplomatic skills and was named Queen of Denmark on August 10, 1387, and Queen of Norway on February 2, 1388. Margrethe joined forces with the Swedish nobles who rose against the unpopular King Albert of Sweden, Haakon’s cousin who had taken the Swedish throne in 1364, when he attempted to reduce the land holdings of the Swedish nobility. At a meeting at Dalaborg Castle in Sweden in March 1388, the Swedish nobles proclaimed Margrethe to be Sweden’s “sovereign lady and rightful ruler”. Margrethe sent troops to Sweden and on February 24, 1389, they defeated King Albert of Sweden at the Battle of Åsle.

Statue of Queen Margrethe I and her great-nephew Eric of Pomerania in Viborg, Denmark; Credit – By Oleryhlolsson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86745447

Because Queen Margrethe I had no living children, she adopted her great-nephew Eric of Pomerania (Unofficial Royalty article coming). When Eric came of age, he was declared co-ruler in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, Margarethe remained the effective ruler of all three kingdoms for the remainder of her life.

Margrethe devised the Kalmar Union, a personal union from 1397 to 1523, in which a single monarch ruled the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland), and Norway, together with Norway’s overseas colonies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland).

Margrethe was in constant conflict with the neighboring Duchy of Schleswig. In 1412, Margrethe successfully took the border city of Flensburg, then in the Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. In October 1412, Margrethe and her co-ruler and great-nephew Eric set sail to Flensburg to have the local citizens swear an oath of loyalty to them. After attending several meetings, Margrethe boarded her ship docked in the Flensburg harbor intending to set sail back to Denmark. However, she suddenly became violently ill. Suspecting that she was dying, Margrethe ordered thirty-seven marks to be paid to a nearby monastery for perpetual Masses for her soul. On October 28, 1412, 59-year-old Margrethe died aboard her ship docked in Flensburg harbor. Several possible causes of Margrethe’s death have been discussed over the years including the bubonic plague and poisoning by her co-ruler and great-nephew Eric, who became sole King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden when Margrethe died.

Roskilde Cathedral where Queen Margrethe I is buried; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Queen Margrethe I wished to be buried at Sorø Abbey, a Benedictine abbey on the island of Zealand in Denmark where her father King Valdemar IV of Denmark and her son Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway were buried. In 1413, the year after she died, Peder Jensen Lodehat, Bishop of Roskilde ordered her remains to be transferred to Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, probably to give Roskilde Cathedral greater importance. There were several earlier royal burials at Roskilde Cathedral. Harald Bluetooth, King of Denmark and Norway (died circa 985 – 986), who introduced Christianity to Denmark, was buried at the Holy Trinity Church, the wooden, first church on the site where Roskilde Cathedral now stands. His son Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England (963 – 1014) was first buried in England and his remains were later moved to Denmark where they were interred near his father at the Holy Trinity Church. However, their tombs have never been found. Sweyn II Ertridsen, King of Denmark (1019 – 1076) was interred in the southeastern pier of Roskilde Cathedral. A pier is similar to a column and is designed to support arches.

Tomb of Margrethe I; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Queen Margrethe I was interred in a sarcophagus behind the high altar. Her beautiful sarcophagus was made by German sculptor Johannes Junge (link in German) in 1423. The sarcophagus is made of black marble. On the sarcophagus is a life-sized effigy of Queen Margrethe I made of white alabaster. The reliefs on the sides of the sarcophagus are also made of white alabaster. Margrethe left property to Roskilde Cathedral on the condition that Masses for her soul would be said regularly in the future. This was discontinued in 1536 during the Protestant Reformation although a special bell is still rung twice daily in memory of Queen Margrethe I.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2006). Margarethe I. (1353-1412). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margarethe_I.
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2003). Margarete I Regent af Danmark 1375-1412. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margrete_1.
  • Flantzer, Susan. Danish Royal Burial Sites. (2012). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/danish-royal-burial-sites/
  • ‌Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/olaf-ii-king-of-denmark-olav-iv-king-of-norway/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2021). Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/roskilde-cathedral-in-roskilde-denmark/
  • Margaret I of Denmark. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_I_of_Denmark
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Haakon VI. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

National Day of Sweden – June 6 – Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Swedish National Day Celebration at Skansen, an open-air museum in Stockholm, Sweden in 2016; Credit – Av Bengt Nyman – Eget arbete, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49299826

History

Skansen Entrance Building; Credit – By Pwagenblast – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31962088

The idea of a national day started at Skansen, an open-air museum in Stockholm, Sweden, still in existence (which this author has been fortunate to visit), designed to show the way of life in the different parts of Sweden before the industrial era. On June 6, 1893, Skansen had its spring festival and chose to celebrate the day in a nationalist spirit. The celebration was the idea of Artur Hazelius, a teacher, scholar, folklorist, and founder of the Nordic Museum and Skansen.

Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Two historic events occurred on June 6. Gustav Vasa was elected King of Sweden on June 6, 1523. The 1809 Instrument of Government was adopted on June 6, 1809, by the Riksdag (the Swedish legislature) and King Carl XIII of Sweden. It was the constitution of the Kingdom of Sweden from 1809 until it was replaced by the Instrument of Government of 1974.

After the celebration on June 6, 1893, Artur Hazelius wrote in Skansen’s yearbook for 1893 that “just as the holiday of patriotic memories has been introduced at Skansen on June 6, Gustafsdagen, which has been celebrated there and will henceforth be celebrated as Swedish national day”. In 1894, a Swedish newspaper wrote that June 6 “like last year will be celebrated as Swedish National Day”. However, it took a long time before June 6 gained status as a national day. In 1916, June 6 became the Swedish Flag Day, celebrating Sweden acquiring its own flag following the dissolution of the  United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway in 1905.

In 1983, June 6 was named Swedish National Day by the Riksdag, the Swedish legislature. It became a public holiday in 2005 replacing Whit Monday. This change led to fewer days off from work because June 6 will periodically fall on the weekend, unlike Whit Monday, which was always celebrated on a Monday.

What Happens on Swedish National Day?

Swedish National Day Celebration at the Royal Palace in Stockholm; Credit – By Frankie Fouganthin – Own work CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39867164

Swedish National Day celebrations are subdued. There are no fireworks or spectacular national events. It is the day that Swedes celebrate their nationality. At a ceremony at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, new Swedish citizens receive their certificate of citizenship and are welcomed by the Swedish monarch. However, most new Swedish citizens receive their certificate of citizenship during Swedish National Day ceremonies in their towns.

Though the celebrations are subdued, an annual event occurs at Skansen, the open-air museum in Stockholm. Children present the Swedish monarch and his/her spouse with flowers, and then the flag is raised. The royal family attends celebrations, which include traditional folk dancing, flag-making, history lectures, performances, and much more.

King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia visit Strängnäs on Swedish National Day, June 6, 2023

During the day, the Swedish monarch and his/her spouse usually visit a city and participate in the National Day events. In 2023, King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia visited the city of Strängnäs to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the day on which Gustav Vasa was elected King of Sweden in Strängnäs in 1523.

Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Estelle, Prince Oscar, and Prince Daniel welcome visitors to the Royal Palace in Stockholm on June 6, 2023; Photo by PELLE T NILSSON/Swedish Press Agency

Crown Princess Victoria and her family usually welcome visitors to the Royal Palace in Stockholm, which has free admission on Sweden’s National Day. During the day, the public also had the opportunity to visit Logården (the Royal Palace’s garden) and the Bernadotte Library, which are normally closed to visitors.

Changing of the Guard in the Outer Courtyard of the Royal Palace in Stockholm on June 6, 2023; Credit – Photo by PELLE T NILSSON/Swedish Press Agency

Prince Carl Philip usually attends the changing of the guard in the Outer Courtyard at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. After the changing of the guard, twenty-one gun salutes are fired from Skeppsholmen, Kastellholmen, and HMS Kullen, a minesweeper in the Swedish Navy.

King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia arrive at Skansen on June 6, 2023. Photo: Clément Morin

The Royal Family, wearing traditional dress, travels by horse-drawn carriages to watch the National Day celebrations on the Solliden Stage at Skansen. Children dress up in peasant outfits and present bouquets containing blue and yellow flowers to the Swedish monarch and his/her spouse. During the celebrations, the Swedish monarch presents banners to various associations. The Swedish flag is raised and activities include folk dancing, flag-making, and historical performances.

National Day reception at the Nordic Museum on June 6, 2023. Photo: Clément Morin

In the evening, there is a National Day reception and a Military Tatoo. In 2023, to mark the 500th anniversary of Gustav Vasa’s election as King of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia invited representatives from the Government, the Riksdag (the Swedish legislature), the diplomatic corps, and other officials to a National Day Reception at the Nordic Museum. The evening concluded with a military tattoo at the Nordic Museum.

Military Tatoo on June 6, 2023; Photo: Clément Morin

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • National Day Calendar. (2019). NATIONAL DAY OF SWEDEN – June 6. National Day Calendar. https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/international/national-day-of-sweden-june-6
  • National Day of Sweden. (2020). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_of_Sweden
  • Sveriges nationaldag. (2020, November 25). Wikipedia. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sveriges_nationaldag
  • Sweden’s National Day 2022. (2022). Kungahuset.se. https://www.kungahuset.se/english/archive/news/2022-06-06-swedens-national-day-2022
  • Sweden’s National Day 2023. (2023). Kungahuset.se. https://www.kungahuset.se/english/archive/news/2023-06-06-swedens-national-day-2023

Princess Birgitta of Sweden – Funeral and Burial Information

Princess Birgitta of Sweden, Princess of Hohenzollern; Credit: Wikipedia

The funeral of Princess Birgitta of Sweden, Princess of Hohenzollern sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, will be held on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace in Ekerö Municipality, Sweden followed by the burial at the Royal Burial Ground in Haga Park in Solna, Sweden. In accordance with Princess Birgitta’s wishes, the funeral and burial will take place in the circle of family and special invitees.

Princess Birgitta, the second of the four elder sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, died, aged 87, on December 4, 2024, in Majorca, Spain, where she lived. She is the first of the five siblings to die. Born January 19, 1937, at the Haga Palace in Solna, Sweden, Princess Birgitta was the second of the five children and the second of the four daughters of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Sadly, her father Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten died in an airplane crash in 1947, when Princess Birgitta was ten years old. Princess Birgitta was the widow of Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern. They had three children and six grandchildren.

Nobel Prize Events – Sweden – December 10

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

1950 Nobel Prize medal in Physiology/Medicine awarded to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; Photograph: Erik Lindberg –  File:NobelPrize.JPG, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58432969

Except for the Nobel Peace Prize, presented in Oslo, Norway, the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences are presented in Stockholm, Sweden. On December 10th of each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896, the Swedish monarch presents the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. Each recipient, known as a laureate, receives an 18-carat green gold medal plated with 24-carat gold, a diploma, and a monetary award. The ceremony is followed by a banquet at the Stockholm City Hall for about 1,300 people, including 250 students.

Queen Silvia, Prince Daniel, King Carl XVI, and Crown Princess Victoria attend the 2023 Nobel Prize Award Ceremony

In attendance are the Swedish Monarch, his/her spouse, members of the Swedish royal family, representatives of the Swedish Riksdag (the Swedish legislature), representatives of the Swedish Government, international guests especially those who represent the sciences and cultural life, and Swedish citizens who participate in Nobel Prize-related functions.

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Who was Alfred Nobel?

Alfred Nobel; Credit – Wikipedia 

Alfred Nobel (1833 – 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman, known for inventing dynamite. His invention of dynamite in 1866 was developed with the idea of using it for mining, not for war. However, just four years later, dynamite was used by the Prussians and the French in the Franco-Prussian War (1870 – 1871). In 1891, Nobel commented about his dynamite factories, “Perhaps my factories will put an end to war sooner than your congresses: on the day that two army corps can mutually annihilate each other in a second, all civilized nations will surely recoil with horror and disband their troops.” Alfred Nobel died in 1896, so he was not alive during World War I to see how wrong his idea was.

On December 10, 1896, 63-year-old Alfred Nobel died in his villa in San Remo, Italy, from a cerebral hemorrhage. In his will, Nobel left instructions that his fortune be used to create a series of prizes for those who develop the “greatest benefit on mankind” in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature, and peace. Nobel bequeathed 94% of his total assets to establish the five Nobel Prizes. A sixth prize for Economic Sciences, endowed by Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, was first presented in 1969.

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The Nobel Prizes

The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences, are administered by five Nobel Committees, one for each Nobel prize. These committees come from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (for the prizes in physics, chemistry, and economic sciences), the Karolinska Institute (for the prize in physiology or medicine), and the Swedish Academy (for the prize in literature).

Nomination forms are sent by the Nobel Committees to about 3,000 individuals, usually in September the year before the prizes are awarded. These individuals are generally prominent academics working in an area relevant to each Nobel Prize. The Nobel Committees prepare reports reflecting the advice of experts in the relevant fields. The reports and a list of preliminary candidates are then submitted to the prize-awarding institutions: the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for the prizes in physics, chemistry, and economic sciences, the Karolinska Institute for the prize in physiology or medicine, and the Swedish Academy for the prize in literature. Each institution then meets to choose the laureate(s) in for each Nobel Prize by a majority vote.

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Nobel Prize Ceremonies and Events

The Nobel Lectures

Jon Fosse, Norwegian author, playwright, and 2023 Literature Nobel Prize Laureate, gives his Nobel Lecture at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 7, 2023.

The Nobel Foundation statutes state that each laureate is required to give a public lecture on a subject related to the topic of their Nobel Prize within six months of receiving the prize. The Nobel Lectures usually occur during Nobel Week, the week leading up to the award ceremony and banquet. The lectures are organized by the same association which selected the laureates.

The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony

The Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony on December 10, 2023. Queen Silvia, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Prince Daniel, and Crown Princess Victoria can be seen on the right.

The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony takes place at 4:00 PM at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden on December 10th of each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. While at the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony in Oslo, Norway, the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize in the presence of the Norwegian monarch, in Sweden, the Swedish monarch presents the Nobel Prizes to the laureates.

King Carl XVI Gustaf presents the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Moungi Bawendi in 2023

The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony begins with the Swedish Royal Anthem Kungssången followed by a short piece of music played by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra while the Nobel Laureates take their seats. The Chairman of the Board of the Nobel Foundation makes an introductory speech followed by a short piece of music.

Each of the five Nobel Prizes – Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences – is introduced by an academic in that field of study. The laureates then receive their diploma and gold medal from the Swedish monarch. After each Nobel Prize presentation, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra plays a short piece of music. The ceremony ends with the playing of the Swedish National Anthem Du gamla, Du fria. As the guests leave, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra plays a lively piece of music.

The Nobel Banquet

The Nobel Prize Banquet at Stockholm City Hall on December 10, 2023

The Nobel Banquet is held on December 10th of each year in the Blue Hall of Stockholm City Hall after the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. The Nobel Banquet is a formal affair, and for men, the dress code is white tie, and orders and decorations should be worn. Approximately 1,300 guests attend including 200 students. The Swedish royal family attends as guests of honor. The Nobel Prize laureates are usually accompanied by their entire family.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Nobel Foundation and Queen Silvia and Vidar Helgesen, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation descend the Grand Stairway into the Blue Hall of the Stockholm City Hall in 2023

The banquet begins with the entry procession of the Swedish royal family and guests of honor down the Grand Stairway and into the Blue Hall at 7:00 PM.

During the banquet, which lasts four hours, each Nobel laureate gives a speech, usually of a lighter nature. Two ceremonial toasts are given – one to the Swedish monarch and one the Swedish monarch gives in memory of Alfred Nobel. The speeches and toasts are presented by the banquet’s toastmaster, traditionally a Swedish student who holds the job for four years. Musical interludes are performed in between courses.

Golden Hall in Stockholm City Hall; Credit – Av Holger.Ellgaard – Eget arbete, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5820905

The banquet ends at around 11:00 PM. Dancing then begins in the Golden Hall of Stockholm City Hall.

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Works Cited

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  • Stockholm Award Ceremony Program 2023. (2023). Bawendi, M., Brus, L., & Yekimov, A. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2023/12/stockholm-award-ceremony-program-2023.pdf
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