In the last post, we saw the Norwegian princess Ingeborg Håkonsdatter being the leader of the rebellion to free her husband, duke Erik, from his imprisonment. After Erik’s death in 1318, she claimed the Swedish…
In the last post, I wrote about the complicated relationships between Norway, Denmark and Sweden in the early 14th century, where the young Norweigan princess Ingeborg Håkonsdatter found herself in the midst of political turmoil.…
Ingeborg Håkonsdatter (or Ingebjørg) was a Norwegian princess, born in 1301. She was the only child of king Håkon V (Magnusson) and queen Eufemia of Rügen. She would play a vital role in Nordic history…
In the first part of Ingegerd Olofsdotter’s story, we learned about her life as a Swedish princess, and her broken betrothal to the Norwegian king, Olav. We left the story with Ingegerd’s departure from Sweden,…
This theme is about forgotten royal women, and the first is Ingegerd Olofsdotter, princess and later – saint. But to understand her story, it needs to be put it in a bigger perspective. Therefore, let’s…
History is full of men. Especially kings and warriors. In history books we can read about wars and battles, the forging and disintegration of empires. Women occasionally glimpse past in these great stories, in the…
In the last post about Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, we learned that her daughter, Kristina, was taken from her by her enemies in the Privy Council, who ruled Sweden while Kristina was a minor. For…
This is the second post about Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg; read the first part here. The Thirty Years War, which had broken out in Europe in 1618, was a religious war that arose from the…
Just like her mother-in-law, Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg have been vilified throughout history. But the criticism of Maria Eleonora has been the opposite of that of Kristina – she was too extravagant, too emotional and…
Read part 1 here. Kristina of Holstein-Gottorp’s husband, king Karl IX died on October the 30th, 1611. Kristina then became the first Vasa queen to see her child inherit the throne, and the only one…