Catherine of Sweden, Countess Palatine of Kleeburg
Catherine of Sweden | |
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Born | Nyköping | 10 November 1584
Died | 13 December 1638 Västerås | (aged 54)
Spouse |
John Casimir of Palatinate-Zweibrücken (m. 1615) |
Issue Detail |
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Maria of Palatinate-Simmern |
Catherine of Sweden (
Biography
Early life
Catherine was the daughter of King
In 1611, her brother succeeded her father as King Gustavus Adolphus. Her brother found her sensible and wise, and she is reported to have acted as his confidante and adviser on several occasions. Catherine married late for a Princess of her period. Although she was a great heiress, her status on the international royal marriage market was uncertain because of the political situation in Sweden after her father had conquered the throne from his nephew Sigismund. Her parents marriage had been an alliance with the anti-
The marriage took place on 11 June 1615 in Stockholm. Catherine was, by the will of both her parents as well as by the law regarding the dowry of Swedish Princesses, one of the wealthiest heirs in Sweden. As the economic situation at the time was strained, she remained in Sweden the first years after her marriage to guard her interests. In January 1618, she left for Germany. There, the couple was given the Kleeburg Castle in Northern Alsace as their residence. The year after, John Casimir started to build a new residence, the Renaissance Palace Katharinenburg near Kleeburg. In 1620, the Thirty Years' War forced them to flee to Strassburg.
Return to Sweden
In 1622, her brother King
In 1631, Catherine was given the custody of her niece, Princess Christina, the heir to the throne, when the queen was allowed to join the king in Germany, where he participated in the Thirty Years' War. Christina remained in her care until Maria Eleonora returned to Sweden upon the death of Gustavus Adolphus in 1632. After the death of King Gustavus Adolphus, the couple came in conflict with the Guardian Government of Queen Christina over their position and rights to Stegeborg. When John Casimir broke with the royal council in 1633, the couple retired from court to Stegeborg. Catherine did not show any interest in participation in state affairs. In 1636, however, Queen Dowager Maria Eleonora was deemed an unsuitable guardian and deprived of the custody of the young monarch, and Catherine was appointed official guardian and foster mother with the responsibility of the young queen's upbringing. The appointment was made upon the recommendation of Count Axel Oxenstierna, and she reportedly accepted the task with reluctance. This appointment destroyed her relationship with Maria Eleonora. The years in Catherine's care are described by Christina as happy ones.
Princess Catherine personally enjoyed great respect and popularity in Sweden as a member of the royal house and as the foster parent of the monarch: however, this respect did not include her consort, who was given no task or position at court whatsoever. John Casimir was himself careful to point out her rank as a Royal Princess, but he was himself exposed to some humiliation because of their difference in rank.[2] One example was at the opening of Parliament in 1633, when Catherine in accordance with the wish of the Royal Council followed Queen Christina in the procession, while John Casimir was given the choice to stand and watch the ceremony from a window or not be present at all.
Catherine died in Västerås, where the royal court had fled from an outbreak of plague in Stockholm. At her death, Axel Oxenstierna said, that he would rather have buried his own mother twice, than once again see "the premature death of this noble Princess".[3] After her death, the royal council appointed two foster mothers for the queen to replace her: countess Ebba Leijonhufvud and Christina Natt och Dag.[4]
The
Family
On 11 June 1615, she married
- Christina Magdalena (27 May 1616 - 14 August 1662); married Frederick VI, Margrave of Baden-Durlach. King Adolf Frederick of Swedenwas her great-grandson.
- Karl Friedrich (13 July 1618 – 13 September 1619)
- Elisabeth Amalie (11 September 1619 – 2 July 1628)
- King Charles X Gustav of Sweden(8 November 1622 - 23 February 1660).
- Maria Eufrosyne (14 February 1625 - 24 October 1687); married Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie.
- Eleonora Catherine (17 May 1626 - 3 March 1692); married Frederick, Landgrave of Hesse-Eschwege.
- Adolf John (21 October 1629 - 24 October 1689).
- Gustav (c.1631–?)
All kings of Sweden following her son, except three (
Swedish Royalty |
House of Vasa |
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Gustav I |
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Eric XIV |
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John III |
Sigismund |
Charles IX |
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Gustavus Adolphus |
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Christina |
Ancestry
Ancestors of Catherine of Sweden, Countess Palatine of Kleeburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
- ^ Nanna Lundh-Eriksson (1947). Hedvig Eleonora. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN
- ^ Nanna Lundh-Eriksson (1947). Hedvig Eleonora. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN
- ^ Nanna Lundh-Eriksson (1947). Hedvig Eleonora. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN
- ^ Marie-Louise Rodén: Drottning Christina (Queen Christina) (2008) (in Swedish)
- ^ a b Palme, Sven Ulric (1975). "Karl IX". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 20. p. 630.
- ^ a b Skoglund, Lars-Olof (1987). "Maria". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 25. p. 150.
- ^ a b Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- ^ a b Dahlbäck, Göran (1987). "Margareta". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 25. p. 139.
- ^ a b Press, Volker (1987), "Ludwig VI.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 15, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 414–415; (full text online)
- ^ a b Wolff, Fritz (2001), "Philipp der Großmütige", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 20, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 376–379; (full text online)
- https://historiesajten.se/visainfo.asp?id=402 (in Swedish)
- Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor / (in Swedish)
- Marie-Louise Rodén: Drottning Christina (Queen Christina) (2008) (in Swedish)
- Nordisk familjebok (in Swedish)
- Kromnow, Åke (1975–1977). "Katarina". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 21. National Archives of Sweden. p. 1. Retrieved 2014-07-01.