Queen Consort of Sweden Catherine Magnusdotter

Karin Månsdotter, Queen of Sweden

• Daughter of Måns Helsing and Ingrid
• Place of burial in Turku Cathedral Sweden
• Karin Månsdottir's grave - https://www.geni.com/photo/view/6000000000695206676?album_type=photos_of_me&photo_id=6000000088881481897&position=0
• Karin Mansdotter Coat of Arms - https://www.geni.com/photo/view/6000000000695206676?album_type=photos_of_me&photo_id=6000000088906230918&position=1
• Catherine (1550 – 1612), in Swedish Karin Månsdotter and Katarina, was a Swedish woman who by marriage became Queen of Sweden.

Spouse

• Married: King Eric XIV of Sweden morganatically in 1567, and officially in 1568,

Children:

• Sigrid Vasa , born 1566-10-16 at Svartsjö Castle in Sånga socken, † 1633-04-24 Liuksiala. Married 1: o 1597 with the castle act at Turku Castle Henrik Claësson Tott . Married 2: o 1609-09-10 at Stockholm Castle with the captain Nils Nilsson Night and Day .
• Gustav Eriksson Vasa born 1568, † 1607.
• Henrik Eriksson Vasa born 1570, † 1574.
• Arnold Eriksson Vasa born and † 1572.

Karin was born in Stockholm to a soldier and later jailkeeper named Måns (her surname is a patronymicon, literally "daughter of Måns") and his wife Ingrid. Her mother came from a family of peasants in Uppland,[1] and was said to have sold vegetables on the square. Both her parents are believed to have died c. 1560. According to legend, Eric XIV first noticed her selling nuts at a square in Stockholm, and was so astonished by her beauty that he took her to court as his lover;[1] in reality, however, Karin Månsdotter was in 1564 employed as a servant to Karin, wife of the king's trusted court musician Gert Cantor,[1] who held a tavern and a guest house in his home, and likely served their guests as a waitress. She was a maid to the King's sister, Princess Elizabeth, when she became mistress to the king in 1565.

Royal mistress

Karin seems to have entered into a relationship with Eric in the spring of 1565.[1] The position seems to have been quite official, as she was given expensive clothes and appeared with him openly at court, and was given her own apartment and servants. Thus, she could be regarded as the first official royal mistress in Sweden, although only Hedvig Taube otherwise is considered an official royal mistress in Sweden. In the summer of 1565, she belonged to the king’s retinue to Skara, where she was provided for from the baliff’s provision for the warfaring army, which was otherwise reserved for the army, and illustrates her new status.[1] The royal accounts states that she was given a new and expensive wardrobe and her own staff, among them her own former employer: Karin, the wife of Gert Cantor. When her daughter Sigrid was born in 1566, she was treated as a legitimate princess.[1] Before this, the king had a whole harem of mistresses, such as Agda Persdotter and Doredi Valentinsdotter, but when Karin entered his life, he dismissed them all. She also received education and learned to read and write. His treatment of her caused much astonishment. The ideas of the time suggested witchcraft and love potions to explain the deep attachment.[1]

Karin is reported to have had a fiancé before she met Eric, an ensign named Maximilian.[1] After she became royal mistress, he managed to get into the palace, where he was discovered by Carl the manservant and taken to the king, who had him killed. According to chronicler Daniel Hund, he was in fact trapped by Eric, who had asked Karin to send for him.[1] The truth of the story is unknown.

Karin Månsdotter's portrait was done only in her husband's scribbled drawings in captivity and in a latter-day bust at her grave[2] (a portrait long believed to be of her has been discovered to be of her sister-in-law). She was described as very beautiful with long blond hair and innocent eyes, and her personality seems to have been calm, humble and natural. The king was mentally unstable, and she seems to have been the only one who could comfort him and calm him down, which made her appreciated by his relatives, who considered her good for him. She had no personal enemies at court, but she was not respected, and their marriage in 1568 was considered a scandal and may have contributed to his dethronement.

Sometime in 1567, Eric decided to marry Karin in accordance to the agreement he made with the council in 1561, in which he had been promised to marry whom he pleased. His plans was supported by his advisor Jöran Persson, as the foreign negotiations had failed and a native aristocrat as queen would have threatened Persson’s position.[1] Karin is reported to have been a good friend of Persson's wife Anna Andersdotter, who apparently often accompanied her on her travels between the different royal palaces.

It is unknown whether Karin Månsdotter had any political influence, but a popular image in Swedish history was of her serving as a counterweight to the king's advisor Jöran Persson; a painting by Georg von Rosen three hundred years later (1871) illustrates this, showing the king on the floor, confused by his inner demons, with Karin Månsdotter at one side holding his hand, looking like an innocent angel giving him strength to resist the demands of Jöran Persson, standing on the other side of him, trying to get him to sign a document.

Her contemporaries, specially the nobles at court, early used her to appeal to Eric on their behalf, and it seems as she did her best to do so, which is illustrated in the Sture Murders in Uppsala 1567, which could perhaps describe the form of her influence on Eric. In May 1567, Eric is considered to have suffered from some sort of mental collapse. He imprisoned several men from the noble family Sture, among them count Svante. Countess Märta Sture, sister of the former queen Margaret Leijonhufvud, appealed to Karin Månsdotter that the prisoners be protected. Karin assured her no one would hurt the prisoners.[1] Later the same morning, the king visited Svante Sture in prison, fell on his knees before him and begged for his friendship. Later the same day, however, the Sture prisoners were executed. Eric disappeared shortly afterwards, and Karin participated in the search; he was found in the Odensala vicarage.[1]

Karin Månsdotter donated to the sisters of Vadstena Abbey on three occasions between 1566 and 1568, and it is noted that her largest donation was made during Eric's sickness in 1567.[1]

Queen

Eric XIV married Karin morganatically in 1567, and officially in 1568, when she was ennobled and crowned queen under the name Katarina Magnusdotter (a formal version of her name). The first, secret wedding ceremony, was performed by Archbishop Laurentius Petri on 29 December 1567. During this period, Eric was periodically affected by his mental problems, and a regency ruled in his stead. The marriage, Eric's mental problems and Karin's elevation caused rumours. In a letter to Eric's sister Sophia, it was reported that "The lunacy which dominates him is a consequence of his deeds. He was somewhat unstable even before, and now he is completely so, guided by his wife", implying that Karin used witchcraft.[1] The wife of Eric's advisor Jöran Persson, Anna Andersdotter, a close friend of Karin, was accused of having spread the rumours and sentenced for slander, but was pardoned on request by Karin herself.[1] The regency arrested many of Eric's advisors, and Karin intervened for many of them. When Eric recovered and the regency was disbanded, Karin intervened in making peace between Eric and his brother, Duke John.[1] The 10 February 1568, Karin was ennobled and given the official seal of a queen.[1] In a letter to her sisters-in-law, the princesses Sophia and Elisabeth, it is noted that she had erased the first draft, which formally called them "Dear sisters", and that she did not call herself "Queen", but "Chosen Queen", which has been interpreted to the fact that she knew that her position was not fully accepted within the aristocracy.[1] Eric is reported to have plans to have his brothers and other enemies killed before the wedding, but they were to have been warned of these plans by Karin Månsdotter through queen dowager Catherine Stenbock.[1] It was later noted that these people did not attend the wedding.

The official wedding took place in Storkyrkan on 4 July 1568, followed next day by the coronation. Karin Månsdotter was walked to the altar by the king's cousin Per Brahe under a banner of golden textile carried by four nobles. The wedding was unique; never before had the children of the couple been present at a royal wedding. Both the infant son and the daughter of Eric and Karin were present to confirm their official status. They were placed under the banner between their parents. On 9 June the son had been baptized carried by Queen Dowager Catherine Stenbock. The coronation was celebrated with great festivities in Stockholm to confirm the new queen's legitimacy. Karin's peasant relatives, her three maternal uncles from Uppland, Hans Jakobsson, Jakob Jakobsson and Erik Nilsson, were present dressed in clothes made for them by the royal tailor.[1] During the coronation, the Lord Chancellor Nils Gyllenstierna, who was carrying the crown, fainted and dropped the crown to the floor.[1] This was regarded as a bad omen. During her period as queen, Karin made gifts to her friends and relatives, such as Anna Nilsdotter i Hammarstorp, who has been identified as her sister despite her different patronymicon, her paternal cousins in Sko kloster, and her "Fränka" (meaning "Female relation") Anna Eriksdotter i Sko. Queen Karin is noted to have granted two royal estates in 1568: on 1 May, she granted the income from Rörstrand in Solna to Torbrjörn Klockare in Stockholm, and on 24 July, she granted Aleby in Botkyrka to Lasse Jakobsson, signing herself in the first document as "Karin Månsdotter" and in the second as "Katarina Regina". On both occasions, she described different privileges and conditions for the holders. Granting royal estates and deciding their privileges was something normally done by monarchs and described her personal influence.[1]

Soon after the coronation, Eric's brothers rebelled and he and his family were imprisoned. It is said, that during the dethronement, Karin fell on her knees before Queen Dowager Katarina Stenbock, crying out; "Forgive him!", as a reminder of the insanity of the King, of which the wedding was considered a sign, and one of the reasons for the coup, and then to the king's brother, the future King John III of Sweden, crying out the same thing; "Forgive him!", but she was completely ignored. This touching scene, portrayed in an old film about her, was most likely a myth - among other things, the Queen Dowager had left the castle at that time - but it illustrates the probably truthful image of her and her personality.

Karin was imprisoned with Eric at first at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, and then at Castle of Turku (1570–71), at Kastelholm Castle on Åland, at Gripsholm Castle (1571–73) and Västerås Castle (1573). Shortly after they were imprisoned, their children were placed in the care of Queen Dowager Catherine Stenbock and their French governess Johanna (Jeanne) de Herboville, but were reunited with their parents in 1570.[1] Karin gave birth to two children in captivity in 1570 and 1572, both of whom died in prison. During their imprisonment, it was reported that Karin reproached Eric for the people he had killed during his reign, "as he in his power had innocent people put to death and by doing so caused the imprisonment and misery of his wife and children as well as himself".[1] In the summer of 1569, an attempt to free the prisoners and restore Eric to his throne was made by a group of conspirators led by Karin's head lady-in-waiting, Elin Andersdotter, and Karin's personal secretary Thomas Jakobsson.[1] The conspiracy was discovered and Andersdotter and Jakobsson were executed. Eric was involved in the plans, but it is not mentioned in the documents if Karin was, although the leading conspirators were in her employment. It is known that Eric was on at least three occasions physically abused by his keeper, but it is not thought that this happened in the presence of Karin.[1] Queen Karin and her children were separated from her husband the 14 June 1573 to prevent the birth of any more legitimate offspring. King Eric described it in his diary as: "My wife has been taken from me by use of violence".[1] Karin and her children were taken to the Castle of Turku (Åbo) in Finland where she remained under house arrest until the death of her husband four years later. In 1575, her son was taken from her and sent to Poland to be placed under the care of the Jesuits, but she was allowed to keep her daughter. In 1577, she received the news of her husband's death. She was treated with kindness and given the royal estate Liuksiala Manor in Kangasala, Finland, where she lived the rest of her life.

Sources:

• http://runeberg.org/pht/1904/0027.html
• http://www.blf.fi/artikel.php?id=519
  • http://www.kansallisbiografia.fi/english/?id=519
    • http://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=12352
    • http://www.nba.fi/rky1993/kohde1338.htm
• http://books.google.com/books?id=ZSAwAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=Kar...
• http://www.historiesajten.se/visainfo.asp?id=236
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karin_M%C3%A5nsdotter
    • http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15925516

Karin Månsdotter (In Finnish:Kaarina Maununtytär), (November 6, 1550–September 13, 1612) was Queen of Sweden and wife of Eric XIV of Sweden.

Karin was the daughter of the jailkeeper Måns (her last name simply means "daughter of Måns") and his wife Ingrid, peasants in Uppland. She was at one point employed as a waitress at the tavern of Gert Cantor before she was employed at court. She was working as a maid to the King's sister, Princess Elizabeth, when she became mistress to the king in 1565.

Contents

[hide]

   * 1 Royal mistress

* 2 Queen
* 3 Widowhood
* 4 Family
* 5 References
[edit] Royal mistress

The position seems to have been quite official, as she was given nice clothes and appeared with him openly at court, and was given her own apartment and servants. Thus, she could be regarded as the first official royal mistress in Sweden, although only Hedvig Taube otherwise is considered an official royal mistress in Sweden. When her daughter Sigrid was born in 1566, she was treated as though she was a legitimate princess. Before this, the king had a whole harem of mistresses, such as Agda Persdotter and Doredi Valentinsdotter, but when Karin entered his life, he dismissed them all. His treatment of her caused much astonishment. She also received education and learned to read and write.

Karin Månsdotter was never portrayed (a portrait long believed to be of her has been discovered to be of her sister-in-law), but she is described as a very beautiful girl with long blond hair and innocent eyes, and her personality seems to have been calm, humble and natural. The king was mentally unstable, and she seems to have been the only one who could comfort him and calm him down, which made her appreciated by his relatives, who considered her good for him. She had no personal enemies at court, but she was not respected, and their marriage in 1568 was considered a scandal and may have contributed to his dethronement.

Karin Månsdotter, Eric XIV and Jöran Persson, in Georg von Rosen's painting of 1871

Karin Månsdotter, Eric XIV and Jöran Persson, in Georg von Rosen's painting of 1871

It is unknown wether Karin Månsdotter had any political influence, but a popular image in Swedish history was of her serving as a counterweight to the king's advisor Jöran Persson; a painting by Georg von Rosen three hundred years later (1871) illustrates this, showing the king on the floor, confused by his inner demons, with Karin Månsdotter at one side holding his hand, looking like an innocent angel giving him strength to resist the demands of Jöran Persson, standing on the other side of him, trying to get him to sign a document.

Her contemporarys early used her to give Eric appeals on their behalf, especially the nobles at court did this, and it seems as she did her best to do so, which is illustrated in the Sture Murders in Uppsala 1567, which could perhaps describe the form of her influence on Eric. In May 1567, Eric is considered to have suffered from some sort of mental collapse. He had gattered several men from the noble family Sture, among them count Svante sture, and imprisoned them. Countess Märta Sture, sister of the fomrer queen Margaret Leijonhufvud, sent an appeal to Karin Månsdotter and asked that the prisoners be protected. Karin sent for her and asured her that no none will hurt the prisoners. Later the same morning, the king visited Svante Sture in prison, fell on his knees before him and begged for his friendship. Later the same day, however, the Sture prisoners was executed all the same.

[edit] Queen

Eric XIV married Karin morganatically in 1567, and officially in 1568, when she was ennobled and crowned queen under the name Katarina Magnusdotter (a fancified version of her name). The coronation was celebrated with great festivities in Stockholm to confirm the new queen's legitimacy. The wedding was unique; never before had the children of the couple been present at a royal wedding; both the infant son and daughter of Eric and Karin were present to confirm their official status. Karin's relatives were dressed in clothes made for them by the royal tailor. During the coronation, the Lord Chancellor, who was carrying the crown, fainted and dropped the crown to the floor. Immediately afterward, Eric's brothers rebelled and he and his family were imprisoned.

It is said, that during the dethronement, Karin fell on her knees before Queen Dowager Katarina Stenbock, crying out; "Forgive him!", as a reminder of the insanity of the King, of which the wedding was considered a sign, and one of the reasons for the coup, and then to the king's brother, the future King John III of Sweden, crying out the same thing; "Forgive him!", but she was completely ignored. This touching scene, portrayed in an old film about her, was most likely a myth - among other things, the Queen Dowager had left the castle at that time - but it illustrates the probably truthful image of her and her personality.

Queen Karin and her children were separated from her husband in 1573 to prevent the birth of any more legitimate offspring. King Eric described it in his diary as: " My wife has been taken from me by use of violence." Karin and her children were taken to the Castle of Turku (Åbo) in Finland where she remained under house arrest until the death of her husband four years later. In 1575, her son was taken from her and sent to Poland to be placed under the care of the Jesuits, but she was allowed to keep her daughter. In 1577, she received the news of her husband's death, but she was treated with kindness and given a manor in Kangasala, Finland, where she lived the rest of her life.

[edit] Widowhood

Karin Månsdotter's monumental grave in the Cathedral of Turku

Karin Månsdotter's monumental grave in the Cathedral of Turku

She returned to the Swedish court on two occasions; in 1577, newly widowed, she travelled to Stockholm to ask for economic support (which she was given) and in 1582, she met Queen Catherine Jagiellon and Queen Dowager Katarina Stenbock in what was called the "Three Queens Visit".

In 1587, her daughter Sigrid was appointed lady-in-waiting to the new king's daughter, Princess Anna of Finland, who followed her brother King Sigismund to Warsaw where he had been elected king. Karin accompanied her on her journey. In Warsaw, she met her son Gustaf again, twelve years after he was taken from her. He was now a Catholic, he had forgotten her and they could not speak to each other because he had forgotten the Swedish language, and Karin knew no other language; she could identify him only by the help of his birthmarks. She saw him once again in Estonia in 1595, and unlike the previous meeting, this has been confirmed. He was poor and was working as a mercenary. She tried to help him financially, and for the rest of her life, she tried to get permission for him to return to Sweden, but she never saw him again. Her daughter Sigrid, on the other hand, married two Swedish noblemen and often spent time with her mother.

Karin became respected and liked in Finland; during the great rebellion Cudgel War in 1596-1597, the rebels refrained from plundering her estate. She is buried in the Cathedral of Turku.

Although three of the queens in Sweden during the same century were not of royal blood, (but noble), Karin Månsdotter was the only Swedish queen before modern times to be a commoner, and her fate has been regarded as quite unique and romantic.

[edit] Family

Karin Månsdotter had the following children with the king;

   * Princess Sigrid of Sweden (1566–1633) (born before the marriage), lady-in-waiting, wife of two noblemen.

* Prince Gustav of Sweden (1568–1607) (born before the marriage), mercenary.
* Henrik (1570–1574)
* Arnold (1572–1573)

http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karin_M%C3%A5nsdotter

Karin Månsdotter

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   För filmen med samma namn, se Karin Månsdotter (film).

Stenrelief i Åbo domkyrka som kan anses föreställa Karin Månsdotter. På 1660-talet flyttad från Tottska koret till Kankaskoret.

Karin Månsdotter, som drottning Katarina (den formella motsvarigheten för Karin), född 6 oktober eller 6 november 1550 i Uppland, död 13 september 1612 på Liuksiala kungsgård i Birkaland, Finland, var gift med kung Erik XIV och drottning av Sverige 1567–1568. Karin Månsdotter kröntes till svensk drottning den 5 juli 1568, dagen efter att hon officiellt gift sig med Erik XIV. Redan 13 juli 1567 hölls emellertid ett hemligt bröllop med ärkebiskopen som förrättare, godkänt av riksrådet, och Karin Månsdotter erhöll drottningsigill i slutet av december 1567.

Karin Månsdotter var en dotter av folket. Fadern var landsknekt eller stockeknekt (fångknekt) från Uppland. Om honom vet man inte så mycket mer, men det är klart att Karins mödernesläkt hörde hemma i Trögds härad i Uppland, där hennes tre morbröder var bönder. Hon uppträder på den historiska scenen för första gången i början av 1565 som kammarjungfru åt Elisabet Vasa vid hovet, och skötte därutöver Virginia Eriksdotter. Femton år gammal blev Karin Månsdotter erkänd frilla (älskarinna) åt Erik XIV och två år senare svensk drottning, vilket inte sågs med blida ögon av samtidens maktelit.

Erik XIV hade visserligen efter påtryckningar mot riksrådet fått godkännande att gifta sig med vem han ville, adlig eller ickeadlig. Likväl var giftermålet med en kvinna med Karins bakgrund en stor utmaning mot högadeln, vilket kom att bli en av flera orsaker till att hennes make fängslades och avsattes 1568–1569. När Erik XIV störtades från den svenska tronen hade Karin hunnit föda två barn, dottern Sigrid Eriksdotter Vasa och sonen Gustav Eriksson Vasa, som egentligen var den legitime tronarvingen till Erik.

Erik XIV och Karin Månsdotter, en fantasimålning av Georg von Rosen från 1871, som också visar Jöran Persson.

Som alla ogifta furstar vid den här tiden omgav sig Erik XIV med ett harem av älskarinnor. Dessa brukade komma och gå, men med Karin var det annorlunda. Hon "konkurrerade" snabbt ut de andra frillorna, som försvann. Bevarade dokument från hovet visar att det inte dröjde länge förrän hon fick ta del av välståndet på kungens slott. Hon försågs efter önskemål med de bästa kläderna som gick att uppbåda, fick privata rum och lära sig "vett och etikett". Snart försåg kungen också sin älskarinna med egna tjänare, precis som en drottning. Kärleksparets första barn Sigrid föddes 1566 och behandlades från första stund som en riktig prinsessa. Även om den officiella kröningen av Karin dröjde fram till den 5 juli 1568 var hon Sveriges drottning efter att det första hemliga bröllopet hållits ett år tidigare och lite senare godkänts av riksrådet. Hennes officiella titel från och med december 1567 var fru Katarina Magnusdotter, Sveriges rikes drottning.

Hustrun och barnen följde den störtade kungen när han flyttades runt som fånge på olika slott, men 1573 skildes de åt på order av den nye kungen Johan III. De fyra kommande åren tillbringade Karin som fånge på Åbo slott. Fängelsevistelsen var mild, men 1575 gav Johan III order om att sonen Gustav skulle skiljas från modern. Liksom sin företrädare Erik XIV såg Johan III fiender nästan överallt, och åtminstone på lite längre sikt kunde Karins Månsdotters son utgöra ett potentiellt hot mot honom och hans ställning, särskilt då Erik XIV fortfarande hade många anhängare och Gustav dessutom hade legitima krav på den svenska tronen.

Karin Månsdotters grav i Åbo domkyrka. En historiker som år 1871 såg hennes kvarlevor där, beskrev henne sålunda: "Huvudet var lösbrutet, mera litet än stort, av vacker, regelbunden form, mera runt än långdraget ovalt. Kroppens längd syntes över medelmåttan, bröstet var väl välvt, höfterna breda, formerna för övrigt starkt byggda och fylliga."

Efter Eriks död 1577 blev Karin och Sigrid fria. Av Johan III fick hon som förläning på livstid kungsgården Liuksiala med omgivningar, belägen i nuvarande Kangasala kommun, nära Tammerfors. Där levde hon ett tillbakadraget men välbärgat liv fram till sin död den 13 september 1612. Den avsatta drottningen tycks ha haft ett gott förhållande till bönderna i regionen. På 1590-talet utbröt Klubbekriget i Finland, ett bondeuppror. Som brukligt var plundrade man de stora gårdarna som tillhörde överklassen, men Liuksiala lämnades i fred.

År 1582 blev Karin och dottern Sigrid inbjudna till Stockholm för att träffa kungen, drottningen Katarina Jagellonica, samt änkedrottning Katarina Stenbock. Där donerade Johan III ännu mer mark till Karin och återlämnade ägodelar som en gång tillhört Erik XIV. Detta var så vitt man vet den enda gång som Karin efter sin frigivning besökte det "egentliga" Sverige. Trots vädjanden fick dock inte Gustav återvända till Sverige, och Karin återsåg sonen först år 1596 och då i Reval (nuvarande Tallinn). Sigrid blev så småningom knuten till det kungliga hovet och gifte sig två gånger med högadliga män. Ett av Sigrids barn, Åke Tott, blev riksråd och en av Gustav II Adolfs främsta fältherrar.

Karin Månsdotter är, förutom Desiree Clary och drottning Silvia, den enda drottning Sverige haft som varken varit kunglig eller adlig. Mycket har genom åren skrivits om den smått osannolika kärlekshistorien mellan Erik XIV och den föräldralösa bondflickan. Historien att kungen skulle "upptäckt" Karin när hon sålde nötter på torget i Stockholm saknas det belägg för. Däremot finns det en hel del som tyder på att Erik XIV tidigt hade planer på att gifta sig med älskarinnan. Allt tyder på att kungen verkligen blev djupt förälskad i den 17 år yngre flickan, och Erik XIV:s närmaste medarbetare noterade att hon hade en lugnande inverkan över den tidvis sinnessjuke kungen.

Karin Månsdotter begravdes i Åbo domkyrka, och är den enda drottning som är begravd i Finland. Förutom sin dotter prinsessan Sigrid Eriksdotter Vasa är hon också den enda kungliga person som begravts i Finland. Prinsessan Sigrids barn med Henrik Klasson Tott är också begravda i landet.

Barn [redigera]

   * Sigrid, född 16 oktober 1566 på Svartsjö slott i Sånga, Uppland, död 1633, förklarad legitim genom äktenskapet.

Drottning Katarina av Sverige såsom framställd av den fångne maken Erik

   * Gustav, född i januari 1568, död 1607, född inom äktenskapet.

* Henrik, född 1570, död 1574, född efter avsättningen.
* Arnold, född 1572, död 1573, född efter avsättningen.
Karin Månsdotter i litteraturen [redigera]

   * Alfred Gustaf Ahlqvist: Karin Månsdotter. En monografi, Central-Tryckeriets Förlag, Stockholm 1874. 

* Adolf Paul: Karin Månsdotter, skådespel i 5 akter, 1899.
* August Strindberg: Erik XIV, teaterpjäs i fyra akter, 1899 (underlag till långfilmen Karin Månsdotter).
* Gösta Angel: Kupletter till Karin Månsdotter eller glädjekällan: Sorgespel i 2 akter med sång och balett, 1920.
* Mika Waltari: Karin Månsdotter: historisk roman, Wahlström & Widstrand, Stockholm 1995, Anna Bondestam (övers.). ISBN 91-46-16724-2. Originates titel: Kaarina Maununtytär. Första svenska upplaga: 1943.
* Sture Arnell: Karin Månsdotter: tolv kapitel om en drottning och hennes tid, Wahlström & Widstrand, Stockholm 1951.
* Anna Sparre: Karin Måns dåter, P.A. Norstedt & Söner, Stockholm 1992. ISBN 91-1-921682-3.
* Olav Rundt: Karin Månsdotter, fakta och myter, Genealogiska samfundet i Finland, Helsingfors 1998, Genos 69:3. ISSN 0016-6898.
Externa länkar [redigera]

   * Wikimedia Commons har media som rör Karin Månsdotter

Bilder & media
* http://www.historiesajten.se/visainfo.asp?id=236
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Karin Månsdotter (in English Catherine, "Carin", "Karen", in Finnish: Kaarina Maununtytär; November 6, 1550, Stockholm – September 13, 1612, Liuksiala Manor, Finland) was Queen of Sweden, first a mistress and then the spouse of King Eric XIV of Sweden. She is commemorated in space, by asteroid 832 Karin.

Karin was the daughter of Måns, first soldier and later jailkeeper (her last name was a patronymicon meaning "daughter of Måns") and his wife Ingrid. Her mother came from a family of peasants in Uppland, and was said to have sold vegetables on the square. Both her parents are believed to have died in c. 1560. According to legend, Eric XIV first noticed her selling nuts at a square in Stockholm, and was so astonished by her beauty, that he took her to court as his lover.[1] In reality, however, Karin Månsdotter was in 1564 employed as a servant to Karin, the wife of the King's trusted court musician Gert Cantor,[1] who held a tavern and a guest house in his home, and likely helped to serve the guests as a waitress. She was a maid to the King's sister, Princess Elizabeth, when she became mistress to the king in 1565.

Contents

 [hide]  1 Royal mistress

2 Queen

3 Widowhood

4 Family

5 Karin Månsdotter in fiction

6 Notes

7 References

8 External links

9 Succession

[edit] Royal mistress

Karin seem to have entered in to a relationship with Eric in the spring of 1565.[1] The position seems to have been quite official, as she was given expensive clothes and appeared with him openly at court, and was given her own apartment and servants. Thus, she could be regarded as the first official royal mistress in Sweden, although only Hedvig Taube otherwise is considered an official royal mistress in Sweden. In the summer of 1565, she belonged to the king’s retinue to Skara, where she was provided for from the baliff’s provision for the warfaring army, which was otherwise reserved for the army, and illustrates her new status.[1] The royal accounts states that she was given a new and expensive wardrobe and her own staff, among them her own former employer; Karin, the wife of Gert Cantor. When her daughter Sigrid was born in 1566, she was treated as a legitimate princess.[1] Before this, the king had a whole harem of mistresses, such as Agda Persdotter and Doredi Valentinsdotter, but when Karin entered his life, he dismissed them all. She also received education and learned to read and write. His treatment of her caused much astonishment. The ideas of the time suggested witchcraft and love potions to explain the deep attachment.[1][2]

Karin is reported to have had a fiancé before she met Eric, an ensign named Maximilian.[1] After she become royal mistress, he managed to get in to the palace, where he was discovered by Carl the manservant and taken to the king, who had him killed. According to chronicler Daniel Hund, he was in fact trapped by Eric, who had asked Karin to send for him.[1] The truth of the story is unknown.[2]

Karin Månsdotter's portrait was done only in her husband's scribbled drawings in captivity and in a latter-day bust at her grave[3] (a portrait long believed to be of her has been discovered to be of her sister-in-law). She was described as a very beautiful girl with long blond hair and innocent eyes, and her personality seems to have been calm, humble and natural. The king was mentally unstable, and she seems to have been the only one who could comfort him and calm him down, which made her appreciated by his relatives, who considered her good for him. She had no personal enemies at court, but she was not respected, and their marriage in 1568 was considered a scandal and may have contributed to his dethronement.

Karin Månsdotter, Eric XIV and Jöran Persson, in Georg von Rosen's painting of 1871 Sometime in 1567, Eric decided to marry Karin in accordance to the agreement he made with the council in 1561, in which he had been promised to marry whom he pleased. His plans was supported by his advisor Jöran Persson, as the foreign negotiations had failed and a native aristocrat as queen would have threathened Persson’s position.[1] Karin is reported to have been a good friend of Persson's wife Anna Andersdotter, who apparently often accompanied her on her travels between the different royal palaces.

It is unknown whether Karin Månsdotter had any political influence, but a popular image in Swedish history was of her serving as a counterweight to the king's advisor Jöran Persson; a painting by Georg von Rosen three hundred years later (1871) illustrates this, showing the king on the floor, confused by his inner demons, with Karin Månsdotter at one side holding his hand, looking like an innocent angel giving him strength to resist the demands of Jöran Persson, standing on the other side of him, trying to get him to sign a document.

Her contemporaries, specially the nobles at court, early used her to appeal to Eric on their behalf, and it seems as she did her best to do so, which is illustrated in the Sture Murders in Uppsala 1567, which could perhaps describe the form of her influence on Eric. In May 1567, Eric is considered to have suffered from some sort of mental collapse. He imprisoned several men from the noble family Sture, among them count Svante. Countess Märta Sture, sister of the former queen Margaret Leijonhufvud, appealed to Karin Månsdotter that the prisoners be protected. Karin assured her no one would hurt the prisoners.[1] Later the same morning, the king visited Svante Sture in prison, fell on his knees before him and begged for his friendship. Later the same day, however, the Sture prisoners were executed. Eric disappeared shortly afterwards, and Karin participated in the search; he was found in the Odensala vicarage.[1]

Karin Månsdotter donated to the sisters of Vadstena Abbey on three occasions between 1566 and 1568, and it is noted that her largest donation was made during Eric's sickness in 1567.[1]

[edit] Queen

This detail comes from an 1870s glass painting by Wladimir Swertschkoff in the Cathedral of Turku pictures Karin Månsdotter "rejecting the crown". At her side are the two children Sigrid Eriksdotter Vasa and Gustav Eriksson Vasa. Eric XIV married Karin morganatically in 1567, and officially in 1568, when she was ennobled and crowned queen under the name Katarina Magnusdotter (a formal version of her name). The first, secret wedding ceremony, was performed by Arch Bishop Laurentius Petri on 29 December 1567. During this period, Eric was periodically affected by his mental problems, and a regency ruled in his stead. The marriage, Eric's mental problems and Karin's elevation caused rumours. In a letter to Eric's sister Sophia, it was reported that "The lunacy which dominates him is a consequence of his deeds. He was somewhat unstable even before, and now he is completely so, guided by his wife", implying that Karin used witchcraft.[1] The wife of Eric's advisor Jöran Persson, Anna Andersdotter, a close friend of Karin, was accused of having spread the rumours and sentenced for slander, but was pardoned on request by Karin herself.[1] The regency arrested many of Eric's advisors, and Karin intervened for many of them. When Eric recovered and the regency was disbanded, Karin intervened in making peace between Eric and his brother, Duke John.[1] The 10 February 1568, Karin was ennobled and given the official seal of a queen.[1] In a letter to her sister-in-laws, the princesses Sophia and Elisabeth, it is noted that she had erased the first draft, which formally called them "Dear sisters", and that she did not call herself "Queen", but "Chosen Queen", which has been interpreted to the fact that she knew that her position was not fully accepted within the aristocracy.[1] Eric is reported to have plans to have his brothers and other enemies killed before the wedding, but they were to have been warned of these plans by Karin Månsdotter through queen dowager Catherine Stenbock.[1] It was later noted that these people did not attend the wedding.

The official wedding took place in Storkyrkan 4 July 1568, followed next day by the coronation. Karin Månsdotter was walked to the altar by the king's cousin Per Brahe under a banner of golden textile carried by four nobles. The wedding was unique; never before had the children of the couple been present at a royal wedding. Both the infant son and the daughter of Eric and Karin were present to confirm their official status. They were placed under the banner between their parents. The 9 June, the son had been baptized carried by Queen Dowager Catherine Stenbock. The coronation was celebrated with great festivities in Stockholm to confirm the new queen's legitimacy. Karin's peasant relatives, her three maternal uncles from Uppland, Hans Jakobsson, Jakob Jakobsson and Erik Nilsson, were present dressed in clothes made for them by the royal tailor.[1] During the coronation, the Lord Chancellor Nils Gyllenstierna, who was carrying the crown, fainted and dropped the crown to the floor.[1] This was regarded as a bad omen. During her period as queen, Karin made gifts to her friends and relatives, such as Anna Nilsdotter i Hammarstorp, who has been identified as her sister despite her different patronymicon, her paternal cousins in Sko kloster, and her "Fränka" (meaning "Female relation") Anna Eriksdotter i Sko. Queen Karin is noted to have granted two royal estates in 1568: in 1 May, she granted the income from Rörstrand in Solna to Torbrjörn Klockare in Stockholm, and in 24 July, she granted Aleby in Botkyrka to Lasse Jakobsson, signing herself in the first document as "Karin Månsdotter" and in the second as "Katarina Regina". On both occasions, she described different privileges and conditions for the holders. Granting royal estates and deciding their privileges was something normally done by monarchs and described her personal influence.[1]

Soon after the coronation, Eric's brothers rebelled and he and his family were imprisoned. It is said, that during the dethronement, Karin fell on her knees before Queen Dowager Katarina Stenbock, crying out; "Forgive him!", as a reminder of the insanity of the King, of which the wedding was considered a sign, and one of the reasons for the coup, and then to the king's brother, the future King John III of Sweden, crying out the same thing; "Forgive him!", but she was completely ignored. This touching scene, portrayed in an old film about her, was most likely a myth - among other things, the Queen Dowager had left the castle at that time - but it illustrates the probably truthful image of her and her personality.

Karin shared the imprisonment of Eric at the first the Royal Palace of Stockholm, and then at Castle of Turku (1570–71), at Kastellholm Castle on Åland, at Gripsholm Castle (1571–73) and Västerås Castle (1573). Shortly after they were imprisoned, the children were placed in the care of Queen Dowager Catherine Stenbock and their French governess Johanna (Jeanne) de Herboville, but were reunited with their parents in 1570.[1] Karin gave birth to two children in captivity in 1570 and 1572, both of whom died in prison. During their imprisonment, it was reported that Karin reproached Eric for the people he had killed during his reign, "as he in his power had innocent people put to death and by doing so caused the imprisonment and misery of his wife and children as well as himself".[1] In the summer of 1569, an attempt to free the prisoners and restore Eric to his throne was made by a group of conspirators led by Karin's head lady-in-waiting, Elin Andersdotter, and Karin's personal secretary Thomas Jakobsson.[1] The conspiracy was discovered and Andersdotter and Jakobsson was executed. Eric was involved in the plans, but it is not mentioned in the documents if Karin was, although the leading conspirators were in her employment. It is known that Eric was on at least three occasions physically abused by his keeper, but it is not thought that this happened in the presence of Karin.[1] Queen Karin and her children were separated from her husband the 14 June 1573 to prevent the birth of any more legitimate offspring. King Eric described it in his diary as: "My wife has been taken from me by use of violence".[1] Karin and her children were taken to the Castle of Turku (Åbo) in Finland where she remained under house arrest until the death of her husband four years later. In 1575, her son was taken from her and sent to Poland to be placed under the care of the Jesuits, but she was allowed to keep her daughter. In 1577, she received the news of her husband's death. She was treated with kindness and given the royal estate Liuksiala Manor in Kangasala, Finland, where she lived the rest of her life.

widowhood

Catherine's monumental grave in Turku Cathedral Karin Månsdotter returned to the Swedish court on two occasions. In 1577, newly widowed, she travelled to Stockholm to ask for economic support, which she received. The second time was in 1582, when she met Queen Catherine Jagiellon and Queen Dowager Katarina Stenbock at Svartsjö Castle,[1] in what was called the "Three Queens Visit".

In 1587, her daughter Sigrid was appointed lady-in-waiting to the new king's daughter, Princess Anna of Finland, who followed her brother King Sigismund to Warsaw where he had been elected king. Karin accompanied her on her journey. In Warsaw, she met her son Gustaf again, twelve years after he was taken from her. She saw him once again in Estonia in 1595, and unlike the previous meeting, this meeting has been confirmed. He was now a Catholic, had forgotten her and they could not speak to each other because he had forgotten the Swedish language, the only language Karin was able to speak; she could identify him only by his birthmarks. He was poor and worked as a mercenary. She tried to help him financially, and for the rest of her life, tried to get permission for him to return to Sweden, but never saw him again. Her daughter Sigrid, on the other hand, married two Swedish noblemen and often spent time with her mother.

Karin became respected and liked in Finland; during the great peasant rebellion Cudgel War in 1596–97, the rebels refrained from plundering her estate.[1] She was also successful in managing the affairs of the estate; in 1587, Liuksiala Manor was one of the most lucrative estates in Finland, and in 1599 it had became the second most lucrative.[1] She kept her neutrality during the Finnish aristocracy's conflict with Charles IX of Sweden in 1597–99. Her daughter, whose spouse had been loyal to King Sigismund, was forced to flee from Charles IX to Riga in 1598, but when she returned in 1603, Karin gave her refuge.

In August 1605, Charles IX gave instructions that Karin and her niece (her sister's daughter, who was apparently staying with her) should be moved to Stockholm.[1] It is not known why, but it may have been because of the political situation in Russia, where her son was a participant. However, the instructions were never carried out. In 1606, Karin asked Charles for permission to free her tenants from the royal taxes so she could use their tax money to buy the freedom of her son, who was at the time a prisoner in Russia, but the king refused.[1] In 1607, Karin nonetheless forbade her tenants to pay the royal taxes.[1] The king then sent her his representatives to explain that this could not be accepted. Soon after, the affair ended with the death of her son in captivity. She died peacefully after a period of illness at Liuksiala. She is buried in the Cathedral of Turku.

Although three Queens of Sweden in her same century were not of royal blood, but noblewomen, Karin Månsdotter was the only one before Silvia (1976) who was a commoner — not counting Queen Desideria, who although born a commoner became Princess of Ponte Corvo four years before becoming Swedish royalty.

Karin Månsdotter had the following children with the king;

Princess Sigrid of Sweden (1566–1633) (born before the marriage), lady-in-waiting, spouse of two nobles.

Prince Gustav of Sweden (1568–1607) (born before the marriage), mercenary.

Henrik (1570–1574)

Arnold (1572–1573)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karin_M%C3%A5nsdotter

http://www.geni.com/path/Mathias-Nilsson-%C3%A4ldre-Oxenstierna+is+related+to+Karin-M%C3%A5nsdotter?from=6000000007328981913&to=6000000000695206676

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Heart's Dear Brothers - Historical Fiction