In our story of Gustav Vasa, the first king of an independent Sweden and the founder of the Vasa Dynasty, we have come to the final chapters – his later years, death and legacy. We…
Gustav Vasa had subdued the rebellion of 1542-43, but he had been shaken by the initial success of the rebels. He needed to secure his position – and that of his descendants. Sweden had…
Gustav Vasa had made many changes since ascending the throne in 1523. The most profound was of course the reformation – turning the country from Catholicism to Lutheranism and changing centuries old traditions and belief…
Gustav Vasa was finally married to a woman of high birth and had a son, Erik. The royal couple must have been thrilled – a son would secure the Vasa Dynasty. But the happiness would…
I have already posted about the Vasa Queens, and now the turn has come to the kings. I will of course start with the first of the Vasa kings – Gustav Vasa himself. But he…
We have follwed the headstrong princess Cecilia Vasa from her rebellious adolescence to her adventures in England, which she left in haste in 1566, hunted by creditors. In the 1560s religious tension was runnig high…
In the last post we got to know the young Cecilia Vasa, daughter of Swedish king Gustav I. We left her right before the event that would forever give her the reputation of a renaissance…
Meet Cecilia Vasa: Sweden’s most scandalous princess, and the last of the women in the Forgotten Royal Women theme. Born into the newly founded Vasa dynasty in 1540, Cecilia became known for her beauty, intellect,…
In the last post about Christine of Saxony, we saw how her husband, king Hans of Denmark and Norway had troubles keeping the Kalmar Union together and subdue the Swedish noblemen. However, in 1497, Hans…
As we continue the theme of Forgotten Royal Women, we stay in the era of the Kalmar Union. Our last story ended with queen Philippa’s death in 1430. The story of Christine of Saxony begins…