Euphemia of Sweden
| Eufemia Ericsdotter of Sweden | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms of the Bielbo Dynasty of Sweden |
|
| Spouse(s) | Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg |
| Noble family | House of Bjelbo |
| Father | Eric, Duke of Södermanland |
| Mother | Ingeborg of Norway |
| Born | 1317 |
| Died | 16 June 1370 |
Eufemia Ericsdotter of Sweden (1317–1370) was a Swedish princess, spouse of Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg, duchess consort of Mecklenburg, heiress of Sweden and of Norway, mother of king Albert of Sweden.
[edit] Biography
Her father was Eric of Sweden (b. c. 1282, murdered 1318), Duke of Södermanland, second son of King Magnus I of Sweden, and her mother was Princess Ingeborg of Norway (1301-c. 1360), the heiress and the only legitimate daughter of King Haakon V of Norway, whose hereditary Kingdom of Norway thus became the inheritance of Eufemia and her brothers.
In 1319, her infant elder brother Magnus VII of Norway (1316-1374) succeeded their maternal grandfather in the throne of Norway, and in 1319, Swedish nobles exiled their uncle king Birger of Sweden, after which the infant Magnus was elected King of Sweden. Their mother Ingeborg had a seat in the guardian government as well as the position of an independent ruler in her own fiefs, and played an important part dunring their minority.
The 24 July 1321 the marriage contract was signed on Bohus Castle in her mother's fief in Bohuslän. Her mother had plans to take control over Danish Scania, next to her duchy. The marriage was arranged with the terms that Mecklenburg, Saxony, Holstein, Rendsburg and Schleswig would assist Ingeborg in the conquest of Scania. This was approved by the council of Norway but not Sweden. when Ingeborgs forces under command of he rlover Knut Porse invades Scania in 1322-23, Mecklenburg betrayed her and the alliance was broken. Eventually, the affair of Eufemias marriage led to a conflict between Ingeborg and the governments of Sweden and Norway, which lead to the demise of Ingeborg's political position in the guardian governments. The marriage took place anywhay, after a fifteen years long engagement.
Euphemia was married (in Rostock 10 April 1336) to her distant kinsman Duke Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg (1318-2 February 1379), a North-German lord deeply interested in obtaining some power in Scandinavia, e.g. fiefs or income. Later, Albert was to gain the nickname "Fox of Mecklenburg", to reflect his intrigues as well as avarice. Later the same year, the couple returned to Sweden with Rudolf of Saxony and Henry of Holstein to be present at the coronation of her brother and sister-in-law Blanche of Namur.
Euphemia lived long enough to see her brother's branch of the family get into severe difficulties, albeit its extinction (which happened in 1387) was not necessarily foreseeable then. Euphemia saw her own second son depose her brother from the Swedish throne, and ascend as King Albert of Sweden. Already in Euphemia's lifetime it was easy to see that her genealogical position became a pivotal point to many future claims to the Scandinavian thrones.
Although her husband married a second time when widowed, all his legitimate children were born of Euphemia.
[edit] Issue
At the time of her death, she had five surviving children:
- Duke Henry III of Mecklenburg (c. 1337, d after accident at tournament in Wismar 24.4.1383). Married firstly Ingeborg of Denmark (b. 1.4.1347, d. c. 1370), eldest daughter of sonless King Waldemar IV of Denmark. Claimants to Denmark. They had children: Albert (Claimant to position of hereditary Prince of Denmark), Euphemia, Mary and Ingeborg. Duke Henry III married secondly Matilda of Werle.
- Duke Albert III of Mecklenburg, better known as Albert of Sweden (1340-1412), King of Sweden 1364-89. Married firstly 1359 Richardis of Schwerin (d. 1377 as queen of Sweden); they had children: Eric (hereditary prince of Sweden) and Richardis Catherine. Duke Albert III married secondly Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 22.12.1434).
- Duke Magnus I of Mecklenburg (d. 1.9.1385), married 1369 Elisabeth of Pomerania-Rügen. Children: at least son John, possibly the daughter Euphemia was already born. His plentiful issue continues through centuries to this day.
- Ingeborg of Mecklenburg, d. c. 1395. She married firstly (Berlin February 1360) Louis VI the Roman, Duke of Bavaria (b. Munchen 12.5.1330 d. Berlin 17.5.1365), this marriage remained childless; and married secondly Count Henry II of Holstein (b. c. 1317, d. 16.11.1384), of which marriage several children Gerhard, Albert, Henry, and Sophia.
- Anna (d. 1415), married 1362/6 Count Adolf of Holstein (d 1390), but died childless. Her line extinct by her own death in 1415.
[edit] References
- Nordberg, Michael (1995). I kung Magnus tid. Norstedts. ISBN 9119521227.
