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Catherine of Sweden, Countess Palatine of Kleeburg

January 12, 2023

Catherine of Sweden (Swedish: Katarina; 10 November 1584 – 13 December 1638) was a Swedish princess and a Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken as the consort of her second cousin John Casimir of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. She is known as the periodical foster-mother of Queen Christina of Sweden and the mother of Charles X of Sweden.

Catherine of Sweden
Catherine of Sweden as painted by Jacob Heinrich Elbfas
Born(1584-11-10)10 November 1584
Nyköping
Died13 December 1638(1638-12-13) (aged 54)
Västerås
Spouse
Issue
Detail
HouseVasa
FatherCharles IX of Sweden
MotherMaria of Palatinate-Simmern
Princess Catherine

Biography

Early life

Catherine was the daughter of King Charles IX of Sweden and his first spouse Maria of the Palatinate-Simmern. Her personality was described as "a happy union of her father's power and wisdom and her mother's tender humility". Her mother died in 1589, and she was placed in the care of the German Euphrosina Heldina von Dieffenau, whom she praised much later in life. In 1592, her father remarried to Christina of Holstein-Gottorp. She reportedly got along well with her stepmother and was close to her half siblings, especially her eldest brother, the future King Gustavus Adolphus, who is noted to have been very affectionate toward her. In later letters to her consort, however, it seems that she was not always as much in agreement with her stepmother as she gave the impression to be. Her father became regent in 1598, and was crowned king in 1607.

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-Habsburg party in Germany, which in turn was allied with King Henry IV of France and the French Huguenots, and in 1599–1600, there were plans to arrange a marriage between her and the Protestant French Prince Henri, Duke of Rohan, leader of the French Huguenots. Henry married Marguerite de Béthune in 1603. After the Treaty of Knäred in 1613, her status became more secure. With the support of her stepmother Queen Dowager Christina, the queen dowager's brother Archbishop John Frederik of Bremen arranged the marriage between Catherine and her relative (Count Palatine) John Casimir of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Though relatively poor, he had contacts which were deemed valuable to Sweden, though Count Axel Oxenstierna opposed the marriage.

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 Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden asked her to return to Sweden with her family. The death of her younger brother in Sweden, as well as the lack of heirs to the Swedish throne was evidently the reason why the monarch wished to move her to safety away from the Thirty Years' War. Catherine accepted the invitation and arrived to Sweden with her family in June 1622. At her arrival, the birth of her son Charles immediately strengthened her position. In Sweden, she and her consort were granted Stegeborg Castle and a county in Östergötland as their fief and residence and as payment of her dowry: Catherine was styled Countess of Stegeborg. Catherine and John Casimir settled in well at Stegeborg, where they maintained a royal standard of living: they kept a court with sixty formal ladies-in-waiting and courtiers and an official table.[1] Catherine actively engaged herself in the management of the estates, and was in 1626 given Skenas royal estate as her personal fief. Catherine was on very good terms with her brother King Gustavus Adolphus, who is known to have asked her for advice. During his trips, he often asked her to try to console and control his consort, Queen Maria Eleonora. Catherine was exposed to certain intrigues at court with the purpose of blackening her name in the eyes of the royal couple, but she managed to avoid these plots. She was on good terms with the dynasties of Pfalz and Brandenburg, with whom she corresponded, and who considered her to be wise and to have good judgement.

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 Katarina kyrka in Stockholm is named after her.

Family

On 11 June 1615, she married count palatine John Casimir of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Five of their children survived infancy:

All kings of Sweden following her son, except three (Frederick I, Charles XIV John and Oscar I), have descended from her. Frederick I and Oscar I were married to her descendants, Charles XIV John was the adopted son of her descendant Charles XIII.

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ Nanna Lundh-Eriksson (1947). Hedvig Eleonora. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN
  2. ^ Nanna Lundh-Eriksson (1947). Hedvig Eleonora. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN
  3. ^ Nanna Lundh-Eriksson (1947). Hedvig Eleonora. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN
  4. ^ Marie-Louise Rodén: Drottning Christina (Queen Christina) (2008) (in Swedish)
  5. ^ a b Palme, Sven Ulric (1975). "Karl IX". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 20. p. 630.
  6. ^ a b Skoglund, Lars-Olof (1987). "Maria". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 25. p. 150.
  7. ^ a b Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). "Gustavus I. Eriksson" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  8. ^ a b Dahlbäck, Göran (1987). "Margareta". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 25. p. 139.
  9. ^ a b Press, Volker (1987), "Ludwig VI.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 15, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 414–415; (full text online)
  10. ^ a b Wolff, Fritz (2001), "Philipp der Großmütige", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 20, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 376–379; (full text online)

January 12, 2023
catherine, sweden, countess, palatine, kleeburg, catherine, sweden, swedish, katarina, november, 1584, december, 1638, swedish, princess, countess, palatine, zweibrücken, consort, second, cousin, john, casimir, palatinate, zweibrücken, known, periodical, foste. Catherine of Sweden Swedish Katarina 10 November 1584 13 December 1638 was a Swedish princess and a Countess Palatine of Zweibrucken as the consort of her second cousin John Casimir of Palatinate Zweibrucken She is known as the periodical foster mother of Queen Christina of Sweden and the mother of Charles X of Sweden Catherine of SwedenCatherine of Sweden as painted by Jacob Heinrich ElbfasBorn 1584 11 10 10 November 1584NykopingDied13 December 1638 1638 12 13 aged 54 VasterasSpouseJohn Casimir of Palatinate Zweibrucken m 1615 wbr IssueDetailChristina Magdalena Margravine of Baden Durlach Charles X Gustav of Sweden Maria Eufrosyne Countess Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie Eleonora Catherine Landgravine of Hesse Eschwege Adolph John I Count Palatine of KleeburgHouseVasaFatherCharles IX of SwedenMotherMaria of Palatinate SimmernPrincess Catherine Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life 1 2 Return to Sweden 2 Family 3 Ancestry 4 ReferencesBiography EditEarly life Edit Catherine was the daughter of King Charles IX of Sweden and his first spouse Maria of the Palatinate Simmern Her personality was described as a happy union of her father s power and wisdom and her mother s tender humility Her mother died in 1589 and she was placed in the care of the German Euphrosina Heldina von Dieffenau whom she praised much later in life In 1592 her father remarried to Christina of Holstein Gottorp She reportedly got along well with her stepmother and was close to her half siblings especially her eldest brother the future King Gustavus Adolphus who is noted to have been very affectionate toward her In later letters to her consort however it seems that she was not always as much in agreement with her stepmother as she gave the impression to be Her father became regent in 1598 and was crowned king in 1607 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 Habsburg party in Germany which in turn was allied with King Henry IV of France and the French Huguenots and in 1599 1600 there were plans to arrange a marriage between her and the Protestant French Prince Henri Duke of Rohan leader of the French Huguenots Henry married Marguerite de Bethune in 1603 After the Treaty of Knared in 1613 her status became more secure With the support of her stepmother Queen Dowager Christina the queen dowager s brother Archbishop John Frederik of Bremen arranged the marriage between Catherine and her relative Count Palatine John Casimir of Palatinate Zweibrucken Though relatively poor he had contacts which were deemed valuable to Sweden though Count Axel Oxenstierna opposed the marriage 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 Edit In 1622 her brother King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden asked her to return to Sweden with her family The death of her younger brother in Sweden as well as the lack of heirs to the Swedish throne was evidently the reason why the monarch wished to move her to safety away from the Thirty Years War Catherine accepted the invitation and arrived to Sweden with her family in June 1622 At her arrival the birth of her son Charles immediately strengthened her position In Sweden she and her consort were granted Stegeborg Castle and a county in Ostergotland as their fief and residence and as payment of her dowry Catherine was styled Countess of Stegeborg Catherine and John Casimir settled in well at Stegeborg where they maintained a royal standard of living they kept a court with sixty formal ladies in waiting and courtiers and an official table 1 Catherine actively engaged herself in the management of the estates and was in 1626 given Skenas royal estate as her personal fief Catherine was on very good terms with her brother King Gustavus Adolphus who is known to have asked her for advice During his trips he often asked her to try to console and control his consort Queen Maria Eleonora Catherine was exposed to certain intrigues at court with the purpose of blackening her name in the eyes of the royal couple but she managed to avoid these plots She was on good terms with the dynasties of Pfalz and Brandenburg with whom she corresponded and who considered her to be wise and to have good judgement 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 Vasteras 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 Katarina kyrka in Stockholm is named after her Family EditOn 11 June 1615 she married count palatine John Casimir of Palatinate Zweibrucken Five of their children survived infancy Christina Magdalena 27 May 1616 14 August 1662 married Frederick VI Margrave of Baden Durlach King Adolf Frederick of Sweden was 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 Frederick I Charles XIV John and Oscar I have descended from her Frederick I and Oscar I were married to her descendants Charles XIV John was the adopted son of her descendant Charles XIII Ancestry EditAncestors of Catherine of Sweden Countess Palatine of Kleeburg8 Erik Johansson Vasa 7 4 Gustav I of Sweden Vasa 5 9 Cecilia Mansdotter Eka 7 2 Charles IX of Sweden Vasa 10 Erik Abrahamsson Leijonhufvud 8 5 Margaret Leijonhufvud 5 11 Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa 8 1 Catherine of Sweden12 Frederick III Elector Palatine 9 6 Louis VI Elector Palatine 6 13 Marie of Brandenburg Kulmbach 9 3 Maria of the Palatinate Simmern14 Philip I Landgrave of Hesse 10 7 Elisabeth of Hesse 6 15 Christine of Saxony 10 References Edit Nanna Lundh Eriksson 1947 Hedvig Eleonora Stockholm Wahlstrom amp Widstrand ISBN Nanna Lundh Eriksson 1947 Hedvig Eleonora Stockholm Wahlstrom amp Widstrand ISBN Nanna Lundh Eriksson 1947 Hedvig Eleonora Stockholm Wahlstrom amp Widstrand ISBN Marie Louise Roden 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 Gustavus I Eriksson In Chisholm Hugh ed Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 12 11th ed Cambridge University Press a b Dahlback Goran 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 amp Humblot pp 414 415 full text online a b Wolff Fritz 2001 Philipp der Grossmutige Neue Deutsche Biographie in German vol 20 Berlin Duncker amp Humblot pp 376 379 full text online https historiesajten se visainfo asp id 402 in Swedish Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor in Swedish Marie Louise Roden Drottning Christina Queen Christina 2008 in Swedish Nordisk familjebok in Swedish Kromnow Ake 1975 1977 Katarina Svenskt biografiskt lexikon in Swedish Vol 21 National Archives of Sweden p 1 Retrieved 2014 07 01 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Catherine of Sweden Countess Palatine of Kleeburg amp oldid 1122212913, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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