Catherine Sunesdotter
Catherine | |
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![]() Tomb of Catherine | |
Queen consort of Sweden | |
Tenure | 1244–1250 |
Born | 1215 |
Died | 1252 Gudhem Abbey |
Burial | Gudhem Abbey |
Spouse | Eric XI of Sweden |
House | House of Bjelbo |
Father | Sune Folkesson |
Mother | Helena Sverkersdotter of Sweden |
Catherine Sunesdotter (Swedish: Karin Sunadotter or Katarina Sunesdotter), (c. 1215 – 1252) was Queen of Sweden from 1244 to 1250 as the wife of King Eric XI of Sweden. In her later years she served as abbess of Gudhem Abbey in Falbygden. [1]
Heir of the Sverker dynasty
Catherine was the eldest daughter of Helena Sverkersdotter and Sune Folkesson. Catherine did not have any brothers, but a sister, Benedikte Sunesdotter of Bjelbo. Catherine's maternal grandparents were King Sverker II and Queen Benedicta. Descending from the families of Bjelbo and Sverker, she was a member of one of the Geatish clans. Catherine's father Sune Folkesson was Lord of Ymseborg, lawspeaker of Västergötland, and in some literature he is referred to as Earl of the Swedish.[2][3]
Queen of Sweden
Eric XI (1215–50) of the Eric dynasty became king in 1222 and was exiled by co-king Canute II of Sweden from 1229 to 1234. Eric returned to Sweden on Canute's death in 1234 and served as king until his own death in 1250. Young Eric was, according to semi-legendary material, physically lame and spoke with a stutter ("läspe och halte"), and he was reportedly of a kindly nature. Eric and Catherine were married in order to strengthen Eric's claim to the throne, as Catherine was of royal blood on her mother's side. The marriage took place in 1243 or 1244, at Fyrisängen near Uppsala. Catherine had received an immense dower upon the marriage: some legends speak romantically about "half the kingdom".
Since she immediately devoted herself to a sequestered religious life and not to family at Eric's death, the conclusion has tended to be that they did not have any surviving children. His younger half-brother Valdemar Birgersson was chosen as the next King of Sweden.
Queen dowager and abbess
Upon the death of her husband, the now Queen Dowager retreated to Gudhem Abbey. Because Scandinavian customary law dictated that no clan property could be held by a member of a religious order, she transferred some lands, including her queenly dower, to certain relatives and gave others as donations to ecclesiastical institutions. For example, her sister Benedikta received as a gift from her the town of Söderköping. The Queen Dowager soon became the Abbess of Gudhem Abbey, and served in that position until her death in 1252.
References
Further reading
- Lars O. Lagerqvist (1982). "Sverige och dess regenter under 1.000 år",("Sweden and its rulers during 1000 years") (in Swedish). Albert Bonniers Förlag AB. ISBN 91-0-075007-7.
Katarina Sunesdotter Born: 1215 Died: 1252 | ||
Royal titles | ||
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Vacant Title last held by Helena Pedersdotter | Queen consort of Sweden 1244–1250 | Vacant Title next held by Sofia Eriksdotter |
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- Sigrid the Haughty/Świętosława*^ (late 10th century)
- Aud Haakonsdottir of Lade (990s–995)
- Estrid of the Obotrites (1000–1022)
- Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir^ (1022–1050)
- Astrid Njalsdotter (1050–1060)
- Helena (1079–1084)
- Blotstulka (1084–1087)
- Helena (1088–1105)
- Ingegerd of Norway^ (1105–1118)
- Ragnhild Halstensdotter (1105–1117)
- Ulvhild Håkansdotter^ (1117–1125)
- Richeza of Poland (1127–1130)
- Ulvhild Håkansdotter^ (1134–1148)
- Richeza of Poland (1148–1156)
- Christina Björnsdatter (1156–1160)
- Brigida Haraldsdotter (1160–1161)
- Christina Stigsdatter (1163/1164–1167)
- Cecilia Johansdotter (1167–1190)
- Benedicta Ebbesdotter (1196–1199/1200)
- Ingegerd Birgersdotter (1200–1208)
- Richeza of Denmark (1210–1216)
- Helena Pedersdatter Strange (1229–1234)
- Catherine Sunesdotter (1243/1244–1250)
- Sophia Eriksdotter (1260–1275)
- Helvig of Holstein (1276–1290)
- Märta Eriksdotter (1298–1318)
- Blanche of Namur (1335–1363)
- Beatrice of Bavaria (1356–1359)
- Margareta Valdemarsdotter* (1363–1364)
- Richardis of Schwerin (1365–1377)
- Philippa of England*^ (1406–1430)
- Dorothea of Brandenburg*^ (1445–1448)
- Karin Karlsdotter (1448)
- Merete Lydekedatter (1448)
- Catherine Karlsdotter (1448–1450)
- Dorothea of Brandenburg*^ (1457–1464)
- Elin Gustavsdotter (1466–1467)
- Christina Abrahamsdotter (1470)
- Ingeborg Tott (1470–1497)
- Christina of Saxony*^ (1497–1501)
- Ingeborg Tott (1501–1503)
- Mette Dyre (1504–1512)
- Christina Gyllenstierna (1512–1520)
- Isabella of Austria*^ (1520–1521)
- Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (1531–1533)
- Margaret Leijonhufvud (1536–1551)
- Catherine Stenbock (1552–1560)
- Karin Månsdotter (1567–1568)
- Catherine Jagiellon (1568–1583)
- Gunilla Bielke (1585–1592)
- Anne of Austria (1592–1598)
- Christina of Holstein-Gottorp (1599/1604–1611)
- Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg (1620–1632)
- Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (1654–1660)
- Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark (1680–1693)
- Frederick of Hesse-Kassel (1718/1719–1720)
- Ulrika Eleonora (1720–1741)
- Louisa Ulrika of Prussia (1751–1771)
- Sophia Magdalena of Denmark (1771–1792)
- Frederica of Baden (1797–1809)
- Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp* (1809–1818)
- Désirée Clary* (1818–1844)
- Josephine of Leuchtenberg* (1844–1859)
- Louise of the Netherlands* (1859–1871)
- Sophia of Nassau* (1872–1907)
- Victoria of Baden (1907–1930)
- Louise Mountbatten (1950–1965)
- Silvia Sommerlath (1976–present)
- * also Queen of Norway
- ^ also Queen of Denmark