Magdalen of Sweden
Encyclopedia
Magdalena of Sweden was a Swedish princess. She was the daughter of King Charles VIII of Sweden
and his first queen consort, Catherine of Bjurum
. In 1468-1470, her spouse Ivar Axelsson (Tott) was the promised successor of her father as regent
.
on 21 September 1466. Their marriage was childless. Her spouse was the uncle of Ingeborg Tott
, the spouse of Regent Sten Sture the Elder
.
Her spouse was a former royal councillor in Denmark, having lived in Sweden since 1464, and after his marriage to Magdalena was made royal councillor of Sweden. In 1468, he was made more or less an informal co-regent and was promised to succeed his father-in-law after his death as interim regent, presiding over the council until the election of a new regent or monarch, and he was once described as "The most powerful man in Scandinavia". Upon the death of his father-in-law in 1470, however, he was not given enough support to become regent for Charles's young son, Magdalena's half-brother who soon was outmaneuvered anyway by Lord Sture
. By 1472, it was clear that Magdalen's one-reign Bonde Dynasty
would not survive on the throne, and her husband was given Stegeborg as a fief. Ivar Axelsson betrayed Sweden, admitting in 1476 that he was promised Gotland
as a fief by the Danish King, and in 1481, an open conflict occurred between Ivar and Swedish Regent. Ivar was deemed as a traitor to Sweden, upon which Princess Magdalena, by order of Erik Oxenstierna at the council of Vadstena
, was abducted and imprisoned. Magdalen became a widow in 1487.
Magdalena was the benefactor of the Grey Friar's Abbey on Riddarholmen
in Stockholm, to which she made many large donations, by which she was honoured by the monks with the inscription Propentissima Benefactrix Ordinis Nostri. She died in Söderköping and was buried in the Grey Friar's Abbey there, of which few visible ruins remain.
Charles VIII of Sweden
Charles VIII of Sweden , Charles I of Norway, also Carl, , was king of Sweden and king of Norway ....
and his first queen consort, Catherine of Bjurum
Catherine of Bjurum
Catherine of Bjurum, in her lifetime called Katarina Karlsdotter, in history known as Katarina Gumsehuvud was the Queen consort of Sweden from 1448 to 1450 and later the Queen consort of Norway from 1449 to 1450...
. In 1468-1470, her spouse Ivar Axelsson (Tott) was the promised successor of her father as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
.
Biography
Magdalena was one of Charles's nine children, most of whom died in infancy. Her father became King of Sweden in 1448. She married Ivar Axelsson (Tott) in NyköpingNyköping
Nyköping is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,427 inhabitants in 2005. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.- History :...
on 21 September 1466. Their marriage was childless. Her spouse was the uncle of Ingeborg Tott
Ingeborg Tott
Lady Ingeborg Åkesdotter Tott , in her lifetime called Ingeborg Åkesdotter , was a Swedish noble, the consort of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the elder . She was also the fiefholder and regent of Häme in Finland...
, the spouse of Regent Sten Sture the Elder
Sten Sture the Elder
Sten Sture the Elder was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden from .-Background:...
.
Her spouse was a former royal councillor in Denmark, having lived in Sweden since 1464, and after his marriage to Magdalena was made royal councillor of Sweden. In 1468, he was made more or less an informal co-regent and was promised to succeed his father-in-law after his death as interim regent, presiding over the council until the election of a new regent or monarch, and he was once described as "The most powerful man in Scandinavia". Upon the death of his father-in-law in 1470, however, he was not given enough support to become regent for Charles's young son, Magdalena's half-brother who soon was outmaneuvered anyway by Lord Sture
Sten Sture the Elder
Sten Sture the Elder was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden from .-Background:...
. By 1472, it was clear that Magdalen's one-reign Bonde Dynasty
Bonde
Bonde is a Swedish noble family.Prominent members include:* Karl Knutsson Bonde , King Charles VIII of Sweden* Gustaf Bonde , Swedish statesman...
would not survive on the throne, and her husband was given Stegeborg as a fief. Ivar Axelsson betrayed Sweden, admitting in 1476 that he was promised Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
as a fief by the Danish King, and in 1481, an open conflict occurred between Ivar and Swedish Regent. Ivar was deemed as a traitor to Sweden, upon which Princess Magdalena, by order of Erik Oxenstierna at the council of Vadstena
Vadstena
Vadstena is a locality and the seat of Vadstena Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden, with 5,612 inhabitants in 2005. From 1974 to 1979 Vadstena was administered as part of Motala Municipality....
, was abducted and imprisoned. Magdalen became a widow in 1487.
Magdalena was the benefactor of the Grey Friar's Abbey on Riddarholmen
Riddarholmen
Riddarholmen is a small islet in central Stockholm, Sweden. The island forms part of Gamla Stan, the old town, and houses a number of private palaces dating from the 17th century...
in Stockholm, to which she made many large donations, by which she was honoured by the monks with the inscription Propentissima Benefactrix Ordinis Nostri. She died in Söderköping and was buried in the Grey Friar's Abbey there, of which few visible ruins remain.