Margaret of Sweden, Queen of Norway
Encyclopedia
Margaret of Sweden (circa 1155–1209) was Norwegian queen consort
as spouse of King Sverre of Norway
.
and queen Christina Björnsdotter. In 1189, she married Norwegian King Sverre. She is only sporadically mentioned in history during her tenure as queen; primarily in connection with an attempt by Nikolas Arnesson to become Bishop of Stavanger. A general view about Queen Margaret was that she had "eit mistankens skjær over seg" (English: "had a shadow of suspicion") over her, and she has been regarded as intrigant
She became a widow in 1202, returned to her native Sweden, and retired to her estates in Västergötland
and Värmland
. Departing Norway
, she had to leave her daughter Kristina Sverresdotter
behind against her will. She spent two years in Sweden and returned to Norway in 1204.
On 1 January 1204, two days after she had returned to Norway, her stepson, King Haakon III of Norway
, died with obvious symptoms of poison
ing. Margaret became a suspect of the crime, and one of her servants tried to prove her innocence in a trial by ordeal
which failed. The servant was drowned and Margareta fled back to Sweden.
Margaret returned to Norway in 1209, when her daughter married co-regent Filip Simonsson
, the Bagler party candidate to the throne of Norway. Margaret took part in the wedding. Immediately after she was ill, and died a few weeks later.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
as spouse of King Sverre of Norway
Sverre of Norway
Sverre Sigurdsson was king of Norway from 1177 to 1202. He married Margareta Eriksdotter, the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Saint, by whom he had the daughter Kristina Sverresdotter....
.
Biography
Margaret was the daughter of King Eric IX of SwedenEric IX of Sweden
Eric "IX" of Sweden, , also called Eric the Lawgiver, Erik the Saint, Eric the Holy and in Sweden Sankt Erik meaning Saint Eric was a Swedish king c.1155 – 1160...
and queen Christina Björnsdotter. In 1189, she married Norwegian King Sverre. She is only sporadically mentioned in history during her tenure as queen; primarily in connection with an attempt by Nikolas Arnesson to become Bishop of Stavanger. A general view about Queen Margaret was that she had "eit mistankens skjær over seg" (English: "had a shadow of suspicion") over her, and she has been regarded as intrigant
- Ho er berre sporadisk omtala i Sverris saga, mest utførleg i samband med eit angiveleg forsøk frå Nikolas Arnesson på å bli biskop i Stavanger. Alt her har omtalen av dronninga eit mistankens skjær over seg.
She became a widow in 1202, returned to her native Sweden, and retired to her estates in Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
and Värmland
Värmland
' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...
. Departing Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, she had to leave her daughter Kristina Sverresdotter
Kristina of Norway
Christina Sverresdottir of Norway was a Medieval Norwegian princess and titular queen consort, spouse of co-regent King Philip Simonsson.-Biography:...
behind against her will. She spent two years in Sweden and returned to Norway in 1204.
On 1 January 1204, two days after she had returned to Norway, her stepson, King Haakon III of Norway
Haakon III of Norway
Håkon III was king of Norway from 1202 to 1204.-Biography:...
, died with obvious symptoms of poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ing. Margaret became a suspect of the crime, and one of her servants tried to prove her innocence in a trial by ordeal
Trial by ordeal
Trial by ordeal is a judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused is determined by subjecting them to an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience...
which failed. The servant was drowned and Margareta fled back to Sweden.
Margaret returned to Norway in 1209, when her daughter married co-regent Filip Simonsson
Philip Simonsson
Philip Simonsson was a Norwegian aristocrat and from 1207 to 1217 was the Bagler party pretender to the throne of Norway during the civil war era in Norway. -Background:...
, the Bagler party candidate to the throne of Norway. Margaret took part in the wedding. Immediately after she was ill, and died a few weeks later.
Other sources
- Magerøy, H. Soga om birkebeinar og baglar (1988)
- Imsen, SteinarSteinar ImsenSteinar Imsen is a Norwegian historian, and a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. His field of concentration is the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period...
Våre dronninger: fra Ragnhild Eriksdatter til Sonja (Oslo: 1991) - Koht, HalvdanHalvdan KohtHalvdan Koht was a Norwegian historian and politician representing the Labour Party.As a politician he served as the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1935 to 1941. He was never elected as a member of the Parliament of Norway, but was a member of Bærum municipal council in 1917–1919 and...
Norske dronningar (in "The Old Norse Sagas", 1931)