Nils Svantesson Sture
Encyclopedia
Nils Svantesson Sture
(b. 20 July 1543 at Hörningsholm Castle, d. 24 May 1567 in the Sture Murders
at Uppsala Castle
) was a Swedish
diplomat and soldier during the reign of Erik XIV of Sweden. He was the son of Svante Stensson Sture
and Märta ("king Martha") Erikdotter Leijonhufvud
.
His diplomatic missions included negotiations at the court of Elizabeth I of England
in 1561, with John of Finland
in 1562, and at the court of Lorraine in 1566/67. As a soldier, he participated in the Nordic Seven Years War's battles of Varberg and Axtorna
, where he was wounded, and in the Siege of Bohus.
Sture fell into disgrace twice, due to Erik XIV's general distrust of the aristocracy and his astrology-based fear that Sture might ursurp his throne. On 15 June 1566, after a death sentence Sture had received was commuted, he was publicly humiliated in Stockholm
, where he was forced to ride a wretched hack through town with a straw crown on his head. On 21 May 1567, returning from his final mission in Lorraine, he was arrested again in Uppsala Castle
. In what became known as the Sture Murders
(Sturemorden), he was murdered in his cell three days later by Erik XIV in person.
Sture
Sture was the name of two influential families in Sweden from the late 15th century to the early 16th century. One member of one of these families and two members of the other served as Regents of Sweden in the Kalmar Union between 1470 and 1520...
(b. 20 July 1543 at Hörningsholm Castle, d. 24 May 1567 in the Sture Murders
Sture Murders
The Sture Murders in Uppsala, Sweden of 24 May 1567 were the murders of five incarcerated Swedish nobles by Erik XIV of Sweden, who at that time was in a state of serious mental disorder, and his guards. The nobles, among them three members of the influential Sture family, had been charged with...
at Uppsala Castle
Uppsala Castle
Uppsala Castle is a 16th century royal castle in the historical city of Uppsala, Sweden. Throughout much of its early history, the castle played a major role in the history of Sweden....
) was a Swedish
History of Sweden
Modern Sweden started out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century...
diplomat and soldier during the reign of Erik XIV of Sweden. He was the son of Svante Stensson Sture
Svante Stensson Sture
Svante Stensson Sture or Svante Sture the Younger was a Swedish count, riksmarsk and statesman. From 1562 to 1564, during the Livonian War, he was governor of Estonia....
and Märta ("king Martha") Erikdotter Leijonhufvud
King Martha (Swedish noblewoman)
Märta Erikdotter Leijonhufvud, known as King Märta , was a Swedish noble...
.
His diplomatic missions included negotiations at the court of Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
in 1561, with John of Finland
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
in 1562, and at the court of Lorraine in 1566/67. As a soldier, he participated in the Nordic Seven Years War's battles of Varberg and Axtorna
Battle of Axtorna
The Battle of Axtorna was fought October 20, 1565 at Axtorna, a little village today in Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County in western Sweden....
, where he was wounded, and in the Siege of Bohus.
Sture fell into disgrace twice, due to Erik XIV's general distrust of the aristocracy and his astrology-based fear that Sture might ursurp his throne. On 15 June 1566, after a death sentence Sture had received was commuted, he was publicly humiliated in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where he was forced to ride a wretched hack through town with a straw crown on his head. On 21 May 1567, returning from his final mission in Lorraine, he was arrested again in Uppsala Castle
Uppsala Castle
Uppsala Castle is a 16th century royal castle in the historical city of Uppsala, Sweden. Throughout much of its early history, the castle played a major role in the history of Sweden....
. In what became known as the Sture Murders
Sture Murders
The Sture Murders in Uppsala, Sweden of 24 May 1567 were the murders of five incarcerated Swedish nobles by Erik XIV of Sweden, who at that time was in a state of serious mental disorder, and his guards. The nobles, among them three members of the influential Sture family, had been charged with...
(Sturemorden), he was murdered in his cell three days later by Erik XIV in person.