Valdemar, English also Waldemar; (1239–1302), was King of Sweden 1250–1275.

Biography

Valdemar was the son of princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden

Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden

Ingeborg Eriksdotter , was a Swedish Princess and Duchess, daughter of king Eric X of Sweden, eldest sibling of king Eric XI of Sweden, wife of Birger Jarl and mother of king Valdemar I of Sweden.- Biography :...

 and Birger jarl

Birger jarl

, or Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman, Jarl of Sweden and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have...

, from the House of Bjelbo. During the first sixteen years of his reign, it was Birger Jarl who was the real ruler. Birger Jarl had in fact been the de facto ruler of Sweden from 1248, before the reign of Valdemar, under King Eric XI of Sweden

Eric XI of Sweden

Eric "XI" of Sweden, or Eric the Lisp and Lame Swedish: Erik Eriksson läspe och halte; Old Norse: Eiríkr Eiríksson was king of Sweden in 1222–1229 and 1234–1250.-Background:...

. Valdemar's mother was a daughter of King Eric X of Sweden

Eric X of Sweden

Eric "X" of Sweden, Swedish: Erik Knutsson; Old Norse: Eiríkr Knútsson was the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216. Also known as Eric the Survivor when he became King, he was the only remaining son of King Canute I of Sweden and his queen of an undetermined name, who probably was Cecilia...

 and Princess Richeza of Denmark.

When King Eric XI died in 1250, Valdemar was elected king. Even after the coming of age of Valdemar in 1257, Birger jarl held a grip over the country. After Birger's death in 1266 Valdemar came into conflict with his younger brother Magnus Birgersson, Duke of Södermanland

Magnus III of Sweden

Magnus III Ladulås of Sweden, Swedish: Magnus Birgersson or Magnus Ladulås was King of Sweden from 1275 until his death in 1290....

, who wanted the throne for himself.

In 1260, Valdemar married Sofia of Denmark

Sofia of Denmark

Sophia of Denmark was Queen consort of Sweden as the spouse of King Valdemar of Sweden.-Life:Sophia was the eldest daughter of Eric IV of Denmark and Jutta of Saxony. Her father was murdered in 1250 when she and her younger sisters, Agnes and Jutta of Denmark were young...

 the eldest daughter of King Eric IV of Denmark

Eric IV of Denmark

Eric IV, also known as Eric Ploughpenny , was king of Denmark from 1241 until his death in 1250. He was the son of King Valdemar II of Denmark by his wife, Infanta Berengária of Portugal, and brother to King Abel and King Christopher I.-Early life:...

 and Jutta of Saxony. Valdemar also had a relationship with his sister-in-law Jutta of Denmark

Jutta of Denmark

Jutta of Denmark also known as Judith was a daughter of Eric IV of Denmark and his wife Jutta of Saxony. She was a younger sister of Sophia, Queen of Sweden and Ingeborg, Queen of Norway, as well as an older sister of Agnes, Duchess of Langeland. Jutta was also mistress for a brief period of time...

. In 1272, Jutta visited Sweden and became Valdemar's mistress. The affair resulted in a child born in 1273. The following year, Jutta was placed in a convent and Valdemar was forced to make a pilgrimage to Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 to ask for the absolution of the Pope

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

.

Valdemar was deposed by his younger brother, Magnus after the Battle of Hova

Battle of Hova

The Battle of Hova was fought in Hova, Sweden on 14 June 1275 between peasants commanded by Valdemar of Sweden and Danish cavalry commanded by Magnus III of Sweden and his brother Erik. The result was that Valdemar had to flee to Norway and Magnus became king of Sweden as Magnus III....

 in Tiveden

Tiveden

Tiveden is a Swedish forest, throughout history notorious for its wilderness and dangers; historically a hiding place for outlaws.Within it, the Tiveden National Park has a designated area of 13.5 km², a comparatively small and arguably the most inaccessible part of the forest...

 June 14, 1275. Magnus was supported by his brother, Eric Birgersson, Duke of Småland and King Eric V of Denmark

Eric V of Denmark

Eric V "Klipping" was King of Denmark and son of Christopher I. Until 1264 he ruled under the auspices of his mother, the competent Queen Dowager Margaret Sambiria. Between 1261 and 1262, Eric was a prisoner in Holstein following a military defeat...

 who provided Danish soldiers. Magnus was elected King Magnus III of Sweden at the Stones of Mora

Stones of Mora

Stones of Mora was the place where the Swedish kings were elected. The origin of the tradition is unknown.-Mora Meadow:In Lagga parish about 10 km south-east of Uppsala, but in neighbouring Knivsta Municipality, is Mora äng...

.

In 1277, Sophia separated from her spouse and returned to Denmark. In 1277, Valdemar managed to regain provinces in Gothenland in the southern part of the kingdom and was called the Duke of Götaland. However, Magnus regained them about 1278. In 1288 Valdemar was imprisoned by King Magnus in Nyköping Castle

Nyköping Castle

Nyköping Castle in Nyköping, Sweden, is a Mediaeval castle from the Birger Jarl era, partly in ruins. The castle is mostly known for the ghastly Nyköping Banquet which took place here in 1317.-Construction:...

 (Nyköpingshus) and lived openly with mistresses in his comfortable prison.

Family

Valdemar married Sofia of Denmark

Sofia of Denmark

Sophia of Denmark was Queen consort of Sweden as the spouse of King Valdemar of Sweden.-Life:Sophia was the eldest daughter of Eric IV of Denmark and Jutta of Saxony. Her father was murdered in 1250 when she and her younger sisters, Agnes and Jutta of Denmark were young...

 (d. 1286) in 1260 and separated in 1277. He had six children:

1. Ingeborg Valdemarsdotter of Sweden (1263–1292), countess of Holstein, spouse of Gerhard II of Holstein.
2. Erik Valdemarsson of Sweden (1272–1330), riksråd
3. Marina Valdemarsdotter of Sweden, spouse of Count Rudolf of Diepholz
   Diepholz
   Diepholz is a town and capital of the district of Diepholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Hunte, approximately 45 km northeast of Osnabrück, and 60 km southwest of Bremen....
   
   
4. Rikissa Valdemarsdotter of Sweden
   Rikissa Valdemarsdotter of Sweden
   Richeza of Sweden , was a Polish Queen Consort, spouse of King Przemysł II of Poland. In Poland, she was called Ryksa Waldemarówna or Ryksa Szwedzka.- Biography :...
   
    (d. c. 1292), Queen of Poland, spouse of Przemysł II of Poland
5. Katarina Valdemarsdotter of Sweden (d. 1283)
6. Margareta Valdemarsdotter of Sweden, a nun
   Nun
   A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
   
   .

Ancestry

Sources

• Adolfsson, Mats När borgarna brann - svenska uppror (Stockholm: Natur och kultur, 2007)
• Larsson, Mats G. Götarnas Riken : Upptäcktsfärder Till Sveriges Enande (Bokförlaget Atlantis AB. 2002) ISBN 978-91-7486-641-4
• Kyhlberg, Ola Gånget ut min hand (Riddarholmskyrkans stiftargravar Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien, Stockholm: 1997)
• Schück, Herman Kyrka och rike - från folkungatid till vasatid (Stockholm: 2005)