Margaret Leijonhufvud

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Margareta Leijonhufvud (January 1, 1516 - August 26, 1551) was the consort of King Gustav I and a Queen of Sweden from 1536 to 1551.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Ancestors 3 Children 4 References

[edit] Biography

Margareta Leijonhuvfud was a member of one of Sweden's most powerful noble families, daughter of a man executed at Stockholm bloodbath, and already engaged when the king decided to marry her. The engagement was broken off for the sake of the king, and later her fiancé was married to her sister instead.

There is a story that describes this: The king caught his new queen and her former fiancé together alone, with the young man, Svante Sture, on his knees before the queen. The King asked in a rage:"What is this?!" and Queen Margareta then swiftly told him; " My lord Sture is asking me for the hand of my sister!" , at which the king just as swiftly answered; "Granted!", and Svante Sture was hastily married to the queen's sister Martha Leijonhufvud, a woman known to be so dominating that she was nick-named "King Martha". It does not seem that Queen Margareta and Svante Sture ever repeated anything that could be seen as improper again, and if they did, they were not discovered.

Queen Margareta was described as intelligent and beautiful, and the marriage was considered a happy one; her husband was not known to be unfaithful to her. She devoted her life to domestic duties and family life and was generally described as the housekeeper of the court.

She remained a Catholic her entire life, and it was painful for her to make clothes and curtains of the textiles the king confiscated from old Catholic convents, but it does not seem that she ever used any influence to promote her own beliefs, in religion or otherwise, to take part in politics. Margareta often used the services of a female natural doctor, the peasant-wife Brigitta Andersdotter, who was often hired to take care of the health of Margareta, her sister Märtha and their children and very appreciated by them for her skill. She was almost constantly pregnant, which devastated her health. When she died, she was deeply mourned by the king.

Through her eldest daughter Katarina, she is a direct-line ancestor of Queen Victoria.

[edit] Ancestors

						Abraham Kristiernsson (Leijonhufvud)
			Erik Abrahamsson (Leijonhufvud)
						Birgitta Månsdotter (Natt och Dag)
Margaret Leijonhufvud
						Erik Karlsson (Vasa)
			Ebba Eriksdotter (Vasa)
						Anna Karlsdotter (Vinstorpa)

[edit] Children

1. John III (Johan III) (1537-1592), Duke of Finland, King of Sweden 1567-1592
2. Catherine (1539-1610), wife of Edzard II, Count of East Frisia
3. Cecilia (1540-1627), wife of Christoph, Marquess of Baden-Rodemachern
4. Magnus (1542-1595), Duke of Västanstång (western Östergötland) and Count of Dal (Dalsland), mentally ill
5. Karl (1544-1544)
6. Anna Maria (1545-1610), wife of George John, Count Palatine of Veldenz
7. Sten (1546-1547)
8. Sophia (1547-1611), wife of Magnus II, Duke of Lauenburg, who was nephew of Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg
9. Elizabeth (1549-1597), wife of Cristopher of Mecklenburg
10. Charles IX (Karl IX) (1550-1611), Duke of Södermanland, Närke, Värmland and northern Västergötland, Regent of Sweden 1599-1604, King of Sweden 1604-1611

[edit] References

• Herman Lindqvist (2006). Historien om alla Sveriges drottningar (in Swedish). Norstedts Förlag. ISBN 9113015249. 
• http://runeberg.org/sqvinnor/0021.html

Margaret Leijonhufvud Born: 1514 Died: 1551
Swedish royalty
Preceded by Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (Queen consort)	Royal Consort of Sweden (Queen consort) 1536 - 1551	Succeeded by Katarina Stenbock (Queen consort)