Catherine of Sweden (1584–1638)

Catherine of Sweden (Swedish: Katarina av Sverige) (10 November 1584 – 13 December 1638) was a Swedish princess and a Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken as the consort of John Casimir of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. She is known as the periodical foster-mother of Queen Christina of Sweden.

Biography

Catherine was the daughter of king Charles IX of Sweden and his first spouse Maria of Palatinate-Simmern. Her personality was described as: "a happy union of her father's power and wisdom and her mother's soft humility". Her mother died in 1589, and her father remarried.

She was a good friend to her stepmother, with whom she got along very well, and she is also believed to have been close to her half-siblings, especially to her half-brother, the king, who is noted to have been very affectionate toward her. Her father became regent in 1595 and was crowned king in 1607. In 1611, and her brother became king. Her brother found her sensible and wise, and she is reported to have acted as his confidante and advisor on several occasions. On 11 June 1615, she married count palatine John Casimir of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. They remained in Sweden until 1617, when they left for her spouse's estate in Germany. They lived in Germany for five years.

In 1622, her brother the king felt concerned for them at the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War, and asked them to return to Sweden. They accepted the offer and were given Stegeborg Palace in Östergötland as their Swedish residence; Catherine was styled Countess of Stegeborg. She was given charge of Princess Christina when the queen followed the king to Germany and during her stay there in 1631-1633. After her brother's death, Catherine acted as a foster-mother to the young Queen Christina of Sweden after Christina's mother was deemed an unsuitable guardian. Catherine had formal custody of Christina from 1631 to 1633, and from 1636 until 1638, years later described by Christina as happy.

The Katarina kyrka in Stockholm is named after her.

Family

On 11 June 1615, she married count palatine John Casimir of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Five of their children survived infancy:

• Christina Magdalena (1616–1662); married Frederick VI, Margrave of Baden-Durlach. King Adolf Frederick of Sweden was her great-grandson
• King Charles X Gustav of Sweden (1622–1660)
• Maria Eufrosyne (1625–1687); married Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
• Eleonora Catherine (1626–1692); married Frederick, Landgrave of Hesse-Eschwege, and mother of Juliana of Hesse-Eschwege.
• Adolf John (1629–1689)

All kings of Sweden following her son, except three (Frederick I, Oscar I and Charles XIV John), have descended from her. Frederick I and Oscar I were married to her descendants, Charles XIV John was the adopted son of her descendant Charles XIII.

Ancestors

Catherine of Sweden's ancestors in three generations

References

• http://www.historiesajten.se/visainfo.asp?id=402 (in Swedish)
• http://runeberg.org/sqvinnor/0102.html (in Swedish)
• Marie-Louise Rodén: Drottning Christina (Queen Christina) (2008) (in Swedish)
• http://runeberg.org/nf/ (in Swedish)