House of Vasa

House of Vasa
Country	Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Russia
Estates	Sweden, Finland, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia
Titles	King of Sweden King of Poland Grand Duke of Lithuania Tsar of Russia Grand Duke of Finland (titular)
Founded	1523
Founder	Gustav Eriksson (Vasa)
Final ruler	Sweden: Christina (1632–1654) Poland and Lithuania: John II Casimir (1648–1668)
Current head	None (extinct in the original agnatic line)
Deposition	Sweden: 1654 (abdicated the throne, line extinct in 1689) Poland and Lithuania: 1668 (abdicated the throne, line extinct in 1672)

The House of Vasa (Swedish: Vasaätten, Polish: Wazowie) was the royal house of Sweden 1523–1654 and of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth 1587–1668. It originated from a noble family in Uppland of which several members held high office during the 15th century.

Swedish noblemen

• Johan Kristiernsson Vasa of Örby in the province of Uppland
• Erik Johansson Vasa (1470–1520), lord of Rydboholm Castle in the Roslagen

Kings and Queens of Sweden

• Gustav I (born 1496, reigned 1523–1560)
• Eric XIV (reigned 1560–1568)
• John III (reigned 1568–1592)
• Sigismund (reigned 1592–1599)
• Charles IX (reigned 1599–1611; officially became king in March 1604)
• Gustavus Adolphus (Gustav Adolf the Great) (reigned 1611–1632)
• Christina (reigned 1632–1654)

In 1654 Christina, the daughter of Gustavus Adolphus, the Protestant Champion of the Thirty Years' War, abdicated, converted to Roman Catholicism and left the country. The throne passed to her half-cousin Charles X of the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a cadet branch of the Wittelsbachs.

The kings of the house of Holstein-Gottorp, which produced the kings of Sweden from 1751 to 1818, emphasized their Vasa descent through a female line. The current ruling house of Bernadotte similarly claims a Vasa mantle: Charles XIV was an adopted son of Charles XIII; his son Oscar I married a Vasa descendant Josephine of Leuchtenberg; their grandson Gustav V married Victoria of Baden who was a great-grandchild of Gustav IV Adolf of the house Holstein-Gottorp.

Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Coat of arms of the Polish branch of the House of Vasa as elected kings of Poland (Lithuania and Ruthenia) and rightful hereditary kings of Sweden (Finland and Estonia).

Royal banner of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the reign of the House of Vasa (1587–1668).

• Sigismund III Vasa (1587–1632) (Son of John III)
• Władysław IV (1632–1648)
• John II Casimir (1648–1668)

John III of Sweden married Catherine Jagellonka, the sister of Sigismund II Augustus of Poland. When Sigismund II of Poland died without issue, the son of John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagellonka was elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania as Sigismund III in 1587. On John's death, Sigismund also gained the Swedish throne.

However, Sigismund was Catholic, which ultimately led to his losing the throne in Sweden. His Lutheran uncle Charles IX succeeded him. We thus have two Houses of Vasa from this point onwards: the senior, Catholic branch ruling in Poland and Lithuania, and the cadet, Protestant branch ruling in Sweden. This arrangement led to numerous wars between the two states. After John, the Polish Vasa died out. See also Rulers of Poland.

Family tree

See also

• Vasa (disambiguation), listing many things named Vasa
• Swedish monarchs family tree
• Arms of the kings of Sweden (fr)
• Warship Vasa
• Vaasa, Finland
• House of Vasaborg
• Vasa Order of America
• List of Swedish wars