List of Swedish royal consorts explained

This is a list of Swedish queens consort and spouses of Swedish monarchs and regents. The list covers a large time span and the role of a consort has changed much over the centuries. The first Swedish consorts are spoken of in legends. Consorts until c. 1000 are often semi-legendary, as are monarchs.

Due to unions with Denmark and Norway, many of the Swedish consorts were also consorts of monarchs of those countries. Consorts listed during the period of 1380–1520 were in fact also consorts to monarchs of Denmark. The consorts listed during the period of 1814-1905 were also consorts to monarchs of Norway.

Finland was from the Middle Ages a part of Sweden, and although there was no official title, such as "Queen Consort of Finland", from the 16th century until the year of 1809; the queen consort of Sweden also held the title "Grand Princess of Finland."

Sweden has had three female monarchs. One of the consorts listed below is male.

Semi-legendary queens

This is a list of Swedish queens of legend.

House of Uppsala and Stenkil

PictureName FatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse
Świętosława of Poland
Mieszko I of Poland
(Piast)
978c. 990s
divorce
02 February 1014Eric the Victorious
Aud Haakonsdottir of LadeLadejarl Haakon Sigurdsson, regent of Norwayc. 970c. 990s992
husband's death
c. 1015
Estrid of the Obotritesa tribal chief of the Polabian Obotritesc. 979 c. 1000c. 1022
husband's death
c. 1035Olof Skötkonung
Gunhild Sveinsdotter/HaraldsdotterSveinn Hákonarson or Saint Haraldc. 1008?c. 1022
husband's accession
c. 1050
husband's death
c. 1060 Anund Jacob
Unknown name, called IngamoderEmund the Old of Sweden
(Munsö)
c. 1043c. 1058c. 1061
husband's accession
c. 1066
husband's death
c. 1090Stenkil
Gyla
?? ? c. 1075
husband's accession
c. 1079
husband's death
?Haakon I
Helena
Sigtorn
or
Ingvar the Far-Travelled
c. 1065before 1075c. 1079
husband's accession
c. 1084
husband's deposition
1140Inge the Elder
?? before 1094c. 1084
husband's accession
c. 1087
husband's death
?Blot-Sweyn
Helena
Sigtorn
or
Prince Ingvar Vittfarne of Sweden
? ?c. 1088
husband's accession
c. 1105
husband's death
after 1105Inge the Elder
Ingegerd Haraldsdotter of Norway
Harald III of Norway (Hardrada)c. 1046c. 1095 or 1096c. 1105/1110
husband's accession
c. 1118
husband's death
c. 1120Philip

Non-contemporary
RagnhildHalsten c. 1075??c. 1117Inge the Younger
Ulvhild Håkansdotter
Haakon Finnsson (Thjotta)c. 1095c. 1116/17c. 1125
husband's death
c. 1148
Richeza of Poland
Boleslaw III of Poland (Piast)c. 12 April 1106/1116 c. 1127 c. 1130
husband's deposition
after 1156Magnus I

House of Sverker and of Eric

PictureName FatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse
Ulvhild Håkansdotter
Haakon Finnsson (Thjotta)c. 1095c. 1134c. 1148
Richeza of Poland
Boleslaw III of Poland
(Piast)
c. 12 April 1116 c. 114825 December 1156
husband's assassination
after 1156
Björn Haraldsen Ironside
(Estridsen)
c. 1120/251149 or 1150c. 1156
husband's accession
18 May 1160
husband's assassination
c. 1170
Harald IV of Norway
(Hardrada)
c. 1131?18 May 1160
husband's accession
c. 1161
husband's assassination
c. 1208
Stig Tokesen Hvide
(Hvide)
c. 11451163 or 116412 April 1167
husband's assassination
c. 1200
Cecilia (?)Prince Johan Sverkersson of Sweden
(Sverker)
c. 1145116012 April 1167
husband's accession
c. 1190
entered a convent
after 1193
Ebbe Sunesson Hvide
(Hvide)
c. 1165/1170c. 1185 c. 1196
husband's accession
c. 1199/1200
Birger Brosa, Earl of the Swedes
(Bjälbo)
c. 1180120031 January 1208
husband's deposition
7 April after 1210, possibly 1230
Valdemar I of Denmark
(Estridsen)
c. 1190/11911210 10 April 1216
husband's death
8 May 1220
Peder Strangesson c. 1200c. 1225c. 1229
husband's accession
c. 1234
husband's death
c. 1255
Sune Folkason, Lord of Ymseborg
(Bjälbo)
c. 1215c. 1243/1244 2 February 1250
husband's death
fl. 17 January 1251

House of Bjälbo

PictureName FatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse
Eric IV of Denmark
(Estridsen)
1241126022 July 1275
husband's deposition
1286
Helvig of Holstein
[1] [2]
Gerhard I, Count of Holstein-Itzehoe
(Schauenburg)
c. 126011 November 127618 December 1290
husband's death
fl. 1324
Martha of Denmark
Eric V of Denmark
(Estridsen)
1277November 1298March or April 1318
husband's deposition
3 October 1341

Non-contemporary
Blanche of Namur
John I, Marquis of Namur
(Dampierre)
c. 1320October or early November 13351363
Beatrice of Bavaria
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
(Wittelsbach)
1344 17 October 1356
husband's accession
as joint-queen with Blanka, her mother-in-law
20 June 1359
husband's death
25 December 1359
Margaret I of Denmark
Valdemar IV of Denmark
(Estridsen)
Spring 13539 April 1363 as co-queen consort then claimant15 February 1364
husband's deposition
(claimed until 1380)
28 October 1412

Union queens and Regent Consorts 1397–1523

Several of the Queens on this list were also Queen of Denmark and Norway, as well as spouses to Swedish regents who did not have the title king. Queen consorts

PictureName FatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse

Non-contemporary
Philippa of England
[3] [4]
Henry IV of England (Lancaster)4 June 1394 26 October 1406 7 January 1430
Dorothea of Brandenburg
[5]
John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
(Hohenzollern)
1430/143112 September 14456 January 1448
husband's death
10 November 1495

Regent consorts

Queen consorts

PictureName FatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse
Catherine of Bjurum
Karl Ormsson Gumsehuvud
(Gumsehufvud)
? 5 October 1438 20 June 1448
husband's accession
7 September 1450
Dorothea of Brandenburg
[6]
John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
(Hohenzollern)
1430/143128 October 144923 June 1457
husband's accession
23 June 1464
husband's deposition
10 November 1495

Regent consorts

Queen consorts

Regent consorts

Queen consorts

Regent consorts

Queen consorts

House of Vasa

PictureName FatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse
Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg
Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
(Ascania)
24 September 151324 September 153123 September 1535
Margaret Leijonhufvud
[7]
Erik Abrahamsson Leijonhufvud
(Leijonhufvud)
1 January 15161 October 153626 August 1551
Catherine Stenbock
Gustaf Olofsson Stenbock
(Stenbock)
22 July 153522 August 1552 29 September 1560
husband's death
13 December 1621
Catherine "Karin"
Måns 6 October 1550 13 July 1567 (unofficially)
4 July 1568 (officially)
January 1569
husband's deposition
13 September 1612
Catherine Jagiellon
[8] [9]
Sigismund I of Poland
(Jagellon)
1 November 15264 October 1562January 1569
husband's accession
16 September 1583
Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke
Johan Axelsson Bielke, governor of Östergötland
(Bielke)
25 June 156815 February 158517 November 1592
husband's death
19 July 1597
Anne of Austria
[10]
Charles II, Archduke of Austria
(Habsburg)
16 August 157331 May 159217 November 1592
husband's accession
10 February 1598Sigismund III Vasa, also King of Poland
Christina of Holstein-Gottorp
[11]
Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
(Holstein-Gottorp)
13 April 15738 July 1592 22 March 1604
husband's accession
30 October 1611
husband's death
8 December 1625Charles IX
Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg
John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
(Hohenzollern)
11 November 1599 25 November 16206 November 1632
husband's death
28 March 1655Gustav II Adolph

House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken

PictureName FatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse
Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp
[12]
Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
(Holstein-Gottorp)
23 October 163624 October 165413 February 1660
husband's death
24 November 1715Charles X Gustav
Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark
Frederick III of Denmark
(Oldenburg)
11 September 1656 6 May 168026 July 1693 Charles XI
Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
(Hesse-Kassel)
18 April 1676 24 March 17155 December 1718
wife's accession
29 February 1720
wife's abdication, his own accession
25 March 1751Ulrika Eleonora

House of Holstein-Gottorp

PictureName FatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
Frederick William I of Prussia
(Hohenzollern)
24 July 1720 18 August 1744 25 March 1751
husband's accession
12 February 1771
husband's death
16 July 1782Adolf Frederick
Sophia Magdalena of Denmark
Frederick V of Denmark
(Oldenburg)
3 July 1746 4 November 1766 12 February 1771
husband's accession
29 March 1792
husband's death
21 August 1813Gustav III
Frederica of Baden
Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
(Zähringen)
12 March 178131 October 179729 March 1809
husband's abdication
25 September 1826Gustav IV Adolf
Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp
Frederick August I, Duke of Oldenburg
(Holstein-Gottorp)
22 March 1759 7 July 17746 June 1809
husband's accession
5 February 1818
husband's death
20 June 1818Charles XIII, also Charles II of Norway

House of Bernadotte

PictureCoat of ArmsName FatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse
Desideria
François Clary
(Clary family)
8 November 1777 17 August 1798 5 February 1818
husband's accession
8 March 1844
husband's death
17 December 1860Charles XIV John, also Charles III John of Norway)
Josephine of Leuchtenberg
Eugène de Beauharnais
(Beauharnais)
14 March 1807 19 June 18238 March 1844
husband's accession
8 July 1859
husband's death
7 June 1876Oscar I, also King of Norway
Louise of the Netherlands
Prince Frederick of the Netherlands
(Orange-Nassau)
5 August 1828 19 June 1850 8 July 1859
husband's accession
30 March 1871Charles XV, also Charles IV of Norway
Sophia of Nassau
Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau
(Nassau-Weilburg)
9 July 1836 6 June 185718 September 1872
husband's accession
8 December 1907
husband's death
30 December 1913Oscar II, also King of Norway
Victoria of Baden
Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden
(Zähringen)
7 August 186220 September 18818 December 1907
husband's accession
4 April 1930Gustaf V
Louise Mountbatten
Prince Louis of Battenberg
(Battenberg)
13 July 1889 3 November 192329 October 1950
husband's accession
7 March 1965Gustaf VI Adolf
SilviaWalther Sommerlath23 December 194319 June 1976 Incumbent-Carl XVI Gustaf

Regents

Some Swedish consorts acted as regents for their husbands or children, and had seats in the governments. These were:

Queens regnant

This is a list of Swedish queens regnant:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Also Queen consort of the Goths.
  2. Also Queen consort of the Geats.
  3. Also Queen consort of Denmark.
  4. Also Queen consort of Norway.
  5. 1st time.
  6. 2nd time.
  7. Also Queen consort of the Wends.
  8. Also Duchess of Finland
  9. Also Grand Duchess consort of Finland.
  10. Also Queen consort of Poland and Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania.
  11. Also Queen of Finns
  12. Also Duchess and Princess consort of Bremen-Verden.