Catherine Vasa of Sweden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Catherine Vasa |
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Countess consort of East Frisia | |||||
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Born | 6 June 1539 | ||||
Died | 21 December 1610 | (aged 71)||||
Spouse | Edzard II, Count of East Frisia | ||||
Issue | Countess Margareta Anne, Electress Palatine Enno III, Count of Ostfriesland John III of Rietberg Count Christopher Count Edzard Countess Elizabeth Countess Sophia Count Karl Otto Maria, Duchess of Brunswick-Dannenberg |
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House | Vasa | ||||
Father | Gustav I of Sweden | ||||
Mother | Margaret Leijonhufvud |
Catherine Vasa of Sweden (born 6 June 1539 – died 21 December 1610) was a Swedish princess. She became the Countess of East Frisia by marrying Edzard II, Count of East Frisia. Catherine was the oldest daughter of Gustav Vasa, who was the King of Sweden, and his wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. She was also an independent ruler of the areas of Berum and Norden in East Frisia from 1599 until her death in 1610.
Contents
Catherine Vasa's Life Story
Growing Up as a Princess
Catherine grew up in the royal nursery with her brothers and sisters. Trusted women, like her mother's nurse and cousins, looked after them. When her mother died in 1551, other noble women cared for Catherine and her siblings.
In 1556, Catherine and her sisters were given a large sum of money as a dowry. A dowry was money or property a bride brought to her marriage. Their pictures were painted, and their good qualities were written about in Latin. This was to help them find suitable husbands from other royal families.
Her father, King Gustav Vasa, wanted to make a trade deal and a marriage alliance with East Frisia. This area was important because of its location near Denmark. It also had a city called Emden that competed with Lübeck, a powerful trading city. A treaty could help Sweden break the power of the Hanseatic League, a group of trading cities.
In 1558, Edzard, who would become the Count of East Frisia, visited Sweden. He came to meet Catherine and her sister Cecilia. He needed to choose one of them to marry and complete the treaty.
Edzard chose Catherine. However, the marriage talks took a long time. Edzard's mother, Anna of Oldenburg, was worried. She feared the marriage would give Sweden too much power over East Frisia. So, she divided the rule of East Frisia among her sons. King Gustav tried to stop this.
The marriage contract was signed on 12 August 1558. It stated that Catherine would receive Berum and Norden as her own lands. She would also become the ruler if her son inherited the count title while still a child.
The Royal Wedding and a Scandal
Catherine and Edzard's wedding took place in Stockholm on 1 October 1559. In November, they began their journey to East Frisia. Catherine's sister Cecilia and Edzard's brother, John II, traveled with them.
While staying in Vadstena, a big scandal happened. John was found in Cecilia's room late at night. This event became known as Vadstenabullret, or "The Vadstena Thunder." John was put in prison. Catherine and Edzard were also held under guard in Västerås Castle.
Catherine worked hard to help resolve the situation. She helped arrange John's release. She also made sure Cecilia was treated fairly and allowed to leave. Because of these problems, her own pregnancy, and her father's death in 1560, Catherine and Edzard's departure was delayed until 1561.
Countess of East Frisia
Catherine arrived in East Frisia in April 1561. As the Countess, she played an active role in the government. She supported her husband Edzard in his disagreements with his brother John. John had the support of their mother, Anna.
This conflict also involved religion. Edzard and Catherine were Lutherans, while John and Anna were Calvinists. Catherine worked to ensure that only one person would rule East Frisia at a time. She also strongly supported the Lutheran faith.
In 1578, John, who had no children, agreed that Catherine's son would be his heir. But this did not end the family struggles. Catherine used her royal family connections to help her policies. She asked her brothers, who were kings, to get involved. In return, she helped them. She assisted her brother Charles with trade. She also provided ships for the Swedish navy during a war. She even helped with marriage negotiations for her siblings.
Catherine was known for being very much like her father, King Gustav Vasa. She was intelligent and loved to learn. She was interested in books and religion. She was a strong Lutheran and even visited Wittenberg to study theology. She wrote her own interpretations of the Bible. She also wrote a poem for Edzard's funeral. A Lutheran theologian even dedicated a book to her.
Ruling Her Own Lands
After Edzard died in 1599, Catherine moved to Berum Castle. She took control of her own lands, which included Norden, Pewsum, Woquard, Loquard, Campen, and Neeuwarden. These lands were given to her as her dowry. However, Catherine decided to rule them independently.
She refused to let her son, Enno III, collect taxes or have authority in her lands. Instead, she declared herself a direct vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor. This led to a conflict with her son that lasted until her death.
Enno III's advisors often told him he was too soft on his mother. They said she was using her rights as a mother to demand obedience. But Enno III defended himself by saying: "Because she is a woman, because she is a widow, already seventy, because she is the daughter of a king and, which is the greatest reason to show her respect, because she is a mother."
Catherine's grave is in Aurich.
Family
Catherine married Edzard II of Ostfriesland on 1 October 1559, in Stockholm. They had ten children:
- Margaret of Ostfriesland (1560–1588)
- Anne of Ostfriesland (1562–1621); she married three times but had no children who survived.
- Enno III of Ostfriesland (1563–1625)
- John III of Rietberg (1566–1625)
- Christopher of Ostfriesland (1569–1636)
- Edzard of Ostfriesland (1571–1572)
- Elizabeth of Ostfriesland (1572–1573)
- Sophia of Ostfriesland (1574–1630)
- Karl Otto of Ostfriesland (1577–1603)
- Maria of Ostfriesland (1582–1616); she married Julius Ernst, Duke of Brunswick-Dannenberg and had children.