John III of Sweden

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John III
King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends; Grand Prince of Finland; Duke of Karelia, Wätski Pethin, Ingria in Russia and the Estonians in Livonia
John III portraited by Dutch artist Johan Baptista van Uther in 1582.
Reign	29 September 1568 – 17 November 1592
Coronation	10 July 1569
Born	20 December 1537
Birthplace	Stegeborg Castle
Died	17 November 1592 (aged 54)
Place of death	Stockholm Castle
Buried	Uppsala Cathedral
Predecessor	Eric XIV
Successor	Sigismund
Consort	Catherine Jagellonica (1562 – 1583), Gunilla Bielke (1585 – 1597)
Issue	Isabel, Sigismund, Anna, John
Royal House	Vasa
Royal motto	Deus protector noster ("God Our Protector")
Father	Gustav I
Mother	Margaret Leijonhufvud

John III (Swedish: Johan III, Finnish: Juhana III) (20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1568 until his death. He was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. He was also quite autonomously the ruler of Finland (as Duke John) from 1556 to 1563. In 1581 he assumed also the title Grand Prince of Finland.

[edit] Biography

He was the second son of Gustav Vasa (1523–1560). His mother was Margareta Leijonhufvud (1514–1551), a Swedish noblewoman. As a Duke of Finland he opposed his half-brother Eric XIV of Sweden (1560–1568) and was imprisoned in 1563. After his release from prison, probably because of his brother's insanity, John again joined the opposition, deposed Eric and made himself the king. His important ally was his maternal uncle Sten Leijonhufvud, who at deathbed was made Count of Raseborg. Shortly after this John executed his brother's most trusted counsellor, Jöran Persson, whom he held largely responsible for his harsh treatment while in prison.

John finished the Scandinavian Seven Years' War in 1570 without many Swedish concessions and during the following years he successfully fought Russia until 1582, a war that meant a Swedish reconquest of Narva. As a whole his foreign policy was affected by his connection to Poland of which country his son Sigismund III Vasa (1587–1632) was made king in 1587.

In domestic politics John showed clear Catholic sympathies, inspired by his Polish queen, a fact that created frictions to the Swedish clergy and nobility. From time to time he was also at odds with his younger brother Duke Charles of Sudermannia (afterwards Charles IX of Sweden). John III was an eager patron of art and architecture.

[edit] John III as king

In January of 1569, John was recognized as king by the same riksdag that forced Eric XIV off the throne. But this recognition was not without influence from John; Duke Karl received confirmation on his dukedom without the restrictions of his power that the Arboga articles imposed. The nobilities power and rights were extended and their responsibilities lessened.

John was still concerned about his position as king as long as Eric was alive. The fear of a possible liberation of the locked up king worried him to the point that in 1571 he ordered the guards that in the event of any suspicion of liberation attempt to murder the captured king. It is possible this is how his life ended in 1577.

John III was reportedly like his father in propaganda, with repeated claims to have "liberated Sweden" from the "bloodhound" Christian II, as well as rescuing the population from the "tyrant" Eric XIV. He was reportedly violent, hot tempered and greatly suspicious.

[edit] Ancestors

[edit] Family

Catherine Jagiellon.

John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland (1526–1583), house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on October 4, 1562. In Sweden she is known as Katarina Jagellonica and she was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland. Their children were:

• Isabella (1564–1566)
• Sigismund King of Sweden (1592–1599), and King of Poland (1566–1632), Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania
• Anna (1568–1625)

Gunilla Bielke

He married his second wife Gunilla Bielke (1568–c. 1592) on February 21, 1584 and together they had the son:

• John (Johan) (1589–1618), firstly Duke of Finland, then from 1608 Duke of Ostrogothia. The young duke married his first cousin Maria Elisabet (1596-1618), daughter of Charles IX of Sweden (reigned 1599–1611)

Tomb of John III in Uppsala Cathedral.

Together with his mistress Karin Hansdotter (1532-1596) he had at least four illegitimate children:

• Julius Gyllenhielm (1559–1581)
• Augustus (1557-1560)
• Sofia ( 1556–1583) who married Pontus De la Gardie
• Lucretia (1560-1585)

John cared for Karin and his children with her after he married with Catherine Jagellonica of Poland in 1562. He took care that Karin got a husband that should take care of her and his children. In 1561 Karin was married to a nobleman Klas Andersson (Västgöte), a friend and servant of John. Together they had a daughter named Brita. When John became King in 1568 he continued to support Karin and his illegitimate children. In 1572 Karin was married again, her earlier husband was murdered by Erik XIV in 1563, to a Lars Henrikson. In 1576 he was nobled by John if he took care about his issue with Karin. The same year he sent for his daughter Sofia to be a lady in the castle as a servant to his sister Princess Elisabet. 1580 he married her off to Pontus de la Gardie. She later died giving birth to Jacob De la Gardie.

[edit] See also

• History of Sweden – Foundation of Modern Sweden

[edit] External links

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John III of Sweden