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48-589: In the 1560s, Erik XIV of Sweden was involved in the Livonian War and the Northern Seven Years' War . Since he led many campaigns in person, his secretary Jöran Persson was left in charge of the administration. The Privy Council of Sweden , the board of nobles responsible for advising the king, was effectively replaced by Persson; also, nobles had been ousted from Erik's high court ( Konungens Nämnd ) and replaced by loyal commoners, and Persson

96-431: A "light-haired man". According to Peterson (2007), the strain of war, paranoia toward just about everybody, especially the aristocracy, personal and national pressures to provide an heir, and his own mercurial personality were steadily crowding Erik to the edge of mental collapse. His frustrations and anxieties gradually began to center on one person. On the basis of unsubstantiated charges like "neglect of duty," Nils Sture

144-542: A clash with his cousin, Frederick II of Denmark-Norway (1534–88). Most of Eric XIV's reign was then dominated by the Livonian War and the Scandinavian Seven Years' War against Denmark-Norway (1563–70), during which he successfully repelled most Danish-Norwegian attempts at conquest, but was unable to keep his own acquisitions. From 1563 onwards, his insanity became pronounced; his rule became even more arbitrary and marked by violence. His suspicion of

192-547: A close adviser Jöran Persson (1530–68), who had narrowly escaped execution under Eric's father. Persson was also opposed to the nobility and a determined opponent of Eric's half-brother, later John III of Sweden (1537–92). John was the Duke of Finland and was married to a Polish princess, against Eric's wishes, which made him friendly with Poland. John pursued an expansionist policy in Livonia (now Estonia and Latvia), in breach of

240-456: A conspiracy against him, particularly by the Sture family and their relatives, and already on 22 July increased the number of his spies. In January 1567, Erik's page , Gustaf Ribbing, who had been sentenced to death for desertion, under torture accused Svante Sture, Per Brahe , Gustaf Olsson Stenbock and Sten Erikson of sabotaging Erik's marriage plans. Svante Sture and Sten Erikson had to sign

288-467: A disparaging comment about Persson, so outraging the king that he stabbed Helsing with a fire iron , causing injuries from which the secretary died on 7 April. An uprising of nobles started in the summer of 1568, led by his brothers Charles and John , which led to Erik's being deposed in January 1569. Sten Eriksson, who had survived the Sture murders because of his name, was killed in the final battle of

336-581: A document acknowledging that they had plotted against the king's marriage, and that they would not stand in the way of Erik's future marriage plans, even if this meant the king's marriage to his non-noble mistress, Karin Månsdotter . While Persson continued to collect evidence against Erik's perceived and real opponents, Erik summoned a riksdag in Uppsala in May 1567 to settle the quarrels. On their way to

384-467: A model for Swedish country mansion architecture during the later part of the 18th century. The palace was extended on both short ends by drawings of Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz , together with a bell tower. It was given to the Queen dowager Louisa Ulrika of Prussia as a residence for her widowhood in 1771. The palace was abandoned for over a hundred years after the death of Lovisa Ulrika in 1782. Due to

432-420: A prison, and the prison walls were torn down. The prison warden house still remains in the palace gardens, as well as several prison personnel houses in the nearby area. After years of neglect the palace was restored from 1994 to 2003 by the state, to a cost of 36 million SEK . The façade has regained its light shade, made to resemble French sandstone. The windows are painted in a gold brown oak color. None of

480-400: A rebellion. Erik returned to the castle a few hours after his first visit, drew his dagger, and stabbed Nils Sture in his chest or arm. According to Geijer, the murder was finished by Peder Welamsson , a nephew of Persson, whereupon Erik again entered the cell of Svante Sture, announcing to him on his knees that now he had to kill him as he could not expect Sture to forgive him. Before leaving

528-471: A requested audience with the king. On 22 May, Erik wrote a letter to Svante Sture, rejecting the charges of treason brought up against the Sture family and announcing their reconciliation. In Uppsala, Martha Leijonhufvud again appealed to Karin Månsdotter, and on the morning of 24 May, Karin sent for her and met her in the Uppsala Castle, where she told her that the king had promised her not to hurt

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576-697: A tradition starting with Johannes Messenius , his final meal was a poisoned bowl of pea soup . A document signed by his brother, John III of Sweden, and a nobleman, Bengt Bengtsson Gylta (1514–74), gave Eric's guards in his last prison authorization to poison him if anyone tried to release him. His body was later exhumed and modern forensic analysis revealed evidence of lethal arsenic poisoning . Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter : With Karin Jacobsdotter : Eric XIV finally married Karin Månsdotter (1550–1612) on 4 July 1568; their children were: The life of Eric XIV

624-571: Is a Rococo palace situated in Svartsjö on the island of Färingsö in lake Mälaren . It lies just outside of Stockholm . The location of this palace has housed several royal buildings. During medieval times there was a stone house where prominent Swedish royalty lived. Gustav Vasa and his sons Erik and Johan erected a lavish renaissance palace with a round inner courtyard. It was at least partly designed by Willem Boy and completed in 1580 but burnt down in 1687. The remaining building material

672-401: Is the subject of an 1899 play by Swedish playwright August Strindberg (1849–1912), which was later adapted into a film, Karin Månsdotter . The love story of Eric XIV and Karin Månsdotter is the subject of a 1942 historical novel Karin Månsdotter  [ fi ] by Mika Waltari . Svartsj%C3%B6 Palace Svartsjö Palace ( Swedish : Svartsjö slott , "Black Lake Castle")

720-480: The Sture murders . Eric, having been imprisoned and deposed, was most likely murdered. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that he probably died of arsenic poisoning . Eric XIV was born at Tre Kronor Castle , the morning of 13 December 1533. His mother died before his second year. In 1536, his father, Gustav Vasa , married Margaret Leijonhufvud (1516–1551), a Swedish noblewoman. Eric's first teacher

768-653: The Arboga articles, which led to contention between the brothers. In 1563, John was seized by an army sent to Finland, and tried for high treason by Eric's order. Unlike his father, who had been satisfied with ruling an independent state, Eric tried to expand his influence in the Baltic region and in Estonia , beginning the process that resulted in Sweden becoming a great power in the 17th century. This expansionism resulted in

816-430: The castle for the second time, he ordered the guards to kill everyone except for "Herr Sten." The guards, led by Per (Peder) Gadd , executed the order, but spared Sten Banér and Sten Eriksson as they did not know which Sten the king had just referred to. While these two survived, Svante Sture, Nils Sture, Erik Sture, Abraham Stenbock and Ivar Ivarsson were killed. Outside the castle, Erik's tutor Dionysius Beurreus found

864-445: The demands made by Martha Leijonhufvud , widow of Svante Sture and mother of Nils and Erik Sture. Martha Leijonhufvud demanded a letter of protection against further persecution from the king; an official statement of the innocence of the murder victims; economic compensation and, finally, the arrest of the people responsible for the behavior of the monarch, which was regarded to be his adviser Jöran Persson. The king accepted all terms of

912-463: The family in the so-called Sture Murders , Eric himself stabbing Nils Svantesson Sture . The king probably thought of the killing as an execution rather than murder. After the Sture homicides, John was imprisoned and Eric's conflict with the nobility came to its climax. Early in 1568, Eric seemed to recover his reason, and attempted to reconcile with John on the condition that the latter recognized Eric's marriage with Karin Månsdotter . This marriage

960-407: The first person to be granted an audience with Erik after the murders, and found the rest of the court awaiting her. Being escorted in to the audience chamber, Erik reportedly fell to his knee before her and begged forgiveness for the murders. He issued a written power of attorney for her to negotiate a settlement between Erik and the families of the murder victims. Catherine Stenbock soon presented

1008-491: The following days wandering about the woods on his own. Only on 27 May he was found, dressed as a peasant and still in mental disorder, at the village of Odensala and brought to Stockholm. Persson had meanwhile succeeded in obtaining the riksdag decree of 26 May endorsing all past and future sentences against the nobles detained in Svartsjö and Uppsala – it is unclear whether the riksdag attendees knew at this time that most of

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1056-422: The king in a state of madness. Beurreus' efforts to calm him were to no avail – instead, the king issued an order to kill Beurreus as well and vanished into a nearby forest. Eventually the guards stabbed Beurreus to death. The killings were not made public; the castle was locked, and at the gate Per Gadd's guards continued to accept food for the prisoners from their relatives as usual. Erik did not return, but spent

1104-402: The large areas of minable granite in the area the palace was transformed in 1891 into a prison. Prisoners mined the granite until 1910, when a successful trial with farming and logging proved to work better for the prison. As more violent criminals were admitted to Svartsjö Palace, a special closed section was created with 337 cells built with steel walls. In 1966 the palace ceased to be used as

1152-527: The mother of Nils and Erik, and are now on display in Uppsala Cathedral 's northern tower. Erik XIV of Sweden Eric XIV ( Swedish : Erik XIV ; 13 December 1533 – 26 February 1577) was King of Sweden from 1560 until he was captured in a rebellion led by his brother John in 1568 and formally deposed 26 January 1569. Eric XIV was the eldest son of Gustav I (1496–1560) and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (1513–1535). He

1200-509: The nobility led him to suspicions of the Sture family, then headed by Svante Stensson Sture , who was married to Gustav's sister-in-law. He first acted against the family in 1566, accusing Svante's son Nils of treason, but commuted the sentence and instead sent Nils to Lorraine , supposedly to arrange a marriage with the princess Renata . However, Eric had determined to marry his mistress Karin Månsdotter and in 1567, on Nils's return and suspicious of high treason, he killed several members of

1248-740: The nobility's influence on politics, and the high court's actions were not received well by the Swedish aristocracy. In July 1566, several influential nobles met near Stockholm . According to Geijer , this was a farewell party for Nils Sture, while Peterson refers to the meeting as a "secret gathering" where the magnates' "fear and hatred turned to organized resistance". The meeting was attended by Nils Sture, his father, Svante Stensson Sture , Abraham Gustafsson Stenbock , Ivar Ivarsson Lillieörn , Hogenskild Nilsson Bielke , Clas Eriksson Fleming , Sten Axelsson Banér , Sten Eriksson Leijonhufvud , Erik's brother Charles of Södermanland and others. Erik feared

1296-411: The penalty later. Although Erik distrusted the nobility as a whole, he became particularly suspicious of Nils Svantesson Sture , who was arrested and tried. Despite his many illegitimate children, Erik lacked a legal heir and feared that Sture might claim his throne. The Stures were a very influential family, and Erik projected an astrological reading on Nils Sture saying that he would be succeeded by

1344-548: The prisoners in Uppsala were already dead. After having been brought back to the capital, Erik was initially left isolated, as no one dared to seek audience in fear of him having another fit. Word was sent to Uppsala for Erik's stepmother Queen Dowager Catherine Stenbock , who was related to several of the victims, and who had arrived to the city of Uppsala on the day of the murders. She was escorted to Stockholm by Sten Leijonhufvud and Hogenskild Bielke. Upon her arrival, she became

1392-477: The prisoners. That same day, Erik XIV had Sten Eriksson accompany him on a visit to Svante Sture's cell. On his knees, the king begged Sture's forgiveness, admitting that he had done him wrong and promising full reconciliation. He then left the castle. Peterson says that on his way out, Erik had a conversation with Jöran Persson, while according to Geijer, Erik went for a walk with Petrus Caroli , ordinary of Kalmar , who told him that his brother John had started

1440-458: The privy council had issued a document calling for the murder of Erik in case he could not be kept safely in prison; among the signatories were several nobles whom Erik had failed to capture at Svartsjö in 1567, namely Per Brahe, Ture Bielke, Hogenskild Bielke and Erik Gustafsson Stenbock, and also Sten Banér's brother, Gustaf. The clothes worn by Svante, Nils, and Erik Sture at the time of their deaths were kept by Märta (Martha) , Svante's wife and

1488-536: The riksdag, several magnates were invited by Erik to Svartsjö Castle , especially those who had met, near Stockholm in July 1566. Erik was also present in Svartsjö, and though the invitation letters were written in an innocent style, the invited were to be arrested and tried before the high court. Arrested at Svartsjö were, in order of their arrival, Nils Sture's brother Erik Svantesson Sture , Abraham Stenbock, Sten Banér, Ivar Ivarsson, Sten Eriksson and Svante Sture. When it

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1536-516: The settlement. Erik remained in a state of madness for half a year, cared for by Karin Månsdotter, whom he married in the summer. Until his recovery late in 1567, the privy council assumed control of the government and had Persson tried and sentenced to death, although the verdict was not carried out. Upon his recovery, Erik XIV restored his own and Persson's power. In February 1568, during a campaign in Småland , Erik's secretary, Mårten Helsing , made

1584-519: The uprising. Jöran Persson was killed by the insurgents in the same uprising when the Stockholm garrison deserted Erik XIV and turned in Persson. Erik died in 1577 from arsenic supposedly mixed in pea soup; until his death, according to Scott (1992), he "was taken from one castle prison to another, first with his family then alone, occasionally sane, sometimes lapsing into insanity." On 10 March 1575,

1632-410: The verdict that the estates were to sign at Uppsala has survived. In the verdict, the following accounts are recorded as evidence: Abraham Stenbock was forced to sign an incriminating letter to Josua Genewitz, which was later presented as evidence. From the diary of Erik XIV, it is known that Stenbock and Ivar Ivarsson were sentenced to death right away, and that on 14 May the court let Erik know that it

1680-513: The village outside. Martha sent an appeal to Karin Månsdotter to speak to the king in favor of the prisoners, and she also sent an appeal to the king's daughter, Virginia Eriksdotter . When the prisoners were transferred to Uppsala, Martha was also taken there under guard and placed in house arrest in a house belonging to the Sture family. Also present in Uppsala were Ebba Lilliehöök , married to Erik Leijonhufvud . When Erik XIV arrived at Uppsala on 16 May 1567, according to Robert Nisbet Bain he

1728-400: Was "in a condition of incipient insanity". The riksdag had meanwhile assembled, but only twenty nobles were among the attendees. On 19 May, when the death sentences were supposed to be endorsed by the riksdag , Erik collapsed after losing his notes for his speech and failing to manage without them. Two days later, Nils Sture was arrested upon his return from Lorraine by Persson, who denied him

1776-414: Was also ruler of Estonia , after it placed itself under Swedish protection in 1561. While he has been regarded as intelligent and artistically skilled, as well as politically ambitious, early in his reign he showed signs of mental instability, a condition that eventually led to insanity . Some scholars claim that his illness began early during his reign, while others believe that it first manifested with

1824-405: Was announced that the riksdag would be postponed to 18 May and was to deal with an uncovered conspiracy against the king, the remaining suspected nobles refrained from following the king's invitation, namely Per Brahe, Gustaf Stenbock, Abraham Stenbock's brother Erik, Ture Bielke and his nephew Hogenskild Bielke, Clas Fleming, and Clas Åkesson Tott . The trial in Svartsjö is not documented, but

1872-606: Was executed shortly after John III had incarcerated Eric, who was legally dethroned in January 1569 by the Riksdag . For the next eight years the ex-king was a source of anxiety to the new government. Three rebellions – the 1569 Plot , the Mornay Plot and the 1576 Plot – with the object of releasing and reinstating him, had to be suppressed, and Eric was held as a prisoner in many different castles in both Sweden and Finland. He died in prison in Örbyhus Castle . According to

1920-438: Was made the king's chief prosecutor. The king and his secretary used the high court not only to enforce their financial, war-related demands on the nobles, but also to torture nobles to reveal information about opposition groups. For the use of torture to be legal, the tortured person had to be sentenced to death first – therefore, the high court sentenced more than 300 people to death between 1562 and 1567, yet in most cases reduced

1968-463: Was not necessarily the 14th king of Sweden named Eric. He and his brother Charles adopted regnal numbers according to Johannes Magnus 's partly fictitious history of Sweden . There had, however, been at least six earlier Swedish kings with the name of Eric, as well as pretenders about whom very little is known. From the start of his reign, Eric was in opposition to the Swedish nobility . He chose as

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2016-416: Was on the point of embarking for England to press his suit for the hand of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland. Back in Stockholm he summoned a Riksdag , which met at Arboga on 15 April 1561. There he adopted the royal propositions known as the "Arboga articles", considerably curtailing the authority of the royal dukes, John and Charles , in their respective provinces. He was crowned as Eric XIV, but

2064-761: Was referred to as "chosen king" ( Swedish : utvald konung ) and after the meeting of parliament in Stockholm in 1560, he received the title of "hereditary king" ( Swedish : arvkonung ). In 1557, Eric was assigned the fiefdoms of Kalmar, Kronoberg and Öland. He took up residence in the city of Kalmar . Against his father's wishes, Eric entered into marriage negotiations with the future Queen Elizabeth I of England and pursued her for several years. Tensions between Eric and his father grew. Eric also made unsuccessful marriage proposals to, among others, Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587), Renata of Lorraine (1544–1602), Anna of Saxony (1544–1577) and Christine of Hesse (1543–1604). The news of his father's death reached Eric as he

2112-452: Was sentenced to death, but the verdict was commuted to a humiliating drive through the streets of the capital; on 15 June 1566, he had to ride through Stockholm on a wretched hack wearing a crown of straw, with some of his wounds suffered from prior torture still bleeding. Thereafter, Erik sent Nils Sture to Lorraine , where he was to arrange the marriage of Princess Renata to Erik (which would never materialize). Secretary rule, reduction of

2160-419: Was shipped to Stockholm to be used in the build of the castle Tre kronor . The stone foundation was left and is visible today. The current buildings middle section was started in 1734 and finished in 1739 on the order of Fredrik I . It was built as a hunting palace for then current queen Ulrika Eleonora using drawings by Carl Hårleman . The now Rococo palace, raised by inspiration of French palaces, became

2208-418: Was solemnized in July, Karin crowned Queen, and their infant son Gustav pronounced Prince-royal. However, in the fall of 1568, asserting Eric's insanity, the dukes and the nobles rebelled, and after some resistance, Eric was imprisoned by his brother Duke John, who took power on 30 September. Jöran Persson was assigned much of the blame for the actions directed against the nobility during Eric XIV's reign and

2256-478: Was the learned German Georg Norman , whose services were shortly thereafter needed elsewhere within the Swedish state. He was replaced by French Calvinist Dionysius Beurraeus (1500–67). Dionysius taught both Eric and his half-brother John , and seems to have been appreciated by both. Eric was very successful in foreign languages and mathematics. He was also an informed historian, a good writer and familiar with astrology . When Eric started to appear in public, he

2304-427: Was willing to also sentence Svante Sture to death. According to Peterson, Erik Sture was sentenced to death, too. All prisoners were then sent to Uppsala Castle for further investigation. During the Svartsjö trials, Martha Leijonhufvud , married to Svante Sture, had traveled to Svartsjö with her daughter, Anna, to seek an audience with the king, but they were not allowed in the castle and instead placed under guard in

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