King Erik XIV (1533-1577)


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CyrilVladisla

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Erik XIV played the lute. He wrote his own music.

Eric XIV was born December 13th, 1533.
His father was King Gustav (1496-1560).
His mother was Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (1513-1535).

Eric XIV's stepmother was Margaret Leijonhufvud (1516-1555).
She was a Swedish noblewoman.

After the meeting of parliament in Stockholm, Sweden in 1560,
Eric XIV received the title of "hereditary king".

In 1567 King Eric XIV married Karin Mansdotter.
In 1568 Karin was made a member of the aristocracy and was crowned Queen of Sweden.

Katarina was engaged when Gustav I decided he would wed her.
Her engagement to her first fiancé was broken.

As Crown Prince of Sweden, Eric learned that his brother, Duke John of Finland, who acted as Eric's emissary, had begun to woo Queen Elizabeth I of England on his (John's) own behalf.
Eric recalled his brother John.
Eric sent a new ambassador, Nicholas Guildenstiern.

In Elizabeth Virgin Queen, Philippa Jones wrote:

In case Eric should actually make good on his promise to come to England (to woo Queen Elizabeth I), plans were drawn up for his reception.
For a further two years, the kingdom planned and waited as Eric threatened to come to England to woo her in person and bombarded her with expensive gifts. Eventually he realized that she would never succumb to his blandishments and his attentions ceased.
 
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Eric XIV's stepmother was Margaret Leijonhufvud (1516-1555).
She was a Swedish noblewoman.​

Margareta Leijonhuvud died in August 1551, and a year later, in August 1552 king Gustav Vasa (age 56) married the 17-year old Katarina Gustavsdotter Stenbock, who was the daughter of of Margareta's sister Brita. At that time Erik was two years older than his new stepmother, and the oldest of Katarina's cousins/stepchildren, Johan, was only two years younger than her.
 
The Parade Armour of King Erik XIV of Sweden
3D Model
The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren)
This magnificent armour made King Erik XIV of Sweden look imposingly triumphant. In true renaissance spirit, the motifs on the armour were borrowed from ancient myths, the characteristics of which lent themselves perfectly to the Swedish history and national symbols of that time.
The armour was probably made in Arboga, Sweden, around 1562, from where it was sent to Antwerp in Belgium to be decorated by the goldsmith Elisaeus Libaerts. The opaque gilt ornamentation has been repousséd from the back and chased from the front.
Perhaps the armour was worn by King Erik XIV on 2 October 1564 when, following a military campaign in Blekinge in the South of Swedan, he returned to Stockholm with his military entourage. Whilst winding its way through the streets of Stockholm, the procession was showcasing chained prisoners of war from Denmark, a motif that can also be found on the armour.
The Parade Armour of King Erik XIV of Sweden - Download Free 3D model by The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren) (@TheRoyalArmoury) - Sketchfab

The Parade Shield of King Erik XIV of Sweden
3D Model
The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren)
The shield is part of a suit of armour that was delivered to the King in 1562. The whole set was problably made in Arboga and then sent to Antwerp where it was decorated by the goldsmith Eliseus Libaerts, following drawings by the French artist Etienne Delaune. To create the relief decor the steel has been chased, embossed, etched and gilded. The motif is inspired by tales from antiquity and depicts amazons fighting male warriors. It is probably a battle scene from the Trojan war. According to the myth the amazons supported King Priam of Troy in the war but also lost their queen Penthesileia when she was killed by Achilles.
The Parade Shield of King Erik XIV of Sweden - Download Free 3D model by The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren) (@TheRoyalArmoury) - Sketchfab
 
Thanks, a beautiful suit of armor.

A can add that this parade-armor is based on a combat suit of armor, of a mounted knight.
You can tell because of the short "skirt" of this suit. The groin area would have been protected by chain-mail. But that's not a priority when on horseback.

Of course a combat-armor, even one worn by a king would have been much less decorated. There are way too many things that can catch a battle-axe or a combat hammer, a lance, a crossbow bolt or an arrow on the armor depicted here. On a combat armor such weapons should preferably glance off the armor.
A combat armor of this type, would have weighed between 25-35 kilos. Enough for a fit man to run and jump wearing it, yet offering adequate protection.
This armor also lack a probier-mark. I.e. a dent from a pistol-ball fired from a short distance. A guarantee from the armorer that it was good quality.

A tournament armor would have been much heavier, some 50 kilos and reinforced especially to the left, which is where it would be most likely the opponents lance would hit - and break. And it would also have been much less decorated.

This is a beautiful piece of show-off. And expensive!
A suit of armor of this quality would be equivalent in price to buying the latest Ferrari!
 
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Erik's downfall was the Sture murders in 1567 which started an uprising by the nobility and the king ended up being deposed and imprisoned.
 
After Eric XIV became the sovereign, why did he demote the Swedish nobles?
 
Karin Mansdotter became Queen Consort of Sweden.
 
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