Agda Persdotter (died after 1565) also known as ''Agda i Porten'' ('Agda of the Gate'), was the official royal mistress of the future King
Eric XIV of Sweden
Eric XIV ( sv, Erik XIV; 13 December 153326 February 1577) was King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1569. Eric XIV was the eldest son of Gustav I (1496–1560) and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (1513–1535). He was also ruler of Es ...
during his time as a Crown Prince in 1558-61, and possibly informally in 1563-65.
Life
The date of her birth and death is unknown. Agda Persdotter was reportedly the daughter of the wealthy merchant and city Councillor Peder Klemetsson, who resided by the gate of St Nicolai in Stockholm and was known as ''Pher i Porten'' ('Per of the Gate'), thereby explaining the
patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
as well as the other well known name of Agda: her parentage has, however, not been verified.
Kalmar period
Agda Persdotter was the first known ''frilla'' or mistress of Crown Prince Eric. It is not known when and how their relationship was initiated, but it is confirmed that she departed with him from Stockholm as a part of his household when he left for Kalmar in May 1558, and resided with him as his official mistress at
Kalmar Castle
Kalmar Castle ( sv, Kalmar slott) is a castle in the city Kalmar in the province of Småland in Sweden.
History
During the twelfth century a round defensive tower was built on Kalmarsund and a harbour constructed. At the end of the thirteen ...
. She was a center of his court at Kalmar, known as a beauty and given the sobriquet "Caritas" (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
: Affection, Love). She had her own apartments at Kalmar Castle, where one of her rooms, ''Agdas kammare'' ('Agda Chamber') was named after her and her stay there: the room was situated just beside Eric's audience chamber. Eric is not known to have had any other mistress during his time as a crown prince. The couple had two daughters during these years, for whom Eric had horoscopes made at their birth.
It was at that time customary for a Prince to have a mistress, though it was expected of him to dispose of her when he married by providing her with a pension of property or marriage. Consequently, Eric was expected to terminate the relationship with Agda when he was about to depart for England to propose to queen
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
in the autumn of 1560. On 25 August 1560, Agda was awarded the royal estate Eknaholm outside
Växjö
Växjö ( ) is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 70,489 inhabitants (2019) out of a municipal population of 95,995 (2021). It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of Kronoberg County ...
, which had belonged to a monastery prior to the
Swedish Reformation
The Reformation in Sweden is generally regarded as having begun in 1527 during the reign of King Gustav I of Sweden, but the process was slow and did not end definitively until the Uppsala Synod of 1593 and the following War against Sigismund, with ...
, and which was to be her pension after the departure of Eric to England. She was also arranged to marry Eric's courtier, the nobleman Joakim Eriksson Fleming (1534-1563), brother of
Klaus Fleming
Baron Klaus Eriksson Fleming ( sv, Clas Eriksson Fleming; 1535 in Pargas – 13 April 1597 in Pohja) was a Finnish-born member of the Swedish nobility and admiral, who played an important role in Finnish and Swedish history during the rise of S ...
.
Marriage
In September, however, Eric succeeded to the throne as king and cancelled his trip to England. Despite this, his relationship with Agda was terminated and she was married to Fleming. Her marriage was followed by the loss of her children. On 24 September 1561, king Eric XIV transferred the custody of his illegitimate daughters Virginia and Constantia from their mother Agda to his sister
Princess Cecilia of Sweden
Cecilia of Sweden (Swedish: ''Cecilia Gustavsdotter Vasa'') (16 November 1540 in Stockholm – 27 January 1627 in Brussels), was Princess of Sweden as the daughter of King Gustav I and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, and Margravine of ...
(or more precisely the main lady-in-waiting
Anna Hogenskild Anna Klemetsdotter Hogenskild (1513-1590), also known as ''fru Anna till Åkerö'' ('lady Anna of Åkerö') and ''fru Anna till Hedensö'' ('lady Anna of Hedensö'), was a Swedish court official and landowner. She served as ''hovmästarinna'' to que ...
), stating that of Agda that "I know she is not capable of raising them in good discipline and other things", and authorizing Cecilia to use any force necessary to separate Agda and her daughters. This was in fact an illegal act, as the law secured the mother full custody of her children until the age of three. Agda was granted several properties in Södermanland at her wedding in addition to Eknaholm in Småland. She had one child with Fleming, a daughter Anna, born 1562.
Later life
She was widowed at the death of Fleming in 1563. After she was widowed, king Eric reportedly resumed his relationship with her. However, if this is correct, this time the relationship was not official, nor exclusive: between 1561 and 1565, king Eric had a collective of mistresses referred to as ''Frillohopen'' ('The Crowd of Mistresses') consisting of Anna Larsdotter, Karin Jacobsdotter, Karin Pedersdotter, Sigrid Nilsdotter, Doredi Valentinsdotter as well as the anonymous Britta and Ingrid.
[Gadd, Pia: Frillor, fruar och herrar - en okänd kvinnohistoria Falun 2009] She is pointed out as the mother of Lucretia, an illegitimate daughter born to Eric from one of these mistresses, but it is in fact unknown which one of these mistresses who was the mother of Lucretia, and it is uncertain whether Agda was indeed the king's mistress at all during this period, as it has not been confirmed.
In 1565, Eric replaced all his previous mistresses with
Karin Månsdotter
Karin Månsdotter (in English Catherine; 6 November 1550 – 13 September 1612) was first a mistress of King Eric XIV of Sweden and then briefly queen as his wife.
Early life
Karin was born in Stockholm to a soldier and later prison guard na ...
, previously one of the servants looking after Agda's daughter Virginia. The later life of Agda Persdotter is not verified, but according to unverified accounts, she married the nobleman Christoffer Olofsson Stråle of Sjöared, royal commandant of
Stegeholm Castle and
Söderköping Castle
Söderköping is a locality and the seat of Söderköping Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 6,992 inhabitants in 2010. Söderköping is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a ''town''. ...
.
Children
*
Virginia Eriksdotter
Virginia Eriksdotter (1 January 1559 – 1633) was a Swedish noble. She was the recognized illegitimate daughter of King Erik XIV of Sweden and his official royal mistress Agda Persdotter.
Life
Virginia was born at Kalmar Castle during her father ...
(1559–1633) (living descendants)
*
Constantia Eriksdotter Constantia Eriksdotter (1560–1649) was the illegitimate daughter of Eric XIV of Sweden and Agda Persdotter. She was called "The Queen of Tiveden".
Life
Constantia Eriksdotter and her sister Virginia were removed from their mother's custody when s ...
(1560–1649) (living descendants)
*Lucretia Eriksdotter (1564–after 1574) died young (possibly a daughter of Eric by another mistress)
References
*
Hans Gillingstam
Hans may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Hans (name), a masculine given name
* Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician
** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans
** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...
, "Agda Persdotter, hennes släkt och Erik XIV:s dotter Lucretia. En källkritisk studie", ''Släkt och Hävd'' 2001:2-3, s. 156-160.
Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor*Lars-Olof Larsson, Arvet efter Gustav Vasa
*Gadd, Pia: Frillor, fruar och herrar - en okänd kvinnohistoria Falun 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Persdotter, Agda
Mistresses of Swedish royalty
16th-century births
16th-century Swedish people
Year of death unknown