Ingeborg Håkonsdotter
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Ingeborg of Norway (; ; ; 1301 – 17 June 1361) was a Norwegian princess and by marriage a Swedish royal duchess with a position in the regency governments in Norway (1319–1327) and Sweden (1319–1326) during the minority of her son, King
Magnus Eriksson Magnus Eriksson (April or May 1316  – 1 December 1374) was King of Sweden from 1319 to 1364, King of Norway as Magnus VII from 1319 to 1355, and ruler of Scania from 1332 to 1360. By adversaries he has been called ''Magnus Smek'' (). Medi ...
. In 1318–1319, she was Sweden's '' de facto'' ruler, and from 1319 until 1326, she was Sweden's first ''
de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...
'' female regent. Her role in northern European history is considered of major importance.


Life


Early life

Ingeborg was born in 1301 as the only legitimate daughter of King Håkon V of Norway from his marriage with
Euphemia of Rügen Euphemia of Rügen (c. 1280 – May 1312) was Queen of Norway as the spouse of Håkon V of Norway. She is famous in history as a literary figure, and known for commissioning translations of romances. Biography Euphemia was most likely the daug ...
. As a child, she was first betrothed to
Magnus Birgersson Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
, the son and designated heir of
Birger, King of Sweden Birger Magnusson (1280 – 31 May 1321) was King of Sweden from 1290 to 1318. His reign was marked by unrest and civil strife; he was imprisoned by his brothers Erik and Valdemar following the " Håtuna games" in 1306, but when he tried to play t ...
. Soon afterwards the engagement was however broken for altered political reasons, and in 1305 she was betrothed to Duke Erik, a younger brother of King Birger, thus uncle of her first betrothed. In 1312, Ingeborg and Erik were formally married in a double wedding in Oslo; at the same time, her namesake cousin
Ingeborg Ingeborg is a Germanic feminine given name, mostly used in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, derived from Old Norse ''Ingiborg, Ingibjǫrg'', combining the theonym ''Ing'' with the element ''borg'' "stronghold, protection". Ingebjørg is the No ...
married Erik's brother duke
Valdemar Magnusson Valdemar Magnusson ( – 1318) was a Swedish prince, heir to the throne of Sweden, and the duke of Finland. Background Valdemar was born . He was the third son of Magnus III and Helvig of Holstein. He became Duke of Finland in 1302 at the co ...
. At her wedding, her mother Queen Euphemia had published the recently translated (by her command) famous
poem Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
s, the Euphemia songs. The couple had two children before Duke Erik was murdered.


Leader of the Ducal party

Upon the imprisonment of her spouse and her brother-in-law, she and her cousin and sister-in-law, Ingeborg Eriksdottir, became the leaders of their spouses' followers. On 16 April 1318, the two duchesses Ingeborg made a treaty in
Kalmar Kalmar (, , ) is a city in the southeast of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 41,388 inhabitants in 2020 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of ...
with the Danish duke Christoffer of Halland-Samsö and archbishop Esgar of Lund to free their husbands and not to make peace with the kings of Sweden and Denmark before they agreed to this, and the two duchesses promised to honor the promises they gave in return in the names of their husbands. Later the same year, their husbands were confirmed to have died.


Regency

Her son
Magnus Eriksson Magnus Eriksson (April or May 1316  – 1 December 1374) was King of Sweden from 1319 to 1364, King of Norway as Magnus VII from 1319 to 1355, and ruler of Scania from 1332 to 1360. By adversaries he has been called ''Magnus Smek'' (). Medi ...
, at the age of 3, was proclaimed king of
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
upon her father's death, in rights devolved from her. Ingeborg was recognized as formal regent of her son in Norway. Soon, the Swedish nobility elected young Magnus king of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
after deposing Birger, and Ingeborg was made nominal regent of Sweden and given a seat and vote in the Swedish government and the title: ''Ingeborg, by the Grace of God, daughter of Haakon, duchess in the Kingdom of Sweden''. Duchess Ingeborg held her own court at her residence in
Varberg Varberg () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 35,782 inhabitants in 2019. Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their "typical west coast" sandy beaches. In Varberg th ...
. Letters 1318-1321 reveal that powerful Swedish men took advantage of the young dowager duchess by having her issue, alone and over her own seal, documents to their advantage as compensation for their support of the murdered dukes Erik and Valdemar and of little Magnus's right to the throne. The exact position of Ingeborg in the regency council is hard to define properly due to the documentation.
Mats Kettilmundsson Mats Kettilmundsson (also Mattias) (ca. 1280 - died 11 May 1326) was a Swedish knight, riksdrots and statesman. Biography In 1302, Mats Kettilmundsson was one of the knights and confidants of Duke Eric Magnusson (c. 1282–1318). He joined t ...
, her ally, presided over the Swedish regency council "alongside" the two "duchesses Ingeborg"; Ingeborg Håkansdotter and her cousin and sister-in-law Ingeborg Eiriksdottir. Magnus, already King of Norway, was elected King of Sweden with the approval of the Norwegian council in her presence. Ingeborg was the only one with a seat in both the Swedish and the Norwegian minor regency and council of state. She was duchess of her own fiefs, which were autonomous under her rule, and a large number of castles which controlled big areas thanks to their strategic positions. "Ingeborg's position at court was not well-defined: she was the king's mother (''Kongemor''), but without being a dowager queen."


Favourites

She was criticized for her way of conducting her own politics without the counsel of the Swedish and Norwegian councils, and for using the royal seal of her son for her own wishes. 1 October 1320, she liberated Riga from its debts in her name on behalf of her son. She was known to make large donations to her supporters.
Canute Porse Canute Porse the Elder or ''Knud/Knut Porse'' (died 30 May 1330) was a medieval Danish nobleman and Duke of Samsø, Duke of Halland, Duke of Estonia, and Count of Kalundborg. Biography Porse was the son of Peder Porse, who was one of several ...
had been one of the supporters of her spouse and was appointed governor of Varberg. Ingeborg surrounded herself with young foreign men, thought to affect her politics, of which Canute was the most known. 12 April 1321, the Swedish council, after receiving complaints from the Norwegian council regarding a rumour of crimes and disturbances in Ingeborg's lands made by foreigners, told the Norwegian council to advise Ingeborg to listen more to the advice of the old experienced men in the councils rather than to young inexperienced foreign men; a law was created which banned foreigners from being members of the Swedish council and from castellanships of Swedish castles.


The Scania affair

Ingeborg and Canute had the ambition to make the then Danish
Scania Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...
a part of her possessions. In 1321, Ingeborg arranged a marriage with her daughter Euphemia and
Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg (c. 1318 – 18 February 1379) was a feudal lord in Northern Germany on the shores of the Baltic Sea. He reigned as the head of the House of Mecklenburg. His princely seat was located in Schwerin beginning in t ...
. The marriage was arranged with the terms that Mecklenburg, Saxony, Holstein,
Rendsborg Rendsburg (, also ''Rensborg'', , also ''Rensborg'') is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the central part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. , it had a populati ...
and Slesvig would assist Ingeborg in the conquest of Scania. This was approved by the council of Norway but not Sweden. To finance the invasion, Ingeborg took a loan from Stralsund with free trade in Sweden and Norway as security. When Ingeborg's forces under command of Canute invaded Scania in 1322–23, Mecklenburg betrayed her to Denmark and the alliance was broken.


Conflict with the councils and diminished power

In 1322, open conflict broke out between Ingeborg and the Swedish regency council. The council of state made an agreement that no order from Ingeborg should thereafter be accepted without the approval from the entire council, and all agreements made with her by individual councillors were annulled. In 1323, Ingeborg was forced to accept the terms and give up several of her strategical castles and fiefs. On 20 February 1323, the Norwegian regency council rebelled against Ingeborg. She was accused of misusing the royal seal, to have broken the peace with Denmark and for greater costs, and was replaced as head of the regency. After 1323, Ingeborg's power was limited to what was approved by votes in the councils, which in practice had deposed her. On 14 February 1326, in exchange for having her debts paid, Ingeborg gave up several fiefs, was forced to send Canute into exile and was stripped from all political authority in the Swedish regency council. In the Norwegian regency council, however, her signature was still needed in the 14 June 1327 peace treaty between Norway and Sönderjylland. Ingeborg married her lover
Canute Porse Canute Porse the Elder or ''Knud/Knut Porse'' (died 30 May 1330) was a medieval Danish nobleman and Duke of Samsø, Duke of Halland, Duke of Estonia, and Count of Kalundborg. Biography Porse was the son of Peder Porse, who was one of several ...
(d. 1330), a noble from less than royal circles, on 21 June 1327. While Canute had become
Duke of Halland This lists those feudalism, feudal magnates (counts, dukes, and other sort of princes) who have held Halland (''Hallandia'') as fief, or its southern or northern part, as a substantive title. Earl in Halland * Charles Eriksen, maternal grandson o ...
in 1326 as vassal of King
Valdemar III of Denmark Valdemar III (1314–1364) was King of Denmark from 1326 to 1329, while he was underage; he was also Duke of Schleswig as Valdemar V in 1325–26 and from 1330 to 1364. He was a rival king set up against the unsuccessful Christopher II and was w ...
and was allowed to become holder of Ingeborg's inherited estates, her new marriage was another reason why the Swedes, and an increasing number of Norwegians, did not allow Ingeborg to use her governmental power in these kingdoms. The year of her second marriage, Ingeborg was also stripped from her power in the Norwegian regency council.


Later life

Her husband was made Duke of Estonia in 1329. In 1330, she again became a widow on 30 May 1330 because Canute got murdered. Her younger sons became dukes of Halland. Her eldest son became an adult in 1332, and the same year, Ingeborg secured Swedish superiority (until 1360) over
Scania Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...
. After the death of her second husband, Ingeborg again took an important position in the life of her son the king, but it is not known how much influence she had on him. In 1336, Ingeborg welcomed her daughter Euphemia and her son-in-law Albert of Mecklenburg,
Rudolf I, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg Rudolf I ( – 12 March 1356), a member of the House of Ascania, was Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg from 1298 until his death. By the Golden Bull of 1356 he was acknowledged as Elector of Saxony. Life Rudolf was the eldest son of the Saxon duke A ...
and Henry of Holstein with her own fleet to the coronation of her son and his wife in Stockholm. In 1341, Ingeborg and the counts Henry and Claus of Holstein went to war against Valdemar of Schleswig, John of Holstein and the Hanseatic league in Denmark. Ingeborg was residing at
Kalundborg Kalundborg () is a Danish city with a population of 16,659 (1 January 2025),Copenhagen Castle Copenhagen Castle () was a castle on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built in the late 14th century and was located at the site of the current Christiansborg Palace. History In 1167, Bishop Absalon (c. 112 ...
. King Magnus sealed the peace by telling Valdemar to keep the promise he had made to Ingeborg in the peace treaty. In 1350, she inherited the title and position of Duke of Halland from her younger son.


Children and family

With Duke Erik Magnusson, Ingeborg had two children: *
Magnus Eriksson Magnus Eriksson (April or May 1316  – 1 December 1374) was King of Sweden from 1319 to 1364, King of Norway as Magnus VII from 1319 to 1355, and ruler of Scania from 1332 to 1360. By adversaries he has been called ''Magnus Smek'' (). Medi ...
(1316–1374), king of Sweden and Norway *
Euphemia of Sweden Euphemia of Sweden ( Swedish: ''Eufemia Eriksdotter''; 1317 – 16 June 1370) was a Swedish princess. She was Duchess consort of Mecklenburg, heiress of Sweden and of Norway, and mother of King Albert of Sweden. (c. 1338-1412) . Biography E ...
, duchess of Mecklenburg (1317–c. 1370) With
Canute Porse Canute Porse the Elder or ''Knud/Knut Porse'' (died 30 May 1330) was a medieval Danish nobleman and Duke of Samsø, Duke of Halland, Duke of Estonia, and Count of Kalundborg. Biography Porse was the son of Peder Porse, who was one of several ...
,
Duke of Halland This lists those feudalism, feudal magnates (counts, dukes, and other sort of princes) who have held Halland (''Hallandia'') as fief, or its southern or northern part, as a substantive title. Earl in Halland * Charles Eriksen, maternal grandson o ...
and Estonia, Ingeborg had three children: * Haakon, Duke of Halland, died 1350 * Canute, Duke of Halland, died 1350 * Bridget, married Jon Hafthorsson and had issue


Legacy

Along with Swedish-Italian Saint Bridget and reigning Queen Margaret of Scandinavia, Ingeborg has been called one of the three most extraordinary Scandinavian historical women in European history. Arthur L. Herman in ''The Viking Heart: How Scandinavians Conquered the World'', Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021 pp 173 & 176-178 The controversy around Ingeborg's second marriage and the potential succession of her son Haakon to the Norwegian throne are an important part of the plot of the novel ''
Kristin Lavransdatter ''Kristin Lavransdatter'' is a trilogy of historical novels written by Sigrid Undset. The individual novels are ''Kransen'' (''The Wreath''), first published in 1920, ''Husfrue'' (''The Wife''), published in 1921, and ''Korset'' (''The Cross''), ...
'' by
Sigrid Undset Sigrid Undset (; 20 May 1882 – 10 June 1949) was a Danish people, Danish-born Norwegian people, Norwegian novelist. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1928. Born in Den ...
.


References


Further reading

*''Den svenska historien. Medeltid 1319-1520'' (Stockholm:Bonniers 1966), s. 14-18 * * Jerker Rosén : Den svenska historien 2. Medeltiden 1319–1520 (1966) * Nationalencyklopedin, Bokförlaget Bra Böcker AB, Höganäs (1992) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ingeborg Of Norway 14th-century women regents Norwegian princesses Ingiburga 1312 1301 births 1361 deaths Disinherited European royalty Regents of Norway Regents of Sweden House of Sverre House of Bjälbo 14th-century Norwegian people 14th-century Swedish people 14th-century Norwegian women 14th-century Swedish women Daughters of kings Mothers of Swedish monarchs Mothers of Norwegian monarchs 14th-century regents