Elizabeth of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (24 June 1485 – 10 June 1555) was a Danish princess who became Electress of Brandenburg as the spouse of

Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg Joachim I Nestor (21 February 1484 – 11 July 1535) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1499–1535), the fifth member of the House of Hohenzollern. His nickname was taken from King Nestor of Greek mythology. Biography Th ...

. She was the daughter of King Hans of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and his spouse,

Christina of Saxony Christina of Saxony (25 December 1461 – 8 December 1521) was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden as the wife of King John. Life Early life Christina was engaged to John, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, in 1477. The year after, she trav ...

Biography

As a child, Elizabeth was close to her brother, the future

Christian II of Denmark A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

. She was able to read and write in both Danish and German. On 10 April 1502 she married

, in a double wedding alongside her uncle, the future

Frederick I of Denmark Frederick I ( Danish and ; ; ; 7 October 1471 – 10 April 1533) was King of Denmark and Norway. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over Denmark and Norway, when subsequent monarchs embraced Lutheranism after the Protestant Reformatio ...

, and her sister-in-law

Anna of Brandenburg Margravine Anna of Brandenburg (27 August 1487 – 3 May 1514) was a noblewoman from the Holy Roman Empire. Margravine Anna was the daughter of John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg and Margaret of Thuringia. She was born in Berlin, Branden ...

. Elizabeth and Joachim got along quite well during the first twenty years of their marriage and co-existed harmoniously. She received her mother in 1507, attended her brother Christian's wedding in 1515 and received Christian in 1523. Her spouse was a pugnacious adherent of

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

orthodoxy during the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

. In 1523, she attended a sermon of

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

's with her brother and her sister-in-law and became a convinced

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

. In 1527, she received the Protestant communion in public: this meant a public break with the Catholic Church, and caused a conflict with her husband. In 1528, her husband asked a clerical council from the Catholic Church if he should divorce, execute or isolate her if she refused to renounce her new conviction. The church council replied that he should have her imprisoned. Elizabeth escaped to the court of her uncle,

John, Elector of Saxony John (30 June 146816 August 1532), known as John the Steadfast or John the Constant (''Johann, der Beständige''), was Prince-elector, Elector of Electorate of Saxony, Saxony from 1525 until 1532 from the House of Wettin. He is notable for organ ...

, and a public debate broke out: the Protestant monarchs and her brother supported her, Luther supported her freedom to leave her husband for her religion, and she declared that she would return only if she was allowed to keep her convictions and if her husband renounced his adultery and his interest in

astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

. Otherwise, she suggested that they separate, referring to the separation of her own parents in 1504. She was given a residence near

Wittenberg Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, north of Leipzig and south-west of the reunified German ...

. Her husband refused to give her an allowance and forbade her sons to visit her. In 1532, her uncle died and her brother was imprisoned, and she thereby lost her supporters. In 1535, Elizabeth's husband died and her sons asked her to return to Brandenburg, but changed their minds when she made the demand that the parishes in her dowry lands be made Protestant. She finally returned in 1545 and stayed in

Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs of Berlin, boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence (geography), confluence of the Havel and Spree (river), Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smalle ...

. The marriage of her son

Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg Joachim II ( or ''Hektor''; 13 January 1505 – 3 January 1571) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1535–1571), the sixth member of the House of Hohenzollern. Joachim II was the eldest son of Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Br ...

, to Hedwig Jagiellon did not please Elizabeth. Catholic services were held for Hedwig in her private chapel, and the Dowager Electress was also unhappy because Hedwig could not speak German.

Issue

Elizabeth and Joachim had: #

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654) * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...

(1507–1567), in 1524 married

Albert VII, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow Albrecht VII, the Handsome, Duke of Mecklenburg in Güstrow (25 July 1486 – 5 January 1547), was a minor ruler in North Germany of the 16th century. He also asserted claims to Scandinavian thrones based on the royal lineage of the House of ...

, # Elisabeth (1510–1558), in 1525 married firstly

Eric I of Brunswick-Kalenberg The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Nor ...

and in 1545 secondly Poppo XII, count of Henneberg, #

Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...

(1511–1577), in 1530 married firstly

George I, Duke of Pomerania George I of Pomerania (; 11 April 1493 – 10 May 1531) was a Duke of Pomerania from the House of Griffin. Life George was the eldest son of Duke Bogislaw X of Pomerania and his second wife Anna of Poland, a daughter of King Casimir IV ...

and after his death in 1534 secondly

John V, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst John V of Anhalt-Zerbst (Dessau, 4 September 1504 – Zerbst, 4 February 1551), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau. From 1544, he assumed rule of the re-created principality of Anhalt-Z ...

, #

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(1513–1571), Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin.

Ancestry

References

Sources

* * *

External links

, - {{Authority control 1485 births 1555 deaths 15th-century Danish people 15th-century Norwegian people 15th-century Swedish people 16th-century Danish people 16th-century Norwegian people 16th-century Swedish people 15th-century Danish women 15th-century Swedish women 15th-century Norwegian women 16th-century Danish women 16th-century Swedish women 16th-century Norwegian women 16th-century German women Princesses of Denmark Electresses of Brandenburg House of Oldenburg in Denmark Norwegian princesses Princesses of Sweden Daughters of kings Mothers of German monarchs Daughters of dukes