Karin Göransdotter Gyllenstierna (before 1538 - died between 1602 and 1605) was a Swedish courtier. She served as

Chief Court Mistress Court Mistress ( da, hofmesterinde; nl, hofmeesteres; german: Hofmeisterin; no, hoffmesterinne; sv, hovmästarinna) or Chief Court Mistress ( da, Overhofmesterinde; ('grand mistress'); ; no, overhoffmesterinne; sv, överhovmästarinna; russia ...

to queen

Catherine Jagellon Catherine Jagiellon ( pl, Katarzyna Jagiellonka; sv, Katarina Jagellonica, Lithuanian: ''Kotryna Jogailatė''; 1 November 1526 – 16 September 1583) was a Polish princess and Queen of Sweden as the first wife of King John III. As such, she ...

and, after her death, to Princess Anna Vasa of Sweden.

Biography

Private life

Karin was the daughter of

riksråd Riksrådet (in Norwegian and Swedish), Rigsrådet (in Danish) or (English: the Council of the Realm and the Council of the State – sometimes translated as the "Privy Council") is the name of the councils of the Scandinavian countries that rule ...

Göran Eriksson Gyllenstierna of Fogelvik (- 1575) and Kerstin Nilsdotter Grip (- 1538). She was thereby a relative of the famous

Christina Gyllenstierna Christina Nilsdotter Gyllenstierna of Fogelvik (Swedish: ''Kristina'' or ''Kerstin'': 1494 – January 1559, Hörningsholm Castle) was a Swedish noblewoman. She was married to the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Younger, and led the Swedish res ...

. She married Nils Månsson Natt och Dag in 1553. She was thereby the sister-in-law of

Margareta Birgersdotter Grip Margareta Birgersdotter Grip (1538–1586), was a Swedish baroness, writer and landowner. She is known for her writing: she copied letters and documents from the Middle Ages, the originals of which have since been lost, and for her genealogical rese ...

, who were also her neighbor on the estate Bro. She became a widow in 1554, and gave birth to her son Nils Nilsson Natt och Dag (1554-1613) posthumously. As the guardian of her son, she managed his estate until he was declared of legal majority in 1573. In 1566, she became engaged to

Ivar Ivarsson Liljeörn. She never married him, but the couple consummated their engagement and had a son, Ivar Ivarsson (1567-1590). In 1567, her fiancé was murdered during the Sture Murders. Despite never being married to Liljeörn, she took control of his property, considering it the inheritance of herself and her son after her betrothed. This entangled her in a lawsuit over the inheritance with his relatives, which lasted for the rest of her life. In 1587, the King declared his support for her right in the dispute. This did not end it, however. In 1594, her rights were for a second time confirmed over that of the relatives of her late fiancé, but again without the feud being put to an end.

Court life

Karin Gyllenstierna was given the position of senior lady in waiting and Mistress of the Robes, or hovmastarinna (Court Mistress), to queen

. After the death of the queen in 1583, she was given the equivalent position at the court of Princess Anna Vasa of Sweden. She is mentioned in this position in 1587, when the next Mistress of the Robes to the (new) queen of Sweden is also recorded. In 1591, Anna is recorded having a new court mistress. Her son Nils had the position of ceremony master at the court of first queen

Gunilla Bielke Gunilla Bielke; Swedish: ''Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke af Åkerö'' (25 June 1568 – 19 July 1597) was Queen of Sweden as the second wife of King John III. Queen Gunilla is acknowledged to have acted as the political adviser to John III and to h ...

and then the next queen,

Christina of Holstein-Gottorp Christina of Holstein-Gottorp (13 April 1573 in Kiel – 8 December 1625 at Gripsholm Castle) was Queen of Sweden as the second wife of King Charles IX. She served as regent in 1605, during the absence of her spouse, and in 1611, during the ...

, and her grand daughter,

Christina Natt och Dag Christina Nilsdotter Natt och Dag (1580-1642) was a Swedish court official and member of the Natt och Dag family. She was the royal governess of queen Christina of Sweden from 1639 until 1642. Biography Christina Natt och Dag was the only daughte ...

was, in 1639, appointed joint foster mother to

queen Christina of Sweden Christina ( sv, Kristina, 18 December (New Style) 1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Queen of Sweden in her own right from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. She succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus upon his death ...

alongside

Ebba Mauritzdotter Leijonhufvud Ebba Mauritzdotter Leijonhufvud, also called Ebba Mauritzdotter Lewenhaupt (1595 – 25 January 1654), Countess of Raseborg, Lady of Käggleholm, Eksjöhovgård and Tullgarn, was a Swedish noble and courtier and member of the Leijonhufvud family ...

Death

The year of her death is not known. She was still alive in 1602, when her son Nils acted as her representative in her endless inheritance dispute with the family of her late fiancé, but she was dead by 1605, when her son acted in his own name in the same dispute. At that point, she was stated to be dead.

References

Svenska adelns ättar-taflor / Afdelning 3. von Nackreij - Skytte /

53 4 NILS MÅNSSON OCH KARIN GYLLENSTIERNA Om den m

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gyllenstierna, Karin Swedish ladies-in-waiting 1530s births 1600s deaths Mistresses of the Robes (Sweden) 17th-century Swedish nobility 16th-century Swedish landowners 16th-century women landowners 16th-century Swedish nobility