Duke John of Finland
| John III | |
|---|---|
John III portraited by Dutch artist Johan Baptista van Uther in 1582.
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| King of Sweden | |
| Reign | 30 September 1568 – 17 November 1592 |
| Coronation | 10 July 1569 |
| Predecessor | Eric XIV |
| Successor | Sigismund |
| Born | 20 December 1537 Stegeborg Castle |
| Died | 17 November 1592 (aged 54) |
| Burial | Uppsala Cathedral |
| Spouse |
Catherine Jagellonica Gunilla Bielke |
| Issue |
Sigismund III, King of Poland and Sweden Anna, Starosta of Brodnica and Golub John, Duke of Östergötland Sophia, Baroness de la Gardie (ill.) |
| House | Vasa |
| Father | Gustav I of Sweden |
| Mother | Margaret Leijonhufvud |
| Religion | Lutheran |
John III (Swedish: Johan III, Finnish: Juhana III) (20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1568 until his death. He was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. He was also, quite autonomously, the ruler of Finland, as Duke John from 1556 to 1563. In 1581 he assumed also the title Grand Prince of Finland. He attained the Swedish throne after a rebellion against his brother Eric XIV. He is mainly remembered for his attempts to close the gap between the newly established Lutheran Church of Sweden and the Catholic church.
His first wife was Catherine Jagellonica of the Polish-Lithuanian ruling family, and their son Sigismund eventually ascended both the Polish-Lithuanian and Swedish thrones.
He was the second son of Gustav Vasa (1523–60). His mother was Margareta Leijonhufvud (1514–51), a Swedish noblewoman. As a Duke of Finland, he opposed his half-brother Eric XIV of Sweden (1560–68) and was imprisoned in 1563. After his release from prison, probably because of his brother's insanity (see Sture Murders), John again joined the opposition, deposed Eric and made himself the king. His important ally was his maternal uncle Sten Leijonhufvud, who at deathbed was made Count of Raseborg. Shortly after this John executed his brother's most trusted counsellor, Jöran Persson, whom he held largely responsible for his harsh treatment while in prison.
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