Elisabet Vasa

Elizabeth Vasa
This image was long considered to be of her sister-in-law Queen Catherine but is now assumed to be of Elizabeth, with the text on the painting added later. It was probably painted in about 1580 when Elizabeth was engaged.
Born	(1549-04-05)5 April 1549 Kungsör, Sweden
Died	20 November 1597(1597-11-20) (aged 48)
Burial	Uppsala Cathedral
Spouse	Christopher, Duke of Mecklenburg
Issue	Margaret Elisabeth, Duchess of Mecklenburg
House	Vasa
Father	Gustav Vasa of Sweden
Mother	Margaret Leijonhufvud

Princess Elizabeth of Sweden (also Elisabet Gustavsdotter Vasa; 5 April 1549 Kungsör, Sweden- 20 November 1597 ), was a Swedish princess, and a duchess consort of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch by marriage to Christopher, Duke of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch. She was a daughter of King Gustav Vasa of Sweden and his second spouse, Queen Margaret.

During her early childhood, she, as well as her siblings in the royal nursery, were primarily under the care of her mother the queen's trusted nurse, Brigitta Lars Anderssons, her mothers cousin lady Margareta and the noble widow Ingrid Amundsdotter.

After the death of her mother in 1551, she as well as her siblings were placed in the care of Christina Gyllenstierna and then under her aunts Brita and Martha Leijonhufvud before her father's remarriage to Catherine Stenbock. In 1556, she and her sisters were given a dowry of 100,000 daler, had their portraits painted and their personal qualities described in Latin by the court poet Henricus Mollerus, and presented on the Dynastic marriage market. In contrast to her older sister Sofia Vasa, who was described as the most unhappy of the children of Gustav Vasa, Princess Elizabeth has been described as the happiest: she seemed to have a cheerful and placid personality. She was described as blond and pretty. A portrait originally believed to be of queen Karin Månsdotter now is believed to be of her.

Elizabeth had her own court and was responsible for the upbringing of her brothers' illegitimate children. Karin Månsdotter was among her maids before Karin became the mistress and later queen of Elizabeth's brother, King Eric XIV of Sweden. During the Northern Seven Years' War, she apparently showed generosity to Danish and German officers kept prisoners in Sweden.