Margaret of Sweden, Queen of Norway

Margaret of Sweden
Heraldic lions used by the Erican dynasty
Queen consort of Norway
Tenure	1189–1202
Predecessor	Estrid Bjørnsdotter
Successor	Margrete Skulesdatter
Born	circa 1155 Sweden
Died	1209 Norway
Spouse	Sverre of Norway
Issue	Christina of Norway
House	Eric
Father	Eric IX of Sweden
Mother	Christina Björnsdotter

Margaret of Sweden (Margrete Eriksdotter; c. 1155 – 1209) was Norwegian Queen consort as spouse of King Sverre of Norway.

Margaret was the daughter of King Eric IX of Sweden and Queen Christina Björnsdotter. In 1189, she married the Norwegian King Sverre. She is only sporadically mentioned in history during her tenure as queen; primarily in connection with an attempt by Nikolas Arnesson to become Bishop of Stavanger. In the sagas, Queen Margaret is portrayed as suspect and intrigant

She became a widow in 1202, returned to her native Sweden, and retired to her estates in Västergötland and Värmland. Departing Norway, she had to leave her daughter Kristina Sverresdotter behind against her will. She spent two years in Sweden and returned to Norway in 1204.

On 1 January 1204, two days after she had returned to Norway, her stepson, King Haakon III of Norway, died with obvious symptoms of poisoning. Margaret became a suspect of the crime, and one of her servants tried to prove her innocence in a trial by ordeal which failed. The servant was drowned and Margareta fled back to Sweden.

Margaret returned to Norway in 1209 for her daughter's wedding. Her daughter married co-regent Filip Simonsson, the Bagler party candidate to the throne of Norway. Margaret took part in the wedding. Immediately after the wedding she became ill, and died a few weeks later.