Margareta Leijonhufvud
| Margaret Leijonhufvud | |
|---|---|
Painting by Johan Baptista van Uther
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| Queen consort of Sweden | |
| Tenure | 1 October 1536 – 26 August 1551 |
| Coronation | 2 October 1536 |
| Born | 1 January 1516 |
| Died | 26 August 1551 (aged 35) |
| Burial | Uppsala Cathedral |
| Spouse | Gustav I of Sweden |
| Issue |
John III of Sweden Catherine, Countess of East Frisia Cecilia, Margravine of Baden-Rodemachern Magnus, Duke of Östergötland Anna Maria, Countess Palatine of Veldenz Sophia, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg Elizabeth, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch Charles IX of Sweden |
| Father | Erik Abrahamsson Leijonhufvud |
| Mother | Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa |
Margaret Leijonhufvud (née Margareta Eriksdotter; 1 January 1516 in Ekeberg Castle, Närke – 26 August 1551 in Tynnelsö Castle, Södermanland) was Queen of Sweden from 1536 to 1551 as the spouse of King Gustav I.
Margaret Leijonhuvfud was a member of one of Sweden's most powerful noble families, daughter of Erik Abrahamsson Leijonhufvud, a man executed in the , and Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa, a relative of the king. She belonged to the early Leijonhufvud clan of Swedish nobility (the name meaning Lion's Head).
In 1535, the King was widowed by Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg and left with only one legitimate child. A new marriage for the King was deemed necessary, and his decision to choose a spouse from among the nobility has been explained by the need to secure support and allies among the nobility for his rule, and the various political and religious difficulties, along with the great cost and time involved in securing a marriage with a foreign princess.
According to tradition, Margaret was engaged to Svante Sture when the King decided to marry her, but her family broke the engagement and married her former fiance was to her sister, Martha Leijonhufvud, instead. A story describes how her sister's marriage came about. According to tradition, the King caught his new Queen and her former fiancé together alone, with the young man, Svante Sture, on his knees before the Queen. The King reportedly asked in a rage: "What is this?!" upon which Queen Margaret swiftly answered: "My Lord Sture is asking me for the hand of my sister!" At this, the king just as swiftly answered: "Granted!" And so, Svante Sture hastily married the Queen's sister Martha Leijonhufvud. It does not seem that Queen Margaret and Svante Sture ever again did anything that could be seen as improper. If they did, they were not discovered.
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