Richeza of Poland, Queen of Sweden
| Richeza of Poland | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 April 1116 |
| Died | after 25 December 1156 |
| Burial | Alvastra Abbey |
| Spouse |
Magnus the Strong Volodar Glebovich Sverker I of Sweden |
| House | House of Piast |
| Father | Bolesław III Wrymouth |
| Mother | Salomea of Berg |
Richeza of Poland (Polish: Ryksa Bolesławówna, Swedish: Rikissa Burislevsdotter; 12 April 1116 – after 25 December 1156), a member of the House of Piast, was queen of Sweden and princess of Minsk through her three marriages.
Richeza was the daughter of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland, by his second wife, Salomea of Berg. Tradition describes her as unusually beautiful.
The Polish ruler Bolesław III Wrymouth entered in an alliance with King Niels of Denmark against Wartislaw I, Duke of Pomerania (now in northwestern Poland and northeastern Germany). In order to seal this alliance, a marriage was arranged between Bolesław III's daughter Richeza with Niels' eldest son, Crown Prince Magnus. The wedding took place in Ribe around 1127 and was celebrated with pomp and circumstances. Richeza bore her husband two sons: Knud in 1129 and Niels in 1130.
As one of the heirs of his maternal grandfather King Inge I, Magnus claimed Sweden. He was recognized King of Götaland or parts thereof by the Geats (Götar) in c. 1129 after the death of his mother's cousin King Inge II. Then Richeza became Queen consort of Sweden. However, Magnus' rule was not accepted by the Svear, another tribe to the north of the Geats, who vetoed him and elected Ragnvald Knaphövde as the new King. According to the chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, Ragnvald was murdered by supporters of Magnus, who then won the realm ("imperium") as King of Sweden. However, there soon appeared another contender for the throne, Sverker I, who had his power base in Östergötland.
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