Eric XII of Sweden

The seal of king Erik Magnusson.

Eric "XII"^[1] (Swedish: Erik Magnusson; 1339 – 21 June 1359) was a rival king of Sweden of his father Magnus IV from 1356 to his death in 1359. He was married to Beatrix of Bavaria, daughter of Louis IV of Bavaria.

In 1343 Eric and his brother Haakon were elected heirs of Sweden and Norway, respectively . That Haakon got the Norwegian throne in 1355 (causing the union between Norway and Sweden to split) while Eric didn't get any position in the Swedish council might have affected his choice to lead a rebellion against his father in 1355. In 1357 the rebellion had forced Magnus to share Sweden with his son Eric who got to rule most of Southern Sweden and Finland. Sweden was reunited again in 1359 when father and son became reconciled, and co-ruled Sweden until Eric's death a few months later. While dying Eric accused his mother Blanche of Namur of poisoning him. Quite soon after his death his wife Beatrice died too. It is generally believed that they died of the Black Death.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Eric XII of Sweden

16. Birger jarl               8. Magnus III of Sweden                       17. Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden               4. Eric, Duke of Södermanland                             18. Gerhard I, Count of Holstein-Itzehoe               9. Helvig of Holstein                       19. Elisabeth of Mecklenburg               2. Magnus IV of Sweden                                   20. Magnus VI of Norway               10. Haakon V of Norway                       21. Ingeborg of Denmark               5. Ingeborg of Norway                             22. Günther, Count of Arnstein               11. Euphemia of Rügen                       1. Eric XII of Sweden                                         24. William II of Dampierre               12. Guy of Dampierre                       25. Margaret II of Flanders               6. John I, Marquis of Namur                             26. Henry V, Count of Luxembourg               13. Isabelle of Luxembourg                       27. Margaret of Bar               3. Blanche of Namur                                   28. Robert II of Artois               14. Philip of Artois                       29. Amicie de Courtenay               7. Marie of Artois                             30. John II, Duke of Brittany               15. Blanche of Brittany                       31. Beatrice of England

References

1. Referring to Erik Magnusson as King Eric XII is a later invention, counting backwards from Eric XIV (1560–68). He and his brother Charles IX (1604–1611) adopted numerals according to a fictitious history of Sweden. The number of Swedish monarchs named Eric before Eric XIV (at least seven) is unknown, going back into prehistory, and none of them used numerals. It would be speculative to try to affix a mathematically accurate one to this king.