Sverker Carlsson (abt. 1164 - 1210)

Ancestors

Descendants

Biography

Sverker II Carlsson, King of Sweden1 AKA: Sverker II the Younger (Sverker den yngre), 1196–31 January 1208 Last Edited=15 Jul 2005 Sverker II Carlsson, King of Sweden was the son of Carl VII Sverkersson, King of Sweden and Christina Stigsdottir.1 He married Benedicta Ebbesdottir, daughter of Ebbe Suneson.1 He married Ingegard of Brossa, daughter of Birgir of Brossa , Jarl of Brossa.1 He died in 1210, killed in action.1 He succeeded to the title of King Sverker II of Sweden in 1196.1 He was deposed as King of Sweden in 1208.1 Child of Sverker II Carlsson, King of Sweden and Benedicta Ebbesdottir Carl Sverkersson1 d. 1198 Child of Sverker II Carlsson, King of Sweden and Ingegard of Brossa Johann I Sverkersson, King of Sweden1 b. 1201, d. 1222 Citations [S16] Jirí Louda and Michael MacLagan, Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe, 2nd edition (London, U.K.: Little, Brown and Company, 1999), table 27. Hereinafter cited as Lines of Succession.

When King Canute I of Sweden died in 1196, his sons were only children. Sverker was chosen as the next king of Sweden, surprisingly without quarrel. He returned to his native country, however being regarded quite Danished. His uncontested election was largely thanks to Jarl Birger Brosa whose daughter, Ingegerd Birgersdotter of Bjelbo, Sverker married soon after his first wife had died.

King Sverker confirmed and enlarged privileges for the Swedish church and the Valerius Archbishop of Uppsala. The privilege document of 1200 is the oldest known ecclesiastical privilege in Sweden. Skáldatal names two of Sverker's court skalds: Sumarliði skáld and Þorgeirr Danaskáld. In 1202 Earl Birger died and the late jarl's grandson, Sverker's one-year old son John received the title of Jarl from his father. This was intended to strengthen him as heir of the crown.

Around 1203, Canute's four sons, who had lived in Swedish royal court, began to claim the throne and Sverker exiled them to Norway. His position as king became unsecured from this point forward. The sons of Canute returned with troops in 1205, supported by the Norwegian party of Birkebeiner, but Sverker succeeded in winning in the Battle of Älgarås, where three of the sons fell. The only survivor returned with Norwegian support in 1208 and in the Battle of Lena, Sverker was defeated. Sverker's troops were commanded by Ebbe Suneson, the father of his late first wife and brother of Andreas Sunesen, Archbishop of Lund. King Eric X of Sweden drove Sverker to exile to Denmark.

Pope Innocentius III's attempt to have the crown returned to Sverker did not succeed. Sverker made a military expedition, with Danish support, to Sweden, but was conquered and killed in the Battle of Gestilren in 1210. The ancient sources state that "he was killed by the Folkung clan". WIKIPEDIA

Sources

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p11307.htm#i113061