A Powerful Young Woman Who Never Wore a Crown

Ingeborg's seal

via Wikimedia Commons

Scandinavia was a fairly brutal place in the Middle Ages. The daughter of King Håkan V of Norway would experience this firsthand. Unlike most women of the era, she would hold significant power. However, she would endure terrible deaths of the men in her life.

Ingeborg Håkansdotter was born in 1301 and her fate was determined by the time she was a year old: she was engaged to marry 19-year-old Erik Magnusson, younger brother of King Birger of Sweden. When the brothers had a falling out, the engagement was broken. When they made up, it was reinstated. (Historically, multiple sons guaranteed a king's lineage would hold the throne. However, multiple brothers often meant a king would spend his life battling against the spare heirs.)

In 1312, Erik and his younger brother Valdemar traveled to Norway for a double wedding. Erik married 11-year-old Ingeborg Håkansdotter while Valdemar married her 15-year-old cousin Ingeborg Eriksdotter. The two cousins returned to Sweden with their husbands and began a journey into power as allies. Both gave birth to sons in 1316. Eriksdotter's son would die young, but Håkansdotter's son Magnus would become the primary focus for both women in future years. Ingeborg also had a daughter, Euphemia, in 1317.

Despite their young ages and frail female status, both Ingeborgs were empowered by their husbands to rule their territories were while the two brothers were away once again fighting against their older brother King Birger. A reconciliation was proposed with the king invited Erik and Valdemar to join him for a feast. Birger, however, had other ideas. He captured his troublesome siblings and imprisoned them. Within weeks, both were dead, probably from starvation.

As Birger and his son Magnus Birgersson battled against the ensuing rebellion from the murdered brothers, their young widows consolidated their power. Birger was defeated by an army led by Canute Porse and in July 1319, the Swedish Council elected three-year-old Magnus Eriksson King of Sweden to prevent Birger and his son from regaining power. Both men died soon thereafter. The death of King Håkan of Norway the following month brought another crown to the little King Magnus. Ingeborg, at the age of 18, was the mother of the King of Sweden and Norway. She was named Regent for her son in Norway and she and her cousin Ingeborg sat on his council in Sweden.

Canute Porse became one of Ingeborg's chief advisors and her lover, much to the disgust of others on the council. Canute, after all, was a Dane! A foreigner whispering advice into the ear of the King's mother was not acceptable. During this time, Ingeborg also had a lot of power in her own fiefdoms and she sought to extend her territories into neighboring Scania, which was then part of Denmark. She betrothed her daughter Euphemia to Albert II Duke of Mecklenburg in return for his military support against Scania. When Canute Porse and Ingeborg invaded Scania with authorization only from Norway's council but not from Sweden's and then Mecklenburg withdraw his support, Ingeborg's days as a political leader were rapidly drawing to a close. Many of her decisions were seen as arbitraray, poorly advised by foreigners (including Canute), or too self-interested (as if powerful men of the era were not self-interested...) Norway and Sweden removed her and Canute from power but the couple stayed together and even married. They had two sons before Canute died leaving Ingeborg a widow once again at the age of 29. She continued to hold control over vast amounts of territory and strategic fortresses.

The following year, 15-year-old King Magnus was declared of age to rule on his own. Ingeborg no longer attempted to exert regal power, but she continued to support her son and was sometimes present on state occasions. In 1350, she lost both of her sons by Canute to the plague. They were young adults but left no heirs. Her grandchildren by Magnus both became kings, splitting the personal union of Sweden and Norway with Sweden going to the oldest Eric XII and Norway to the youngest, Håkan VI. One of her grandchildren by Euphemia would also wear the Swedish crown as King Albert.

Ingeborg died in 1361.

More About Ingeborg
All These Ladies Named Ingeborg on The Freelance History Writer
Ingeborg Håkansdotter on Svenskt Kvinnobiografiskt Lexicon
Ingeborg Haakansdotter on Meet the Middle Ages
Queens Regent - Ingeborg of Norway on The History of Royal Women