Katarina Stenbock

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Katarina Stenbock (Torpa, Westrogothia in July 22, 1535 - Strömsholm, Westmannia in December 13, 1621) was the third and last consort of Gustav I of Sweden (who was 37 years older than she), and the Queen-Consort of Sweden between 1552 and 1560. She was daughter of Gustaf Olofsson Stenbock and Brita Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud, who was the sister of the King's previous consort, Margareta Leijonhufvud.

As the previous queen, she was engaged when the king decided to marry her, but the engagement was broken so the king could have his way. It is said that she run away and hid behind a bush in the garden when the king arrived at her parents mansion, and according to old stories, she often talked about her earlier fiancé in her sleep.

The marriage was celebrated in the city of Vadstena with an extreme cost of money, at the same time as the plague swept through the country and the city of Åbo burned down, and people claimed to see bad omens and evil signs in the sky. The day after, Katarina was crowned Queen, the parties lasted in three days and when the court departed, the city of Vadstena burned down in a great fire.

The marriage was not a happy one, which was admitted by the king himself; he was even said to contemplate writing a law which would prevent any future marriage between "Two people, of which one was young and one was old." It is said that the king heard her talking of her former fiance, Gustav Three Roses, in her sleep, druing wich she said; "King Gustav is very dear to me, but i will never forget the Rose." The kings health declined during the next years, and she was more a nurse then his wife for the eight years she was queen.

After the death of the king, she lived as a widow for 61 years; she was the first Swedish dowager queen given the title "Riksänkedrottning", which means " The Queen Widow of the Country". She spent a lot of time at court as Queen Dowager; at the dethronement of Eric XIV in 1568, she was described leaving the city of Stockholm in a boat with her stepdaughter Princess Elizabeth of Sweden.

She did have plans of remarrying; in about 1570, she wanted to marry duke Frans of Saxe- Lauenburg, brother of the husband of her stepdaughter Princess Sophia of Sweden, but it was prevented by the husband of the princess. She also borrowed money to several of the kings following her husband, and Ebba Brahe was later her lady-in-waiting. She survived five Swedish kings. She was buried in Uppsala.