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| Name | Prince Eric (Erik) of Sweden, later King Eric XIV of Sweden |
| Date of Birth | 13th December 1533 |
| Who was he?
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Prince Eric of Sweden was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and Catherine of Saxe Lauenburg. He became King of Sweden in 1560 until he was deposed and imprisoned in 1568. |
| How was he linked to Elizabeth I | SuitorEric pursued Elizabeth I for many years, against his father’s wishes but gave up in 1560 when he had to return to Sweden, from a trip to England, because his father had died. |
| What happened to him? | He returned to Sweden in 1560 to become King and in 1561 he also became King of Estonia, after conquering it.During his reign, he became mentally instable and eventually became insane. After his insanity worsened, King Eric was deposed and imprisoned by John III of Sweden (his half brother). |
| Death | He died in prison after being given a bowl of pea soup which was laced with arsenic. |
| Quotes | “Erik was prone to sending the Queen letters containing passionate declarations of love, which greatly entertained her.” Alison Weir “Elizabeth the Queen”. |
| Marriages and Children | Eric married Karin Mansdotter in 1568 and had 4 children with her:
He also had 5 illegitimate children, four with Agda Persdotter and one with Karin Jacobsdotter. |
| Books | Biography of Eric XIV of Sweden |
