Swedish Royalty
  House of Sverker

Sverker I Children    Prince John, Charles VII, Princess Ingegerd, Boleslas, Kol Charles VII Children    Sverker II Sverker II Children    Princess Helena, John I John I

Charles "VII" Sverkersson, or Karl Sverkersson in Swedish (c. 1130 – 12 April 1167), was ruler of Gothenland, and then King of Sweden from circa 1161 to 1167, when he was assassinated.

He was known as Karl Sverkersson during his reign and is the first historically known king of Sweden with the name Karl.

Contents 1 Life 2 Family 3 Ordinal number 4 Notes 5 References

[edit] Life

Charles had rivalled Eric IX of Sweden (whom later generations dubbed martyr and saint) and held some power in Gothenland ("jarlship") already during Eric's reign. It has been claimed that Eric's murder by minions of their rival Magnus Henricson was also backed by Charles.

After the fall of Magnus, Charles received general recognition in Sweden as king. It was also during his reign that the Archbishop of Uppsala was established.

In the spring of 1167, King Charles was killed on Visingsö (in lake Vättern) by underlings of Knut Eriksson, head of the rival Eric dynasty, who so overtook the throne. Charles was buried in Alvastra monastery.

Starting from Charles' death, his kinsmen (probably his half-brothers) Burislev and Kol together opposed Canute's kingship and were rival kings, recognized in some Gothenlander parts of Sweden; but last of them was killed in 1173, after which Canute's government got recognized overall.

[edit] Family

Charles' wife was Kirsten Stigsdatter, a Danish lady, daughter of Stig Hvitaleder, a Seelander magnate, and his wife who was sister of Valdemar I of Denmark.

Their sole historically attested child was Sverker Karlsson, a young boy when Charles died, and who later became the chosen king Sverker II of Sweden (1195–1208/10) after the death of Charles' rival king Canute I.^[1]

[edit] Ordinal number

This was the first Swedish king by the name of Charles (Karl), with Charles VII being a posthumous invention. Six others are not mentioned in any sources earlier than Johannes Magnus's 16th century book Gothorvm sveonvmqve historia, and are believed to have been Magnus's invention.^[2] The first Swedish monarch to actually use a regnal number was Charles II (later retrospectively renumbered VIII), on his queen's tombstone (1451) at Vadstena.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Lindström, Fredrik; Lindström, Henrik (2006) (in Swedish). Svitjods undergång och Sveriges födelse. Albert Bonniers förlag. ISBN 91-0-010789-1. 

Karl Sverkersson House of Sverker Born: c. 1130 Died: April 12 1167
Regnal titles
Preceded by Magnus Henriksen	King of Sweden 1161–1167	Succeeded by Knut Eriksson

v • d • e Monarchs of Sweden by house Munsö c.970–c.1060 Eric the Victorious / Olof Björnsson · Olof Skötkonung · Anund Jacob · Emund the Old Stenkil c.1060–c.1130 1160–1161 Stenkil (Stænkil) · Eric Stenkilsson / Eric the Pagan · Halsten · Anund Gårdske · Håkan the Red · Halsten / Inge the Elder · Blot-Sweyn · Eric of Good Harvests · Inge the Elder · Philip Halstensson / Inge the Younger · Ragnvald Knaphövde · Magnus the Strong · Houses of Sverker and Eric · Magnus Henriksen Sverker · Eric c.1130–1250 Sverker the Elder · Eric the Saint · Magnus Henriksen · Charles Sverkersson · Kol / Boleslas · Canute I · Sverker the Younger · Eric Canutesson · John Sverkersson · Eric Ericsson · Canute II 1 · Eric Ericsson Bjelbo 1250–1364 Valdemar Birgersson · Magnus Ladulås · Birger Magnusson · Mats Kettilmundsson 2 · Magnus Ericsson3 · Eric Magnusson · Magnus Ericsson / Haakon Magnusson3 Mecklenburg 1364–1389 Albrekt (Albert) Kalmar Union Italics indicate regents 1389–1523 Margaret I of Denmark4 / Eric of Pomerania4 · Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson · Eric of Pomerania4 · Charles Canutesson · Eric of Pomerania4 · Charles Canutesson · Christopher of Bavaria4 · Bengt Jönsson (Oxenstierna) / Nils Jönsson (Oxenstierna) · Charles Canutesson3 · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna / Erik Axelsson Tott · Christian I4 · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) · Charles Canutesson · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna · Erik Axelsson Tott · Charles Canutesson · Sten Sture the Elder · John II4 · Sten Sture the Elder · Svante Nilsson · Eric Trolle · Sten Sture the Younger · Christian II4 · Gustaf Eriksson (Vasa) Vasa 1523–1654 Gustav I · Eric XIV · John III · Sigismund5 · Charles IX · Gustav II Adolf · Christina Palatinate- Zweibrücken Hesse-Kassel 1654–1751 Charles X Gustav · Charles XI · Charles XII · Ulrika Eleonora · Frederick I Holstein-Gottorp 1751–1818 Adolf Frederick · Gustav III · Gustav IV Adolf · Charles XIII3 Bernadotte since 1818 Charles XIV John3 · Oscar I3 · Charles XV3 · Oscar II3 · Gustaf V · Gustaf VI Adolf · Carl XVI Gustaf 1 Lineage uncertain.  2 Regent.  3 Also Norwegian monarch.  4 Also Norwegian and Danish monarch.  5 Also king of Poland.