Rikissa of Denmark

Queen Rikissa Valdemarsdotter (born in 1190/1191, d. 1220) was queen consort of Sweden, married to king Eric X of Sweden and mother of king Eric X of Sweden.

Biography

She was a daughter of Valdemar I of Denmark and Sofia of Minsk. Rikissa of Denmark received her first name, originally a Lotharingian-Burgundian female name, in honor of her maternal grandmother, the late Rikissa of Poland, queen of Sweden.

In c 1210 the new king Eric X of Sweden, who had deposed his predecessor Sverker II of Sweden, desired to build cordial and peaceful relations with Denmark, which had traditionally supported the House of Sverker, against the Norwegian-supported dynasty of Eric. That was why Rikissa, sister of the then reigning Valdemar II of Denmark, was married to king Eric.

When she arived at the Swedish coast, the legend say, she was surprised that she was expected to ride and not travell by carriage, and the sWedish noblewoman had then encourraged her to adapt the costums of her new home-country instead of trying to establish her own "Jutian" customs.

Rikissa bore her living husband only daughters. King Eric died in 1216. Queen Rikissa was pregnant at the time and then gave birth to her only surviving son, the future Eric XI of Sweden. The family of king Eric X however was driven to exile from Sweden as the House of Sverker heir, John I of Sweden was elected king there, to succeed Rikissa's husband. It was in Denmark where Rikissa herself died, without seeing her son's accession to the throne (in 1222), nor her daughters' marriages.

Children

* Sophia, (d.1241), married Henry III of Rostock.
* Ingeborg Ericsdotter of Sweden (d.1254), married to Birger Jarl, regent of Sweden, and mother of king Valdemar of Sweden.
* Eric XI of Sweden, (1216-1250).

References

* Åke Ohlmarks "Alla Sveriges drottningar"

Sucession