Catherine Vasa of Sweden

Catherine Vasa of Sweden (; 6 June 1539 – 21 December 1610) was a Swedish princess, and the Countess consort of East Frisia as the spouse of Edzard II, Count of East Frisia. She was the oldest daughter of Gustav Vasa and Margareta Leijonhufvud. She was the autonomous Regent of Berum and Norden in Ostfriesland (East Frisia) from 1599 to 1610.

Biography

Early life During her early childhood, she, as well as her siblings in the royal nursery, were primarily under the care of her mother the queen's trusted nurse, Brigitta Lars Anderssons, her mother's cousin lady Margareta and the noble widow Ingrid Amundsdotter. After the death of her mother in 1551, she as well as her siblings were placed in the care of Christina Gyllenstierna and then under her aunts Brita and Martha Leijonhufvud before her father's remarriage to Catherine Stenbock. In 1556, she and her sisters were given a dowry of 100.000 daler, had their portraits painted and their personal qualities described in Latin by the court poet Henricus Mollerus and were presented on the Dynastic marriage market. The same year, her father presented Ostfriesland with a trading treaty and a marriage alliance. Ostfriesland was chosen because it was strategically placed toward Denmark, and because the Calvinistic Emden was a rival to Lubeck and a treaty could break the domination of the Hanseatic league in Sweden.

Margaret of Ostfriesland (1560–1588) Anne of Ostfriesland, (1562–1621); married firstly Louis VI, Elector Palatine; married secondly Ernest Frederick, Margrave of Baden-Durlach; married thirdly Julius Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg. She had no surviving issue from any of her marriages. Enno III of Ostfriesland (1563–1625) John III of Rietberg (1566–1625) Christopher of Ostfriesland (1569–1636) Edzard of Ostfriesland (1571–1572) Elizabeth of Ostfriesland (1572–1573) Sophia of Ostfriesland (1574–1630) Karl Otto of Ostfriesland (1577–1603) Maria of Ostfriesland (1582–1616); married Julius Ernst, Duke of Brunswick-Dannenberg and had issue.

Ancestors