Prince Gustav of Sweden

Gustav Eriksson (28 January 1568 – February 1607), son of King Erik XIV and Karin Månsdotter, was born as heir to the Swedish throne but lost his status when his father was deposed in September 1568. After spending his early years in captivity with his family, he was sent to Poland in 1575, where he was raised and became Catholic. He spent time in various parts of Europe, including Poland, Prussia, and possibly Italy. His uncle, King John III of Sweden, viewed him as a possible pretender to the throne and refused to allow his return to Sweden.

Gustav developed an interest in alchemy, which gained him the favor of Emperor Rudolf II. In 1599, Tsar Boris Godunov invited him to Moscow for a proposed marriage to his daughter Xenia, but when Gustav refused to be part of the political schemes, he was imprisoned. After Boris was overthrown in 1605, Gustav was released, but he was later imprisoned again by the False Dmitry and sent to Yaroslavl. After the False Dmitry’s death, Gustav was sent to live in Kashin, where he died in 1607.

Early life Gustav Eriksson was born in 28 January 1568 in Nyköping to King Erik XIV and Karin Månsdotter, who had been secretly married by Archbishop Laurentius Petri the previous summer. A public marriage ceremony was held in Stockholm Cathedral on 4 July 1568. During the ceremony, King Erik carried his son in his arms, with his daughter Sigrid (born in 1566) following behind her parents. The children's presence was an unprecedented breach of etiquette, designed to demonstrate their status: both of them were officially recognized as legitimate, and Gustav, named after his grandfather Gustav Vasa, was confirmed as the heir to the throne. The ceremonies continued the next day with Karin Månsdotter's coronation as Queen of Sweden.

The king's brothers, dukes John and Charles, did not attend the ceremonies, which led Erik to place them under house arrest. This was the final provocation that led the dukes and nobles to rebel against Erik XIV. After some resistance, John seized power on 30 September, and was hailed as King John III, while Erik and his family were imprisoned. Gustav, Sigrid and their parents were initially held in Stockholm, remaining in the care of their governess Johanna de Herboville, then moved to Turku (Åbo) Castle in July 1570, later to Kastelholm, and then to Gripsholm in the autumn of 1571. This has however been refuted by modern historians.

Gustav is the main character of the famous Polish novel "Gwiazda spadająca" by Jadwiga Żylińska.