Sophia of Denmark

Sophia of Denmark (Danish: Sofie Eriksdatter and Swedish: Sofia Eriksdotter; 1241–1286) was Queen of Sweden as the consort of King Valdemar. Background Sophia was the eldest daughter of Eric IV of Denmark and Jutta of Saxony. She had no brothers, but three sisters, Ingeborg, Agnes and Jutta. Her father was murdered in 1250 when she and her sisters were children. As he left no son, he was succeeded by his brother Abel, and then in 1252 by his second brother Christopher I. Marriage The marriage between Sophia of Denmark and King Valdemar of Sweden was arranged as a part of the policy of peaceful diplomacy between Denmark and Sweden which was favored by Birger Jarl, Valdemar's father and the de facto Regent of Sweden. In 1254, Birger Jarl had acted as a mediator between Christopher I and King Haakon of Norway, and when Christopher I needed support against Archbishop Jakob Erlandsen of Lund, an alliance was made between Christopher I, King Haakon of Norway and Birger Jarl in 1258. In connection to this, Christopher I engaged his niece Sophia to Birger's son Valdemar of Sweden, and his niece Ingeborg to Haakon's son Magnus VI of Norway. A dispensation from the Pope was necessary to allow a marriage within the degree of affinity, which was granted by Alexander IV 1 March 1259 with the motivation that Swedes and Danes would through this marriage be more able to fight against their neighboring Pagans. In Erikskrönikan it is said that when she was informed about the arranged marriage, she left the room, went into her chamber and asked the Virgin Mary: "Give me happiness with him and him with me." Queenship According to Erikskrönikan, the wedding between Sophia and Valdemar took place in 1260 at Ymninge (likely Öninge in Ödeshög), and was described as a grand event with tournaments, dance, games and poetry. Sophia was given the income from Malmö and Trelleborg as well as a fortune in gold and silver as her dowry. However, her position at the wedding was already somewhat less fortunate than when the engagement was announced. Her father-in-law Birger Jarl himself married her uncle Abel's widow, Denmark's queen dowager Matilda of Holstein, and Sophia was thereby given the widow of her uncle Abel, pointed out as her father's murderer, as her mother-in-law.