Michael Matthew Groat PhD's Genealogical Database
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Rikissa Birgersdotter Queen of Norway
- Preferred Name: Rikissa Birgersdotter Queen of Norway
- Alternate Name: Rikissa Birgersdotter Queen consort of Norway
- Alternate Name: von Mecklenburg
- Alternate Name: Rikissa Birgersdotter
- Alternate Name: Haakonsen Werle
- Gender: F
- MARR: 1262 in Lancashire at LATI: N3.8185 LONG: E2.6257 with note: GEDCOM data
- Birth: 1237 in Sweden at LATI: N2 LONG: E5
- Queen+consort+of: BET 1251 AND 1257 with note: GEDCOM data
- Burial: in Alvastra kloster, Alvastra, Östergötland, Sweden at LATI: N8.3 LONG: E4.65 with note: GEDCOM data
- Death: 13 DEC 1288 in Mecklenburg, Nordwestmecklenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany at LATI: N3.8439 LONG: E1.472 with note: GEDCOM data
- FSID: GNH7-MR5
- Notes:
=== Life Sketch ===
Rikissa Birgersdotter, also known as Rixa, Richeza, Richilda and Regitze, (c. 1237-after 1288) was Queen of Norway as the wife of the co-king Haakon Haakonson, and later Princess of Werle as wife of Henry I, Prince of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.
«b»Biography«/b»
Rikissa Birgersdotter was born as one of the eldest children in the marriage of lord Birger Magnusson of Bjelbo (Birger Jarl) later riksjarl and regent of Sweden, and Princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden, eldest sibling of King Eric XI of Sweden.
Rikissa's parentage is historically well attested, contrary to that of her supposed younger sisters. Rikissa received her name in honor of her maternal grandmother, the late Rikissa of Denmark, queen of Sweden, the Scandinavian custom was to give names of deceased grandmothers to daughters of a family, and a first-born daughter was usually christened as namesake of maternal grandmother, if she was no longer alive.
In 1250, her uncle, King Eric, died without heirs and her brother, the underaged Valdemar of Sweden became king through his mother, and her father Jarl Birger became regent of Sweden. Jarl Birger's policy included efforts to keep the peace between Scandinavia's three kingdoms and to strengthen his own already powerful family's influence. Thus his legitimate children were all considered de facto Swedish princes and princesses through their mother and through Birger's own royal ancestry.
In 1251, Rikissa was married to the heir of Norway, Haakon Haakonsson the Young (1232-1257), titular king of Norway and co-ruler along his father king Haakon IV of Norway. Haakon and Rikissa had one son, Sverre Håkonsson who died young (1252-1261). Her husband King Haakon died in 1257 prior to his father's death in 1263, leaving his younger brother, Magnus VI of Norway (Magnus Lagabøte) as the heir-apparent to the kingdom.
In 1262, the Dowager Queen of Norway was married to Henry of Mecklenburg, Prince of Werle (d. 1291).
She had several children in her second marriage.
«b»Issue:«/b»
1.) Henry II of Werle (died 1308)
2.) Nicholas of Werle (died 1298)
3.) Rikissa av Mecklenburg-Werle (died 1312) married Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Göttingen
«b»Speculations«/b»
Chronica principum Saxonie mentions Rikissa as daughter of King of Sweden (filia regis Suecie), which title has caused consternation among later researchers.
«b»This has been explained by suggesting that:«/b»
Rikissa was the granddaughter of king Eric X of Sweden
the term in the chronicle just refers to "royal family of Sweden".
during King Valdemar's minority, the all-powerful riksjarl and regent appeared to be a king to the writer of that chronicle, upon Valdemar's accession to the royal throne, their mother Ingeborg, through whose lineage the crown was generally perceived to have come, was regarded as queen mother, despite never having been queen regnant or queen consort.
=== Line 163582 from GEDCOM File not recogni ===
Line 163582 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Richiza /BIRGERSDOTTER PRINCESS OF SWEDEN/ From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
=== ?? Line 5538: (New PAF RIN=51327) 1 TITL ===
?? Line 5538: (New PAF RIN=51327) 1 TITL [PRINCESS OF SWEDEN]/
=== ?? Line 239410: (New PAF RIN=15857) 1 NA ===
?? Line 239410: (New PAF RIN=15857) 1 NAME Richiza Birgersson, Princess Of/NORWAY/
=== From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 J ===
From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
=== Additional spouse indicated ===
Additional spouse indicated
=== (of Swed) ===
(of Swed)
=== Line 460 from GEDCOM File not recognizab ===
Line 460 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Richiza /BIRGERSDOTTER PRINCESS OF SWEDEN/ From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996. Line 457 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Richiza /BIRGERSDOTTER PRINCESS OF SWEDEN/ From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996. Line 2084 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Richiza /BIRGERSDOTTER PRINCESS OF SWEDEN/ From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
=== Non-standard gedcom data: 1 HEAL 8DTS- ===
Non-standard gedcom data: 1 HEAL 8DTS-S4
=== !GENERAL:Ancestral File (TM), Ancestral ===
!GENERAL:Ancestral File (TM), Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998 Repository: Family History Library 35 N West Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 8415 !GENERAL:Ancestral File (TM), Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998
Preferred Parents:
Father: Birger Magnusson Folkungaätten, b. AFT 1200 in Bjälbo, Östergötland, Sweden d. 21 OCT 1266 in Sweden
Mother: Ingeborg Eriksdotter, b. ABT 1212 in Sweden d. 17 JUN 1254 in Sweden
Family 1: Henry I of Werle , b. ABT 1234 in of Werle, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany d. 8 OCT 1291 in Saal, Herzogtum, Pomerania, Holy Roman Empire
- Rixa of Werle , b. ABT 1265 d. 26 NOV 1317
Family 2: Haakon Haakonsson Prince of Norway, b. 10 NOV 1232 in Vestfold, Norway d. 30 APR 1257 in Tønsberg, Vestfold, Norway
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