Parents: Knut Tordsson Bonde and Margareta Karlsdotter
Date of Birth: 5 October 1409
House: Bonde
Spouse: (1) Birgitta Turesdotter Bielke, then (2) Katarina, daughter of Karl Ormsson, then (3) Kristina, daughter of Abraham Pedersson
Spouse: (1) Birgitta Turesdotter Bielke, then (2) Katarina, daughter of Karl Ormsson, then (3) Kristina, daughter of Abraham Pedersson
Predecessor: Christopher, Christian I
Reign: 1449 – 1457, 1464 – 1465, 1467 – 1470
Summary: The fate of Charles was not to be a king. He was born to a noble family that sat on the privy council of Sweden that was ruled by a Denmark-installed regent. His ancestry was royal on both sides by tradition, but little evidence supports this theory. Instead, he was a simple man who rose to prominence through luck and smarts. He became a member of the Swedish privy council in 1434 and later that year became the Lord High Constable. He became the Danish regent for Sweden within the Kalmar Union in 1438. He stepped down from his post when Christopher of Bavaria was elected king, and Charles became the Lord High Justiciar while resuming his duty as constable as well. His power gave him land and prominence within Sweden. In his positions, he began to hold his own court separate from Christopher's in Copenhagen, and he also began to negotiate separate treaties for Sweden. When Christopher died in 1448, Charles was elected his successor in Sweden, temporarily breaking the power of Denmark over Sweden. Later that year, the Danish elected Christian I as their king, and war followed soon after.
Norway was the battleground, as both monarchs claimed sovereignty over it. In 1449, half of the Norwegian council elected Charles their king, but Christian did not give up. Sweden's council held back from open war, fearing defeat, and in 1450, Charles was forced to cede Norway to Denmark. From 1451 onwards, Sweden and Denmark were at war. The devastation on Sweden caused the peasants to revolt. When the church joined in the revolt, Charles was doomed. Charles was deposed in 1457, but was able to regain his throne from Christian I in 1464 only to lose it the next year. He once again regained the throne in 1467. His last three years in office were in a sort of constitutional monarchical state with the Swedish Riksråd (Parliament). Charles died in office in 1470 and John II of Denmark was soon after elected king. Charles VIII was the first monarch of a growing movement against the Kalmar Union that united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. It took almost another hundred years before the Vasas finally took power, but when they did, Sweden revered Charles as their movement's earliest leader. Today, descendants of Charles rule in Norway, the United Kingdom, and, most recently, Sweden.
Norway was the battleground, as both monarchs claimed sovereignty over it. In 1449, half of the Norwegian council elected Charles their king, but Christian did not give up. Sweden's council held back from open war, fearing defeat, and in 1450, Charles was forced to cede Norway to Denmark. From 1451 onwards, Sweden and Denmark were at war. The devastation on Sweden caused the peasants to revolt. When the church joined in the revolt, Charles was doomed. Charles was deposed in 1457, but was able to regain his throne from Christian I in 1464 only to lose it the next year. He once again regained the throne in 1467. His last three years in office were in a sort of constitutional monarchical state with the Swedish Riksråd (Parliament). Charles died in office in 1470 and John II of Denmark was soon after elected king. Charles VIII was the first monarch of a growing movement against the Kalmar Union that united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. It took almost another hundred years before the Vasas finally took power, but when they did, Sweden revered Charles as their movement's earliest leader. Today, descendants of Charles rule in Norway, the United Kingdom, and, most recently, Sweden.
Date of Death: 14 May 1470
Successor: Christian I, John II
Other Monarch Deaths:
John XII, pope of Rome (964)
Charles III, duke of Lorraine (1608)
Henry IV, king of France (1610)
Louis XIII, king of France (1643)
Frederick VIII, king of Denmark (1912)
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