Bridget Haraldsdotter, also Brigida () (c. 1131 – c. 1208) was Queen of Sweden as the spouse of King Magnus Henriksen. Brigida Haraldsdotter was the illegitimate daughter of King Harald IV of Norway. Her mother is unknown, but she was possibly Tora Guttormsdotter, long-term lover of her father and the mother of King

Sigurd II of Norway Sigurd Haraldsson (; 1133 – 10 June 1155), or Sigurd II, also called Sigurd Munn, was king of Norway from 1136 to 1155. He was son of Harald IV of Norway, Harald IV Gille, king of Norway and his Mistress (lover), mistress Thora Guttormsdotter ...

. Her Irish first name was the same as that of her father's Irish mother, Brigida O'Brien (d. 1138). According to legend, she was first married to King Inge the Younger, but this is not considered possible; likely, her first marriage was to the Swedish jarl Karl Sunesson. She was married to Magnus Henriksen, son of her stepmother

Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter (Old Norse: ''Ingiríðr Rögnvaldsdóttir'') (1100/1110 – after 1161 AD) was born a member of the Swedish royal family, became a member of Danish royalty by marriage and later was Queen consort of Norway as the spouse o ...

and Ingrid's first husband,

Henrik Skadelår Henrik Svendsen (; unknown - 4 June 1134), better known as Henrik Skadelår or Henrik the Lame, was a Danish prince and pretender through his father, Svend Tronkræver, an illegitimate son of King Sweyn II. He died in the Battle of Fotevik befo ...

. Her spouse claimed the Swedish throne through his mother in 1160–61. After his death in 1161, she remarried the Swedish jarl

Birger Brosa Birger Brosa (Old Norse: ''Birgir Brósa''; died 9 January 1202) was the Swedish jarls, jarl of Sweden from 1174 to 1202. Biography He was a son of Bengt Snivil and a member of the powerful House of Bjälbo. In medieval texts, he is either cal ...

of the Bjälbo family. The daughter she had during her marriage to Brosa, Ingegerd Birgersdotter, was to become Queen of Sweden in 1200 as the wife of Sverker the Younger. In 1174, the Norwegian throne claimant Øystein Møyla, who claimed to be her nephew, asked for the support of her and her husband, which they also granted. In 1176, the Norwegian throne claimant

Sverre of Norway Sverre Sigurdsson () (c. 1145/1151 – 9 March 1202) was the king of Norway from 1184 to 1202. Many consider him one of the most important rulers in Norwegian history. He assumed power as the leader of the rebel party known as the Birkebeiner i ...

did the very same thing. He was turned away at first, but in 1177, they advised the Birkebeiner to acknowledge Sverre as their King and gave him the support of them and of the Swedish King. Bridget's son Filippus would also join Sverre's service. Brosa died in 1202. In 1205, a conflict broke out between her daughter Queen Ingegerd and the Bjälbo family. The dates of her birth and death are not known, though her daughter's birth year is set at c. 1180. The dates c. 1131–1208 have been suggested. After the death of her second spouse in 1202, she retired to the Riseberga Nunnery in

Närke Närke () is a Swedish traditional province, or ''landskap'', situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the sou ...

, where she died and was buried.
''Brigida Haraldsdatter'' (Store norske leksikon)

Children

* Philippus Birgersson (d. 1200), Jarl of Norway in the service of King

and one of his most staunch supporters. * Knut Birgersson, jarl of Sweden. According to one source, Knut was married to king

Knut Eriksson Knut Eriksson (; born before 1150 – died 1195/96), also known as Canute I, was King of Sweden from 1173 until his death (rival king since 1167). He was a son of King Erik the Saint and Queen Christina, who was a granddaughter of the Swedish k ...

's daughter, named Sigrid in that source. He was killed in 1208 at the

Battle of Lena The Battle of Lena occurred on 31 January 1208 and probably took place near :sv:Kungslena, Kungslena, in the Tidaholm Municipality in Västergötland, Sweden. It was an important battle between the Danish-backed King Sverker II of Sweden and Prin ...

* Folke Birgersson, aka Folke jarl, jarl of Sweden, killed 1210 at Battle of Gestilren * Ingegerd Birgersdotter (ca 1180–1230), Queen of Sweden 1200–1208, married to king Sverker the Younger and the mother of King

Johan Sverkersson Johan Sverkersson ( – 10 March 1222), also known as John I, was King of Sweden from 1216 until his death in 1222. He was the last king from the House of Sverker, leaving no heirs. During his reign, an expedition was launched from Sweden agains ...

* Kristina Birgersdotter * Margareta Birgersdotter

References

*Lars O. Lagerqvist, "Sverige och dess regenter under 1.000 år", (1976) Swedish * Åke Ohlmarks: ''Alla Sveriges drottningar'' (All the queens of Sweden) Swedish {{DEFAULTSORT:Haraldsdotter, Brigida 1130s births

Bridget Bridget is an Irish language, Irish female name derived from the Goidelic languages, Gaelic noun , meaning "power, strength, vigor, virtue". An alternative meaning of the name is "exalted one". Its popularity, especially in Ireland, is largely re ...

12th-century Norwegian women 12th-century Swedish women 1208 deaths 12th-century Norwegian people 12th-century Swedish people Swedish people of Irish descent Daughters of kings Illegitimate children of Norwegian monarchs Burials at Riseberga Abbey House of Gille