Mechtilde of Holstein ( – 1288) was a Danish queen consort, married to King Abel of Denmark and later to

Birger Jarl Birger Jarl or Birger Magnusson (21 October 1266) was a Swedish statesman and regent, ''Swedish jarls, jarl'', and a member of the House of Bjälbo, who played a pivotal role in consolidating Sweden after the civil wars between the House of Eri ...

, Regent of Sweden.

Life

Mechtilde was born around 1218, likely in Schauenburg Castle. She was the daughter of Adolf IV, Count of Schauenburg and Heilwig of Lippe. Her grandfather Adolf III had lost the County of Holstein to Danish King Valdemar Sejr in 1203, but her father regained it during her childhood after the German nobles defeated Valdemar in the Battle of Bornhöved in 1227. On 25 April 1237 she was married to Duke Abel of Schleswig, King Valdemar's second eldest son, as part of a settlement between the two houses. When Abel became

King of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional political system, institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous administrative division, autonomous territories of the Faroe Is ...

in 1250, she was crowned with him in

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

on 1 November. Abel died two years later in 1252, and was succeeded by his brother

Christopher Christopher is the English language, English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek language, Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or ''Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Jesus ...

rather than her son Valdemar, who was imprisoned by the

Archbishop of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne governs the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne in western North Rhine-Westphalia. Historically, the archbishop was ''ex officio'' one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire and ruled the Electorate of Cologne ...

at the time. She successfully secured Valdemar's release from Cologne and fought for her children's inheritance in the

Duchy of Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig (; ; ; ; ; ) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km (45 mi) south of the current border between Germany and Denmark. The territory has been div ...

. In 1253, she secured Schleswig for Valdemar. After his death in 1257, she arranged for her next son,

Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-N ...

, to take over the Duchy in 1260. She made a pact with Jacob Erlandsen,

archbishop of Lund List of (arch)bishops of Lund. Until the Reformation in Denmark, Danish Reformation the centre of a great Latin (arch)bishopric, Lund has been in Sweden since the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. The Diocese of Lund is now one of thirteen in the Ch ...

, and then broke her vows from the convent by marrying the Swedish regent

in 1261. Birger had been one of her late husband Abel's major antagonists who had started up a military vendetta against him which was only stopped by Abel's death. After Birger's death in 1266, Mechtilde moved to

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

, yet her own grave is with Birger's in Varnhem, Sweden. In 1260, she had pawned the land between Eider and Schlei in southern Denmark to her brothers. After the deaths of her sons in 1272 and 1279, she inherited the land. Shortly before her death in 1288, she transferrred the land to her brother, Count Gerhard of Holstein. This caused much resentment in Denmark, where she was labeled the "daughter of the Devil" and accused of destroying letters from the Pope and emperor to King Valdemar.Mechtilde (Mathilde), Dronning, -1288
, ''Dansk Biografisk Lexikon'', volume 11, pp. 205–206, Copenhagen 1897

Issue

Queen Mechtilde bore her first husband three sons and one daughter who reached adulthood: * Valdemar III (1238–1257);

Duke of Schleswig The following is a list of earl, jarls and dukes, who ruled over Schleswig respectively Southern Jutland (Sønderjylland). First jarls/dukes House of Estridsen (1080–1375) House of Schauenburg (1325-1459) Under domain of Oldenburg In ...

from 1254 to 1257 *Sophie ( ), married Bernhard I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg * Eric I (c. 1241 – 27 May 1272);

from 1260 to 1272 *

Abel Abel ( ''Hébel'', in pausa ''Hā́ḇel''; ''Hábel''; , ''Hābēl'') is a biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within the Abrahamic religions. Born as the second son of Adam and Eve, the first two humans created by God in Judaism, God, he ...

(1252–1279); born after his father's death, held several fiefs in Southern DenmarkAbel
in ''

Dansk Biografisk Leksikon ''Dansk Biografisk Leksikon'' (usually abbreviated DBL; title of first edition written ''Dansk biografisk Lexikon'') is a Danish biographical dictionary that has been published in three editions. The first edition, ''Dansk biografisk Lexikon, til ...

1. ed. (1887-1905) *Unnamed daughter, died young

Notes

References

Primary sources

*'' Annales Stadenses'' 1237–1241, MGH SS XVI, pages 363–367 {{DEFAULTSORT:Mechtilde of Holstein 1220s births 1288 deaths Danish royal consorts House of Schauenburg House of Bjälbo House of Estridsen Burials at Varnhem Abbey 13th-century German nobility 13th-century Danish nobility 13th-century Swedish nobility 13th-century German women 13th-century Swedish women 13th-century Danish women Remarried queens consort Daughters of counts Mothers of German monarchs Abel, King of Denmark