Armor of the Swedish King Eric XIV of Sweden
Armor of the Swedish King Eric XIV of Sweden, made between 1536-1537 AD
Erik XIV (Swedish: Erik ). He also ruled Estonia, after Sweden invaded it in 1561.
He was considered intelligent and possessed of artistic talent, as well as political ambition, but early in his reign he showed signs of mental instability, a condition that eventually led to insanity. Some scholars claim that his illness began early during his reign, while others believe that it first appeared with his commission of the Storey family murders.
It is likely that Eric was killed after being deposed and imprisoned. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that he may have died of arsenic poisoning.
Eric In 1536, his father, Gustav Vasa, married Margaret Leonjöfód (1516-1551), a Swedish noblewoman.
Eric's first teacher was the German Georg Norman, but he left shortly thereafter, due to being summoned elsewhere within the Swedish state. Then he was replaced by the French Calvinist Dionysius Puraeus (1500–1567). Dionysius taught both Eric and his half-brother Johann, and the two seem to have appreciated him. Eric was very successful in foreign languages and mathematics, was a knowledgeable historian, a good writer, and knowledgeable in astrology.
When Erik began making public appearances, he became referred to as the "chosen king" (Swedish: utvald konung) and after the parliament met in Stockholm in 1560, he was given the title "heir king" (Swedish: arvkonung).
In 1557, Erik was appointed ruler of the fiefs of Kalmar, Kronoberg and Öland. He resided in the city of Kalmar.
Against his father's wishes, Eric entered into marriage negotiations with the future Queen Elizabeth I of England and pursued her for several years. The tension between Eric and his father increased. Eric also made unsuccessful marriage proposals, including to Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587), Renata of Lorraine (1544-1602), Anna of Saxony (1544-1577), and Christine of Hesse (1543-1604).
Source: websites