Page 52 - All About History 48 - 2017 UK

14 Notorious Royal Mistresses

6 7

Barbara Karin

Blomberg Mansdotter

Royallover:CharlesV,HolyRomanEmperor Royallover:EricXIVofSweden
Year as mistress: 1546 Years as mistress: 1565-77

singer by occupation and from a good Ratisbon family, Barbara’s penly paraded at court as the king’s mistress, Karin was given
affair with the Emperor Charles V didn’t last long. Her liaison all the trappings a royal mistress could expect: costly clothes,
A with the most powerful monarch in Europe began when she O a lavish suite of apartments at court and a host of servants.
sang for the emperor. His wife, Isabella of Portugal, was dead, and rather Eric XIV had had various mistresses, but so infatuated was he with Karin
than remarry, Charles had taken solace in the arms of several mistresses. that she became his sole official mistress. Moreover, in 1567, Eric went
Though Barbara wielded no power over her royal lover and their affair one step further and married his mistress in secret. The following year
was little more than a brief fling, it did result in Barbara’s pregnancy. In the couple married again in a public ceremony: Karin was now queen
February 1547, she gave birth to a son. Named John of Austria, the baby of Sweden. Her husband, however, was mentally unstable, and shortly
was taken from his mother almost immediately. Instead, his royal father after their second wedding Eric was overthrown by his own brothers. His
had decided that he ought to be raised in Spain, while Barbara was married family were imprisoned, and though Karin was initially allowed to remain
off to Hieronymus Kegel. She had three further children with her husband, with her husband, the births of two children meant that the couple were
but only met her son by the emperor once – in 1576. John was her greatest eventually separated. Karin was sent to Finland, where she remained
legacy, and went on to excel in the military service of his half-brother, under arrest until the death of her husband in 1577. She spent the rest of
Philip II of Spain, at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. her life living quietly in a royal estate.

Babs bagged a king with a song He married her twice so it’s true
But things went suddenly wrong Th at he loved her and everyone knew

She gave him a lad But alas for the queen
And he was ever so glad Life wasn’t a dream
But thought it was time she moved on And she was driven to Finland to stew

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