Swedish Princess and Politician. Born in Eskilstuna, she was the daughter and favorite child of King John III of Sweden, Vasa Dynasty, and played an important part in the political complications between that country and Poland, of which her brother Sigmund (III) was elected King in 1587. In Polish history she is known as Anna Vasa and "the Swedish princess". She was considered cheerful, intelligent, independent and "quite disrespectful". There had been plans for her to become Queen Regnant of Sweden, but instead she accompanied her brother to Poland after his election there and divided her time in both countries during the rest of her lifetime. Sigmund let her influence his politics to the point where Polish courtiers complained, largely because Anne would not convert from Lutheranism to the Roman church as her brother had done to become King of Poland. In 1598 she was to marry Prince-elector John George of Brandenburg but the wedding never took place because of various issues. Nor did she ever marry anyone else, including Swedish magnate Gustav Brahe who was said to be deeply in love with her. When her brother lost the Swedish throne in 1599, she made great efforts in taking care of exiled Swedes in Poland, his supporters, and sponsored education there for their children. One of her proteges was also her incarcerated cousin, Baron Carl Carlson Gyllenhielm, an illegitimate son of her uncle King Carl IX of Sweden, and an enemy of Poland. In 1605, Princess Anne was given the Brodnica (Strasburg) area of Poland where she resided until her death. The Vatican initially vetoed Sigmund's wish for a state funeral for his sister, still a Protestant, but eleven years after her death the funeral and interment finally took place in Toruń. When her remains were examined in 1994 it was found that she had suffered from scoliosis and was severely deformed. A tribute to her is her monumental statue in Brodnica.
Swedish Princess and Politician. Born in Eskilstuna, she was the daughter and favorite child of King John III of Sweden, Vasa Dynasty, and played an important part in the political complications between that country and Poland, of which her brother Sigmund (III) was elected King in 1587. In Polish history she is known as Anna Vasa and "the Swedish princess". She was considered cheerful, intelligent, independent and "quite disrespectful". There had been plans for her to become Queen Regnant of Sweden, but instead she accompanied her brother to Poland after his election there and divided her time in both countries during the rest of her lifetime. Sigmund let her influence his politics to the point where Polish courtiers complained, largely because Anne would not convert from Lutheranism to the Roman church as her brother had done to become King of Poland. In 1598 she was to marry Prince-elector John George of Brandenburg but the wedding never took place because of various issues. Nor did she ever marry anyone else, including Swedish magnate Gustav Brahe who was said to be deeply in love with her. When her brother lost the Swedish throne in 1599, she made great efforts in taking care of exiled Swedes in Poland, his supporters, and sponsored education there for their children. One of her proteges was also her incarcerated cousin, Baron Carl Carlson Gyllenhielm, an illegitimate son of her uncle King Carl IX of Sweden, and an enemy of Poland. In 1605, Princess Anne was given the Brodnica (Strasburg) area of Poland where she resided until her death. The Vatican initially vetoed Sigmund's wish for a state funeral for his sister, still a Protestant, but eleven years after her death the funeral and interment finally took place in Toruń. When her remains were examined in 1994 it was found that she had suffered from scoliosis and was severely deformed. A tribute to her is her monumental statue in Brodnica.
Bio by: Count Demitz
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