Eric XIV sends Catherine Jagiellon to Moscow

[Jan Olbracht]

Marriage of John Vasa with sister of Polish King enraged Eric. John was accused of treason, sentenced to death by riksdag on 7 June 1563 and imprisoned in Gripsholm castle with his Jagiellon wife. Ivan IV, who asked for Catherine's hand previously, started talks with Eric. He was obsessed about Catherine and wanted Swedish King to send her to him. Eric's advisor Jöran Persson tried to convince Catherine to leave her husband and promised to send her back to Poland. She then showed him ring with inscription Nemo nisi mors "nothing but death [would separate us]. Imprisoned John and Catherine lived under great stress, because they were aware, that John could be executed at every moment and that Eric and Ivan are talking about sending her to Moscow. She was at mercy of two mad men. Luckily Eric also was obsessed about certain woman-he still wanted to marry Elizabeth Tudor. Elizabeth knew John Vasa personally, she met him when he was send to London as Eric's envoy to negotiate their marriage. Elizabeth was concerned about John's fate and send letter to Eric, asking about John and Catherine. That way she propably saved them, because Eric didn't want to ruin his chances to marry English Queen. But what if his hatred prevailed over love? John is executed, while Catherine is handed to Ivan? Ivan was married at the time, but getting rid of wife was never problem for him. Considering his obsession he'll not use Catherine to negotiate peace with Sigismund (Livonia for Catherine's release or something like this). Catherine also would not change faith, unlike her brother but like her son she was devout Catholic. So would Ivan have new wife or new martyr? Sigismund Augustus already was at war with Muscovy, so no change there other than Ivan's black legend getting even blacker.

 

[BBadolato]

Marriage of John Vasa with sister of Polish King enraged Eric. John was accused of treason, sentenced to death by riksdag on 7 June 1563 and imprisoned in Gripsholm castle with his Jagiellon wife. Ivan IV, who asked for Catherine's hand previously, started talks with Eric. He was obsessed about Catherine and wanted Swedish King to send her to him. Eric's advisor Jöran Persson tried to convince Catherine to leave her husband and promised to send her back to Poland. She then showed him ring with inscription Nemo nisi mors "nothing but death [would separate us]. Imprisoned John and Catherine lived under great stress, because they were aware, that John could be executed at every moment and that Eric and Ivan are talking about sending her to Moscow. She was at mercy of two mad men. Luckily Eric also was obsessed about certain woman-he still wanted to marry Elizabeth Tudor. Elizabeth knew John Vasa personally, she met him when he was send to London as Eric's envoy to negotiate their marriage. Elizabeth was concerned about John's fate and send letter to Eric, asking about John and Catherine. That way she propably saved them, because Eric didn't want to ruin his chances to marry English Queen. But what if his hatred prevailed over love? John is executed, while Catherine is handed to Ivan? Ivan was married at the time, but getting rid of wife was never problem for him. Considering his obsession he'll not use Catherine to negotiate peace with Sigismund (Livonia for Catherine's release or something like this). Catherine also would not change faith, unlike her brother but like her son she was devout Catholic. So would Ivan have new wife or new martyr? Sigismund Augustus already was at war with Muscovy, so no change there other than Ivan's black legend getting even blacker.

You really have to note of the timeframe, I don't think it would lead to a forced marriage. Ivan is on his second wife Maria Temyrukovna, who depending on when this POD is it could give Ivan the Terrible a third son early, or just miscarriage as in OTL but even then she lived until supposedly being poisoned in 1569.

My issue with Ivan being obsessed with Catherine is that it seems to be a more a product of biased possibly Swedish and Polish historiography, and Ivan the Terrible is hard to get any real genuine information on what he's like when all sorts of things to all sorts of people. The sources I've read have not mentioned anything about Ivan desiring Catherine after being turned down, and I don't see Catherine just being executed. Your talking at a time period before Ivan is really ruthless and mercurial, the Livonian war is not yet going bad, and the Lithuanians have not managed to stall Muscovite momentum yet. So Ivan's "black" period has not begun yet. the fate of Livonian War is up in the air, will Erik XIV get his daughter Virginia married to Tsarevich Ivan as part of the deal?

 

[Jan Olbracht]

There was correspondence between Ivan and Erik, Ivan was asking about Catherine, he wanted to know everything about her, and later, during Livonian War, when Johan was king, Ivan still demanded Catherine. My source is Swedish author indeed, but would Swedes just fabricate all these claims?

 

[BBadolato]

There was correspondence between Ivan and Erik, Ivan was asking about Catherine, he wanted to know everything about her, and later, during Livonian War, when Johan was king, Ivan still demanded Catherine. My source is Swedish author indeed, but would Swedes just fabricate all these claims?

Yes, it is possible, perhaps not on the author's part if it is not a primary source, that is a source from the time period. Ivan the Terrible tends to vary from author to author, but nowhere in my reading have I ever heard of this. Sure Ivan has been described as mercurial and perhaps even outright mentally ill by some, but lecherous enough to point of demanding another woman despite it being well before the period where he simply abandons his later wives is again suspect. Especially when your "POD" is when Ivan is on his second wife who seems to be a victim of all sorts of negative rumors and depictions, from being a pagan, illiterate, the cause of the Oprichnina etc. On top of that Erick XIV seems quite vilified himself, so it could be later historiography talking than any sort of "truth".

What are your author's sources and are those source's reliable, if your learning about this only one book and it is not a primary source I would have reason to be skeptical. For example, the only contemporary source on the Oprichnina that is from a member of that organization was The Land and Government of Muscovy The only author I'm aware of that talks about this is one Bo Erickson who is Swedish, but only in what appears to Sweden in the years leading up to Lutzen. I have not been able to find the book or what particular source he is using to verify how accurate it might be, or where exactly it came from.