
The seal of king Erik Magnusson.
Eric XII Magnusson (1339 –
June 21 1359) was rival king of
Sweden to his father
Magnus IV from 1356 to his death in 1359. Married to
Beatrix of Bavaria, daughter of
Louis IV of Bavaria.
Referring to Eric Magnusson as Eric XII is a later invention. The Swedish kings
Erik XIV (1560–68) and
Charles IX (1604–1611) took their numbers after studying a highly fictitious History of Sweden. He was actually
Erik VII.
In 1343 Eric and his brother
Haakon were elected heirs of
Sweden respectively
Norway. That Haakon got the Norwegian throne in 1355 (causing the
union between Norway and Sweden to split) while Eric didn't get any position in the Swedish council might have affected his choice to lead a rebellion against his father in 1355. In 1357 the rebellion had forced Magnus to share Sweden with his son Eric who got to rule most of Southern Sweden and
Finland. Sweden was reunited again in 1359 when father and son became reconciled, and co-ruled Sweden until Eric's death a few months later. While dying Eric accused his mother
Blanche of Namur for poisoning him. Quite soon after the death his wife Beatrix died too. It is generally believed that they died of the
plague.