Year 1574 (MDLXXIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.
Charles IX, also Carl, reigned as King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I and of his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, the brother of King Eric XIV and of King John III, and the uncle of Sigismund, who became king both of Sweden and of Poland. By his father's will Charles received, by way of appanage, the Duchy of Södermanland, which included the provinces of Närke and Värmland; but he did not come into actual possession of them till after the fall of Eric and the succession to the throne of John in 1569.
Eric XIV was King of Sweden from 1560 until he was captured in a rebellion led by his brother John in 1568 and formally deposed 26 January 1569. Eric XIV was the eldest son of Gustav I (1496–1560) and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (1513–1535). He was also ruler of Estonia, after it placed itself under Swedish protection in 1561.
John III was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. He was also, quite autonomously, the ruler of Finland, as Duke John from 1556 to 1563. In 1581 he assumed also the title Grand Prince of Finland. He attained the Swedish throne after a rebellion against his half-brother Eric XIV. He is mainly remembered for his attempts to close the gap between the newly established Lutheran Church of Sweden and the Catholic Church, as well as his conflict with and murder of his brother.
Karin Månsdotter was first a mistress of King Eric XIV of Sweden and then briefly queen as his wife.
Catherine Jagiellon was a Polish princess and Queen of Sweden as the first wife of King John III. As such, she was also Duchess of Finland (1562–1583) and Grand Princess of Finland (1581–1583). Catherine had significant influence over state affairs during the reign of her spouse. She negotiated with the pope to introduce Counter-Reformation in Sweden. She was the mother of the future Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland.
Cecilia of Sweden, was Princess of Sweden as the daughter of King Gustav I and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, and Margravine of Baden-Rodemachern as the wife of Christopher II, Margrave of Baden-Rodemachern. She is the most famous daughter of Gustav I, known for a courtship scandal in connection with a sister's wedding and for a lengthy stay in England under Elizabeth I where her first child was born.
Baron Pontus De la Gardie was a French nobleman and a general in the service of Denmark and Sweden.
Princess Elizabeth of Sweden, was a Swedish princess, and a duchess consort of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch by marriage to Christopher, Duke of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch. She was a daughter of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second spouse, Queen Margaret.
Gilbert Balfour was a 16th-century Scottish courtier and mercenary captain. He probably played a leading role in the murder of Lord Darnley, consort of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Countess Magdalena "Malla" or "Malin" Charlotta Rudenschöld was a Swedish lady-in-waiting and conspirator. She was a key member of the Gustavian Armfelt Conspiracy who conspired to depose the regency government of Duke Charles. She was convicted of treason, pilloried, and sentenced to life in prison.
The siege of Wesenberg was an abortive Swedish siege of the Russian-held town of Wesenberg in Estonia from January through March 1574, during the Livonian War. The siege is infamous for a brawl and subsequent combat between German and Scottish mercenaries within the besieging army, which claimed the lives of about 1,500 Scots. Wesenberg was seized in a renewed Swedish assault in 1581.
Events from the year 1574 in Sweden
Charles Dançay (1510–1589), was a French diplomat, the envoy of France to Denmark and Sweden from the reign of Henry II of France onward.
Charles de Mornay, was a Swedish court official, diplomat and royal favorite. He was the central figure of the Mornay plot of 1574.
Hogenskild Bielke was a Swedish baron, court official and riksråd. He was one of the more prominent leaders of the Swedish nobility in their power struggle against royal authority during the 16th-century.
Archibald Ruthven of Forteviot and Master of Ruthven (1546-1578), was a Scottish nobleman who raised a Scottish force for Swedish service in Estonia. There his men and the German soldiers in Swedish service fought a serious battle with each other; many hundred Scotsmen being killed. The Scots were blamed for the disaster, and, although wounded by his own men, Ruthven was imprisoned. As a prisoner in Sweden he was accused of having participated in a conspiracy to assassinate King John III of Sweden. Others implicated in the plot were executed, but Ruthven was kept a prisoner in Vasteras, where he died.
The 1569 Plot was a conspiracy in Sweden in 1569. The purpose was to depose John III of Sweden and reinstate the imprisoned Eric XIV of Sweden on the Swedish throne. The plot was instigated by the courtiers of Eric's spouse queen Karin Månsdotter; her lady-in-waiting Elin Andersdotter and her personal secretary Thomas Jakobsson. It was the first of three major plots to free the imprisoned Eric XIV, but has been described as the most serious one. The plot was exposed and prevented before it could be put in action and resulted in the execution of the conspirators.
The 1576 Plot was a conspiracy in Sweden in 1576. The purpose was to depose John III of Sweden and reinstate the imprisoned Eric XIV of Sweden on the Swedish throne. It was the last of three major plots to free the imprisoned Eric XIV, and was preceded by the 1569 Plot and the 1574 Mornay Plot.
Jean Allard or Jehan Alard, was a French adventurer.
