Valdemar I's Queen, Sophie & his mistress Tove

Sophie, o.1140-98, queen,( note: a daughter of prince Volodar and Richiza Swentoslawa), was a halfsister of king Knud, Magnus' son, since her mother Richiza after the fall of Magnus had married a Russian prince Volodar, whom she had left in order to marry king Sverker in Sweden. After Valdemar, Knud Lavard's son, had began turning away from the union with Svend and to make up with Knud, a marriage was arranged between Valdemar and Sophie; she was adolescent, but showed signs of being really beautiful, and since she had no estate in Denmark, Knud promised to give her 1/8 of his paternal inheritance as a dowry. S. was brought to a woman Bodil, who had to take care of her upbringing, but after Knud's murder in Roskilde Valdemar married his bride in Viborg (1157); after the victory at Grathehede some brakteaters (coins) were made with his and S.'s portraits. Valdemar and Sophie had the sons Knud and Valdemar, and the daughters Sophie, Richiza, Ingeborg and Helene, and two daughters, who became nuns. Svend Ågesen (Aggesen) speaks about Sophie's beauty in great admiration, she seems to have been a self-assured, ambitious personality. After Valdemar's death 12. May 1182 landgrev Ludvig of Thüringen, who had repudiated his wife, proposed to the Danish queen; he was one of Germany's mightiest princes, outspoken and intense. King Knud accompanied his mother with a great entourage and equipped with costy belongings , to Ejder where the landgreve received her. But Ludvig quickly changed his mind and sent S. ashamed back to Denmark,; he went on a crusade and died on the journey home (1190). S. died 5. May 1198 and was buried in Ringsted kirke at king Valdemar's side.

Johannes C. H. R. Steenstrup.

Children:
Valdemar II, 1170-1241, King, Son af Valdemar I og Sophie, born around St. Hans 1170 (24 June) See special article about Valdemar II Sejr.

Knud (Valdemarsen), 1163-1202, King, son of Valdemar i and Sophie, born in the beginning of 1163 , baptized by Absalon, crowned 25. June 1170 in Ringsted. When children engagement to Richiza , daughter of Henrik Løwe; richiza died 1167; engagement to her elder sister, the widow Gertrud, Marriage 1177 when Knud was 14 years. He was king from 12 May 1182.No children.
esteg K. Tronen.

Sophie, Grevinde of Orlamünde, –1181–, eldest daughter of king Valdemar and queen Sophie; married to grev Siegfried of Orlamünde. 8 children, the eldest Albert. Siegfried died in 1206.

Richiza, queen of Sweden, –1220, daughter of Valdemar I and Sophie, was in 1210 married to the Swedish king Erik Knudsen (Knutsson), who died in 1216. Richiza died 8. May 1220, buried in Ringsted kirke. She had a son Erik, who became king in Sweden 1222, and 3 daughters, of whom Ingeborg married Birger Jarl of Folkunger and became the mother of the Swedish kings Valdemar and Magnus Ladelås.

Ingeborg, queen of France, o.1175-o.1237. a daughter of Valdemar I and Sophie, married to king Philip August of France (see special article about Ingeborg in 5 x Ingeborg in this blog. )
ke ogsaa Abbed
Vilhelm fra Æbelholt Kloster, der havde virket ivrig for Ægteskabet.

Helene, Hertuginde of Lüneburg, –1233, daughter of Valdemar I and Sophie, was in 1202 in Hamburg married to Vilhelm der Dicke, youngest son of Henrik Løwe. Vilhelm died 12 Dec. 1213. she had a son Otto ("puer") the Young. Helene died in 1233.

Johannes C. H. R. Steenstrup.
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Carl. Fr. Bricka
Project Runeberg

Tove, o.1150, King Valdemars Frille (mistress). Valdemar den Store had a mistress Tove, before he married Sophie in 1157. There is no information about Tove, except that she ab. 1150 had a son with Valdemar, Christoffer, whom Valdemar loved very much. Folksongs from a later period tell how Tove was persecuted by queen Sophie's jealousy and hate and was killed by being locked up in an overheated sauna, but this is random writing. It is a misunderstanding when Huitfeldt(historian), Peder Syv and new writers (ab. 1900) transfer Tove to Valdemar Atterdag's history.

Grundtvig, Danmarks gamle Folkeviser III. Steenstrup, Vore Folkeviser S. 231 ff. (Svensk) Hist. Tidskr. 1891, S. 306 ff. Hist. Tidsskr. 6. R. V, 45 ff.
Johannes C. H. R. Steenstrup.
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Carl Fr. Bricka
Project Runeberg.