Editing Erik XIV (section)

==Early years==
[[File:Gustav I & Catherine A.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Erik's parents, King Gustav I and Queen Catherine as shown on their grave monument]]
[[File:Erik XIV, 1533-1577, king of Sweden (Steven van der Meulen) - Nationalmuseum - 38906.tif|thumb|left|Portrait sent to [[Queen Elizabeth I of England]], to further the negotiations regarding the marriage. By [[Steven van der Meulen]] 1561|323x323px]]

Erik XIV was born at [[Tre Kronor Castle]], the morning of 13 December 1533.  His mother, [[Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg]], died before he reached the age of two. In 1536, his father, [[Gustav I]] (Gustav Vasa), married [[Margaret Leijonhufvud]], a Swedish noblewoman.

Erik's first teacher was the learned German [[Georg Norman]], whose services were shortly thereafter needed elsewhere within the Swedish state. He was replaced by French [[Calvinist]] [[Dionysius Beurraeus]] (1500–67). Dionysius taught both Erik and his half-brother [[John III of Sweden|John]], and seems to have been appreciated by both. Erik was very successful in foreign languages and mathematics. He was also an informed historian, a good writer and familiar with [[astrology]].

When Erik started to appear in public, he was referred to as "chosen king" ({{langx|sv|utvald konung}}) and after the meeting of parliament in Stockholm in 1560, he received the title of "hereditary king" ({{langx|sv|arvkonung}}).<ref>{{citation|publisher=XS4All |url=http://www.xs4all.nl/~monarchs/madmonarchs/eric14/eric14_bio.htm |title=Eric XIV biography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027080714/http://www.xs4all.nl/~monarchs/madmonarchs/eric14/eric14_bio.htm |archive-date=27 October 2009 }}</ref>
In 1557, Erik was assigned the fiefdoms of Kalmar, Kronoberg and Öland. He took up residence in the city of [[Kalmar]].

Against his father's wishes, Erik entered into marriage negotiations with the future [[Elizabeth I of England]] and pursued her for several years. Tensions between Erik and his father grew. Erik also made unsuccessful marriage proposals to, among others, [[Mary, Queen of Scots]] (1542–1587), [[Renata of Lorraine]] (1544–1602), [[Anna of Saxony]] (1544–1577) and [[Christine of Hesse]] (1543–1604).