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.
Charles IX by an unknown artist, Nationalmuseum
Duke Charles (as he then was called) in 1596 by H. Nützel
Duke Karl Insulting the Corpse of Klaus Fleming (Painting by Albert Edelfelt, 1878, Fleming's wife Ebba Stenbock on the right)
Duke Charles on a coin from 1583
Gustav I, commonly known as Gustav Vasa, was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm (Riksföreståndare) from 1521, during the ongoing Swedish War of Liberation against King Christian II of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Gustav rose to lead the Swedish War of Liberation following the Stockholm Bloodbath, where his father was executed. Gustav's election as king on 6 June 1523 and his triumphant entry into Stockholm eleven days later marked Sweden's final secession from the Kalmar Union.
Portrait by Jakob Binck, 1542
Christian II, Gustav Vasa's main antagonist
Gustav Vasa examines the Finnish translation of the New Testament presented by Mikael Agricola.
Gustav, engraved by Martin Rota